Dumbo

Ben Sharpsteen, USA 1941, 64 minutes

Filmsoc's mascot takes flight again in Disney's much maligned but ultimately enjoyable satire on American society. Initially shunned because of his large ears, little Dumbo is jeered and laughed at at his home of the big top. But the realisation that he can use his handicap in other ways allows him to get the last laugh. Whilst following the experiences of an elephant's rocky road to fame and fortune it features possibly the first ever (and certainly the best) hallucinogenic experience in a Disney cartoon and maybe even one of the first explicit flying scenes in the history of cinema.

Dumbo can essentially be seen as a small child learning his way through a strange and at times cruel world. Like in our own childhood, he does not know who to trust and the outwardly friendly faces of the clowns hide malicious personalities who thoughtlessly humiliate the poor little elephant but want to take all the credit when his remarkable gift is revealed.

Dumbo is also seen overcoming his fears (of heights, of strangers) and his circumstances (runt of the litter, an outcast almost from birth). In a way, the film was mirrored in that other enjoyable movie about an animal who triumphs over adversity, Babe. In that film, it was a pig trying to break the prejudices of sheep, dogs and humans. In Dumbo, it is an elephant proving that blackbirds ain't the only ones that can soar through the air.

Of course, looking at it from a physical perspective, Dumbo doesn't has as much chance as a bumble-bee of making it off the ground. His ears really aren't big enough to support his bulk (as any grown-up will tell you). However it is not his muscles that power him through the air but his belief in himself which leads him ultimately to break free of his earth-bound chains and glide through the air and, as any child could tell you, anything is possible if you believe in it.

Returning to the animal characterisations which made his earliest films so watchable (and at which Disney continues to be the world leader) the film does not neglect the pathos amongst the humour and laughs - in part provided by a troupe of singing crows, some rather nasty clowns, and of course Dumbo's sidekick: Timothy the mouse. The caricatures are almost all spot on with gossipy lady elephants and the many denizens of the circus.

This film was hampered by the fact that a lot of Disney's animators went on strike during production and this is evident in the slightly grainy backgrounds and simpler cel composition. Recently it has also been accused of being racially bigoted and disrespectful of people with handicaps (patently silly as we see Dumbo overcome his handicap). However the Disney magic still shines through to give a delightful, unique, film about flying elephants.

"One of the best of Disney animated features" - Time Out

Review by Neil Chue Hong
Taken from EUFS Programme 1996-97