Beyond the Disney spell, or escape into Pantoland

Disney began "to harness wonder through animation" (Zipes 2000b, 129) in the 1920s, but it was only after the invention of sound and colour technology that his first feature-length cartoon, Snow White (1937), met with success. With this film, and others (Pinocchio, 1940; Fantasia, 1940; Dumbo, 1941; Cinderella, 1950; Alice in Wonderland, 1951; Peter Pan, 1953; Sleeping Beauty, 1959; and Mary Poppins, 1963), there evolved a set of Disney-brand conventions which were later adopted by other producers. The characteristic Disney protocols are as follows. Firstly, the key formula of the film draws on a relatively uncomplicated sequence of adventures, revolving around impeccably positive characters, who, depending on their gender, either conquer evil or passively wait to be rescued. Significantly, even though evil is vanquished, there is no change in the power relationships; each of the Disney personae is involved in the prescribed plot of substitution: "chaos and conflict are followed by the restoration of order which affirms the goodness of the existing system" (Zipes 1979, 113). To counteract the banality, such a structure is often embellished with catchy tunes and songs, ingenious visual effects (for example, the computer-generated tricks in Mulan, 1998, making full use of China's exotic beauty), or slapstick gags reminiscent of silent comedies. Of seminal importance are the cute or grotesque anthropomorphic subcharacters, such as the merry animals helping Snow White with housework, or the compassionate kitchen utensils in Beauty and the Beast (1993). [7] The aim of this standard feature of Disney films is to divert the viewer's attention from the schematic dichotomy between good and evil, as well as to provide "comic relief from the romantic business of the fairytale" (Zipes 2000b, 32), to say nothing of the excellent opportunities for marketing Disney products.

Naturally, all of these adornments, together with the elimination of ambiguous, controversial or indelicate elements, imply the contamination of the traditional fairytale material. Such is the case in Snow White. In the Grimm's version of the tale, there can be discerned symbols and notions relating to a life-and-death power struggle, jealousy, rivalry and oppression, whereas the cartoon reinforces the conviction that individuals should accept their position and unquestionably carry out their duties. This subliminal message is evoked through spotlighting the figures of the hard-working, orderly and diligent Seven Dwarfs, who in the literary version are actually of minor importance. [8]

The sanitisation inherent in Disney fairytales can be attributed to the social and economic situation in America of the 1930s, when the need "to mollify and apologise for broken promises of a better life as working conditions and social relations became more stressful and alienating" was particularly pressing (Zipes 1983, 131). As Zipes points out, in order to soothe social conflicts, the public had to be given a feeling of security, freedom from doubt and a new sense of life. Equally important was to show the nation that one can succeed by adjusting to capitalism, a system which is portrayed as extremely beneficial and requiring only slight corrections. Simultaneously, Disney's own biography has to be taken into account when trying to comprehend the changes he introduced into his films. Indeed, the trials and tribulations of Disney male characters are strongly reminiscent of his own career--just like them, Disney came from a poor family controlled by a cold-hearted and tyrannical father and it is very likely that the happy endings of his tales were to compensate for his distressed childhood.