"Supreme art is a traditional statement of certain heroic and religious truth, passed on from age to age, modified by individual genius, but never abandoned." William Butler Yeats
Lambert the Sheepish Lion was held in such high regard when it was released, that the Disney film was nominated for an Oscar; why would it be considered a high spot of all the great films of 1952? Two reasons, at least: first, the United States was still slowly realizing the superpower it had become nearly overnight at the end of World War II, just like Lambert "snapping" and realizing that he was a lion there to defend the defenseless. The theme of one going from being "backwards" or of poor quality, to suddenly holding super-star status was typical of many 1950s (Breakfast At Tiffany's, Annie Get Your Gun). Viewing the United States as a lion suddenly emerging would have deeply resonated on the unconscious political scene at the time as a demonstration of what had happened and why the United States did the right thing in joining the war.
As compelling--and even complete--as this historical understanding seems, there is also another reason for the idea of a "sheepish lion" to have become so beloved: Lambert embodies the dual nature of Jesus Christ, as both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God. (There was another film made this same year, in which a great fighter tried to cover up who he really was and, like Lambert, it required a snap that made him realize he couldn't hide from who he has: John Wayne in John Ford's The Quiet Man).
The opening lines indicate that it's not just "Once upon a time," but exactly a springnight, and what happens during a spring night? Jesus Christ is resurrected from the dead and becomes the defender of the Children of God. The night is the time when the soul experiences its greatest trials, and in Biblical times, that was the "fullness of time" when all things had been especially prepared for the coming of the long-awaited Messiah.
The flock of Israel.
When the stork crashes into the trees, the trees indicate the Suffering of the Cross and how that "crashes" with our common sense; why would a king come to suffer for his people? Why would a king suffer at all? Why would God suffer for his people? But it also re-enforces the idea that the Suffering of the Cross and the Incarnation are the specific power of the second person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ, because the stork, bearing babies (i.e., new life), is a symbol for the Holy Spirit, who is the Lord and Giver of Life.
Why do all the little lambs not choose the Mrs. Sheep for their mother? Her bell is more than a method of the audience readily identifying her; she is Mary, and Anna, the prophetess in the Temple, and Saint Anne, all those in Israel who longed for the deliverance by the Messiah and prayed and kept the Law of Moses so God would grant their prayer. That's why none of the new-born lambs choose her, those lambs are of the world, not the spirit, and her bell is a symbol of prayers (I had hoped to do bells during Christmas, but wasn't able to get to it so for now, I am afraid, you will have to trust me; but songs such as Silver Bells and the ringing of the bells in general, are invoking the power of prayer because of the sweet music they make to God).
When all the little lambs have been taken in by other sheep, Mrs. Sheep cries not only because she wasn't chosen, but because the Messiah still had not come. In Biblical times, virginity by a woman was to be mourned because it meant that she would not be the mother of the Messiah; Mrs. Sheep is not only sad about this, but because it means they will have to wait even longer.
Mr. Stork's comical bungling isn't funny at all: the Children of Israel were expecting a lamb who would be a lion in his heart, not a lion who would be a lamb, and that's an important distinction, because (like many of us still today) we would rather be a lamb with all the power in the world than to be a lion who chooses not to use that power. In political terms for Israel, they would not be delivered from their political enemies (the Romans) by fighting them like lions--as they were in the Old Days under God the Father and King David--but they would be delivered from their spiritual enemies, the demons, by the one who could subjugate the demons, God the Son.
Yes, lions are found in South Africa, not really in Israel, but there are references to lions, especially in the Psalms, when "young lions hunger and go for want" of food. Those young lions are the fallen angels, the demons who revolted against God. Like God they are immortal, but being created by God, they are younger than God, hence, they are "young," but they have an unending appetite for souls. Jesus, as the Lion of Judah, praises God and is thus able to overcome the young lions, because He is their natural superior in the physical and the spiritual world.
Lambert choosing Mrs. Sheep is then an obvious choice because Lambert ringing her bell means that God has answered her prayers: the Messiah has come. Unlike the Chief Priests and Scribes who want God and the Messiah to fit their image of what he would do and bring to Israel, Mrs. Sheep is wedded to God Himself, and is willing to accept what God sends to fulfill his purpose.
Lambert being with the little lambs and "not fitting in" offers an interesting commentary on what the hidden years of Christ's childhood might have been like for him growing up, as God and the Messiah, but also "hidden" in the form of a human. The rejection of Lambert reveals the constant rejection which Christ experienced even as a young boy growing up. When Mrs. Sheep licks his hair, it forms something of a crown, reminding Lambert of his great calling that he will have to answer to save her, and those making fun of him and rejecting him. We have heard the Scripture, "The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone supporting all the rest" and Disney's Lambert the Sheepish Lion provides us with an intimate view of the intimate pain Jesus willing experienced to be that "rejected stone" (because Satan offers us the stones that are pleasing to our eyes that we want to accept but are ultimately deadly to us).
Lambert being turned into a toy for his "brother lambs" to play with lets us know the way the Chief Priests of the Temple and the Scribes took his teachings, his words of wisdom, and turned them into objects of scorn (for example, in the Joyful Mystery of the Finding in the Temple, when Jesus is found talking/teaching the priests and they don't recognize him to be the Messiah, neither do the little lambs in the cartoon, in spite of the great size of Lambert).
It's important to remember, watching the cartoon, that all the complaints the lambs have against him, not enough wool for one bag, can't butt his head or bleat, are all worldly measures, and we ourselves go against the same "standards of measurement" when we are in the world and rejected.
Lambert being "yellow, through and through," is a sign--not of his cowardice--rather, of his great dignity (yellow is the color of gold, and gold is associated with kings, so his royal dignity is what is being invoked, even though he wants to fit in with those "less than himself," the little lambs).
"Drink from the pool by the way side" is what Lambert and his mother do in this shot, taking in the wisdom (the life giving water) that others choose not to do, so they are sustained to fulfill what God himself has decreed for them. The wisdom of the world would teach that Lambert doesn't fit in and that, as such, he should be driven out, but God knows (as we shall see with Moses in the next post on The Ten Commandments, that the one who doesn't fit in is the one who will become the pattern by which all others will be measured).
