100 Movies Every Catholic Should See #77: The Lion King (1994)

Directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff

If we look back at the long and storied history of Walt Disney Animation Studios, more often than not- as per the standards of Walt himself- the films were usually based on a known fairy tale, children’s book, or short story. In building his studio, Walt and his brother Roy were far from having the “Disney brand” that has become the standard for animation in today’s era, and basing projects off of popular, time-tested stories was a logical choice for their risky, medium-defining projects. This also came from Walt being burnt by the commercial failure of Fantasia, his biggest and boldest experiment that was not based on any one particular narrative: every film worked on after was very clearly based off of a well-known fairy tale or book, and when he began to expand into live-action films in the 1950s he carried this methodology with him. It wasn’t until after Walt’s death with The Aristocats that the company dared venture into making a truly original animated feature (it was the last animated film overseen by Roy before his death).

As you can see in the graph I put together below, there are less truly original films in the Disney animated canon than one would think, partially due to former CEO Michael Eisner (who actually was a literature major in college) and his insistence on returning Disney to its roots of adapting timeless stories.

Determination of an “original film” is largely determined by how much the film does or doesn’t rely on the source material and the audience’s knowledge of a particular story. Hercules is a largely original story that is still predicated on the knowledge of Greek mythology. Frozen takes influence from The Snow Queen but does not retain any of the story beats or characters from the original story.

Crafting an original story is hard, just ask anyone who has developed a film at Pixar (did you know that Up was originally about two brothers on a floating alien city?). There’s an old business adage that a company can only truly be successful for 10 years at a time before either new management is needed or a radical shift in thinking is required, and Disney is no exception. The “Disney Renaissance” enjoyed about a decade of success before the returns began to diminish, Pixar enjoyed a legendary run in the 2000s, and even live-action studios like Marvel made it about 10 years before having their first real failures. So it’s no surprise that truly original films at Disney- as risky a bet as anything- have been scarce, but when they pay off, you get something like…

The Lion King kicks off with possibly one of the most visually stunning and memorable opening sequences of any film, lifted by the first of many iconic Elton John songs to grace the soundtrack. Released smack in the middle of a decade of generation-defining, groundbreaking cinematic experiences including Jurassic Park, Toy Story, and Titanic, it is often viewed (rightfully so) as the pinnacle of not only Disney’s animated films but Western animated films in general. Audiences flocked back again and again so much that the film grossed numbers then unheard of for any animated film, reaching $700,000,000 (today, after several re-releases, the film has almost hit a billion dollars).

What made this the defining Disney film for a generation?

Originally titled “King of the Jungle”, what became The Lion King was actually considered the lesser of two projects then in development at Disney: bolstered by the surprise “Best Picture” nomination for Beauty and the Beast- a first in animation history¹- the studio put all its best people on Pocahontas in hopes of snagging another nomination. This “Jungle” project had been languishing in a series of development changes since the late 1980s, until Beauty and the Beast producer Don Hahn stepped in to give the script focus. Michael Eisner, ever the literature aficionado, wanted the film to “feel Shakespearean", but although the film’s plot has most often been compared to Hamlet, there were also included allusions both to the Biblical stories of Joseph but also Moses.

For those who somehow have not yet watched The Lion King, the story follows Simba (Matthew Broderick, with Jonathan Taylor Thomas voicing young Simba) a young lion cub who is the son of Mufasa (the late James Earl Jones), king of the African Pride Lands. Mufasa also has a younger brother, Scar (Jeremy Irons) who has now lost his place as heir due to the birth of Simba. Scar, who has secretly formed an army of devious hyenas, hatches a plot to usurp the throne, leading Simba to be exiled and forced to decide if he will one day return to take his rightful place on his father’s throne.

In addition to pulling from the Bible and Shakespeare, as described by Lion King script developer Christopher Vogler in his book, “The Writer’s Journey,” the film intentionally follows the tenets of Joseph Campbell’s “Hero’s Journey,” with Simba exiting the “Ordinary World” under the guidance of many mentors. Both Mufasa and his advisor Zazu (Rowan Atkinson) educate him on how to be a king, while later Simba’s found friends Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella) teach him their “Hakuna Matata” lifestyle. Even Nala (Moira Kelly), Simba’s childhood friend, must act as a mentor to teach him about love and responsibility to his family and people.

This level of intentionality and artistry in the crafting of the story extended to the art and look of the film as well, even at times having a Catholic influence, as described by Vogler in his book when recounting a crucial story meeting:

I had the impulse to accentuate the ritualistic aspects of the moment, referring to the rituals of baptism and christening, or the coronation ceremonies…I remembered that the Catholic churches I grew up with had stained-glass windows strategically placed to create stunning effects when beams of colored light fell on the altar. It occurred to me that when Rafiki held up the baby lion to show the assembled animals, a beam of sunlight from the clouds could strike the cub, giving the divine stamp of approval to the specialness of this child and to Mufasa’s royal line²

There was also an emphasis on creating sweeping, gorgeous shots similar to those found in the films of John Ford and Lawrence of Arabia, creating an immersive world that at the time could only have been achieved through animation. Remember, this was before the advent of digital cinema and the breathtaking high-resolution nature videography of today: while films like Out of Africa a few years before had provided a stunning glimpse into Africa, it was nothing compared to what the medium of animation could accomplish, especially with the breakthrough of CAPS (Computer Animation Production System) which allowed for tracking shots and post-production adjustments in coloring and lighting.

All in all, the combined force of a classical story, animation wizardry, and a powerful, Oscar-winning score by Hans Zimmer and soundtrack by Elton John and Tim Rice have made this one of Disney’s finest films and one of the greatest animated films of all time. The love for this film is so strong that when the (terrible) remake released in 2019 it earned more than a billion dollars. Ironically, for the past few years, the studio has been producing original stories, but without any of the influences and intellect that helped make The Lion King great: a return to a classical form of storytelling is long overdue if Disney wants to ever come close to making something as great as this film.

Want to learn more about The Lion King and Disney animation? We interviewed Tony Bancroft, a veteran animator who animated the character of “Pumbaa” on our podcast a couple weeks ago! Check it out below:

1. This has only ever happened twice since: with Up (2009) and Toy Story 3 (2010). No animated film (yet) has won Best Picture.

2. (Vogler, 302)