Disney Era Analysis – The Aristocats
As mentioned in the first blog post in this series, I’ll be writing analysis content on all 60+ Disney animated feature films and their film making eras.
The fourth era is the Bronze Age, which ran from 1970 to 1988 and started with The Aristocats. As mentioned in a previous blog post, the Bronze Age is also known as the “Dark Age”, as the films during this era were the first ones made after Walt Disney’s death.
Without Walt Disney’s creative direction, the animators tried new things with the animation style during this era, which ended up being criticised as cheap and lazy, due to their use of xerography and recycling animation. As well as the heavy use of xerography and recycling animation, this era is also known for its darker and edgier films, which were the brainchild of the then-new generation of animators from Cal Arts.
So how well did The Aristocats measure up to these famous features, and was it the right film to kick off the Bronze Age?
Use of xerography and recycling animation:
The use of xerography and recycled animation was apparent from the moment the film began. In regards to the use of xerography, in the case of this film, I could see the black pencil outlines, and the landscapes overall looked scratchy and off-centre. However, it wasn’t all bad, the animation of liquids (i.e. paints, water, rain), and the use of bright colours (when they were used) was beautiful.
In regards to the recycled animation, I could mostly spot animation recycled from The Jungle Book, which was this film’s predecessor, as well as animation from 101 Dalmatians, specifically with the animation of cars. According to the film’s IMDb page, most of the cars in the film are, in fact, recycled animated cells from 101 Dalmatians.
Animation wasn’t the only thing being recycled in the film, it was apparent that the scores from The Jungle Book was recycled. Parts of the plot were also recycled from Lady and the Tramp, and 101 Dalmatians.
Being a darker and edgier film:
Overall, I personally felt that this film wasn’t particularly dark and edgy. Whilst there were certainly dark elements, such as Edgar trying to kill the cats, and the climactic battle between him and the other animals, overall, it was actually the opposite; light-hearted and (trying) to be fun.
Also, the film certainly wasn’t edgy, the closest it came to it was through Edgar’s plan to kill the cats, and when Scat Cat were about to eat Roquefort. However, Edgar’s plan was never going to work, and Scat Cat and the gang were, of course, going to help Roquefort, when the latter let the former know that O’Malley needed their help to save Duchess and the kittens.
The film did touch on adult themes, such as: attempted murder, classism, the nuclear family (specifically the kittens needing a father), kidnapping, and good vs evil.
My overall thoughts:
Overall, while I didn’t hate the film, I can’t say that I loved it. The obviously recycled animation, soundtrack and plot elements made the film predictable. I also found some of the slapstick animation off-putting and over-the-top.
However, there were some moments I did enjoy, such as: the animation of the chase between Edgar, Lafayette, and Napoleon under the bridge, Roquefort yelling at Edgar and the other animals to be quiet whilst he unlocked the trunk in the climactic battle scene, and Napoleon and Lafayette’s relationship.
The next part of the Disney Era Analysis series will focus on Robin Hood
Fun Facts and Trivia (according to the film’s IMDb page):
- The film was inspired by the true story of a Parisian family of cats, circa 1910, that inherited a fabulous fortune.
- This was the first Disney animated feature film to not be produced under the Hays Code, and the first to be given an age rating theatrically.
- Napoleon and Lafayette never actually meet the cats as their purpose was to provide comic relief.
- This film was one of the few Disney films in which the villain (Edgar) doesn’t get killed near the end. He is instead defeated by the animals and shipped away to Timbuktu. Edgar was also unique as a villain, as he (at least seemed) to genuinely care about Duchess and the kittens, until he hears about the will, which prompts the film’s events.
- Edgar’s plan to get rid of the cats (after unsuccessfully killing them) is to ship them to Timbuktu, French Equatorial Africa. French Equatorial Africa was formed in 1910 (when the film is set) and consisted of French colonial territories: Gabon, French Congo, Ubangi-Shari, and Chad. The Federation of French Equatorial Africa was dissolved in 1958, with the territories currently known as: Gabon, The Republic of the Congo, The Central African Republic, and Chad.
References:
Loveday Writing 