Dumbo: An Update From The Past

Disney has been providing us with adaptations of its most iconic classics for a few years now and, apparently, the trend is not going to end here. Have the ideas been exhausted? Does the old work better than the new? What is clear is that 2019 has been a year of reruns or, rather, of reinventions; Aladdin , The Lion King and, of course, Dumbo have been some of the classics that have been updated in this last year.

Today, we want to focus on the little giant-eared elephant with exceptional ability. We are talking about Dumbo , that film that already in 1941 overwhelmed the world for its rawness and for moving away from the most childish and innocent side of Disney.

When we heard the news that Tim Burton was directing the adaptation of the little elephant, many of us felt nostalgia and joy flood our hearts.

Who better than the misfit filmmaker to narrate the life of the outcast elephant? But of course, times have changed and it is true that the Burton of the beginnings, that of Eduardo Scissorhands , Beetlejuice and Ed Wood seems to have disappeared.

Likewise, looking towards our own present, a world more critical than in the past, a vindictive version could be expected; a message of love for animals, respect for differences and a new ode to freaks …

And it is true that, in part, there is some of it in the new version of Dumbo , but we also miss elements of its predecessor. How has the passage of time affected one of Disney’s darkest – as well as endearing – stories?

Dumbo , a stock update

Since the premiere of the animated version in 1941 it has rained a lot and, therefore, values ​​and society have changed enough to expect a more crude and vindictive version than the previous one. The issues that involve animal abuse, the slavery suffered by certain species due to our selfishness are, each time, more controversial.

Day by day, more cases of violence against animals are reported and society, in a way, is more sensitized; although there is still a long way to go.

In reality, the original Dumbo was nothing more than an attempt to solve the financial losses that Disney studios had suffered as a result of the premiere (and failure) of Fantasia (1940). Thus, with little budget, they decided to release the shortest feature film in their history – it lasts barely an hour – and, at the same time, one of the most tearful.

When we heard the news of the premiere, we were all hoping to see a version that drank from the new influences, the new trends and tried to update the values ​​that the original transmitted to us. And, in part, it has, but it has not managed to fully penetrate the public.

Perhaps, the expectations were very high and many of us forget that, behind the name of Tim Burton, the one of the Disney studios was hidden. That is to say, that of some studios that tried to satisfy a very wide audience and play with the nostalgic element.

It is true that new technologies, especially CGI, give us a more realistic and moving image than that of the original Dumbo , in addition to allowing a realistic shooting without animals participating in it. However, it should also be noted that, at times, it remains on the surface, in the beauty of the image without delving into the depths of the feelings, without “sticking the finger in the wound” of animal abuse.

Even so, the new image of Dumbo places us in a more egalitarian scenario, presents us with a simile between fatherhood and motherhood, showing that it is not only mothers who suffer and fight for their children, but also fathers.

This simile transcends beyond species: we see an elephant mother who suffers and defends her child and, at the same time, a human father capable of facing different threats to protect the well-being of her children.

The role of women takes on vital importance, regardless of whether they are girls, adults or elephants, Burton gives a space to the determined, vindictive woman who moves away from the canons that were proposed in 1941. Because yes, in the original Dumbo , It seems that the only function of women is motherhood, paternity is hardly shown (and much less alone) and, of course, women appear submissive, obedient and “gossipy.”

Burton has managed to update, in a way, those values; on the contrary, many of the characters are somewhat flat and certain feminist or animalistic winks appear a bit forced, far from the naturalness that one would expect. In fact, the animated feature film is characterized by a harsh rawness, by violence and a rejection of differences that seems to have vanished in 2019.

Wasn’t this a good opportunity to vindicate? An opportunity to show the bitter side of circuses with animals and of society? Yes, it probably was; but if we analyze the film, we will realize that, perhaps, the filmmaker’s intention was not so much to approach the freak , but rather to “bite the hand that fed him. “

Why do we say this? Because the new Dumbo , as we have advanced, sins of sweetening, reduces the crudeness, and the critic ends up diverting towards an unexpected place. But Burton takes the opportunity to make a critique between the lines, to establish a parallel between the Disney studios themselves and the great circus to which Dumbo is sent.

A truth that we all know

It seems that Tim Burton, far from offering us the version of the misfit, has decided to outline a critique of the film industry itself, of capitalism. Thus, we can see in the Dreamland park, the place where they take Dumbo to become a star, to the Disney studios themselves and their theme parks. That is to say, a false happiness, a false illusion that money can buy.

The enemy is no longer the owner of the little animal circus, but the greedy and wealthy partner who enslaves both human and animal workers. That man in a suit and tie who, thanks to his money, can achieve whatever he sets his mind to, regardless of the lives he is in charge of. Thus, Burton decides to set fire to that hand that has been feeding him, to those studies with which, for years, he has established a love-hate relationship.

The misunderstood now takes revenge on those who supported him financially, but who also clipped his wings, his artistic freedom. And, like Dumbo, the only thing left for him is to fight for his freedom.

The harshness is not manifested in the form of animal abuse, but in the form of a theme park, in the form of a place of worship and fun for those who can afford it. Meanwhile, a business mogul gets rich sitting in his leather chair. Therefore, yes, we can affirm that the values ​​have changed, that the point of view is different and that, in the middle of 2019, being a star is no longer synonymous with success, but with exploitation.

Following this line, it seems that Burton listened to the warnings of the association PETA (People for the ethical treatment of animals) and, in addition to not using animals in his film, decided to give Dumbo a second chance, away from fame, of the spotlights and circus.

If in 1941 the equivalent of the happy ending was a famous Dumbo whom everyone admired, in 2019, the happy ending is far from fame, it meets its own in its natural environment. Proving, once again, that circuses with animals are a thing of the past and that the future calls for a more respectful and ethical treatment of those with whom we share our planet.

Probably, the 1941 version makes us shudder more because of its rawness, because of the realism – albeit animated – of an animal that suffers and is unjustly separated from its mother.

However, the most current Dumbo , although it may remain on the surface in certain aspects, has to be read between the lines and interpreted according to our present. Burton relies on his fetish actors, such as Danny De Vito or Eva Green to build a story that, beyond the denunciation of animal circuses, is a criticism of our own lifestyle.