Saturday, May 14, 2016

Frozen: Unromantic Love and Ineffective Defiance

Disney’s 2013 Frozen directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee is the prime example of a fairy tale film that advocates a love beyond a romantic love. Frozen is a story about two sisters, one of whom, Elsa, is cursed with magical ice powers which she struggles to hide from the rest of the world in fear of being feared and destroyed. As Michelle Law points out in her “Sisters Doin’ It For Themselves: Frozen and the Evolution of the Disney Heroine” Frozen completely breaks the love story traditions. She writes, “By showing that romantic love is not the only or the most valid kind of love, Frozen encourages audiences to appreciate and search for instances of true love that already exist in their own lives.” (Law 20). Law also writes that the women protagonists, Princess Anna and Queen Elsa, are both strong characters, “They are also, by the film’s denouement, both active, strong and fearless – characteristics typical of male heroes or princes.” (Law 22). This claim, however, I disagree with on Elsa’s part.

The main love story presented in Frozen is not romantic, but sisterly and self-love. It is Elsa’s acceptance of her identity as the snow queen that helps her learn to control her powers, Law writes, though other factors may also include Anna’s love or Elsa’s new courage. Throughout the film Anna’s perception of love is depicted as naïve. In her song before Elsa’s coronation, she gets overly excited about a chance to meet a husband, “I can’t wait to meet everyone! (gasp) What if I meet the one?” (Buck 2013). Upon Princess Anna’s meeting with Prince Hans an immediate love story is initiated, but it is goofy and immature. Elsa says only minutes after meeting Hans, “You’re gorgeous. Wait, what?” and then she sighs dreamily. Anna’s and Hans’ song Love Is An Open Door suggests that Anna is merely looking for an escape from her loneliness. Afterwards, they giggle and stumble over each other’s words when announcing their engagement before Queen Elsa, who then refuses to bless their marriage. Anna’s and Elsa’ following conversation strengthens the silliness of Anna’s quick engagement, as well as the struggle between Anna’s and Elsa’s love:

Elsa: “Fine. You can’t marry a man you just met.”
Anna: “You can if it’s true love.”
Elsa: “Ann what do you know about true love?”
Anna: “Well more than you. All you know is how to shut people out.”

Later, Anna’s new friend Kristoff ridicules her for her quick engagement:

Anna: “I got engaged but then she freaked out because I’d only just met him, you know, that day, and she said she wouldn’t bless the marriage and…”
Kristoff: “Wait, you got engaged to someone you just met that day?”
Anna: “Yeah, anyway, I got mad, and so she got mad, and then she tried to walk away and I grabbed her glove…”
Kristoff: “Hang on you mean to tell me you got engaged to someone you just met that day?”
Anna: Yes pay attention. But the thing is she wore the gloves all the time, so I just thought, maybe she has a thing about dirt.”
Kristoff: ““Didn’t your parents ever warn you about strangers?”

Kristoff then proceeds to test how well Anna knows Hans by asking her questions about him, which she fails to answer accurately.

More importantly, it is an act of sisterly love, not romantic love, which saves the day. In the story Elsa accidentally freezes Anna’s heart, and “only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart.” (Buck 2013). Naturally, the characters believe that it is a true love’s kiss between Anna and her fiancé Prince Hans, but the viewers suspect that Disney only means to use this naïve relationship to strengthen the plot. After Hans betrays Anna and reveals himself as a villain, it is typical that the characters will turn to Kristoff, for he actually develops a believable relationship with Anna. Disney intentionally shocks the viewers, however, when it is not a true love’s kiss at all that saves Anna: the act of true love that thaws Anna’s frozen heart is Anna’s rescue of Elsa. As Law describes, Anna sacrifices herself by placing herself between Elsa and Hans’ sword. Law also points out that Anna she chooses Elsa over a man. In the end, the primary male character only serves the purpose of an entertaining companion. He is Anna’s assistant, not the hero. Although there is romance between Elsa and Kristoff, there is no wedding in the story, further emphasizing that there are other kinds of love. In another scene a group of trolls sing a song in which they mention love between father, brother, and sister.

Frozen further follows the fairy tale revolution by showing that love is not perfect. Elsa and Anna, rather than being adored as perfect and virtuous, unintentionally hurt each other by their mistakes. Elsa avoids Anna for years, even on the day of their parents’ funeral, in a misperceived means of protecting her. Anna refuses to listen to Elsa at the coronation ceremony when Elsa asks to speak with her, possibly about her uncontrollable powers. Law writes about their human characters:

“Certainly, the most striking and refreshing thing about Elsa and Anna is that they are three-dimensional, complex women who grow and mature as the film progresses. They are princesses, but they are also human, and therefor possess real and relatable flaws.” (Law 21).

Disney further emphasizes the trials of love in the song Fixer Upper by the trolls, or, as Anna and Kristoff put it, the “love experts.” (Buck 2013). This song is all about dealing with each other’s issues and bringing out each other’s best qualities. For example, one line they sing is, “People make bad choices if they're mad or scared or stressed. But throw a little love their way, and you'll bring out their best.” (Buck 2013).

