Courtesy of THE SITUATION
(CJ Wachter, Tyler Nelson, Ethan Graff, Andrea
Maassen, Jay Wright, and Challiss Alexander)
Background of Walt Disney
Raised on a farm near Marceline,
He eventually won a
Missouri, Walt Disney became
scholarship to the Kansas City
interested in drawing at an early
Institute, where he met a
age, selling his first sketches to
fellow animator, Ub Iwerks.
neighbors when he was only seven
The two then went to
years old.
Hollywood in 1923.
At McKinley High School in
Chicago, Disney divided his
attention between drawing and
photography, contributing both to
the school paper. At night, he
attended the Academy of Fine Arts.
Together, they produced many
films, such as Steamboat
Willie (1928), Snow White and
the Seven Dwarfs (1937),
Pinocchio (1940), Cinderella
(1950), Alice in Wonderland
(1951), Peter Pan (1953), and
many more.
Andrew Stanton, director of Finding
Nemo
Born in Rockport, Mass.
Studied character
animation at CalArts
(graduated in 1987)
Joined Pixar in January
of 1990
Related works:
Toy Story (1995)
A Bug’s Life (1998)
Monsters, Inc. (2001)
The Incredibles (2004)
Cars (2006)
Ratatouille (2007)
WALL-E (2008)
Up (2009)
Future works:
Toy Story 3 (2010)
John Carter of Mars (2012)
Chris Buck and Kevin Lima, directors
of Tarzan
Kevin Lima
Born and raised in Pawtucket, Rhode
Island
Directed A Goofy Movie (1995), 102
Dalmatians (2000), and also helped to
create Lumiere (Beauty and the Beast) and
Ursula/Flounder (The Little Mermaid)
Chris Buck
Born in Wichita, Kansas
Studied character animation at CalArts
before his career at Disney as an animator
(The Fox and the Hound [1981], The Little
Mermaid [1989], and Oliver & Company
[1989])
MOVIE CLIP!
Notice the similarities between the Tarzan and Pocahontas scenes (Kerchak =
Radcliffe, Tarzan = John Smith)
 They are almost EXACTLY the same, each faced with conflict against a different
race/species.
 *Reaction shot* - Kerchak’s reaction when Tarzan defies him in front of the
gorilla tribe
 Notice the backgrounds/colors in both scenes. The red symbolizes upcoming
danger, anger, fear, suffering.
 Notice the *denouement (DAY-NOOM-WAH)* after the brief dispute between
Tarzan/Kerchak and John Smith/Radcliffe.
 The *progression* of Tarzan/Pocahontas continues/grows worse at these two
points.
 These two scenes make an aesthetic association for the viewer.
Surface
Finding
Nemo
Scholarly
Fish, the ocean, aquatic life, friendship,
Conformity, peer pressure, family issues,
action, adventure, pelicans, humans,
maturity (growing up), loss (of life), fear,
etc.
regret, acceptance, desperation, a
negative portrayal of dentists, hope,
perseverance, determination, love,
sacrifice, sexism, phallic symbols, etc.
Tarzan
Surface
Scholarly
Apes, poachers, friendship, romance,
Deception, conformity, peer pressure,
elephants, action, adventure, leopards,
maturity, betrayal, acceptance, nature (and
baboons, other jungle animals, etc.
the respect/love we ought to have for it),
instincts, danger, conflict, tension,
evolution, Darwinism, destiny, fate, racism,
sexism, change, technology, the harsh
realities/choices of life, cruelty, denial,
man-made disturbances, etc.
Roger Ebert’s Thoughts
 Finding Nemo
Tarzan
 “‘Finding Nemo’ has all of the usual
pleasures of the Pixar animation
style—the comedy and wackiness of
‘Toy Story’ or ‘Monsters, Inc.”’or ‘A
Bug’s Life.’ And it adds an
unexpected beauty, a use of color
and form that makes it one of those
rare movies where I wanted to sit in
“Something deep within the Tarzan myth
speaks to us, and Disney’s new animated
‘Tarzan’ captures it. Maybe it’s the notion that
we can all inhibit this planet together, man
and beast, and get along…The movie doesn’t
insist on this thread of meaning, but it gives
the movie weight. Like all the best Disney
animated films, this one is about something
other than cute characters and cheerful
songs. It speaks even to the youngest
members of the audience, who, like Tarzan,
must have days when they feel surrounded
by tall, rumbling autocratic bipeds.”
the front row and let the images
wash out to the edges of my field of
vision. The movie takes place almost
entirely under the sea, in the world
of colorful tropical fish—the flora
and fauna of a shallow warm-water
shelf not far from Australia. The use
of color, form and movement make
the film a delight even apart from its
story.”
Possible Themes…
 Outcast
 Tarzan/Nemo both outcasts; don’t belong
 (Tarzan – neither ape nor human, Nemo – awkward defective fin, daddy’s
boy)
 The plot follows their quest to conform/belong/fit in/be accepted
 Are both judged at an early age by their conforming friends.
