Frozen Review

Frozen seems to be another smash hit for Disney enterprises, and the selling point, Olaf, certainly convinced me to not only watch the movie but get a plush toy of him as well. Although it is a new and upcoming film, the issue of race that is found deeper in the characters and plot is very prevalent. I did enjoy this movie, but these issues were hard to look past. I also had some likes about this movie that I am happy to share as well.

First off, there are no people of color in the film. I am not one to outright notice race to begin with, but I have a clear awareness of the fact with Frozen. The two sisters are very much caucasian, especially Elsa. Her hair is white, her face is extremely pale and even the castle that she lives in is clear; therefore, casts the color of the white snow beneath. Ana, Sven, the townspeople, and the foreign royalty that visit the small kingdom are white. There is certainly something to say about the time period and the relationship between whites and other races, but the least Disney could have done was added people of different color. There must have been foreign royalty that was in fact of another race, and perhaps more so than any caucasian royalty of the time. The fact that Arendelle starts and ends as a prosperous city evokes the idea that caucasian people are only capable of producing that type of society. There is also the problem of every voice actor, but one being white. The only person of color is Maia Wilson who voices the troll of Bulda. Even the other trolls are voiced by caucasians who seemingly are the popular trend of this film. I believe that this race inequality brings about many issues with the young and old people who watch the famous film.

One of the likenesses I had towards the film was the feminine power that was portrayed. The most obvious representation of this idea is in the fact that Elsa is the Queen of Arendelle and Ana is next in line to take the crown. By the end, the kingdom is flourishing and all the towns people are thriving under their rule. This shows that women can be of power and can a country can be run successfully even if not patriarchal. The relationship between Ana and Elsa is also an important factor in the female power trend. Throughout the entire movie the viewer suspects that Sven will be the one to kiss Ana and end the eternal winter (since the only way to break the curse on Arendelle is by true love). The only reason that a viewer would have this mind set is because of the precedent set by many Disney princesses before Frozen. At the end of movies such as The Little Mermaid and most famous Sleeping Beauty, the main female protagonist kisses the Prince in order to break a spell. Love does not have to come from the kiss of a true love (even from a prince), as brought about by Frozen. The love and bondage between sisters is shown to be just as powerful, if not more powerful than true love's kiss. Two females breaking a spell and saving the day has been an unlikely occurrence in many Disney animations.

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