The "sheepish grin" of Lambert indicates his humility and meekness in being able to control his temper and not lash out at that who have hurt him
When the lambs are asleep, it symbolically means the sleep of spiritual sluggishness, they are not tending to their souls; Lambert is the first to awaken because he is tending to his soul, that's the reason he was born, to lead the children of God out of darkness that covers them now, in this moment. Lambert's fear when he sees the wolf is reminding us of Christ's own fear when he was called to undergo his passion, and how he didn't want to but he did t for love of God and love of us, regardless of the terror in his soul at doing so.
The moon rises in cycles, so the moon being full symbolically stands for the "fullness of time" (since the last cycle had past) and the wolf standing on the rock is a sign of the hardness of heart of the lambs below (not tending to their souls or cultivating their virtue); Lambert is a rock, but a rock in his faith and righteousness, and that's why he can defeat the wolf who lives by his appetites.
The wolf stealing off Mrs. Sheep graphically illustrates for us the way Satan attacks the Church, the mystical spiritual body which God created, but was then born into as a man and now must defend from his mortal enemy. The prayers of Mrs. Sheep crying out clearly mimic the prayers of the Church today, still under so much attack, praying for the Second Coming and a new Deliverance from the enemies of our souls and the guardian of our soul, the Church.
What finally snaps inside Lambert is not suddenly finding his bravery, nor fear for himself, rather, the pleas of his beloved Church, his faithful, because the time to be the Lamb of God has passed, and the time for the Lion of Judah to enter has come. Only after the Lion has defeated its enemy the wolf, can the Lion lay beside the lamb and the two natures of Christ be reconciled in our little human minds. The fall of the wolf reminds us of the fall of Satan and how we can follow that way, or rejoice in the power of the Lion that we first come to know through the power of the Lamb.
(This post builds upon Walt Disney & the Brothers Grimm: A Comparative Analysis of Snow White). Tarsem Singh finds himself in an unenviable position with his newest release: Mirror, Mirror utilizes a vast array of visual signs and symbols, but critics have bashed his expertise as being merely eye candy; does he come through to deliver a powerful message, or does the visual banquet overwhelm the audience? If you are President Obama, you don't want this film to mean anything, because it speaks so loudly about financial woes, taxes, the politically disenfranchised, empty promises, vanity, arrogance and corruption, the whole country is bound to get up in arms and revolt, just like Snow White (needless to say, I really liked it!). Why wouldn't, like Snow White and the Huntsman, Mirror, Mirror, retain an aspect of the original title, including the main character's name? Because the film seeks to "hold up a mirror" to this country so we will look into it; either we will be wise and see the parable intended, or, like the queen, we will be foolish and ignore the warnings.
I know there are times when people probably think I "go too far" with interpretations, or may be reading something into some tiny detail that you question; when a film participates in its own decoding, offering its own interpretation, we are invited to come a long for the ride, and every aspect of the structure and the choices made within the film reflect a complex commentary on the American political state today.
The evil queen (Julia Roberts) and Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) at the gala the queen throws to "Sweep this kid off his feet" so he will marry her and replenish her dwindling bank roll. She's been married five times. When Prince Alcott is first presented to the queen, he's stripped down to his underpants; that he has no shirt on shows how he can "bear all" because--unlike the queen--he's not hiding anything (as the queen hides what she did to the king and her murder of Snow White). This honesty is what the queen will consider to be trickery because honesty doesn't serve her purpose of staying in power; when the prince appears before her a second time without a shirt, he's even more honest with her and that only validates his virtue and his valor in being virtuous.
Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) has just arrived in the Evil Queen's kingdom (Julia Roberts) and to impress him, she throws a costume ball where the prince comes dressed as a white rabbit. When the queen sees him, she says, "The rabbit is a sign of trickery," and deception (the queen interpreting the prince's costume because costumes should be interpreted), and she's concerned what she should be thinking of him and she's right, because the prince's heart isn't with the queen at all, but with Snow White whom he met earlier that day and during the proceeding dance, the prince tricks each dancer who should be with Snow White into moving on so he can stay dancing with her. Even more importantly are the costumes the queen and Snow White are wearing: the queen's red and white peacock dress compared to Snow's all white swan dress.
Armie Hammer as Prince Alcott; this is a good shot of him because the prince is literally divided in half, one half to the queen, the other half to Snow White. How does Prince Alcott happen into the Evil Queen's kingdom? He's looking for an adventure and is mugged by the dwarfs. The adventure he's on is to demonstrate his heroism, and this adventure surely will do that, but only after he's been cleansed of his own political selfishness (thinking the dwarfs are unworthy to fight him, for example, because they are small); this can easily be put into political terms, because Prince Alcott, after being held up by the dwarfs, vows he will rid them of the queen's kingdom then gets held up by them again. It ends up, of course, that the dwarfs are the good guys, and the prince effectively "switching sides," mirrors members of the political party of the president who have also been switching sides and, instead of fighting the Republicans, joining them. Supposedly, in Snow White and the Huntsman, a similar episode takes place with the prince, he joins Snow White's army, but he hasn't been in any of the trailers, so we will have to see if--like Prince Alcott--he has an expanded role over the original and Walt Disney's version or if he's confined to the sidelines in favor of the Huntsman.
The peacock is the symbol of royalty and associated with pride and vanity; the swan, associated with water, is a more capable bird than a peacock (which can really only strut and just barely fly, and has that terrible screeching voice). The swan is comfortable flying, swimming or walking on the land; the swan, to many, is the essence of beauty and grace, which comes to represent Snow White. The queen's red dress, in her case, reveals her anger, because getting angry about things is the only thing she's good at (red is the color of anger). What's accomplished so well with this costume are the white peacock feathers: the tail feathers of the peacock are the birds signature glory, and the "bleaching" or whitening (which fits in well with the rest of the artificiality in the film) here lets us know that the beauty of the queen (like the peacock's feathers) is as dead as the feathers she wears (white symbolizes a decaying corpse in this context).
