Byron Howard and Nathan Greno's have created a 3D musical called Tangled, from the Brothers Grimm story of Rapunzel. Rapunzel is a fairy tale heroine whose ability to "let down her hair" provides writers with a gimmick that's ideal for animation.
Rapunzel and the Magic Lights
Rapunzel, who was voiced by Mandy Moore, often uses her long hair as a lasso or a whip. She is extremely feminine but often launches into a complimentary brave gusto when challenged. When she reached the age of 18, she was presented with an opportunity to find her way to the magic lights. These were real lights that floated in the sky on her birthday. She had seen and painted them having dreamed about them from early childhood. It is the set-piece resulting from Rapunzel's encounter with the "lights in the sky" that provide script writers with an opportunity to provide context for some truly beautiful 3d animated art. The scene could become a prompt for teachers in a painting session about rivers.
Script about the Attainment of Happiness
Perhaps when Dan Fogelman wrote the screenplay, he was making a statement about attainment of happiness. He departed from the Brothers Grimm story, which had been the inspiration for his scripting. Rather than portray Rapunzel as a poor girl, she is now a poor little princess, kidnapped in infancy by a wicked witch called Mother Gothel. Donna Murphy plays this role singing a humorous song called Mama Knows best.
A Tower Sets the Scene for Physical and Emotional Imprisonment
The princess does not know about her royal identity. Imprisoned in a tower where she paints and reads, she sings "When Will My Life Begin?" And then it begins! On her 18th birthday, she received an unexpected visit from a desperate thief, Flynn Ryder portrayed by Zachary Levi.
Ryder, who was 'on the run,' became the reluctant hero when he agreed to escort her to the city where her destiny awaited her. The story is told by Ryder in the past tense, quipping at the prologue "This is a story of how my life ended." It is easy to miss this passé, but the story is, in a sense, about how one man transforms from thief to prince by giving up 'bondage of self' and acting with courage and honesty.
Neo-classical Formula of The Princess and the Frog
According to TheAge Jan 2011, "The characters may be computer-generated rather than hand-drawn, but otherwise Tangled follows the neo-classical formula of last year's The Princess and the Frog." Parents can expect the normal classic features one depends upon to make Disney productions appealing to children and adults alike.
Rapunzel has an animal confidant - a chameleon called Pascal. The chameleon changes colour with her moods. This is a clever way to evoke emotional response from the audience. The angry white horse, which was pursuing Flynn with the determination of "Inspector Javert from Les Miserables" is a similar device used not only to convey emotion but to evidence a change of heart and a development of compassion as the storyline unfolds. (Wison. 2011)
The Musical Score of Tangled
The score is memorable and the songs will possibly stay around. They are comprised of a suite of show tunes, from a romantic duet to an upbeat comic number sung by a gang of roughnecks. The music is an element of the movie, which makes it fun and will cause many to rewatch the movie so that kids can sing along.
Subtle but Meaningful Irony
Fogelman has coloured the story of Rapunzel with enough modern irony and provided sufficient character development for teachers of young children to work with kids through the material. As pointed out by Wilson, "Instead of using spells to keep Rapunzel under her thumb, Mother Gothel relies on veiled threats and smothering love."
The story is also much enhanced by the preening Flynn. One working with children might point out that he was far from a conventional hero. While he may have become more compassionate and selfless as a consequence of the challenges in the story, he still seemed to have a great deal of work to do on taming his ego even at the end.
Resources:
- Wison,J. Review of Tangled for The Age. 2011.
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