Bird of a Different Feather
by Andrew LeighYesterday the Guardian, a left-leaning British newspaper, ran a column accusing Pixar of the unforgivable crime of hypocrisy.
When it comes to Toy Story and WALL-E, the Guardian has a point. After all, any movie that preaches the evils of consumerism and, at the same time, expects its audience to snap up Buzz Lightyear and EVE dolls, has a serious case of split personality.
The problem is, the article lumped all Pixar films together. But there are notable exceptions: the movies of Brad Bird. He wrote and directed such classics of free expression as The Incredibles and Ratatouille. These movies celebrate individualism and, dare I say it, free markets.
I would argue, morever, that Bird’s creations are the most successful, philosophically speaking, of Pixar’s movies. The Guardian critic is right: movies like WALL-E ultimately make no logical sense. They sell merchandise (WALL-E condoms, anyone?) while decrying the very notion of merchandise.
Bird’s movies are different. They celebrate free thought. They celebrate free enterprise. They celebrate free soft pretzels.
Ultimately, however, Bird’s movies zero in on the innate human drive to improve oneself. And they don’t see it as something to be ashamed of. Instead, that’s what his characters are about.
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111 Comments
As a former Simpson's director and creative consultant, perhaps the show's conservative writer, John Swartzwelder, rubbed off a bit.
Before WALL-E, all of Pixar's movies were extremely well done. Bird's in particular transcended the genre; they are possessed of a profound sense of humanity that is stunning to see in a computer-animated film.
WALL-E wore its leftist sympathies on its sleeve, even as the producers and critics subtly furthered the notion that only conspiracy-obsessed kooks would suggest a political agenda. This is a shame, because without the heavy-handed preachiness it could have been a deeply meaningful and moving film.
Wall-E was a beautiful love story. The environmental theme was only secondary. I hate that kind of preaching as much as anyone. But I wasn’t even thinking along those lines until other people started harping on it.
It’s a pity. It’s a fantastic movie that has been unfairly criticized.
If you really want a movie to be disappointed in, it was ‘Happy Feet’. Now THAT’S an environmental screed! You’re sitting there watching a sweet kids’ movie about dancing penguins, and about 3/4 in the movie changes tone so completely that you could feel the tension in the audience as people just sat there, stunned. It was horrible.
I’m just surprised that movies with messages like those of The Incredibles and Ratatouille still get made in today’s Hollyweird. Bravo Pixar and Mr. Bird!
Wait, Toy Story was anti-consumerist? Really? I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration. As is calling The Incredibles a celebration of the free market.
MUCH LOVE!!
I agree 100% more movies need to celebrate individualism, even if that means some people are better than others.
“When everyone is ’special’ no one will be.”
“Heavy handed preachiness” in Wall-e? What movie did you see?
I found the message of Wall-e to be more about humanity rediscovering itself than about “recycling”. The visual storytelling and lack of traditional dialogue was also a brilliant move on the part of Andrew Stanton. For that alone I give it high praise.
I think it works as a counterpoint to Bird’s films–yes aspire to greatness and better yourself, but don’t worship what you create or become lazy and dependent.
The enviro-wacko subtext was certainly prominent in Wall-E, but the film works brilliantly on a non-ideological level as a great love story. I’m as critical as anyone about these things, but I’d still call it a great film.
Ratatouille’s subtext is brightly conservative. It’s about the animal considered lowest-of-the-low – the rat – and how even the lowest-of-the-low, rather than fetishizing its pathologies, can rise out of the sewer through hard work, applied intelligence and ambition, and make something productive of itself. It’s a direct repudiation of the minority victimization game played throughout the western world for the past 40 years.
The thing about WALL-E that I’ve never seen written: It was based on the Noah’s Ark story. Noah sent out a dove, who returned with an olive branch, much the way EVE retrieved WALL-E’s plant.
I wonder how many anti-religion environmentalists, who love the film’s message, even recognize that?