Another well done aspect of this costume are the eyes of the peacock incorporated into the design. The eyes are filled with rhinestones, so instead of the eyes symbolizing the queen's knowledge or wisdom, the "false gemstones" reveal to us the queen's inability to see where her bad decisions are leading her; but she does have the ability to see how to make money (she thinks, which is the only important thing). The head-piece the queen wears should be emphasizing her wisdom (the way the crown emphasizes the king's wisdom), but instead it draws our attention to how she blocks out wisdom and knowledge that others try to give her (for example, the face in the Magic Mirror warns her about the price to be paid for using magic but the queen doesn't care; Brighton [Nathan Lane], tries to tell the queen she's bankrupt but she refuses to accept that). If you will, please compare the sleeves (the top part, by her shoulder, sticking up with the holes in it); in Walt Disney's version, Snow White's sleeves were blue with red fabric peeking through the slits, meaning, symbolically, that Snow White's strength came from her wisdom (arms symbolize strength, blue is wisdom, and red is love) and that her love is what supported her wisdom; the queen's empty holes, that is, unsupported, means she herself is as empty as the holes in her sleeves, having no love nor wisdom, two virtues which Snow White does possess.
You may rightly ask, then why doesn't Snow's all white swan dress symbolize a dead corpse, too? The reason heroes are heroes and villains are villains is because the one possess virtue, the other vice; symbols (including colors) aid the audience in realizing why a hero has virtue or what in a villain is villainous. In the case of Snow's all white swan costume, she's alive with her purity and innocence and faith and those qualities will help her to "fly" when the queen can only strut. Why is this an important note to consider? Snow White takes an important walk in the film, the first time in years that she has been outside the castle, and when she goes into the village, she sees how the queen's lavish parties and lifestyle has cost the villagers, breaking them and starving them; enraged at this injustice gives Snow White wings (like the ones pictured on her below) to "fly in the face of opposition" and do something about the trouble and financial ruin the queen has caused.
As noted previously, there are many comparisons, especially lately, to women as swans: Elizabeth Swan (Kiera Knightley) in Curse of the Black Pearl Pirates of the Caribbean, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) from Twilight and Miranda from Picnic at Hanging Rock (much older film). The elegance and beauty of swans fits women as a reference to their femininity, or what they should be and are not. In Snow White's case, she is. The top hat of the prince symbolizes that in his thoughts and actions, he is a gentleman, but the large ears also lets us know that he's listening to what the queen and Snow White are telling him, and he hears more than just their words. Does it really make him look ridiculous? The prince is very tall, so he's easy to see anywhere in the ballroom and the ears only accentuate his height further; that he's so tall is a sign of his own virtue: he stands out from the others, especially in the realm of morality and doing what's right. In this sense, because he's so "snow white" himself, he does look ridiculous, but only because the backdrop for the other guests at the gala are themselves so artificial that the prince looks out of place for this reason, but so, too, does Snow White. The prince wears a dark coat covering him down to his ankles, meaning, that he's completely "dead to himself" (the dark color) and that it completely covers him means he won't do anything on his own accord, but only because it's the right thing to do. For example, the prince dines with the queen, and just before she tells him that Snow White is dead, he rips off the frilly, lacy ends of his shirt sleeves given to him by the queen. Again, arms symbolize strength, and the prince knows the niceties of the court (the expensive lace) gets in his way of his purpose (eating) and impairs his ability (his ability to move).
A questionable aspect of the film is Snow White (having been locked in her room with nothing to do but read) wanting to change the storybook ending and, instead of the prince saving the princess, she wants the princess to save the prince; in essence, this is what always happens anyway, that's how a woman reveals herself to be a princess. As I said in the previous entry comparing the Brothers' Grimm version to Walt Disney's, the princess is the woman who has fought the spiritual battles the man can't (he is destined to fight the physical battles) and she comes out in the end the moral superior of other women and the evil that threatened her. Prince Alcott is a brave fighter, and stands beside Snow White to help her fight, but the reason she must fight the beast herself is because the beast is within her (and it echoes Holy Mary having to fight The Beast as well). So this isn't a Feminist approach, rather, it's the traditional approach and a counter-cultural statement against the way society is progressing.
The first time we see the queen in the film, and when we learn just how much she hates Snow White and loves herself. This is also the moment the queen tells Snow White, "It's important to know when you've been beat." Perhaps the most bizarre thing about the changes Mirror, Mirror takes the original is the way the queen interacts with the Magic Mirror (when she looks into the Magic Mirror, it's not like the one in the Disney version, but like the Snow White: A Tale of Terror version when the queen (Sigourney Weaver) looks into the mirror and sees her own, younger and perfect face). Why would this device be employed? Because it's about showing a ruler who wants to see themselves in a certain light, not as they really are, and that handicaps them from being able to rule wisely, just and fair... and effectively. When the queen summons the magic in the Mirror, she says only "Mirror, Mirror, on the wall," without finishing the famous incantation and that's a sign of her arrogance. But she passes through water (like an unholy, wicked baptism into the dark arts) and enters on a long pier of two dark, gray huts. Why? The beautiful queen is like the glamorous castle on the outside, but on the inside, she's as poor as the huts (houses and homes symbolize the soul) so she hasn't anything glamorous within her. We can be assured of this because of the way she uses people. When the "woman in the mirror" uses the wooden puppets to try and take out Snow White and the dwarfs, it's indicative of how she sees people: toys. If you don't see and foster your own dignity, you don't see dignity in others. When Snow White finally leaves the castle, she wears a hood the color of gold, because she knows her own dignity, she sees the dignity of the poorest people. Gold, to the queen, isn't about dignity, it's about wealth, and she uses the dignity of her beauty to gain more wealth, and hence, loses everything.
The film (like The Hunger Games) incorporates a highly artificial world against a natural world, so that we will be lead to compare and contrast. One aspect of the natural vs. the artificial is sexuality: Snow White has just turned 18 and has not yet had her first kiss (God bless her!) whereas the queen has all ready been married five times and preparing for the sixth; obviously, the queen's out of control, but the issue in the story reflects the overwhelming commentary on how and why the prince must be saved: bondage.
