The Lion King: The Call Of Nostalgia

Disney took pleasure in playing with nostalgia, in making remakes of the films that made children fall in love with the 90s, in this phase that some call the “Disney Renaissance”. Viewers go to the cinema with the intent of going back to the past, even knowing that they will be disappointed because the remake was not up to par. One of the newcomers is also one of the most loved by these young adults. We are talking about the Hamlet of our times, which is none other than The Lion King.

The period between 1989 and 1999 was a glorious time for Disney studios; in those years were produced titles that are now classics: Mulan , Tarzan , Hercules , Beauty and the Beast , The Little Mermaid and, of course, The Lion King.

Disney had given a twist to its productions; high quality films were produced, which were also usable by adults. These cartoons made their appearance in an era still foreign to new technologies, but with effects already capable of bringing the magic of animation to levels never reached before. The entertainment of the little ones was offered by these productions, the internet was still a fantasy of the future and the cinema experience was – sorry for the redundancy, but it’s worth it – an absolutely thrilling experience.

Among all these films, The Lion King shines with its own light, it is the film on everyone’s lips, no one can hate it and we can only surrender to it. This fascination allowed it to become a musical that still fills the theaters and – as expected – the Disney studios wanted to increase profits with a remake . What to expect from this new version of the animation classic? What news does it present?

Why a remake?

To answer this question, in this specific case, one could be enough: because it is profitable, very profitable. But the answer could be more complex. Certainly the public went en masse to see the new version of a classic from their childhood, but it is equally true that in the face of remakes we tend to be very critical, sometimes even unfairly.

Furthermore, the case we are dealing with today has a particularity. While in other Disney classics we can find discrepancies among the public that ends up justifying the poetic license of the directors, with The Lion King there is absolute unanimity. According to many it is one of the best Disney films; for others, it’s the absolute best and may even be featured on lists that don’t just include animated films.

Thus nostalgia and the most absolute devotion play against the creative freedom in its entirety. That is to say, The Lion King becomes, in some way, untouchable. It cannot be modified, made changes or embellished. Any additional element, however well intentioned, is open to criticism.

The reasons that can lead to make a remake are the most varied: from the desire to tell the story from another point of view to the desire to update the values ​​represented, passing through a spontaneous departure from the original. Here the interesting point is that The Lion King is, in itself, a remake and an adaptation of Hamlet who, transferred to the animal kingdom, has similarities with the work of Shakespeare.

The difficulties of an ambitious remake

After seeing the 2019 version, we realize that its creators were really aware of the difficulties of a revision of the Disney classic (which is why they have remained very faithful – even too much – to the original). In this regard, then we must ask ourselves why do a remake? Nostalgia? Returning a childhood to young adults? Is it due to the “Disney Renaissance”? Or maybe the only reason is economic?

In any case, he succeeds in his intent: to induce the public to go to the cinema and let themselves be carried away by nostalgia, lulled to the fullest by the soundtrack, which recovers themes of the original that have left their mark.

At the same time, it becomes an enjoyable film, with great visual quality, but one that we will probably forget in a few years. Perhaps we could have done without it, since it shows almost nothing new; but sometimes we don’t want something new: we want that journey we were promised in our earliest childhood.

The footprint of Hamlet

As anticipated, The Lion King is inspired by Hamlet ; the similarities are more than evident, but they were staged in a more docile tone and closer to the childish audience. Hamlet was, at the time, absolutely innovative; he deepened the characters and psychological aspects, represented a break with tradition. The tragedy has greatly influenced universal literature and there is no doubt about its value as a classic.

The Lion King , in addition to taking the work as a point of reference, focuses on the emotions, feelings and motivations of its characters. In this way he outlines a story that, despite being told by animals, we find deeply human.

Shakespeare did not only speak of revenge in Hamlet , he studied human nature in detail, outlining characters that allowed an infinity of analysis from many different perspectives. In The Lion King we get close to Mufasa and get deep into the father and son relationship ; for this very reason we are able to greatly justify revenge and empathy with the childish public is achieved.

In this way, The Lion King not only resembles Hamlet in the theme, but also in the role it plays in the collective imagination and in Disney studios. It brings together drama, comedy, music and makes us share in the tragedy of the death of a loved one.

The Lion King offers us a deeper insight into the characters, putting aside the too childish point of view of animated cinema to reach even an adult audience.

The Lion King : the importance of our planet

While it hardly alters the main storyline, 2019’s The Lion King presents a topic that, while present in the 1990s, has been accentuated and more valued. We are talking about the hidden message throughout the film and which is made explicit in the various characters: the use we make of resources, the value we place on nature.

The cycle of life is the key to the film : Mufasa explains to Simba the importance of understanding that all beings are fundamental, from animals to plants. If greed ends up corrupting us and we begin to abuse the resources offered to us by the earth, the cycle is broken and with it life becomes impossible.

They, as lions, could be the “strong”, as they feed on other herbivorous animals. Yet, Mufasa recalls that after death their bodies will become food for the earth, from which plants are born which, in turn, will be consumed by herbivores. If everyone gives their contribution without abusing their condition, life will be more harmonious, even if at times it seems unfair to us.

The character of Scar in The Lion King

Scar is the character who embodies greed, corruption driven by power and the desire to possess it. It matters little that the rest of the animals in his kingdom die of hunger, that the earth no longer bears fruit… Scar contributes to the destruction of his own world.

This message establishes a clear parallel with our planet, with the climate emergency we are facing and with the problems deriving from an unequal and abusive distribution of resources. Without moving away from the original, he takes up a message and presents it in our age, closer to us, allowing the audience to identify with what they see on the screen.

Concluding remarks

The Lion King will always be the classic of Disney classics and it is likely that in a few years we will not even remember the new version. We certainly won’t see it hundreds of times, as we did with the original.

All this will not stop nostalgia from taking over, taking us back to our childhood, making us want to look at the original once again and pushing us to sing those songs that, for many of us, represent the soundtrack of our life.