One peculiar aspect about the general perspective on Frozen is that many, including Michelle Law, believe Elsa to be a defiant character. This is strongly indicated in many advertisement pictures. Pay attention to the raised eyebrows, the devilish smiles, expressions of confidence, and the positions demonstrating power:


http://www.bustle.com/articles/28253-model-sports-frozen-inspired-tattoo-on-the-runway-maybe-its-finally-time-to-let-it-go






Disney itself attempts to emphasize a rebellious character in Elsa in her song Let It Go:

Let It Go

The snow glows white on the mountain tonight
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation,
And it looks like I'm the queen.

The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried!

Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know
Well, now they know!

Let it go, let it go
Can't hold it back anymore
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door!

I don't care
What they're going to say
Let the storm rage on,

The cold never bothered me anyway!

It's funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me
Can't get to me at all!

It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me I'm free!

Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You'll never see me cry!

Here I stand
And here I'll stay
Let the storm rage on!

My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I'm never going back,
The past is in the past!


Let it go, let it go
And I'll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone!

Here I stand
In the light of day
Let the storm rage on,
The cold never bothered me anyway!

Lines describing defiance are high-lighted, but they do not necessarily apply to Elsa. For example, “I don’t care what they’re going to say.” (Buck 2013). She can’t really be bothered by others’ judgment because, as expressed in the first verse, she is completely isolated from other people. Also, “No right no wrong, no rules for me, I’m free,” (Buck 2013) is true in that she does not have to follow any rules any more, but she is not really free; her fear still controls her, as she states herself in a later song, “Oh, I’m such a fool, I can’t be free!” (Buck 2013). As for “You’ll never see me cry!” (Buck 2013) she does burst into tears upon believing Anna to be dead, and it is this release of emotion that helps her regain control of her powers. In this way, her tears are shown as a good thing, not weakness, although she seems to see it as a weakness when she sings, “Let It Go.” “Let the storm rage on” (Buck 2013) is also a good example because the literal storm she creates is caused by her uncontrollable fear, which is not really a true power in a positive way.

In fact, throughout the movie Elsa never acts in defiance, but only out of fear and self-defense. It is fear that drives her power out of control. The first time the film shows Elsa losing control is at the frightening incident when she accidentally injures young Anna. After that, Papa Troll tells Elsa that her powers are beautiful, but “Fear will be your enemy.” (Buck 2013). From this point on Elsa struggles to contain her fear, which is the reason why she cannot control her powers.





She practices holding the scepter without her special gloves, but her hands still tremble when she repeats the action at her coronation. When she accidentally does reveal her powers to the rest of the world, she fumbles for the doorknob and flees for her life. During her flight, the viewer sees her backing away from people. One woman recognizes her fear and asks her if she is alright. When the soldiers open the doors, she does not fight them, but begs them to leave, “Please, just stay away from me. Stay away!” (Buck 2013).  Before setting off to find her, Anna says, “It was an accident. She was scared. She didn’t mean it. She didn’t mean any of this.” (Buck 2013). Elsa also tells Hans, “Elsa’s not dangerous” (Buck 2013) demonstrating that Elsa does not wish to fight anyone. Her refusal to return to Arendelle is not solely rebellion to her rather abusive life, but mainly in fear of accidentally hurting people. When Anna arrives at Elsa’s ice palace to ask her to come home, Elsa backs away and begs Anna to go back to Arendelle. Multiple times she expresses that, although she loves her freedom to be who she is, she is even more afraid of hurting someone, especially Anna:

“No no no, it’s okay. You… You don’t have to apologize. You should probably go. Please.”

“No, Anna, I belong here. Alone. Where I can be who I am, without hurting anybody.”

“You mean well, but leave me be. Yes I’m alone but I’m all alone and free. Just stay away, and you’ll be safe from me.”

“Oh, I’m such a fool. I can’t be free… There’s so much fear! You’re not safe here!”

When the soldiers first arrive at Elsa’s ice palace, she responds by closing the doors and hiding inside while her magical snowman fights. Then the soldiers make it inside the palace, and she gasps, picks up her skirt, and flees up the stairs. The soldiers still reach her, and she said, “No, please.” (Buck 2013). Finally, she uses her powers, but it is purely out of self-defense.


Elsa then escapes a prison, she runs for her life again, sheltered by a storm that she unintentionally creates by her fear. She never does fight Hans; in fact, in the climax of the story she lay before Hans, who raises his sword to slay the unresisting queen. In the end it is not really an act of bravery on Elsa’s part that teaches her to regain control of her power; it is Anna who defeats Hans, saves Elsa, and teaches her to accept herself or who she is and thereby learn to control her powers.  

Michelle Law is right when she writes that Frozen effectively demonstrates a love story that is mature and unromantic, which deviates from the traditional low of fairy tales. However, I strongly disagree on the point of Elsa demonstrating the type of strength (strength is a broad term) most people recognize her for. Although popular images depict her with almost an evil look and her song contains lines of rebellion, she disapproves any defiant character by constantly fleeing and hiding. The plot consists of her learning to control her fear, so the only act of courage she ever shows is by learning to control her fear and her powers through her sister’s love and support. She defends herself, but never really fights anyone. In the end, it is Anna who is the true heroine of the story.

References:

Frozen. Dir. Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. Perf. Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana. Walt Disney Pictures, 2013. DVD.


Law, Michelle. "Sisters Doin' It For Themselves: Frozen and the Evolution of the Disney Heroine." Screen Education Jan. 2014: 16-25. Print.

No comments:

Post a Comment