I won’t judge who celebrates free markets or not. I just will say that of all the recent animated features in the past decade, only two make me actually bust into tears each time i see it: “The Incredibles” and “The Iron Giant,” both from Mr. Bird.
Awesome sir. Do more.
I love Brad Bird’s movies. I really liked The Incredibles. I haven’t seen Ratatouille. People keep mentioning how good it is and I keep meaning to but never have. Now that I know it’s one of Brad’s, I’ll have to actually watch it.
As Anderbilt notes, one of Brad’s first movies was The Iron Giant. It is a wonderful movie. Funny, sweet, and sad all at the same time. I bought it for my son when he was young but kept it for myself even after he outgrew it.
Tim: I’ve never met a liberal who’s read the bible after age 12, so there’s little chance of one recognizing the connection. If you pointed out to liberals that WALL-E was a bible story, they would first deny it, then call you a lying Jesus-freak, then turn on WALL-E itself and call it fascist propaganda.
But on the topic of WALL-E as Noah’s Ark: the whole point of the biblical flood story is the ending – God’s promise to never overreact like that again. The WALL-E interpretation represents an environmentalist revival of the pre-Judaic flood myth: that the Gods will ruthlessly cleanse the earth of mankind any time their subjects become disobedient, and grant a select few the chance to start again in purity.
[...] reading a piece on Breitbart’s BIG HOLLYWOOD site and was reminded of a favorite filmmaker of mine, Brad [...]
You can’t really aim the criticism at Pixar as it’s Disney that pumps the merchandising. They’re the money grubbing bastards in this situation. While it’s true Pixar gets a cut of the profits Disney are the ones that need the monet from all the useless crap they make.
Leftists like Obama demonize consumerism, then wonder why the economy is slow. It is a flawed, oxymoronical ideology.
Although I prefer Brad Bird’s Pixar films, I rather liked “Wall-E.” I didn’t think it was nearly as overbearing as some critics made it out to be and the social criticism at its heart is directed at being complacent and lazy.
Nailed it, yes! I kinda wish you’d fleshed it out a bit more with arguments as to specifically how Brad Bird’s movies celebrate the best of America and the free market principles on which it is based…. and possibly discussed whether this theme is also present in his fabulous pre-Pixar film, “The Iron Giant.” I think it’s less apparent, but yes, I think the central idea of “You are who you choose to be” jives with his later films. Twill be interesting to see his next movie, won’t it?
I loved the Incredibles. The whole desire to strive for excellence vs the notion of ’self esteem’. if everyone is special then no one is.
I have to agree with those defending Wall-e. I noticed the environmentalist jargon in it, but there was also the deeper meaning of Humanity regaining what made it great, that never-say-die attitude. I love movies that capture that spirit in some form or another. Like Independence Day, where Humanity, in what seems its darkest hour, still fights on, even if only death awaits. Or 300, where Leonidas states, “The world will know that free men stood against a tyrant, that few stood against many, and before this battle is over, that even a god-king can bleed.” Or exemplified in the battle of the bulge in WWII, when our soldiers were asked to surrender by the nazis, and our soldiers replied “NUTS!” Its that attitude of refusing to bow down to tyranny, of being willing to fight for what we believe in until the bitter end, even if the end means only death. Thats what I saw in Wall-e, where at the end the captain, weak, fat, not hero like at all, struggled with all his might against the auto-pilot computer thingy.
And can’t believe I didn’t notice the Noah’s Ark allegory, sometimes I can be dense.
I loved WallE because the first half of the movie was completely devoid of the frenetic, ADHD enabling, idiotic chaos that is the perpetual background noise of all non-Pixar kids movies. I found the lone robot’s meandering on the post-apocalyptic landscape very soothing, and I was happy to see my kids drawn into the slow, almost silent-film-like development of a character’s interior life.
Also, Eve was totally hot. Right up there with Cylon #6 as far as robots go.