 Can be frequently seen in other Disney movies. Does Disney use this as part of
their “movie formula”?
MOVIE CLIP!
 Finding Nemo- Marlin and Dory finally arrive in Sydney, Australia to
find Nemo. After a brief battle with pelicans/birds, they find Nemo in a
dentist’s office. Nemo eventually, with the help of Nigel the pelican and
Gil the fish, makes his escape to the ocean.
 *Motif* (MOW-TEEF)- Dory’s recurring short-term memory loss
reminds the viewer that she isn’t the brightest bulb and that Marlin is
more on top of his game.
 *Reaction shot* – Marlin’s face when he sees Nemo’s “dead” body
 *Leitmotif (LAY-MOW-TEEF)* – Psycho music playing on Darla’s
arrival
 All of these expert movie-making techniques make subliminal
connections for the audience
Possible Themes, Pt. 2
 Pollution (Exploit, Conquer, Abuse—
Imperialist)
 Both films displays humans are wasteful, ignorant, and, for
the most part, the villains (without conscience).
 Tarzan/Finding Nemo display how humans are “disturbing
Mother Nature’s course” with their carefree habits/addictions.
 (Ex.: Tarzan – Humans cut down trees to build camp, capture
wildlife, shoot guns into anything that moves, etc.)
 (Ex: Finding Nemo – Sydney Water Treatment Pipeline,
innocent fish are corralled into a net by the humans, others
[like Nemo] are kidnapped, even taken hostage, if you will.)
Possible Themes, Pt. 3
Family Problems
 Tarzan/Nemo both struggle with family affairs throughout the films.
Nemo has never met his mother or siblings, while Tarzan has almost no
connection/nothing in common with his guardians.
 Tarzan/Nemo must continually prove themselves throughout the films
to gain respect/trust/support from their friends/family members.
Marxist Lens
Dentist in Finding Nemo =
powerful, wealthy, influential,
intelligent (white collar,
upper class)
Crush (the turtle dad) in
Finding Nemo has rejected
the system and thrived—it is
possible to be an individual
Marlin has “moved up” to a
perfect neighborhood = The
American Dream!
Humans kidnap gorillas for
monetary gain; destroy the
rain forest and exploit nature.
Capitalism without a
conscience. (Mines in Nemo)
Feminist
Lens
Dory (Marlin’s
friend/sidekick)—stupid,
needy, dependent, banished,
abandoned
Darla (niece of the dentist in
Finding Nemo)—greedy,
selfish, destructive, spoiled,
bratty
Jane (Tarzan’s mate)—smart,
level-headed, proper
(according to society’s
expectations); physically
dependent
Kala (Tarzan’s ape
mother)—smart,
selfless, and
resourceful
MOVIE CLIP!
 Watch the weather in this scene, notice how it
changes, and how it reflects the current mood/vibe
of the plot.
 Examine how Clayton kills himself. Coincidence?
(He got what was coming to him – karma- self
hanging?)
 Notice how Jane takes out two men and rescues Kala
(Feminist Lens)
 *Reaction shot* - Gorillas reacting to the flares in
the beginning
 Observe how nature fights back (elephants, rhinos,
hippos, etc. reclaim their turf)
 CLIMAX is when Tarzan and Clayton throw it down
in the trees
Freudian Lens
Jane, eventually, chooses Tarzan.
What does this tell us about her
character
(She chooses a wild ape man that
lacks the ability to
interact/communicate/relate to the
outside world)?
Jane is unique, spontaneous,
adventurous, and yearns for a
different type of man (not the average
Joe). She has an “appetite for
knowledge” and craves to learn all
about Tarzan’s culture.
Marlin is obsessed, even
risks his life, about saving
Nemo. Nemo has Marlin’s
genes; Marlin, like us all, is
hard-wired to want to be
immortal and to profligate
the species.
Tarzan will do whatever it takes,
including the betrayal of his
family and family, to satisfy Jane
and keep her with him. Jane, in
return, sacrifices everything she
has ever known (civilization,
interaction with the outside
world) to grow old and swing
through the vines with Tarzan.
Symbols
The tree house in Tarzan (that Tarzan’s original parents build in the beginning
of the movie) represents the dedication, determination, perseverance, and hard
work put in by both of Tarzan’s parents.
(they desperately want to make it/survive in the jungle)
The ending fighting scene in Tarzan (Tarzan vs. Clayton) can be portrayed as
being against guns or anti-violence.
Hollywood’s Solutions
We should coexist with nature better, less exploitively
The bond between father and son is an important one
Fathers should not be ultra-protective; adventure and travel and
challenges and obstacles are good for us
We all need to do our part to cut back on pollution (Recycle,
Recycle, Recycle!)
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