Walt Disney And His Impact On Children’s Cinema – Being Parents

The beginnings of the big screen were a matter of adults. But  in 1932, an avant-garde wanted to change history with the creation of color cartoons  intended for all audiences. It all started with Trees and Flowers , Goofy and, of course, Walt Disney .

Pixar certainly dominates the art of innovation in children’s animated films today. But it was Walt Disney  who defined the creation and models of children’s films. 

Feature films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Pinocchio were at the forefront of a phenomenon that revealed our culture.

Currently, taking the little ones from home to the cinema is a family tradition. But let’s see how this movement started. It allowed, among other things, the survival of children’s literature. Classic stories would never have been enough.

Three Walt Disney eras that defined children’s cinema

1934-1943:  During this period, the 4 films that came out marked the beginning of children’s cinema. In addition to the early appearances of Snow White and Pinocchio , Dumbo and Bambi were screened before the start of World War II.

1954-1973:  The creation of the first Disneyland gives new impetus to the production of films suitable  for young audiences. Classics like Sleeping Beauty , The Jungle Book. As well as the first action film for children: Mary Poppins.

1980-2000:  During these years, Walt Disney achieved a massification of children’s content in the cinema. Big launches like The Little Mermaid , Beauty and the Beast have been box office hits.

Meanwhile, Aladdin and The Lion King  rolled out new settings for children’s animation in the mid-90s.

A message for the little ones at home

Before 1930,  animated films had imagery and dialogue intended for a more adult audience. Irony and daring jokes gave meaning to the animation format. Walt Disney has effectively democratized cinema for children.

In this sense,  children’s films represented the continuation of children’s literature in the past. Therefore, the dialogues were centered and always focus on conveying a message of growth for the youngest.

Indeed,  in the Walt Disney films, you can notice the subgenres of children’s literature. Fantastic tales, myths, fables, legends, fairy tales, science fiction and love stories.

Today, the various comedy resources are used with a splendid reception. