Review: The Wisdom of Walt Disney: The Themes, Ethics, and Ideas of His Greatest Films by David Breitenbeck

Wisdom comes in many forms....

The Disney Corporation’s spiral into bland, banal storytelling while pushing tired talking points on viewers is a sad sight indeed. What is there to like about Walt Disney, now that the House of Mouse has become the House of Mildewed Cheese? Plenty, if one knows where to look, as this collection of essays demonstrates.

In this short book, one will reconnect with the foundational films produced by Walt Disney himself. From Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Sleeping Beauty, there is no way a reader will walk away from this book and see the movies described herein the same way again!

The story

A collection of essays written on a variety of early Disney movies, The Wisdom of Walt Disney explores not only the animated features that made the man and his company famous, but the live action films as well. From the breakout hit that was – and remains – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Song of the South, Old Yeller, and Bambi, each chapter offers penetrating insights into the stories that provided a nation suffering from the Great Depression and the specter of modern war with diversion and hope. This is particularly interesting since most of the live action films Disney created in his lifetime are ignored in favor of the animated ones.

In this collection a reader is brought through the films 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as well as the aforementioned Old Yeller and Song of the South. The original Treasure Island and Swiss Family Robinson Disney films are discussed in detail as well, providing overviews of the language film has to use in place of the written word. A movie has to accomplish through visual presentation in a short amount of time what a novel can achieve in a longer time frame and with more depth. Disney couldn’t just slap together costumes and sets to go with a script that, necessarily, had to cut scenes and dialogue from the books he chose to adapt. He had to create scenes and costumes to emphasize the themes and ideas that were in the books, which he then had to transmit for a film-going audience.

None of this is to say that the animated films do not receive the same type of care. They manifestly did. Ever wonder how a children’s film like Bambi could be so dark and leave such an impression of foreboding in viewers? What about the symbolism inherent in Sleeping Beauty? The core conflict between Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver in Treasure Island? The strange yet mesmerizing madness of Captain Nemo in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea? What about the further messages embedded in Cinderella? Is there a theme and a message to the myriad animated tales in Fantasia, or is it a chaotic series of musical videos strung together for no reason?

Mr. Breitenbeck takes a reader on a swift, pleasant journey through these films and more to look at the mind of the man who created them. In the process, readers will find themselves experiencing – or re-experiencing, as the case may be – the quiet serenity and the simple joy of a good story well told.

The characters

The characters are all Disney’s, but they are not dissected within the essays. Rather, the author points out what made the characters in these films engaging on an instinctive level for the audience, allowing a reader and fan of Disney to appreciate them more. One will never look at Princess Aurora or the other cast members in Sleeping Beauty quite the same way. Even the largely silent characters in Fantasia are given a voice through these dissertations, making them more memorable and better understood than they might have been on a first or a millionth viewing of that beloved film.

The world

Each world Disney created or brought to life is given time and attention. Again, these settings are not vivisected for the author’s amusement. A reader is simultaneously transported to and shown the vibrant symbols that make the worlds of the movies turn. It is an enjoyable look at an era that, while it may be past, still has some gentle admonishments to provide for the present.

The politics

There are no politics in this book. Only the timeless stories remain, to be enjoyed for themselves and reflected upon in peace.

Content warning

There is absolutely nothing objectionable in this book.

Who is it for?

Fans of Walt Disney and of the stories he transliterated for film will love this book. Anyone who has read the classics that he brought to the screen will find a new appreciation for them as well as for Mr. Disney’s work. Those who wish to learn more about the craft of storytelling and fiction in general would be remiss in their education if they passed it by, while those who seek to learn the art of critique will be served well by reading it. Anyone interested in the history of film, or the history of American culture and the United States, will find this book enjoyable.

Why read it?

It is a serene, reflective, calming read. In this climate, that is recommendation enough!