This was not the post I had intended for this week, but my other review is still a work in progress. I dug this one up from my old blog and edited it a bit. I had forgotten how fascinating this film was, both in visuals and in themes. If you haven't seen it, I'd highly recommend checking it out!
Warning: The following post contains spoilers! My sister and I grew up watching the Disney classic "The Jungle Book (1967)." We could sing all of the songs, quote the movie, and recite (word for word) our copy of The Little Golden Book version. Needless to say, The Jungle Book was an important part of my childhood, and admittedly I was skeptical when Disney announced a live-action version. But when the critic reviews started to pour in after the movie's initial release, I couldn't really believe it... Disney must have done the impossible, because The Jungle Book (2016) was killing it at the box office and among critics (two things that don't always correspond). The Jungle Book is the story of Mowgli, a young orphaned boy who was raised in the Jungle by a pack of wolves. He has a variety of friends--his fellow wolf cubs, a happy-go-lucky bear named Baloo, and the wise panther Bagheera--but he has enemies too. After the malicious tiger Shere Khan gets injured in a fight with a man, he learns of Mowgli's existence and vows that there isn't a place in the Jungle for this "man-cub." So before Shere Khan can find the pack and make a snack out of Mowgli (and the wolves who have promised to protect him), the man-cub decides to leave. It is in his best interests, we learn, for the man-cub to go back to his own kind (the "man village"). But the Jungle is a dangerous place, so getting back to his own kind becomes a bit of a problem. One of my favorite aspects of the movie was the way mankind was portrayed. While watching the film, I never got the sense that the filmmakers saw Mowgli as "just another animal." He was viewed as "above" the rest of the Jungle, especially in one major area: his creativity and ingenuity. One of the main ideas of the film is that the ingenuity of man sets him apart from the rest of creation. That's a great message...and one I didn't expect to find in a Disney movie. The Jungle Book can also serve as an interesting parallel to the story of a Christian's faith journey on Earth. Like Mowgli, the Christian may live in this world (or in Mowgli's case, the Jungle), but he doesn't really belong here. There is something deep inside Mowgli that longs to be with his own kind, to fulfill his true purpose in life. As he journeys home, he meets various forms of opposition, ranging from the seductive snake Kaa or the violent Shere Khan. Even the happy-go-lucky Baloo turns out to be a "stumbling block." These forms of opposition are not unlike what many Christians encounter, ranging from the temptation of worldly pleasures to violent persecution to an "easy-going," self-centered lifestyle. This brings me to my only big issue with the film: the ending didn't really sit well with me. Maybe that's because Mowgli never actually made it home. He ended up staying in the world he had chosen to escape; and perhaps it's just me, but I found that to be rather sad. One of the most blatant parallels in the movie is woven throughout the story. In the film, the wolves often unite themselves by reciting the "Law of the Jungle." We listen as wolves of every age reverently recite the law, with the older wolves teaching it to the younger wolves. With that picture in mind, take a look at Deuteronomy 11:18-19... “You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall teach them to your children, talking of them when you are sitting in your house, and when you are walking by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." See the similarities? And it gets even cooler! It is this "law of the Jungle" which plays a key role in uniting the wolves against Shere Khan during the climax of the film. The wolves' "law of the Jungle," is not unlike the Word of God, which teaches, directs, and unifies believers. The Jungle Book is a delightful film with a surprisingly spiritual message. Its pro-man ideas and allegorical plot give it depth, the effects are breathtaking, and it made some independent and creative choices while still staying true to the spirit of the original. As a fan of the original, I couldn't have asked for much more than that.
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Hi friends! Thanks to everyone who has dropped by after listening to The Bargain Bin Movie Podcast! I should have a new post coming out later next week. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I've included a link below. I had an opportunity to discuss the film "Inception" on the podcast of a friend of mine. It was a fun discussion! I'd love to hear your thoughts as well!
http://thebargainbin.libsyn.com/inception-w-rebekah-martin |
Welcome!This blog is devoted to analyzing the content and themes in movies, television, video games, and other forms of media from a Christian perspective. Thanks for stopping by!
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