The Beauty of Tarzan (1999)
Although a plethora of Disney movies have been hailed as the best, ‘Tarzan,’ and its sheer brilliance is often overlooked. Possibly because of how anti-Disney it seems in nature, with its lack of definite Prince and Princess, kingdom, and magic. Instead, ‘Tarzan,’ takes place in the Jungles of Africa -the exact location is unknown or at least ambiguous - with a metaphorical King of the Wild. The lack of civilisation is represented by how, at the start of the movie, the roots that tie Tarzan to humans and civilisation is destroyed in bellows of fire and leopard claws. However, ‘Tarzan,’ does employ the same qualities that Disney- fans are captured by- the finding of self, belonging, family and gratuitous shenanigans. The thematic beauty of the movie is only further emphasised by the groundbreaking animation, unsuspecting of the fact that it was produced 22 years ago. Thus, ‘Tarzan,’ should be equally acknowledged alongside its peers.
Themes and Audience
For young children, who can be blinded by bright colours and quick action, the images of family and friendship are appealing. Equally, however, the movie allows older audiences, like early to late teens, to resonate with its meaning and characters. Tarzan takes a much more philosophical and abstract route than what many would initially pick up, exploring this concept of self and belonging in great detail. A juxtaposition is created; although Tarzan is adopted by his ape mother, he is shunned and ostracized from everyone else, thus denying the boy the identity of an ape. However, he is also denied the label of a civilised man by the ecologists, with his inability to talk, abnormal behaviour and strange appearance suddenly becoming commodifyed into something to gape at. To put it simply, Tarzan is denied the identity of ape and the identity of man. Tarzan is an ambigious blurring of lines. This question of self haunts Tarzan throughout the movie, starting as a young boy, comforted by Kala, and as a grown man. From this, older teens can resonate with Tarzan. The internal conflict of their purpose and identity is further pronounced by how late teens are denied the comfort of childhood and the stability of adulthood. As well as this, the alienation Tarzan experiences strikes a chord. Feeling lonely with no semblance to others is a common feeling that's gripped onto me as I've grown up. At the end of the movie, it’s hard to say definitively what Tarzan belongs to- even in the TV series, he is simply a mid ground of ape and human. Although this annoys me sometimes, I prefer Tarzan belonging entirely to the jungle and nature, this decision calms the turmoil Tarzan has felt his entire life. Through this, ‘Tarzan,’ highlights how one doesn’t need to be in a definite group to be loved and accepted, offering comfort to its wide audience.
As well as this integral theme of belonging and identity, the movie also explores the cycle of nature, justified and needed in comparison to the sinister brutality of civilisation. As part of a movie formula, most Disney plots follows the conflict between the pure and good-hearted protagonist and a sinister, corrupted villain. However, as ‘The Lion King,’ explored its its circle of life song, the setting of tbe jungle disrupts this. Although Tarzan did kill Sabor, Sabor is not villainised because he killed Kala's child or Tarzan's parents. Instead, Sabor is feared by the characters because he is a leopard and thus is predatory and dangerous. When Kala finds baby Tarzan and runs away in absolute terror of Sabor, it's not because he has killed an innocent baby's parents- it's because he is a predatory animal. This upholds the natural cycle of life within the jungle and is dissociated from the human concept of morality. (Kala VS Sabor) Similarly, Tarzan is also a flawed protagonist. Even though he is a strong leader and has a noble heart, he faims to prioritise his family above these newcomers. He attacks Kerchack in defense of them and abandons his mother. The TV series somewhat addresses this- although they conclude it with an ambiguous "the humans are also my animal family,"- it's an acknowledgement none the less. Both Sabor and Tarzan do what needs to be done to survive; killing the defenseless and leaving the defenseless unprotected for food and loyalty. This plays into the cycle of nature where no one is ever the villian or the hero within the jungle. Instead, it's worth noting that the villian who's actions cant be justified are Clayton's, the only one who is from the outside, foreign civilised society. He comes barging into the jungles of Africa, disrupting the balance of nature. With his gun, contrast to Sabor's claws and Tarzan's spear, Clayton is the perfect villian for symbolizing the evil of civilisation. Even though the movie highlights the montage where society is advanced and complex with films, photographs, vehicles and traditions, Clayton's motivations are not for survival or instinctual but instead a methodological plan for money. Clayton's death is also symbolic of this romantic notion, in reference to the power and superiority of nature. Although Tarzan guides Clayton to the trees, it's his own actions of cutting the vines that kill him. Through this, Tarzan constructs a juxtaposition between the natural void of morality within the wild, encompassing the laws of nature, and the corruption of human civilisation.