The first kiss, not only between them, but for Snow White. The prince is bound because he's under the spell of the puppy love potion hence, he's literally bound to the queen and he's lost his strength and free will. Why will love's first kiss release the prince from the spell? Because the kiss is the breath of life; whereas the queen sought to rob the prince of his money and his dignity, the kiss of life Snow White restores him and wants him to fulfill his destiny in terms of his moral standing and masculinity. It's reversed from the Disney version (when the prince kisses Snow White and releases her from the spell) because that version is religious in nature, whereas Mirror, Mirror is political: Snow White signifies "the new America," and the prince is the new leadership and direction; their kiss is the genuine love and patriotism for the land as opposed to the ruthless rule of the queen (who is not the rightful ruler; more on this below under the song sung at the wedding of Snow White and the prince). An example that both the prince and Snow White are as wholesome as they appear to be is when the prince says Snow White's name, there is a sparkle on his tooth; later in the film, Snow White will say Prince Alcott's name, and she will have the same sparkle on her tooth. The teeth, of course, symbolize the appetites, and the "sparkling" white of their teeth mean that there is no stain of sin or evil desire in their desire for each other (there is no lust, only love) and that's why the first kiss is more potent than the queen's magic.
If Prince Alcott marries the queen, he will be doomed to becoming "her puppy." It's really not a joke, because the queen used up all the love potion in getting Snow White's father to fall in love with her, the only thing left to use is the "puppy love potion," yet the truth is, that's exactly what the queen wants, not a man, but a dog. When she throws something to have the prince fetch, it goes over the side and he looks into an abyss whining, because if he "fetches after the queen," that abyss is what his soul will become. That's what Snow White has to save the prince from, just as every woman must save every many from falling to an evil, worldly queen who will destroy him.
Snow White's father, the king (Sean Bean). Snow White's mother died in childbirth, but the king raised his daughter to one day lead their kingdom, but then fell under the black magic of the future queen (Julia Roberts); after marrying her, a dark magic fell over the land; riding into the forest one day to confront the evil, the king was never seen again. It ends up that the evil queen turned the king into the beast which terrorizes the people of the village, and controlling the beast, she's able to get rid of all political "undesirables," a term used by the dwarfs in the film which clearly references the socialist Nazis of World War II and Adolf Hitler's. So instead of the king doing his job of protecting the people, the queen enslaves the people to do her will.
Since the king is the rightful ruler, and the queen banishes him to the forest and turns him into a beast to terrorize instead of protect, lead and rule the people, the king really symbolizes the founding fathers of America. That which has been demonized (turned into the beast) has to be turned back into the king and rightful ruler again; how can I support this?
When Snow White first enters the cottage of the dwarfs, they tell her she has to become one of them; she asks, "I have to become a dwarf?" and the answer to that is yes, she does, because a ruler cannot be a ruler unless they identify with the "little people" of the kingdom so they can deliver justice. Throughout the film, the people exist to squeeze taxes from to support the queen's lifestyle, whereas Snow White has gone among them and gotten their money back. But the real moment of Snow White becoming "a dwarf" (someone with no political power) is when she's running from Brighton who is supposed to kill her (but has let her go) and knowing that she herself is now without any power, she has no one but "the little people" with whom to identify and we can be confident of this because she is running and hits her head on the sign at the dwarfs' cottage entry and it knocks her out (she enters into a state of despair over what's going to happen to her but the dwarfs literally revive her and her spirit; she faces despair again when she leaves a note for the dwarfs telling them she is going to leave). The reason the dwarfs' cottage has oak leaves on the walls throughout is because that's the only thing still living in the kingdom (the trees are all dead from winter) but in the dwarfs' cottage, they have kept alive within them what real political liberty and freedom means and that's the place Snow White finds refuge.
The kingdom where Snow White is destined to rule but has turned into a barren, never-ending winter. In the bottom, left-hand corner is a black area, that is the wedding party for the queen's sixth wedding to Prince Alcott and to the right of that, still on the lake, is the queen's wedding procession arriving to get married. Once the spell over the king has been broken, the kingdom comes back to life.
There's an excellent chance that you believe I am just reading my own political position into the film, and being too hard on President Obama. There are the facts, however, about his political woes which are "mirrored" by the film: America's credit has been downgraded for the first time in history, government has shut down several times and the deficit is at an all time escalating high, and he wants to continue spending money, just like the queen, and none of it actually has done any good (but that hasn't stopped him from taking vacations). When the queen arrives at her wedding, the gentry want her deposed because her administration can't administer justice; does Obama administer justice, or does he run over it, like the queen?
Who else has gotten too big for their britches as they are hoping for a "new marriage" that will assure they can continue to rule? The metaphor is an apt comparison for how "big" government has become and can't fit into the new dress for the upcoming "wedding" in November's elections.
The next question is, is the queen really that bad? We know the queen is rotten because, when she's getting ready for her wedding, she goes through "the treatment." It really invokes Demi Moore and "leaching," with bird poop smeared on the queen's face, a bee sting on her lips to make them larger, a scorpion sting, worms and all kinds of nasty things put on her because to her, those are the things that make her beautiful, but to us, we see her beauty as being only skin deep and that skin deep comes from nasty bugs and filth, compared to Snow White's natural beauty which comes from faith, purity, innocence and genuine love for all people.
The queen arriving to her sixth wedding, this one to Prince Alcott. Let's talk about the strange outfits her guards wear, first. The castle of the kingdom overlooks a lake, and that lake has been frozen ever since the queen got rid of the king. When the queen consults her Magic Mirror, she steps into a wall of water to enter another dimension then comes out some place completely different, through water, so water is an element associated with the queen (she also sits upon a sea-shell like throne when we first see her). The gold masks of the guards are very much like the creature face from The Creature From the Black Lagoon and, since she herself is surrounded by them, we might say that instead of the woman carried off by the creature of the black lagoon, the queen is the creature carrying off a prince. In this shot, her all white dress means that she is thoroughly dead, nothing is left alive in her and that is apparent from action she decides to take.
