The Jungle Book
“Born
of man, raised by animals, destined for adventure”
In the year 1967, arose an animated heart warming
sensational film that became a worldwide phenomenon appealing to a wide variety
of young children. Produced by Walt Disney, The
Jungle Book articulates a story where a young orphan boy named Mowgli is
left stranded in the deep mists of the jungle, looking to acquire new friends
and a place that will provide him with food and hospitality in order to
survive. Throughout the story, Mowgli admires and trusts Baloo, the carefree
party bear, and Begheera, a panther, who has a heart for this jungle filled
sensation of a boy. The message that can be conveyed from this compelling tale,
evokes children’s emotions by allowing them to realize that regardless of who
you are or what you look like, there will always be people out there that are
willing to care for you when all hope may seem lost.
In contrast, some critics contend that specific scenes in The Jungle Book contain racial stereotypes
depicting African-Americans as not being equally accepted into society. However,
most critics believe the positive attributes of the characters in The Jungle Book outweigh the negative
implications in some scenes, resulting in a storyline that is loved and
cherished by children and families around the world.
Often times, people are in need of a
parent, sibling, or simply a friend, to be there for them when they are in need
of support and encouragement. In The Jungle Book, Baloo acts as both a
friend and father figure towards Mowgli because he looks at him for who he
truly is—an inspiration to the jungle. Baloo
teaches Mowgli that all you need in the world is “The Bare Necessities” and
that seeking a fortune cannot buy happiness in the jungle.
From the article Understanding Movies, “The major source of sound was the dialogue
and the images tended to illustrate the soundtrack” (Sound 2). The lyrics and
voice of an individual, in this case a character named Baloo, helps Mowgli
realize by letting life come to you and accepting who you are is all you need
in order to live a successful and happy life. As Baloo sings his most prize
possession, a song called “Bare Necessities”, images are shown that imply his
philosophy of life. One verse that perfectly describes this scenario is “Be
happy with what you have”. This phrase illustrates Baloo’s belief that he does
not have to venture through the jungle for more than he has because all he
needs is his trees filled with honey and bananas. Baloo is a mentor to Mowgli with
desirable character traits such as wisdom and experience that truly resemble an
admirable individual to children all around the world. In adults, these characteristics can bring back
old childhood memories prompting people to reminisce about others who have had
positive influences in their lives.
Although The Jungle Book has many positive qualities, one negative connotation
has been identified as an unjust depiction of one racial or ethnic group as
unacceptable. This can result in an undesirable message for impressionable children.
In terms of King Louie and his fellow monkey apprentices’, The Jungle Book portrays them as being all one color (i.e. black or
brown). Also, I noticed that they are the only ones that speak in slang and
jargon compared to the other animals who have British accents. King Louie addresses this concern when he
sings his song; “I want to be like you” implying that he wants to be accepted
into society just like Mowgli, who happens to be a more acceptable color. According
to Gabriel Yared, “When I write music for a film, I try to connect its spirit rather
than working shot by shot” (Music and Mood 1).
Throughout King Louie’s song, I could feel the loss of entitlement and
acceptance of not only himself, but his friends as well. I never really
considered this subliminal message in the movie until I began thinking more in
depth about the characters and my mind made the connection, leaving me at a
loss for words.
Overall, I believe that The Jungle Book accurately portrays the
ideal children’s movie of laughter and joy that we have all grown up to
love. Regardless of the negative
connotations, I still firmly believe that this story is one that will never be
forgotten. I rate this film 4 out of 5 Slurpee's and hope that the positive attributes will leave a lifelong stamp of
approval that convey the message of happiness and bliss into the hearts of
children.
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