Frozen is a
2013 computer animated epic musical fantasy film produced and distributed by
Walt Disney Studios. The film is a loose adaptation of The Snow Queen, a
classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Anderson. The concept has been in the
pipeline since the 1940’s, and was even pondered by Walt Disney himself, before
being dropped due to story problems. The film was directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris
Buck, and is notable for being the first Disney film ever to be helmed by a
woman (how is this possible?). The film features two sisters, one of whom has
the power to create ice with her hands. This power frightens her, and she hides
away from the whole world, including her sister.
Frozen uses
largely the same format as Tangled, and indeed the film was only greenlit after
the success of Tangled at the box office. The animation style is fairly
comparable and the characters are animated in a near identical style. The film
uses large epic vistas, and is the first Disney film to be made using ultra-widescreen
since Sleeping Beauty, this enhances the animation and gives the film epic
scope. The film is incredibly beautiful, and the animation is enhanced by 3D,
giving the film a tactile painterly feel. The 3D is particularly well handled
and the snowflakes really do seem to fall from the heavens, I am not the
largest fan of 3D and I feel that it is often superfluous, however animated
films of often work quite well in 3D, and frozen is no exception, and I was
glad to have seen it in this format.
Frozen is
also unique in its setting, in that it is the first Disney film to be set in
Scandinavia, and the first to have a particularly continental feel. Let me
elaborate, other Disney films, despite being nominally set in a certain
country, have no real character and could be set anywhere. Tangled is nominally
set in Germany, Beauty and the Beast and sleeping beauty in France. Frozen
belongs to another group, like The Princess and the Frog and Aladdin, Frozen is
grounded, and is set in a defined place, the wooden architecture with the steep
gables and Fjords remind one of the ancient architecture of Norway, and covered
in snow it is simply stunning. I feel that setting the film in a defined
culture is highly beneficial to this film, as it differentiates it from other
Disney films, and stops it becoming bland. The characters, though not designed
with particularly Scandinavian features, are dressed is a style similar to that
of traditional Scandinavian dress, with the patterns and silhouettes being
slightly modernized. The costume design of the film is fantastic, with Anna’s
coronation dress and Elsa’s ice dress being standouts. The clothes have a
tactile quality, and they feel real, despite being animated.
The story
differs somewhat from the original fairy tale, and like Tangled, it retains the
setting, concept and some of the characters of the original story, but features
a new plot. Frozen was canned multiple times since the 1940’s largely due to
the plot, the filmmakers struggled to find a link between the Snow Queen and
Anna, and struggled to find a way to connect the characters and explain The
Queen’s cursing of Anna, in Frozen this issue is ironed out with the characters
becoming sisters, and the Snow Queen being rewritten as a protagonist, this
creates an important connection between the two women, and means that her
action are out of fear rather than antagonism, and that in order to save
Arendelle, Anna must melt the ice around her sisters heart and allow her to
love again. The film is also notable in its depiction of love which differs
from other Disney films, whereas love in other films being between a woman and
her suitor, being able to conquer evil, in Frozen, the love between two sisters
is shown as being the vanquishing force, and it is only after Elsa learns to
love her sister that she can control her powers
The film
features some pretty spectacular voice talent, Idina Menzel stars as Elsa and
Kristen Bell as Anna. Jonathon Groff stars as Kristoff, a rugged mountain man
and wanderer. The film is a musical in the style of traditional Disney
musicals, and the songs are fantastic. The film uses new Disney collaborators Robert
and Kristen Anderson Lopez as songwriters, and the music is lyrical, catchy and
melodic. Overall despite the films setting, the music never strays far from
traditional musical theatre, the only exception is the first song, a chorus
with a fairly traditional feel and Nordic sound, and which is in some ways
reminiscent of the dwarfs’ song in Snow White. The highlights of the film
include Let it Go, an emotional powerhouse sung by Idina Menzel and a sure
winner for the academy award for best original song, and Who Wants to Build a
Snowman, a song accompanied by a montage showing the two sisters growing apart
as they grow and change.
Frozen
represents a huge return to form for Walt Disney Animation, and is currently
the high point of the Disney Revival period, in my mind even topping Tangled,
one of my favorite Disney films of all time. Epic beautiful animation, great
music and fascinating complex characters make this film a modern, instant
classic that will surely endure for years to come. Rating:
A+
Elsa:
The cold never bothered me anyway.
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