While I contend the film is about the need to depose Obama just as the evil queen is deposed, and the rightful rulers be returned with the king (the founding fathers) being the source of justice, the film provides us with an imperative lesson, and one we absolutely must heed (and this is where knowing the two past versions will aid us in discerning this lesson). When the audience first sees Snow White and the queen interacting, the queen tells Snow White, "It's important to know when you've been beat," and in the end, after Snow and the prince are married, and the (deposed) queen makes her last attempt at regaining power (pictured below) the queen offers Snow the poisoned apple from which Snow has to take only one bite; Snow doesn't take the bite, but looks at the queen and tells her, "It's important to know when you've been beat," letting us know that, actually, Snow White did bite the poisoned apple, because Snow is now (slowly and only a little, but definitely) stooping to the kind of arrogance the queen would have displayed, and that poison from the apple is the potential for a "stain" upon Snow White; in political terms, if the Republicans are going to win back the government in the November elections, they had better not do to the Democrats what they did to the Republicans, or there will be the same problems we have had the last four years.
Snow White and the prince have just been married and all is happy and prosperous again; the evil (deposed) queen comes in this brown cloak and offers Snow White the apple and to take "just one bite." The design of Snow White's dress invokes the original story from the Brothers Grimm when, therein, the evil queen had tempted Snow White with bodice laces that the queen cinched up so tight, Snow White couldn't breathe and it wasn't until the dwarfs returned and freed her that she was saved. Snow White's wedding dress is more than a wedding dress for Prince Alcott; it symbolizes how Snow White has wedded wisdom (the blue) and purity (the white) but also she has wedded herself to vitality and growth (the orange bow). In the beginning of the film, Snow White gives a slice of apple to a bird as a sign of her willingness to share, but in the end, when she gives a slice of the poisoned apple and offers it to the queen, it's a "taste of her own medicine," and dishing out what the queen dished out to her. This is the lesson that Republicans cannot do what has been done to them, but must take the high road.
This act of arrogance on behalf of Snow White (which, again, serves as a lesson for us all to heed), should have been picked up on in the very first few lines of the film: the original Grimm Brothers' version stated that Snow White's hair was as dark as the ebony frame of the window her mother was looking through when she first wished for the little girl, after pricking her finger and a drop of blood falling onto snow; in Mirror, Mirror, the "redness" of Snow White's traditional features are never mentioned (a vague reference to a strawberry only) instead of black as ebony for her hair, her hair is either dark as night or "raven," to use the queen's expression. Ebony is a black wood, when polished, very shiny and ornamental, a luxury; the queen in the Grimm Brothers' version looked through a window framed in ebony, and that wood is the Wood of the Cross and the window is the window of contemplation and self-realization, so a child who would be a perfect Christian and exercise all the values of Christ. But Mirror, Mirror, changes this.
At the beginning of the film, the castle in the snow globe could be taken as Snow White's world, sheltered, since she's locked up; by the end of the film, however, the snow globe means that the kingdom is now her world and she's going to protect it from anyone who would want to harm it.
That her hair is likened to a raven, by the queen, means that the queen believes Snow White has thoughts of death towards the queen (the raven is the opposite of the dove, a symbol for death); that those who love Snow White say her hair is black as night, refer to the darkness of her trails, the loss of her father, being locked in her room, ordered to death by the queen... while still admirable, it's not quite as meaningful as the original, and that was intentional. (The lack of "redness" attributed to Snow White in Mirror, Mirror, reflects an unwillingness to be martyred; that Napoleon the dwarf puts a strawberry upon her lips means that her love comes for the "sweet things" in life; politically, that demonstrates how we as Americans have lost the "sweet things" in life and are seeking after them once more).
Part of this can be contributed to the dwarfs, who are thieves, and what have they stolen? Snow White who would have advanced in greater virtue had she been given the chance, but the dwarfs are not "the masters of the house" as the dwarfs are in the original tale, nor the miners in Walt Disney's version, so Snow White becomes like what she is living with: a thief, and is threatened with digressing further because she missed out on the sleep of death meant to further perfect her and she's slowly, at the end, turning into the "mirror image" of the queen.
The closing song of Mirror, Mirror has struck some people has odd, but given the way the last scene plays out, I think it's quite appropriate. I Believe (In Love) appears to be about the triumph of Snow White's and the prince's love, but more importantly, it's about people loving their country and believing that the Constitution is still the law of the land and this country still has a future (but not a socialist one):
In conclusion, Mirror, Mirror contains timely encouragement for those of us hoping to depose Obama in November, but also lessons on not doing what we complain about the Democrats doing; if we want to return to the natural world of dancing and singing as it was, then we must put far from us the cynicism of the Democrats (characterized by the queen's sarcasm in the story) and not treat them as they have treated us: locking us in the political closet as Snow White was locked up in her room.
An example of the artificiality the film presents and the unnaturalness of the people under the queen's reign. Why does Mirror, Mirror do this? For eye candy and spectacular visual effects? No, because this is how unnatural people are under Obama's reign. The unnaturalness of the costume (their hair, for example, which symbolizes thoughts and thinking) reflects unnatural sexuality (the man on the left proposes marriage to the queen in the opening scenes, so sexuality can definitely be associated with him and unnatural sexuality because the queen talks about how much older he is than she is, which is also unnatural and when the queen proposes marriage to Prince Alcott, he mentions how much older she is than he himself, which is also unnatural). The support of the unnatural "gay marriage" movement, as well as abortion, are all unnatural, because only the evil queen doesn't want children (having been married five times, she must be using the black magic of birth control to keep herself from having children and hence, thin [like Scarlet O'Hara getting into her corset in Gone With the Wind and not wanting anymore children]). But this can also symbolize the unnaturalness of turning America from a capitalist country into a socialist country.
I normally don't do commercials (this is only the third one), but premiere French jeweler Cartier has not only produced an incredibly rich advertisement to match their rich gemstone creations, but made an important, capitalistic comment without saying a word. When we enter into the window, we enter into a world within a world, a doorway of sub-texts and meanings as rich as the diamonds and emeralds coming off the jaguar creation, meaning, that just as the jewels are being "stripped" away to reveal the real cat, we need to strip away the symbols to find the real meaning.
