Dumbo (1941)

A Brilliant Conflict

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

The Disney Studio reached its peak with PINOCCHIO and FANTASIA. Both of these films are generally considered to be the pinnacle of animation and for good reason. The artists went all out with visual lushness, elaborate use of the multiplane camera, and extensive special effects. Yet, the timing of the production and release of those films could not have been worse. WWII and economic setbacks caused both films to lose money at the box office. This led Walt to produce a film on a modest budget to recoup the costs.When comparing DUMBO to the films that preceded it, one can see that the lushness is not there. However, lushness doesn't equate to an excellent film. And without a big budget, DUMBO is a showcase of what a Disney film was all about; solid storytelling with solid character animation. Although very few other animation studios at that time had the budgets to produce a film like PINOCCHIO, they're films almost never elicited an emotional response from audiences like a Disney film did. And with a modest budget, DUMBO has stood the test of time as a prime example of that.There has been some controversy in recent decades regarding the crows that befriend Dumbo. I don't question why modern viewers may object to the stereotyped depiction, but it's never made sense to me why DUMBO has been readily available for decades on home video when SONG OF THE SOUTH has not. Both films have characters rooted in derogatory stereotypes (i.e. the head crow's name is Jim Crow, but his name isn't uttered in the film). I haven't seen a consistency with the stance on political correctness.Although not having the lushness of PINOCCHIO, DUMBO is often cited as one of Disney's greatest films.

USA 1941 English (Colour); Animation (Walt Disney); 64 minutes (U certificate)Crew includes: Ben Sharpsteen (Director); Joe Grant, Dick Huemer (Screenwriters); Walt Disney (Producer)Voices include: Edward Brophy, Verna Felton, Cliff Edwards (all uncredited)Academy Award: Scoring of a MusicalEncouraged by an enterprising mouse (Brophy), an isolated baby elephant with massive ears overcomes his "freakishness" to become a circus sensation.Slightest of all Disney classics (conceived as a short), with a cute, dialogue-free title character, and, remarkably, a trippy, alcohol-induced Pink Elephants on Parade sequence; ends quite suddenly once Dumbo realises he can fly.

What strikes me about this film is its length and simplicity. It's only over an hour long, and the main character is silent. It's a simple story about an outcast trying to get along in an unjust world with the help of an unlikely friend. It's simple, to the point and the underlying message touched me more than it ever did as a child.Disney's fourth animated classic tells us the story of Jumbo Jr., or Dumbo. Dumbo, the large eared, big hearted child of Mrs Jumbo, is ridiculed by the rest of the elephants at the zoo. He's very close to his mother, and is devastated and left alone when she is locked away after defending her son from a nasty little boy. Rejected from his kind, and the laughing stock of the circus, Dumbo is befriended by Timoty Q Mouse, who sees nothing wrong with the youngster's apparent disfigurement. With Timothy's help, the silent elephant learns that it matters not what one looks like, but what you're made of, and that you can learn to use your weakness as your vehicle to achieve greatness.Dumbo himself is just adorable. I love silent characters like this, who convey emotion through action, expression and noises. He says so much by saying so little. I loved him.The message of hope in the face of adversity is profound and done beautifully here. It isn't hammered in. It teaches us not to judge on looks alone, but to look beyond it. An age old lesson, but done here so well that it feels fresh and new. As someone with disabilities, this film touched my heart; Timothy is truly what a great friend should be. If there was more people like him, we'd have far less problems in the world. The relationship between Dumbo and his mother is just lovely, and the song "Baby Mine" made me see how much I love my own mother. I feel for little Dumbo; my mother is my rock, and if I lost her I don't know what I'd do. He's a brave little guy, no doubt.It surprised me that the humans and circus workers didn't seem to hate Dumbo at all. It was all the elephants (and that one boy who took it too far). Your own kind can me much crueler than others.The animation is beautiful, especially the little details they added such as rain and flags blowing in the wind. I was pleased that the animators showed Dumbo and his mother rocking side to side after being separated; this is a tell tale sign of depression in elephants.The music is lovely. I've always liked the choir in these older Disney films. In the opening song, they mentioned my hometown, County Cork, which surprised me a great deal. The crow scene didn't bother me in the slightest, I actually found them quite funny. It's a product of the times, and they sing that awesome song. The Pink Elephant scene dragged on a bit too much for me, but the song was cool. I better mention that there's flashing lights in this sequence.The length of the movie is perfect. Any longer and it would have overstayed its welcome. What a lovely little film. A great introduction to Disney for children, and such a pleasure to revisit now as an adult.

Sorry, but I don't see anything racist here--I just see crows, who are of course black, parodying humans, who come in all colors, and they are no more representative of real people than Lucy and Desi were representative of all redheads married to Cuban bandleaders or Laurel and Hardy or the Three Stooges were representative of all white men. They are funny and happen to be black, not black and therefore funny. There's a difference. (Just for the record, that's how I judge all ethnic humor: is it humor that happens to be ethnic, or is it an insult veiled in humor? I can chuckle at Chico Marx's pseudo-Italian because there's no insult intended in most of his movies--he exaggerated and put a funny spin on what he'd seen growing up. Those "scaredy-cat black sidekick" characters, however, leave me cold because it's implied that they're scared BECAUSE they're black, which is just not true to life.)