The Impact of Film on Myths

In class we discussed how myths are constantly retold in a variety of mediums, also known as transmedia storytelling. Film is one of the most influential mediums through which myths are told because it has been able to successfully portray the sacred messages and values contained within myths. For instance, since the Great Depression Walt Disney productions have left a major impact on many individuals across the globe. By disguising myths as modernized fairy tales, Walt Disney films give audiences an “escape from reality and effective interpretative tools to make sense of reality” (Ladermen, 10). Thus, by placing the audience in a state of mind that is more receptive to different messages and values Walt Disney succeeds in spreading the messages and values embedded within the fairy tales. For instance, Walt Disney’s version of Cinderella implies that anyone with a good heart will end up with a happy ending and vice versa.

It was not until reading the Brothers Grimm’s version of Cinderella that I realized the stepsisters got their eyes pecked out when they tried to play up to Cinderella after she became Queen. Even though the stepsisters in Disney’s version were punished for their greed, they also did not get a morbid ending like in the Brothers Grimm’s version. So this shows that even though myths become better known after being retold in a different medium, many aspects of the myth can be changed to fit the audience’s cultural expectations. For instance, the Brothers Grimm’s version might socially conform with the time period of the late 1800s, a time when people viewed these tales as gruesome entertainment, as opposed to a 21st century mainstream audience that may not consider such violence as entertaining. Despite this, the embedded message remained fairly the same in that good people will have a better ending than those with evil intentions.

Nevertheless, myths retold through film subconsciously instill different messages and values into us. For instance, when I went to a movie theater to see the film Frozen, I was consciously viewing and taking in different aspects of the film while subconsciously processing the mythical values conveyed by the film, such as the prominence of familial love over romantic love. After watching Frozen, my friends and I had a chat as to why Disney made one of the protagonists into an antagonist. Disney could have been promoting the idea that familial love is more important than romantic love; however, Disney could have also been promoting the idea that no matter how handsome a person is, even if he is a prince, there is a chance that he might turn out evil. In other words, social status, or looks do not equate with morality.

This conversation demonstrates the power of myths in that “sacred stories…are open to multiple interpretations by the audience” (Ladermen, 13). These interpretations are framed by different life experiences, religious affiliations, etc…” Myths cannot be proved or disproved because “myth does not truck in scientific verifiable proofs” (Plate, 4). Instead, individuals like my friends and I, believe that Frozen is a good family film because it reflects virtuous values and since they are told via a powerful medium, film, we expect them to be true. Thus, film creates several layers of mythical messages that can be quickly absorbed by the audience since images speak to us faster than words.

Brothers Grimm's version of Cinderella

Disney's version of Cinderella