Analysing "The Lion King"

Image taken from: http://www.tcnj.edu/~balasic2/lionking.jpg on 20/04/10

Disney’s LION KING ANALYSIS

Watch the first few minutes of the Lion King. Imagine you’ve never seen this story before. Refer to the film techniques, imagery, use of colour, lighting, symbolism, music/sound in your responses.

1) Who is the good guy? How do you know?
Mufasa
Idea: Powerful leader and strong
Animals shows respect to Lions – ceremony (bowing down)
Colour: Golden – majestic, loyal
(Number 1, pure, rich = money = power)
Cultural assumptions:
Underpins with gold and power:
Superior, materialistic, idea of ownership (Own the land)
Sound: loud, powerful, strength
= showing the power and the strength of the lions
Personification: gives human qualities. Relying on the prior knowledge of how society works
Place: Name of the place “Pride Rock”
Pride: groups of lions, literal meaning = Lion’s own the rock
Proud/species of characters
Family: Leadership, surrounded by others = privileged with the support of others
Symbolism: Simba is the next king
– Ray of Light = from God: being the chosen “one”
Christian values?

2) Who is the bad guy? How do you know?
Scar
Lives in little dark place (bottom of the “Pride Rock”) =
Hidden – something to hide – shady character
-Little implies no ownership/ leadership
-Excludes himself
Binary Opposition: Light and Dark
Dark: Evil/Anger/Depression/Outsider/Jealousy/
Envy (Green Eyes)
Physical Characteristics: Strength and Weakness
Weaker than Mufasa = shown by body language- Creeps
A scar on his face/skinny and lies well
Scar is making Simba be sneaky, and to break the rules

“When it comes to brains, I got the Lion share, but when it comes to brute strength, I am afraid I am at the shallow end of the Gene pool”

Cultural Implications:
Why are the bad guys dark?

Why is athleticism associated with “good”?
Strong and powerful (respected) – protect others physically
=HERO
Binary opposition: Scar is intelligent than Simba and Mufasa

Why are the bad guys often cleverer than the good guys?
What does this suggest about cultural values? Fears etc?)

Now watch the film up to where Simba runs away from the Hyenas.

3) What is the good guy associated with?
4) What is the bad guy associated with?
5) What qualities does the film privilege?
6) What cultural understandings does the film draw on to define good and evil?
7) What gets silenced?

Look at the idea of naturalisation.
8) How does the text naturalise the idea that Simba is the future rightful ruler?

Binary Oppositions: Can you identify the binary oppositions in the film? How does the film explore and represent these?