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SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN

THE DESIGN SCHOOL

FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT

NAME: LYNETTE LAW YONG YI

STUDENT ID NO: 0317761

FILMS SELECTED: MUSICAL-BASED

WORD COUNT: 1007

ENGLISH 2 (ELG 30605)

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 1: COMPARE – CONTRAST ESSAY

LECTURER: CASSANDRA WIJESURIA

SUBMISSION DATE: 19TH SEPTEMBER 2014

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There’s a special lace in the heart reserved for wisecracking candlesticks, singing crustaceans, and lion cubs growing up to be mighty kings. It's a place where nostalgia is kept, where a warm feeling swells at the thought of things that we used to love, that used to be great. With a string of brilliant animated musicals in the ‘90s and the 21st century – The Lion King, which was one of the most popular Disney animated musicals presents the story of a lion cub’s (Simba) journey to adulthood and acceptance of his royal destiny. He begins life as an honoured prince, son of King Mufasa. The happy childhood of his became a tragedy when his evil uncle, Scar murders Mufasa and threatened Simba to run away from the kingdom. As he approaches adulthood, his father’s spirit visited and instructed him to defeat the nefarious Scar and reclaim his rightful throne. But not anymore, Frozen pulls off its animated abracadabra by conjuring up the elements that made Disney’s modern classics just that. Its about two sisters, Elsa and Anna who lived in the Scandinavian kingdom of Arendelle whose relationship is tested when their parents die in a shipwrecked in the middle of the ocean. From the aspect of chanting songs throughout the movie, tragedies that changes the lives of main characters, villians that brings up the climax of it and the “hero” that ran away, there are some similarities found in both flims.

First of all, like any other musical-based flims, songs play an important role throughout the movie as a sign of communication or expression of feelings. Both movies start with a chanting song that involves another language. Other than that, one may not figure out that the main characters in both of the movies – Simba and Elsa, actually sang a song about being free that may or may not be the best song in the movie but it actually describes their emotions about life. For instance, the song that went viral through the heads of viewers, “ Let It Go “ displays how stress Elsa feels before she escape from her kingdom and rebuilt her own “ kingdom” out of Arendelle and she can be free by letting go of her horrendous past due to her powers. Whereas in The Lion King, the song “Hakuna Matata” was sang by Simba and his friends, Timon and Pumbaa which means “ no worries ‘, as the two of them were talking about moving on from their troubled past and forgetting their worries.

Secondly, the tragedies that haunts viewers and brought tears till now and then but mainly shows how it changes the lives of the main characters in both movies. The nefarious Scar, uncle of Simba, chants “ Long live the King” and swung his claws up which made Mufasa fell down the cliff and died with Simba witnessing his death. As a cub, he was clueless and afraid of not knowing what to do so from that moment on, Simba ran away and lived alone in the jungles as an orphan while Scar created the kingdom into a nightmare. For the movie “ Frozen “, Elsa and Anna’s parents died in a shipwrecked in the middle of the ocean and their relationship worsen. Three years later the coronation of Elsa forces her to open up the gates of the castle for the celebration. Elsa did not accept the marriage of Anna and Prince Hans because she believed there’s

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no such thing as love as first sight and freezed Arendelle due to lost in control of her powers and she fled instead fearing of becoming a monster herself.

Next, villians are often the most memorable characters in a Disney animated flim, they enhance the climax and conflict of the movie. In both movies, the villians convinced the main characters that they’re responsible for the death of their loved ones. “ If it weren’t for you, he’d still be alive, what will your mother think?”, Scar convinces that Simba is responsible for Mufasa’s death, the guilty little heir slinks off to the wastelands. In “ Frozen “, Elsa accidentally hits Anna in the heart and freezed her when Anna tried to protect her from being killed by Prince Hans. The throne thirsty prince took the opportunity of taking over Arendelle by making Elsa think that Anna is dead because of her. Gultiness of her murdering her beloved sister overwhelmed her minds and she thought that there was no way to save her.

Lastly, like any other Disney animated flims, the “hero” himself will run away out of fear and brings a twist to the story. After being accused of his father’s death, Simba fled into the wastelands and freed himself from the nightmares back home. From that moment on, his evil uncle Scar took over the kingdom and with the help of the sly hyenas haunting the once peaceful jungle, bringing terror to all the animals in it. But all of this was not known and cared by Simba, the true heir as he didn’t want to recall the horrible memories back then. As for “Frozen”, Elsa lost control of her powers and accidentally set Arendelle snowing, she fled due to panick but she never knew that she had set off an eternal winter that she cant stop. Both the main characters share the similarity of running away from their problems instead.

In a nutshell, both movies share the similarities of starting off the show with a chanting song, tragic deaths that change their lives, throne thirsty villains that enhances the climax and main characters fled from problems. Though they may share the same aspects but that was what makes both musical films interesting and audience will remember the amazing scenes in it.

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References :

1. Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ( 2013 ) Summary of “Frozen” Retrieved by 18/09/2014 from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2294629/plotsummary

2. Kevin Fallen ( n.d ) “Frozen” Is The Best Disney Film Since “The Lion King” Retrieved by 18/09/2014 from http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/11/25/frozen-is-the-best-disney-film-since-the-lion-king.html

3. King Of Hearts g.forth@uea.ac.uk (1994) Plot Summary Of The Lion King Retrieved by 18/09/2014 from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110357/plotsummary

4. Roger Ebert ( June 24, 1994 ) Review of The Lion King , Retrieved by 18/09/2014 from http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-lion-king-1994