I’ve searched around, but I can’t find anything involving wall-e and condoms except for a bit of parody art from CollegeHumor. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone in a country with unenforced trademark and copyright law is using the wall-e characters without permission from pixar, but I can’t imagine Pixar approving.
Maybe they’ve cut back, but there was tons of stuff when the movie first came out. My son loves the movie and every time we’d pass the Disney store he’d see the Wall-E toys and beg me for them. I think you don’t see the stuff around anymore because they didn’t sell very well. The movie, while it appeals to adults, had more limited appeal to kids. My son was unusual in that he liked it– but he also says he wants to be an astronaut. When we took the kids my son was enthralled while my husband and daughter fell asleep. My son is the only kid I know who even wants Wall-E merchandise.
I loved all the Pixar films (except A Bug’s Life, which was a bit weak). I was pretty disappointed in Wall-e. I thought it was a bit unfocused and confused… and yes, the environmental wacky message seemed to explicit to get past. But after reading these posts about the Noah’s Ark theme, I am willing to give another try… I have great respect for Pixar and would prefer to see it in a good light if I can.
As far as Ratatouille goes… I think it is truly a brilliant story – perhaps the best that Pixar has made. I find new facets every time I watch. The thematic depth is stronger than virtually all the non-animated “Oscar contenders” that appears recently. The themes ranged from the obvious one about self-development, to the more subtle comment that distinguishes opportunity from entitlement. To my eyes, the most compelling theme (which I have not seen mentioned in these posts) is the metaphor of the Disney/Pixar conflict. I see the original chef as a Walt Disney figure who demonstrated genuine genius, only to be replaced after his death by a new CEO who panders to, but does not understand (and could not replicate) that original genius. The rat is Pixar – a new genius who is not tied to the coat-tails of traditional Hollywood insiders, and as such is not fully appreciated without disguising himself behind the Disney partnership. It may pertain to Pixar/Disney, but this type of struggle could just as easily include any of those younger artists (perhaps conservative, perhaps a moralist) who faces the monolithic obstacle of the radical Hollywood institutions.
Of course, I may be imagining these metaphors, but they seem so blatant to me.
Dr. Aharon Zorea
University of Wisconsin (History)
The thing about WALL-E that I’ve never seen written: It was based on the Noah’s Ark story.
Actually, this aspect was mentioned in the Christianity Today interview with the director just before the movie came out. But the similarity is only skin deep. The actual Noah’s ark story, of course is about a sinful world and how the few who still loved God were saved along with the innocent animals. Maybe they were thinking of “Silent Running”?
In Wall-E the hyper capitalist consumerists who destroyed the world simply left it (presumably the animals were already dead) and continued their ways – but now they could just dump their garbage into space while they became bloated mounds of flesh. In the all too familiar leftist dystopia, there is no government, only the all powerful corporation – and the environment on the ship is highly similar to a Disney theme park. Which is why the Guardian brought this up.
The Wall-E director is familiar with the theme. In “Monsters Inc”, written by Stanton, the corporation CEO tortures children to produce electric power. Shades of “blood for oil”.
Finally, in the non-Pixar “Bolt”, which is the movie the Guardian was mainly referencing in the article, the girl actress character is bullied by the corporate management and her agent into doing things she regreted. Given that the young actress who voiced that character is believed to be in a similar position, exec producer Lasseter was rightly put on the spot explaining why his movies seemed so hypocritical in theme given the company that makes them.
That’s really ingenious.
Oh, and Dr. Zorea? If you’re using your real name here, I hope you have tenure.
Mike – you may be kidding about my risking tenure… but in fact it is all too real. There is a striking similarity between the intolerance in Hollywood and that which exists in Academia today. I can relate to the stories posted elsewhere on this site about “silent” conservatives amidst a group of angry liberals ranting about Republicans, Christians, and other “bigots”. My tenure is not in danger now, but I have had friends who lost theirs despite their strong publishing and teaching credentials…
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