1.Dumbo Reflects the Current State of America
On the April 5th, 2019 episode of SNS Eigojutsu on NHK E-Tele, we featured my interview with actor Colin Farrell, who was in Japan to promote the film Dumbo .
Dumbo is the latest film from director Tim Burton, who is known for eccentric horror and fantasy films. Set in the first half of the 20th century, it is the tale of a traveling circus and an elephant that is born with oversized ears. This is a live-action remake of the feature-length animated original, released by Disney in 1941. This new film opened in theaters in Japan on March 29th, 2019.
At first glance, Dumbo is a standard Disney tale, with all of the standard Disney story beats and elements. Take the young siblings at the center of the story: they see Dumbo’s ears not as a deformity, but as assets that make him unique. For kids, this film espouses the importance of accepting those that are different rather than “othering" them. As for the adults—such as Holt, the elephant caretaker played by Colin Farrell, and the circus leader played by Danny DeVito—many are depicted, unsurprisingly, as having forgotten what it’s like to enjoy life. The central siblings grow into their own individuality as they interact with Dumbo, while the adults slowly remember what it felt like to be a kid.
Examine the film more closely, however, and its various elements can be seen as a microcosm of America today. For example, Holt is introduced as a wounded soldier coming home from World War I, and struggles to reconnect with his kids and find his place back in society. I was reminded of the uphill battle U.S. veterans continue to face and the place of war in the American psyche. And the Medici Brothers’ Circus as a whole is depicted as a motley crew of immigrants from around the world, each diligently applying themselves to their performance and taking pride in their place in society. In other words, it is the story of immigrant America.
Then there’s the larger-than-life showman Vandevere, played by the fantastic (Burton regular) Michael Keaton. Who wouldn’t be reminded of U.S. President Donald Trump, not the least by Vandevere’s cartoonish hairstyle? The flamboyant entrepreneur, driven by ambition and greed, ultimately tries to break up the family that is the Medici Brothers’ Circus. While he is second to none when it comes to putting on a great show, he leaves a trail of destruction in his wake. I was reminded of President Trump’s elephant-sized personality and ego. If only his caliber and capacity for tolerance could be commensurate with those other traits, the future of America would seem much brighter. The same can be said of Vandevere.
2.Tim Burton’s Profile
Tim Burton (1958-) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He studied animation in college and joined Disney as an animator after graduation; however, he struck out on his own in less than a year. He made his feature length directorial debut with Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, and made his breakthrough when he followed it up with Beetlejuice. He is known for producing singular horror and fantasy films in a dark, gothic visual style— namely, his collaborations with actor Johnny Depp, especially Edward Scissorhands.
3.Selected Tim Burton Filmography
Beetlejuice (1989)
A couple dies in a car accident and come back as ghosts. When new, living residents start “haunting" their home, the pair turn to crude and dirty old “bio-exorcist" Beetlejuice to chase them away. This film is packed with the elements that made Burton such a successful filmmaker.
Batman (1989)
With the success of Beetlejuice, Burton was given the green light to make Batman, which would become one of the films to define the modern superhero genre. He cast Michael Keaton—then mostly known as a comedic actor—as Batman and the great Jack Nicholson as his archenemy, the Joker. The film was a massive commercial success, and won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction.
Edward Scissorhands (1990)
An animated human with scissors for hands struggles to fit into human society. Along the way, he falls in love with the daughter of a family that accepts him into their home. Burton chose Johnny Depp—who at the time was a teen idol—for the film, and a successful partnership ensued.
Big Fish (2003)
A son loses patience with his father, who loves telling tall tales to those around him. After years of keeping his distance, the son receives word that his father is sick, and becomes determined to learn about the truth of his father’s past. This film is about father-son reconciliation. And Burton made this film right after he had lost his own father.
Alice in Wonderland (2010)
This film is the film adaptation of a story inspired by British writer Lewis Caroll’s children’s novels Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865) and Through the Looking-Glass (1871). Johnny Depp plays the Mad Hatter, who assists and titular Alice. This film won an Academy Award for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. Burton served as executive producer for a sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass, which was released in 2016.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2015)
This musical fantasy film is the second film adaptation of the British author Roald Dahl’s classic children’s novel. The reclusive chocolatier Willy Wonka hides five golden tickets in his chocolate bars and invites the children who find them to come to his factory for a tour. Johnny Depp portrays Wonka as a child-like eccentric, and won acclaim for his performance. (The visual look of the character, with bob and sunglasses, was inspired by Vogue editor Anna Wintour.)
Dumbo (2019)
Set in post World War I America, this film is about a circus owner who stakes the future of his struggling business on a soon-to-be-born elephant. However, the elephant is born with oversized ears and is soon nicknamed “Dumbo" by audiences.
4.Protestantism Gave Birth to “Greedy Capitalism"
As Max Weber puts forth in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism, deeply rooted in the American psyche is the idea that the accumulation of wealth is a righteous endeavor. This belief would play an integral role in setting the stage for the election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. Protestantism created capitalism, cultivated it, and reshaped it into a monster: what the Japanese have termed “greedy capitalism."
5.Pragmatism Gave Birth to Global ICT Companies
The other central pillar of modern American philosophy is pragmatism. At its most simple, pragmatism refers to the idea that things that serve a purpose are considered righteous. Instead of evaluating ethics or morality, it seeks to evaluate efficiency, and whatever is efficient is seen as what is right. This approach led to the development of the ICT industry and global companies as we known them—with the added effect of increased economic disparity. Below I feature a new book, recently published in Japan, that covers this topic.
AmericaSociologists Hashizume Daisaburo and Masachi Osawa discuss what America is and what it is about. The book is split into three parts: America’s origins, what “American" means, and what America means for Japan.
6.Fables and Allegorical Meaning
Modern society is increasingly defined by money markets, the hustle, and our smartphones. Meanwhile, Disney has been releasing film after film based on classic fables. In an age of disenchantment regarding religion and God, these fables and their allegorical meanings are quickly becoming the only ethical guidelines that we have to turn to. These are the thoughts that crossed my mind as I watched the commercial below, which commemorates Tokyo Disneyland’s 35th anniversary. It’s worth a watch, even if you don’t live in Japan.
“Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world."
—Walt Disney
