The movie "The Lion King" came out when I was like 10 years old. I have watched it literally a hundred times. We are watching it in Spanish in my Dos Mundos culture class and I JUST NOW realized that it is the story of Hamlet. Wow. Simba? Hamlet. Scar? Claudius. Timon and Pumba? Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Nala? Ophelia.
It's SO OBVIOUS! Of course the Disney version has a happy ending and only Scar dies. I guess they figured the little kids would take it to hard with the Shakespearean ending.
As an English major, I am officially ashamed of myself for never figuring this out before. The really funny part is that since the first time I saw the movie, I have always wondered where they came up with the plot line and thought it was kind of forced and jumpy. I remember specifically driving away from the drive-in theatre where we viewed the movie for the first time thinking it was one of the dumbest movies ever. Now I know why- William Shakespeare did NOT write his plays for a mass-marketed audience of 8 year olds. In my opinion, a discussion of sanity and madness is the core theme of Hamlet and that was totally stripped out of the Disney version for the sake of its key demographic. Ick. The whole idea just makes me shudder. What's next? A Disney/Pixar revamp of Othello? What about the Merchant of Venice... Beach... with talking Chihuahuas? I know! How about a live-action version of The Tempest- starring Miley Cyrus!?
Anyway, I just had to share this with you all, since it completely blew my mind today when I figured it out.
(And for the record, I know the Mel Gibson version of Hamlet isn't the greatest in the world, but I really really really love Helena Bonham Carter as Ophelia).
2 comments:
heh...Miley Cyrus...classic.
I think the most interesting thing about this is that Shakespeare didn't come up with the story either. He didn't make-up ANY of his plots, he just used (and invented) the English language better than anyone else, which solidified his face in the pantheon of English Literature. And I think Timon and Pumba are way more likable than Rosencrantz and Guildensteen.
Also, I don't mind the Mel Gibson version. Although they do delve a little farther into the whole Oedipal thing than I'm totally comfortable with. But I do prefer Kenneth Branagh's because his line delivery is fabulous.
Can you tell I'm a Shakespeare fan?
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