What does the predator cat symbolize? In this case, there are two: there is first the predatory nature of consumerism, those who are hunting for the riches of the world. Russia (the winter sleigh), China (the dragon and Great Wall) and India (the Taj Mahal); the second predator are the predators hunting genius. Creativity, design, ingenuity and beauty (the cat goes up a staircase,meaning that the woman in red he finds there is of the higher plane of thought, not just the appetites; genuine love for the pursuing of excellence). This is where the landscapes come in, because there is the cold winter in Russia, the rocky wilderness in China, and the barren rocks of India; each culture has made contributions to beauty and luxury, but French jeweler Cartier (jumping onto the airplane to soar above the world, symbolically and stylishly) has pursued a higher plane of elegance and design (also symbolized by the Rococo room) and influenced all the world by it.
Cartier creation, the Bismark Sapphire, 1935.
So why should we care about this commercial?
If you are a capitalist, examining the comparative cultures and economies mentioned in the "odyssey," then Cartier makes the statement that it's the supplier and producer of luxury goods which the world bows to, and only "breaking through the glass ceiling" of economics (the first images of the cat leaving the pantheon) isn't about minorities anymore, but the very venture of capitalism and attempts to hold it back, which will hold back the world. This is a perfect example of why we need art and the artistic: images stay with us longer than words (you will, for example, be able to retain the images you saw in the film longer than the words I have written about them).
This is an important statement, and only Cartier could have said it with so much class.
The tree which may have inspired the diamond tree in the odyssey, as many of Cartier's jewels were inspired by Medieval bestiaries; when the cat enters into the room with the tree and animals, it pays homage to the nature and art from which its past creations have come, and the new "nature" of art and luxury to which Cartier has contributed.
A blessed Holy Monday to you.
I saw Mirror, Mirror this weekend and was extremely pleased with Singh's handling of costumes and power struggles (the way oppositions were created in the sub-current of the film and then released at the end). I will be getting that post up today, and Cecil B. DeMill's The Ten Commandments up Tuesday or early Wednesday and then Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ. I plan on posting on Melancholia this week, hopefully by Friday.
Then, beginning next week, we will start our series on Film noir, which I can hardly wait! All those sci-fi films we did? Those couldn't have existed without the films that came out of the noir genre. There aren't a whole lot of movies coming out in the theaters this month, they are coming out next month, so this will give us a chance to strengthen our understanding of film history and then move forward into Westerns from film noir.
Jonathan Liebesman's Wrath of the Titans is great! I had high expectations for this--and I made numerous preliminary political observations of the film, and it exceeds my expectations--and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Again, I can't understand other critics refusing to enjoy a film (and just between you and me, given the choice between seeing Wrath of the Titans or The Hunger Games at the theater, and waiting for the other to come out on DVD, I would go to the theater to see Wrath of the Titans in 3D and wait to catch The Hunger Games, because the later isn't going to suffer any loss on your TV screen).
So why is this film so political?
Great use of 3D throughout the film, wonderful SFX! The film utilizes two themes we are going to continue seeing this year: ruined kingdoms and someone trying to take back "lawful" control of the kingdom; this accurately reflects American politics today and the upcoming election in November.
2012 is an election year; all art, including film, exists within a political context which gives birth to the expressions within culture that require discussion. Through symbols and structure, by knowing what the audience knows, the artists and film makers (consciously or unconsciously) create a piece under the guise of entertainment that either speaks to our own beliefs or challenges us; Wrath of the Titans is no exception, and through the mythology of the players and careful structuring of conflicts, the film sends a loud message that chaos has been unleashed upon our own political atmosphere and the time to act is now.
The Titans unleashed: Minotaur, Chimera, Makhai, Kronos.
Well, actually, "now" isn't really "now" anymore, because films are anywhere from 1-3 years behind the current events; it's not the film's fault, it's just the way things happen, and that may be the underlying cause for complaint by some critics; two years ago, this political message would have been viable, but now the economy is so far gone, and voters seem to be so upset (at least I am) that the political transcendence the film calls for may seem hokey to some, however, the moment of forgiveness and reconciliation is so well done, it's still potent.
What is the conflict within Perseus? Having defeated the Kraken ten years previously, and married Io who died during child birth, Perseus swore to her that he would not lead their son Helios (a demi-god) to the sword or teach him the ways of war. Perseus' father, the god Zeus, comes to Perseus and asks for his help to defeat the Titans being released and Perseus says no because of his promise to Io and he wants to raise his son. This is one of those obvious moral dilemmas when you must do one in order to do the other (join the fight so his son will have a world to grow up in) but it's also a call to voters, especially those who haven't voted before, that the "end has begun," and before we had weapons, like the gods, we had power, and we--like Perseus--have to use that power wisely to save the world.
The key to understanding the film is Kronus, the ancient father of the gods, including Zeus, Hades and Poseidon. As a titan, Kronus is associated with chaos and darkness, especially since he tried to always devour his children. But the three brothers united and combining their powers were able to overcome the darkness that both gave birth to them and tried to destroy them. What circumstances do these elements of the myth describe?
The American Revolutionary War.
Kronus, he looks like chaos and darkness as a mass of lava and ash, his son Hades agrees to deliver his brother Zeus to Kronus so Kronos can take Zeus' power and become strong again. What is so well realized and executed in this final battle scene between Perseus and his grandfather (since Perseus is the son of Zeus) is that Perseus has to enter into Kronus with the spear (the thunderbolt of Zeus, the trident of Poseidon and the... and the... thingy from Hades; he's usually associated with the helm of darkness, and he uses that in the film, but he has a physical weapon and I don't know what it's called) and throw the spear into the stomach of chaos so unity can destroy chaos, light destroy dark.
When America came out of the War for Independence, the political in-fighting (chaos) and lack of a clear path to be taken as to unity and economy and laws (darkness) gave birth to opposing sides, the Democrats and the Republicans (they only came to be called this later, but this is easier) and there were also political independents who are still with us today. The political organization overcame the chaos threatening to tear the country apart in its infancy, and even though that chaos was the cause of the American political system as it is today, the releasing of it is now chaos and the system can't stand it, potentially destroying the entire country, even the world.
