Serious topics in animated films.

I've been exploring how serious topics/issues are represented in animation for a project, and I've been researching An American Tail, Wall-E and Grave of the Fireflies. The jist of what I'm thinking about is how the genre, characters, songs, humour etc. present the serious side of "kids" films in a way that is acceptable (or not acceptable as the case may be) for young viewers, and how the issues affect more mature viewers who obviously have more background knowledge on the context of the stories.
Any opinions or interest in what makes these films suitable for kids/adults/both would be greatly appreciated the topics I'm thinking about are anti-Semitism, immigration, recycling/waste, decline of human race, war, bombings, child homelessness... Basically everything that are the skeletons for the films above or kids' animated films in general! Thanks.

Waltz With Bashir would be a good one to watch. I think animation is underrated as a serious form of conveying something powerful, but Disney kinda screwed everyone there by reinforcing that stereotype. Many Japanese animations balance the lines between playful and thought-provoking, and while it's obvious that perhaps Waltz With Bashir isn't child-appropriate, I think it's important to introduce children to these issues via a medium they can understand and the older they get the more they can get out of the same films.

I totally agree, and I'll make a note of that film! And as much as I still love Disney, it's the "scarier" cartoons that made a massive impact on me as a kid. Watership Down is a prime example. And with An American Tail I definitely got more out of it now that I have some historical knowhow, than I did about 10 years ago. Thanks for giving your comment

One of my favorites is Pixar's Up. Just the mantage sequence in the begining is amazing, never mind the themes of the over all film. I think the idea of life happening while you're busy making plans is presented in that film better than most mature films could potray.

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Alice in Wonderland. It's a playful exploration of what reason is, and why it is important.

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One that comes to mind is "The Secret of Nimh." It's rather dark for a children's movie, but I think it's one of the more poignant ones.

Here's a student essay that explores the film from both a sociological and philosophical stand-point.

http://www.vanden-eykel.com/nimharch.../joshwhite.htm

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Pixar's Wall-E seems to touch on almost half of your themes. Pinocchio is one of the deepest films I've ever seen discussing what it takes to become a "real boy" (or man) and has a powerful overlying theme of spiritual rebirth.

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Chomet's The Illusionist is another great animation film for kids. Its wimsical and explores themes such as love and longing. Though it is a slightly challenging film and i wouldnt recommend it to kids with short attention spans.

With regard to Wall-E, one of the main reasons I have chosen that film is because it has so much depth of meaning but still manages to be funny, cute and heartwarming to both kids and adults. Whereas Fireflies by Ghibli leaves me feeling crushed but with a sense of appreciation. It's interesting how deep cartoons really are!

Seconded. Infertility, regret, aging, and the inherent vulnerability of love are major themes in Up, and are not only addressed, but addressed quite frankly at times.

I'll also second The Secret of NIMH. Though not perfect, that's one of the first children's films I remember inspiring a more mature kind of wonder in me. It's a kid's film that refuses to talk down to its audience, but asks more of them, which I think all great children's films do. I'll always love it for that.

@filmgirlinterrupted I'll make sure to have a read of that, it'll probably bring light to some other areas I hadn't thought of discussing. And yes, Nimh was a favourite of mine too, my favourite films as a kid were usually the most unsettling and poignant. Thanks!

This starts off like a typical imitation thirties Disney type cartoon, but quickly becomes something very different.

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Yeah, at the very beginning of Up I was touched and got pretty emotional... It's probably for the best that the film thereafter was heartwarming and generally cheerful! And I definitely agree that a children's film which makes both children and adults think or get emotional are the greatest feats in animation. I'm always amazed at how emotions can be so potent from a face that is composed of a bunch of lines or pixels.

Wow, I thought those buildings at the beginning were odd- helmets :/ Well that's definitely soemthing that makes you think. There's no way kids would be shown anything like it today! Not on regular TV.

"Aladdin" is another good one.

Here you have a story about a young male who must learn to become self-sufficient in an unsure and dangerous world. Aladdin must be industrious and resourceful if he is to survive. During the scene in the marketplace, when he is singing the film's first song "One Jump Ahead," he exclaims, "I only steal what I can't afford, and that's everything." Although Aladdin roams the streets freely and doesn't have to answer to anyone, his life is a constant struggle; he is trapped by his own socio-economic status.

On the other hand, you also have the story of Jasmine, the rebellious princess who refuses to take on the traditional female role that is dictated to her. She has wealth, power, and beauty - and yet, she is dissatisfied with her life and wishes to live by her own rules.

Aladdin and Jasmine oppose each other. Their characters and their relationship forces us to think about which life we'd rather have:

- Living in poverty, unsure of survival, but completely free,

OR

- Living comfortably, knowing that you are taken care of, but having to live but another person's rules.

The Genie offers Aladdin a glimpse into the good life, as he transforms Aladdin into 'Prince Ali.' The Genie represents our wishes; and our wishes can either be realized, or they can remain repressed within our own minds. Ultimately, we have to choose whether or not we are willing to do something in order to see our wishes fulfilled.

@filmgirl
Yes, those are all great points! In fact most Disney films still have pretty potent messages when you think beyond the songs (or listen closer to the lyrics) and the inevitable union of lovers :P
We have to take into consideration that most of these are based from old fairy tales, plays or other written pieces, all of which usually portray strong morals, messages and issues. We could probably rattle off endless lists of animated pieces which have deep meaning, but the kind of description of characters' roles you've given here are definitely things I should consider talking about when talking about the films I've chosen to study.

Found this article you might be interested in, RhiannonJP:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/gal...s-you-268391#1

Anastasia, based on a true story and at some points...it is very adult. It brings up such serious topics like being an orphan etc.

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Two that come to mind are Dumbo and The Lion King.

Dumbo showing that difference isn't always a bad thing and something that can be seen as a disability can in some ways actually help the person.
Along the lines of the 'prejudice and racism card' maybe?
It delves into parent and child seperation too. One of the earliest memories I have of film is watching Dumbo and his Mum cuddling through the jail bars. Think I was about two or three years old.
Quite an emotional film for a toon really.
Then there's the alcoholism through depression that's seen briefly with the Pink Elephant scene.


The Lion King is based on Shakespeare's Hamlet, so there's many levels of hard hitting topics, especially for the basis of a kids cartoon.
Love, loss, treachery between family members, lust for power, doing right against all odds... all that.

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