Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is one of the most symbolic films Disney has ever produced. Disney movies are always filled with color, and these colors are usually symbolizing something significant. When Belle wears a yellow dress, the color symbolizes her and the Beasts’ growing love for each other, youth, and strength. Later When Belle’s father first stumbles upon the Beast’s castle, it is a dark and stormy night with lightning across the sky, which represents the terror Belle’s father is feeling when he is looking for the castle. The west wing in the castle is full of old rubbish and dust, which symbolizes feelings of desolation and neglect, as well as the frustration and rage the Beast feels. Windows usually symbolize enlightenment and open mindedness but in this movie the windows grow progressively larger until they fill the entire walls as Belle and the Beast get to know each other. This symbolizes that they are becoming enlightened about the other’s character instead of themselves.  A candle flame can also symbolize hope, and when Belle runs away from the castle for the first time, she slams a door and extinguishes Lumiere’s flame, which symbolizes hope, because without her there is no hope for the enchantment to end. Books are a repeated symbol in this movie. For Belle, they symbolize a way of escape from a life she does not want, and they are her only source of adventure and romance. Each time there is a room full of books in this movie, there is also a globe, symbolizing the way books allow Belle to travel and have experiences she would never have otherwise. Mirrors and reflections are also a repeated symbol in this movie, and they symbolize the action of seeing oneself as others do. However, the Beast shatters a mirror in his rooms, which shows that he is aware of how others see him.

The Little Mermaid

I believe that the story of The Little Mermaid symbolizes a powerful metaphor of the "Sacred Feminine" over the last several thousand years of western civilization. The Bible refers Mary Magdalene as the “Lost Bride" and the carrier of the sacred famine. The mermaid/merman was known as the sea God; who was a depiction of half-human and half-fish. This representation derived from the Babylonians as early as 8000 BC. It was said that this God had a human voice and taught his people the arts of civilization. The main symbolic reference in this film is solely based on religious interpretations. Ariel has an interest in collecting unfamiliar artifacts. While Ariel is in her cave under the ocean, she examines strange objects from a shipwrecked vessel. Among her treasures she comes across a famous painting called Magdalen with the Smoking Flame. Of all the possible pictures in the history of art, it is significant that the directors of the Disney film chose Mary Magdalene who represents the lost bride of Jesus. Ariel does not carry a book and a mirror by accident. These are icons readily identified in medieval art. The mirror is not just a symbol for feminine pride but represents the role of the material world. The book represents all natural and spiritual law. She is continuously seeking of wisdom, and the book symbolizes the Bible. Many Disney movies depict a spiritual concept and out of all the movies I have seen I believe The Little Mermaid has shown the most religious representation.

Toy Story 3

In my perspective Toy Story 3 is symbolic for the Holocaust .If you pay close attention you will notice symbolic significance. Even though Disney is child-friendly, there are subliminal messages that provoke serious implications. So basically Andy is leaving for college and he needs to pick and chose what he will bring with him to school. After going through his childhood toys he decides to bring Woody along for the new college journey, and puts his other toys in a bag to be put away in the attic. Andy’s mother mistakenly thought the bag was trash. The toys were left behind, just as host nations left behind the Jews as they conquered Europe. Woody then holds a meeting, where the toys discuss possible outcomes for their new position in the world. Change a few words and it is the same exact scene in award winning Holocaust drama The Pianist.”Yes, we’ve lost friends, but surely that can’t happen to us” says woody. This is similar to what someone in the Holocaust would say about their friends or family members they have lost. The toys end up trapped in a daycare center called Sunnyside which is symbolizes a concentration camp. Sunnyside is composed of unwanted toys that were sent away, because they were no longer needed or wanted in “society”. The new toys are bashed and abused by the “leaders” of the daycare, and are portrayed with “Hitler-like” characteristics. The toys eventually end up being thrown into the trash chute, which is a dump where all the unwanted objects are killed, burnt and destroyed. The chute is another symbolism for concentration camps. Disney always ends with a happy ending; so of course the toys are saved at the last minute by “aliens” from Pizza Planet. This scene represents a group of concentration camp prisoners who escape camp grounds. Disney movies are made to be interpreted whichever way you can envision them.

The Lion King

Fairy tales and children's stories are often more symbolic then people can visually notice.Among the symbolism in the film the battles between light and darkness, and water and desert stand out as perfect Jungian examples. The task presented to Simba must be accomplished for the salvation of his kingdom. In this classic retelling of the battle between good and evil, the symbolism is clearly evident. The Lion King it is clearly materialized simply in the color of the lion. Simba, and the lions of his pride are all light colored, while Scar and his hyenas are dark, or black. The lightness during the movie are happier and free spirited. As Scar attempts to strengthen his grasp on the pride the images conform to his darkness, until the point of his death. Water vs. Desert is also displayed in Scar's kingdom, as with his evil, the land is dry and barren. Water from the heavens starts to fall immediately upon Scars death, and restores the land once Simba takes his throne, and his pride acknowledges him as king. Scar is also symbolized as Hitler.During the movie the hyenas are march in very Nazi like movement, he promises the hyenas "if you make me your king i promise you will never go hungry again". Hitler promised the Germans the same. He also blames the lions for all the problems the hyenas encounter. The hyenas are viewed as the  Nazis or the country of Germany. They were forced to live in a horrible conditions for past mistakes ,referencing back to the Treaty of Versailles.Timon and Pumba symbolism the  league of nations; they wanted to help simba but did not have the strength to stop the hyenas.Mufasa signifies god, he appears in the clouds and gives cryptic advice whenever someone is looking for help. The Lion King is filled with subliminal symbolism making the movie  lot more interesting once you notice the significance.

Snow White

As the viewer, I was previously  unaware that director produces hidden symbolism in their production.  Now that I am knowledgeable about  the media linking symbols with certain images I am constantly looking for symbolism. The Disney productions are famous for using both obvious and hidden symbolism. Many fairy tales seem to be a simple children's story on the surface, but there are messages, morals and symbolism contained within the story.Much of the symbolism is Christian based and there are several parallels to stories in the Bible. Snow White the significance of seven dwarfs was the actual number seven. It was used many times in the Bible for signifying perfection.  It is one of the most significant numbers in Christianity. The poisonous apple was also a biblical reference ; Eve was offered the forbidden fruit by the evil serpent. Eve is reflected as Snow White and the evil serpent is portrayed as the evil queen.Snow White knows she should not be speaking to strangers, but she does it anyway and she pays for that mistake by falling under the spell. The colors in this movie are not only there to make the movie more bright and colorful but they serve a purpose. In the beginning of the movie they mention her skin as white as snow, her lips as red as blood and her hair as black as ebony. The white represents innocence , red represents life and passion and black represents death. All of these symbolism have significant meaning, and they are purposely placed in the movie.