The temple of the gods in ruins. Zeus tells his son Perseus that because people have neglected praying to the gods, the gods are losing their strength and their power to protect and save the world. The gods have become so desperate to insure their own survival that a prayer to the war god Aries means that he will come and, instead of saving you, destroy you and offer you to his grandfather, Kronus to save his own skin. By the time Perseus realizes that he has to do something, Zeus is all ready bound and being drained in the Underworld, Tarturus, but Zeus' brother Poseidon hears the prayers of Perseus and comes to relay to his nephew what has happened and what he must do. Greek idols are a thin veil indeed for the religious persecution many are feeling today as their liberty to pray is under attack and that being a cause of our weakening political strength, but it's clear also, the refusal of many to prayer, or sheer negligence, is also weakening the country and contributing significantly to our ever-growing decline.
Up to this point, Wrath of the Titans suggests that the same kind of political instability and chaos this country suffered during and around the end of the American Revolution is attacking us today, that just as Hades permits the walls of Tarturus to fall, and the demons to escape, and refuses help to rebuild unless it's on "his terms," so our political leaders (and one specifically) are failing, not only this country and the world, but themselves. (There's a beautifully and well-done scene of forgiveness between Zeus and Hades that could have worked politically two years ago, but not today, and that's the reality of the time it takes to make a film and everything that has occurred since).
Draining Zeus of his powers feeds chaos and darkness. Zeus' son Aries, the god of war, has betrayed his father, and Aries' "sibling rivalry" for the love and affection of Zeus against his half-brother Perseus, is fuel for his warring internal conflicts that has deadly consequences for all. Is there a "war" that the Republicans gave birth to which has turned and betrayed them, robbing them of their power? One of several things Wrath of the Titans does well is emphasize the family relations and how everyone is related to everyone else.
When Kronus begins making his appearance, there is the great spewing of the volcano that must invoke the last days of Pompeii in the mind of the audience, with the fire and ash cloud reminding viewers of the devastation caused by 9/11. But Perseus has been successful in assembling the spear of the gods three weapons so he can face Kronus. What does the spear mean? Unity. And it has to be yielded by someone who is a peace maker, not a war monger, because that power of unity is the one thing chaos can't digest so it's the only thing that can kill him.
Agenor, the son of Poseidon that no one knows about except Poseidon, Perseus finds him in jail and solicits his help to find "the Fallen" god to get inside Tarturus; who, or what, does Agenor symbolize? Political independents and those who generally don't vote. Perseus has been fighting his half-brother Aries outside the walls of Tarturus, and Perseus laments that he knows he can't beat the god of war; Agenor gives Perseus a pep talk about how he was in prison just a couple of days ago, but he's in this now (going from someone working against society through crime to someone working for society by achieving unity). Just as Aregon is known as "the navigator," political independents will be major players in "navigating" the political future of the country with their potential swing vote.
One of the many aspects of mythology to be incorporated into the film as a political metaphor for today is Tarturus, the Underworld. Hephaestus, the fallen god of Olympus who fashioned the weapons of the gods and built the prison for Kronus, tells Perseus and Queen Andromeda, that the mind is the real labyrinth, and the Underworld will cause them to turn on each other and turn on themselves, but finding the right path will lead them to Zeus. Tarturus, then, can be taken as a metaphor for the political process because of all the rules of Congress, the Judiciary proceedings, and the power and limitations of the President and the rights and power of voters (not to mention that it is ever-shifting and never the same).
The outer gates of Hades leading to Tarturus where Zeus is imprisoned.
Hephaestus, the creator of the labyrinth, gives them the map so they can get through, but that isn't enough. Just as Aregon gets frustrated by continually running into dead ends, so many American voters are feeling frustrated at the dead ends of justice and the political process not permitting us to exercise real power and hence, express our will.
Aregon holding the map and trying to decipher the path to take, Andromeda behind him and Perseus bringing up the rear end. They are attacked, split up and lost, but still mange to get to Zeus and free him.
This metaphor provides relief to angry Americans, but there's another dimension to the labyrinth that is timely: the Minotaur. As a metaphor for the mind, the labyrinth symbolizes a man's progression into himself. As Perseus gets separated from Aregon and Andromeda, he sees his young son Helios wandering the labyrinth, and Helios asks him, "It's cold in here, isn't it?" then Helios turns into the Minotaur and viciously attacks Perseus; why?
Why is the half bull and half man minotaur associated with male sexuality? Because of the urge (stronger or lesser in various men) to behave like a bull in their sexual practices. The minotaur takes the form of Helios to trick Perseus, but it also reveals to the audience how a man not only protects his son from worldly danger, a man protects his son from becoming a sexual animal, and that is the great lesson a father passes onto his son, controlling his own emotions, lusts and passions. If Perseus fails in this lesson, then Helios will "grow cold," in forever unsatisfying sexual relationships.
Helios isn't really there, it's a trick of Perseus' mind, because the reason Perseus is going through all these trials is for the future of his son, but he's also thinking of the possible future with Andromeda, and that's why Helios (as the projection of Perseus' mind) talks about the "cold" because Perseus' wife is dead and Perseus wants Andromeda to warm his life up again with her love. But the other side of that same coin is the pure lust in Perseus' heart for Andromeda that he has to overcome, not only to have a genuine relationship with Andromeda, but to get out of the labyrinth and save his father. The minotaur has become important because we saw him in Immortals (please see Immortals & Divine Deeds for more), we will be seeing him in Snow White and the Huntsman and it's easily argued that Shame is about the minotaur that Brandon Sullivan (Michael Fassbender) has surrendered to and is suffering the consequences because he won't battle the minotaur the way Perseus does.
Andromeda. How many other women are we seeing with bows and arrows? There is Katniss in The Hunger Games, and Merida in the upcoming animated film Brave (and there is at least one more I can't remember right now); why? Diana, goddess of the hunt, is often depicted with bow and arrow as the vestal virgin who refuses to marry and leads a life amongst the animals instead. It could be a challenge to women to chose between the hunt (for world success) and marriage and how more women are choosing the hunt.
