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To give a little background, though I hope you've seen this movie because it's a classic, Simba was tricked by his Uncle Scar to stay in a valley for a "surprise" from his father, Mufasa. However, Scar sends a stampede of yaks (I believe) into the valley. Mufasa comes and saves the day by saving Simba from the rampage. Alas, Mufasa, while trying to escape, is murdered by his own brother, Scar. This heart-wrenching scene is almost too much for me to bear. Especially since Scar tells Simba afterwards that Simba killed his own father. I can't even grasp the trauma that would be for poor Simba. He goes on to run away and adapt a new moto: Hakuna Matata. However, this lackadaisical manner doesn't last long. His pride is in trouble and his trusted friend, Nala, with a little help from Rafiki, the baboon, show him that he can't run from his problems.
This really speaks to a greater theme in American life. There is a general idea that you can't run from your problems. It's considered cowardly. The way to face grief and/or other life problems is to stand up and face it, head on. While I didn't realize this theme at the time, I can see it now. I do believe that it would take a bit more than a tropical vacation to get over the trauma of believing that you killed your own father, the idea is still relevant. So, Simba, stand up to your grief and go save your pride!
What themes do you see now that you look back on the movies you watched as a child?
Not bad, Nat. I think maybe anchoring (linking) this post to a more critical analysis of The Lion King would make this more interesting and weighty. As of now, it's just your observations, but I do appreciate the connection to American themes.
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