Rhetorical Analysis

Alyssa DiFrancesco

English

Kyle King

October 10, 2012

The Lion King

Almost everyone in the world is familiar with the infamous Disney movie The Lion King, but very few have gone into detail and analyzed the rhetoric within the film. Each scene is filled with a sense of pathos that tugs on the emotions of the audience and inevitably pushes them to one side over the other. It is interesting to see how the voices, color, and actions of each character have such an effect on their personalities which then has an effect on the audience and leaves them judging the morals of the characters. For people who grew up watching the original Disney movies, this is a great film to watch in depth and really figure out the meaning behind each scene.

In the beginning of the movie Simba gets caught in a stampede and his father, Mufassa, comes to the rescue. Simba is saved but when Mufassa needs help, his brother Scar, does not help him. Instead he grabs Mufassa’s paws, flings him off the side of the cliff and he falls to his death right in front of his son. Right away the audience, especially young kids, have a dislike for Scar. He then proceeds to tell Simba that this was all his fault and that if he had been more careful as to where he hangs out then his father would not have died. After being scolded, Simba runs away to the jungle where he meets a meercat named Timon and a warthog named Pumbaa and throughout this scene in the movie they teach him the ways of the jungle and how you have to act while living there. Some of which include eating bugs, swimming in the pond, and Hakuna Matata, which means no worries. This scene is a very relaxed and happy part of the movie where Simba has not a worry in the world and is simply happy. After a few years of being in the jungle, Simba’s old best friend Nala wanders into the wilderness to find food and she stumbles upon Simba, begging him to come home and save the animals of Pride Rock. Nala explains to him that ever since he ran away, Scar and the hyaenas have taken over and everything has gone wrong but Simba won’t budge. He tells her that he can’t go back home and that she wouldn’t understand how he feels about the whole situation. Simba talks about Hakuna Matata and says “sometimes bad things happen and there’s nothing you can do about it, so why worry?” however Nala is not fooled and is continuously becoming more and more aggravated with Simba so she yells “because it’s your responsibility!” Both Simba and the audience know that his old friend is right but his fear of facing his past leaves him unmoved by Nala’s speech.

A couple minutes after Nala leaves, Simba is graced with the presence of a crazy baboon named Rafiki who tells him that his father is still alive, inside of him, and that he should follow him if he wants to see for himself. Simba follows the baboon to a pond and looks to where the monkey is pointing. Unfortunately he only sees his own reflection but Rafiki tells Simba to look harder. He then sees his father in the water, realizing what the baboon meant. Mufassa is now in the dark clouds telling Simba that he’s forgotten who he was, therefore he’s forgotten him, and this triggers Simba’s emotions making feel disappointed in himself for not going home like he should have. His father then tells him that he needs to find his place back in the circle of life and says “remember who you are. You are my son and the one true king. Remember who you are.” His voice is very deep and almost sounds like he is hurting. Then in an instant he is gone with the storm and Simba is chasing after him begging him not to go.

That scene is very detailed and most things wouldn’t normally be picked up on unless it’s watched several times. The clouds are very dark, clearly it’s nighttime, and there’s sad, slow music playing. The characters are speaking very softly until the music changes to a deep, dark, mysterious, and yet sad song. Mufassa’s voice is very stern and demanding, but somewhat soft and calming and the clouds are changing to a light pink, orange, and blue mixture. At the same time, the music is getting a little louder and higher pitched, then Mufassa is gone with a flash of lightening and all that’s left is a storm in the clouds. The overall emotion the audience might be feeling while watching this scene would be heartache and sadness for not only Simba, but for Mufassa as well. The conversation between Simba and Rafiki is a critical turning point in the movie and this is where Simba really starts to find himself and makes his decision.

“The winds are changing,” Simba says.

“Ah change is good!” replies Rafiki.

“Yeah but it’s not easy. I know what I have to do but going back means I’ll have to face my past. I’ve been running from it for so long,” explains Simba.

“The past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it or learn from it,” Rafiki says. (The Lion King)

The combination of Mufassa’s speech and Rafiki’s advice helped Simba find who he really was and that was a factor in making his decision whether he should go home or start a new life. They were both very persuasive and used facts instead of “selling” the idea to him and that made it extremely easy for Simba to know right from wrong.

The voices, color, and demeanor of each character are essential to the pathos of the film. Especially for children, color is important for capturing attention and this movie does an excellent job with that; bright colors are a constant theme throughout the film. The sunsets are very prominent and come up a lot, they consist of bright oranges and yellows with very detailed clouds. Also, the other animals are so realistic and vivid which contributes to kids being interested in this movie and other movies like this one. Voices have a large effect on the audience as well because in a way they push judgements of each character into your head. The deepness of Scar’s voice added onto his dark color and hard features make him very frightening to young kids watching the movie. He also has a huge scar on top of his eye which makes him seem dangerous, like he is going to hurt anyone that stands in his way and his bright green eyes are very capturing, luring each character into his fake charm which gives off the effect that he is evil; all of which clearly make him the bad guy, or the antagonist. Mufassa on the other hand has a strong and inspiring voice which successfully portrays him as a leader. His every word can and will pull you in and make you believe what he believes which is not a negative thing considering he is the good guy in the movie. The King is fairly light colored with a large red mane which symbolizes his manhood and knowledge. It is very full and flowing unlike Scar’s which is flat and limp. As shown in the very first scene, the animals of pride rock show their appreciation for Mufassa by bowing down to him and his family and therefore the audience has an immediate liking for him as well. Young Simba is showed as a helpless but determined little cub with a positive outlook on life and he also has a very tiny, soft voice. The audience falls in love with him in the very first scene and are on his side with everything that he does throughout the movie. Just like a human baby, people have a soft spot for tiny things who can’t fend for themselves and are always relying on their parents. Grown up Simba, however is much more independent, finding food and shelter on his own without the help of his family.

Just by watching this movie multiple times, I saw this movie in a whole different way. It’s interesting to see how the littlest things like how a character talks or what color they are have such a prominent effect on the audience. Ethos is a common thing in not just movies, but in books, flyers, and even speeches you hear on the radio. Almost every scene in this film successfully touched my heart and made me feel something different. I encourage each and every one of you who grew up with this movie to go back and watch it again, but really watch it. Pay attention to the little details; take note on the colors in each scene and how they make you feel. I guarantee you it’ll be a much different experience than when you watched it as a young kid.