It would be easy for either political side to claim moral and narrative superiority in this film (the Democrats saying it supports their position and the Republicans saying it supports their position) and that possibility also contributes to the political atmosphere right now: both sides are fighting to "own the narrative" of what their struggle is about. But what is certain is the fall of the great and mighty powers that have been (Zeus, Aries, Poseidon, Kronus) and the rise of those who have been pushed off to the side, the fallen: Aregon, Hephaestus, Andromeda--even Perseus as a fisherman. The reversal of the power structure and the gathering of, as Zeus says, "Every strand of power," does indeed reflect how times have changed.
Bill Nighy as Hephaestus. There is a wonderful characteristic he has, that of talking to Bubo, the owl many of us remember from the 1981 version of Clash of the Titans. Why does he do this? For two reasons. One, because the makers of Wrath of the Titans know the audience is mentally referencing Clash of the Titans and that means we, too, are having a conversation with the film, Bubo being an iconic symbol. Secondly, Wrath of the Titans wants to have a political conversation with Clash of the Titans: 1981 was a vintage year for film because--like today--there were dramatic changes taking place that made film the perfect arena in which to discuss them, and Perseus's struggle over himself symbolized the rampant sexuality that film was seeing as destroying society (AIDS was discovered at this time and it was feared it could wipe out the world) and while Hephaestus talking to Bubo invokes everything in Clash of the Titans, when Andromeda asks, "Which one of you is in charge here?" and Hephaestus says he is, it clearly establishes the here and now political agenda as being sovereign, but still wanting to remind us of how history repeats itself (for more on the 1981 version of Clash of the Titans and Perseus' inner struggle, please see The Medusa Within: Clash Of the Titans).
Wrath of the Titans is a completely different film from Clash of the Titans from a couple of years ago (and I am very happy to relate that there is no sex or nudity, one brief kiss, and no foul language) but Zeus and Hades making peace with each other and forgiving each other to unite together and battle the political and threatening chaos and darkness descending over the world is a welcome solution to a disintegrating kingdom; it might just be too late for us today to make those same concessions (just observation). But it does a wonderful job of emphasizing the power each of us has, and the responsibility that comes with power.
As compelling--and even complete--as this historical understanding seems, there is also another reason for the idea of a "sheepish lion" to have become so beloved: Lambert embodies the dual nature of Jesus Christ, as both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God. (There was another film made this same year, in which a great fighter tried to cover up who he really was and, like Lambert, it required a snap that made him realize he couldn't hide from who he has: John Wayne in John Ford's The Quiet Man). 
The opening lines indicate that it's not just "Once upon a time," but exactly a spring night, and what happens during a spring night? Jesus Christ is resurrected from the dead and becomes the defender of the Children of God. The night is the time when the soul experiences its greatest trials, and in Biblical times, that was the "fullness of time" when all things had been especially prepared for the coming of the long-awaited Messiah.
Why do all the little lambs not choose the Mrs. Sheep for their mother? Her bell is more than a method of the audience readily identifying her; she is Mary, and Anna, the prophetess in the Temple, and Saint Anne, all those in Israel who longed for the deliverance by the Messiah and prayed and kept the Law of Moses so God would grant their prayer. That's why none of the new-born lambs choose her, those lambs are of the world, not the spirit, and her bell is a symbol of prayers (I had hoped to do bells during Christmas, but wasn't able to get to it so for now, I am afraid, you will have to trust me; but songs such as Silver Bells and the ringing of the bells in general, are invoking the power of prayer because of the sweet music they make to God).
When all the little lambs have been taken in by other sheep, Mrs. Sheep cries not only because she wasn't chosen, but because the Messiah still had not come. In Biblical times, virginity by a woman was to be mourned because it meant that she would not be the mother of the Messiah; Mrs. Sheep is not only sad about this, but because it means they will have to wait even longer.
Mr. Stork's comical bungling isn't funny at all: the Children of Israel were expecting a lamb who would be a lion in his heart, not a lion who would be a lamb, and that's an important distinction, because (like many of us still today) we would rather be a lamb with all the power in the world than to be a lion who chooses not to use that power. In political terms for Israel, they would not be delivered from their political enemies (the Romans) by fighting them like lions--as they were in the Old Days under God the Father and King David--but they would be delivered from their spiritual enemies, the demons, by the one who could subjugate the demons, God the Son.
Lambert being with the little lambs and "not fitting in" offers an interesting commentary on what the hidden years of Christ's childhood might have been like for him growing up, as God and the Messiah, but also "hidden" in the form of a human. The rejection of Lambert reveals the constant rejection which Christ experienced even as a young boy growing up. When Mrs. Sheep licks his hair, it forms something of a crown, reminding Lambert of his great calling that he will have to answer to save her, and those making fun of him and rejecting him. We have heard the Scripture, "The stone rejected by the builders has become the cornerstone supporting all the rest" and Disney's Lambert the Sheepish Lion provides us with an intimate view of the intimate pain Jesus willing experienced to be that "rejected stone" (because Satan offers us the stones that are pleasing to our eyes that we want to accept but are ultimately deadly to us).
Lambert being turned into a toy for his "brother lambs" to play with lets us know the way the Chief Priests of the Temple and the Scribes took his teachings, his words of wisdom, and turned them into objects of scorn (for example, in the Joyful Mystery of the Finding in the Temple, when Jesus is found talking/teaching the priests and they don't recognize him to be the Messiah, neither do the little lambs in the cartoon, in spite of the great size of Lambert). 
"Drink from the pool by the way side" is what Lambert and his mother do in this shot, taking in the wisdom (the life giving water) that others choose not to do, so they are sustained to fulfill what God himself has decreed for them. The wisdom of the world would teach that Lambert doesn't fit in and that, as such, he should be driven out, but God knows (as we shall see with Moses in the next post on The Ten Commandments, that the one who doesn't fit in is the one who will become the pattern by which all others will be measured).
What finally snaps inside Lambert is not suddenly finding his bravery, nor fear for himself, rather, the pleas of his beloved Church, his faithful, because the time to be the Lamb of God has passed, and the time for the Lion of Judah to enter has come. Only after the Lion has defeated its enemy the wolf, can the Lion lay beside the lamb and the two natures of Christ be reconciled in our little human minds. The fall of the wolf reminds us of the fall of Satan and how we can follow that way, or rejoice in the power of the Lion that we first come to know through the power of the Lamb.