Character development
Touched upon earlier, Tarzan's character development is something to marvel at, in my opinion. He was born flawed- both physically and socially, with his hairless skin, skinny weak frame and different skill set. Even though he is comforted by Kala and is loose friends with Terk (at the start), this does nothing to mask the true rejection he faces. When he grows older- into a man, with strong shoulders, muscles and a defined jaw- he gains new skills to compensate for his physical differences. Tarzan's character development is supported by the soundtrack, with Phil Collins' tracks being the most significant. (Speaking of Collins, another reason why I'm so attached to Tarzan is how inquisitive he is in nature. The desperation and glee to know more about the unfamiliar is a startling similarity to how people have often described me.) And yet, he still feels internally divided and lost. It's hard to conclude whether Tarzan was popular in the family when he grew older; we only ever see him interacting with Terk and Tantor, but the way the whole family bellows for his victory against Sabor is awe-inspiring. At this moment, as well as protecting his family, Tarzan is also unknowingly claiming retribution for his parents, and the civilised life he could have had. The way Tarzan fights through his differences and learns to adapt, making his skill set somewhat superior to his family, is admirable. Tarzan 2 tries to explore this but I personally feel like the montage in the first presented this concept of determination perfectly. He starts of weak and rejected, and ends up strong- hailed the King of the Jungle- surrounded by his family. The most symbolic moment for me was when he fought Sabor.
Animation
Leading on from this, the animation within that scene is perfect. The use of colours- contrasting Tarzan's skin and the the vivid green of the environment with Sabors yellow coat- the implementation of a still, hand drawn (I believe watercolour mixed with digital) at the start of the scene is brilliant. Additionally, the smoothness of the animation is something to marvel at; Tarzan was probably the most action-packed Disney movie at that time, swaying away from the traditional romantic and slow movies. The environment changes so easily and fluidly- like the swinging of vines to Tarzan being stuck in that hole, to the ditch in the ground. It mirrors the tension the audience feels, supported by the complex soundtrack. So the fact that each shot, movement of action flows together quite nicely is a huge achievement to the animation team. Not only is Sabors animation smooth, encompassing his unexpectedness and threat, but also Tarzans, reflecting that he too is equally as dangerous and 'native,' to the jungle. As well as animating the characters, the production team were able to successfully reflect the fluidity of nature. All of this was done via cell shading, meaning that most of it was initially hand drawn. This is so impressive that it makes me gape in awe sometimes. 3D animation may seem more appealing in these post-modern times but cell shading and traditional 2D animation, although time consuming, will always be significantly more admirable.
Final Thoughts
The beauty and impact of ‘Tarzan,’ is admirable, considering it came out in 1999 and broke the pretty restrained Disney movie of soft, romantic movies that reworked traditonal fairytales. The way it is so deeply entrenched in the laws of nature, conflicting with the shallowness of civilisation, inspires me to not only hold nature in higher regard, but also has made me consider conservation as a career. It’s strange to say that rewatching ‘Tarzan,’ as an eighteen year old, has illuminated how high I regard nature, but it’s the truth. The themes, the wide audience, the crisp, clean 2D animation alongside that beautiful soundtrack makes ‘Tarzan,’ one of the greats, for me.
-VL
Comments
Post a Comment