Frozen: A first for Disney at the Oscars
On Sunday, Frozen became the first Disney film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Not only this, but “Let it Go”, the sensationally popular anthem from the film, has won Best Song. Although it was well-deserved, it was also overdue. This is the first time the Walt Disney Company has won in the category, although the award (created in 2002) has been dominated by Pixar, a subsidiary of Disney and creator of the wildly successful Toy Story trilogy, not to mention the countless string of box office hits it has also produced.
The studio has earned nominations for Lilo and Stitch, The Princess and the Frog and Wreck-It-Ralph, but has never actually made it to the podium until now. Despite the fact it has taken so long, Disney is a company that has constantly pioneered and innovated in the field of animation, pushing the boundaries and setting the standards. In fact, this is the company that practically created animated films, and has become an industry standard in the area.
In 1937, Disney released Snow White, which had been popularly referred to as “Disney’s Folly” by everyone else in the animation industry prior to its release. It was a critical success, receiving a standing ovation upon completion. As the first fully animated feature film, it revolutionised Hollywood, inspiring imitation from other studios and even garnering an honorary Academy Award. Even today, it remains a firm favourite in the Disney canon, and with good reason – the exquisite animation and charming, if somewhat simple story, are designed to appeal to everyone, not just children. As the film that started it all, Snow White would go on to define the company and remains incredibly watchful, unlike many live-action films released in the same period.
Over 20 years later, Disney released Sleeping Beauty. This particular picture is characterised by angular and stylised design, something which sets it apart from other films and gives audiences the impression that they are watching a beautiful living illustration. The use of widescreen further enhances this, and combined with a score based on the Tchaikovsky ballet of the same name, creates a movie that is a visual and aural feast. Despite these significant innovations, the film received mixed reviews from critics, and actually marked a loss for Disney. However, the film has become one of the standards of animated film, frequently praised for the detailed animation and lush score. In fact, it is everything that the critics derided that has helped it become one of Disney’s greatest moments.
Disney has managed to regain its previous standards, both artistically and otherwise
The House of Mouse would continue to produce animated films, although by the 1980s, the studio had entered a period of stagnation, and many of the films, whilst beautifully made, do not represent any major changes in animation. Then, in 1989, The Little Mermaid was released to theaters, and became the first film in what is referred to as the Disney Renaissance. The last traditionally animated film made by Disney, it shows the dizzying feats of animation and artistry that the company can achieve. With literally millions of bubbles and water that sparkles in the sunlight, the movie is an artistic masterpiece, not to mention the Broadway-worthy score, with songs such as “Under the Sea” and “Part of your World” being instantly recognisable to audiences everywhere.
Any rundown of Disney’s greatest moments would be instantly null and void without mention of the Lion King. Often lauded as the House of Mouse’s greatest achievement, it’s not hard to see why. From an absolutely brilliant score, to a beautifully animated film, this is an artistic tour de force. Yet it is the story that draws people in, Mufasa’s death being consistently referred to as one of the most emotional moments in any film produced by Disney. Considered the peak of the Renaissance, this is the highest-grossing film produced by the company ever, and is so ridiculously popular that it was the first movie to be re-released theatrically in 3-D. As a generation-defining movie, this movie has come to represent everything good about Disney, and is a yardstick for everything released after.
Coming back to the present, the question remains. With such an illustrious history, why is it only now that Disney is being recognised in the category that it arguably helped to create? The main factor is the time of the award’s creation. The first award was given out in 2002, during the middle of a slump in quality, and well out of the Renaissance. Although Pixar is a Disney company, it operates independently, and all the films produced by the company can be considered the artistic output of a separate company. However, Disney has managed to regain its previous standards, both artistically and otherwise. As Frozen, and many of the films that preceded it show, Disney is a company that is capable of producing films that inspire and amaze. It may not always be successful, but as Sunday has shown us, when the company gets it right, it’s an incredible experience.
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