11. Cinema and Spectators

Well talks about the relationship between the spectator and the cinema in chapter six of his book Understanding Animation. The relationship specifically talking about animation is different than film because people have different preconceived notions about animation. The animated cinema is different because people know and accept that it is fake and everything is created through drawing or some other medium that has no real life to it. Although we all understand these notions, we all take and understand the things that we see on screen as real. I think this particular part of the chapter is very interesting because unlike movie-star fanatics, animation fanatics are idolizing something that isn’t actually real; it’s an idea. To me this seemed kind of creepy at first, but both concepts are by and large the same because most likely a movie-star fanatic will never meet their idol, just as it is impossible for animation fanatics will never meet their idols.

The chapter goes on to talk about how adults actually really appreciate animation because they find it to be a different experience. Apparently many people see animation as amazing because it can be any and every one of someone’s deepest desires. Anything you can think of to draw or compose can happen on the screen; there is no limit. The chapter also addressed a debate of whether or not Fantasia could be considered art. I thought this whole section of the chapter was kind of stupid because all animation is art, no matter how crude or dumb it is. I even think Ren and Stimpy is art. Even though the show is a little off-beat and weird, that doesn’t mean the artistic value is lost.

The last part of the chapter was very enjoyable for me because it made me start to reminisce about all of the old Disney movies that I was trying to recall. I actually cannot remember the order that I saw any of the Disney movies in; I just remember bits and pieces of the films. The disney animations are very successful because they are able to reach out to a large number of people and relate to them. Many children identified with the characters in that they wanted to be a beautiful princess like Cinderella or live on the wild side like Mowgli. The animated films also reached out to the audience with the introduction of fear. Children identify with the idea of a mother figure, and if she was ever taken from them, it would be the end of the world. This is why when we become aware that Bambi’s mom was shot or Dumbo’s mom was locked away, we empathize with these characters.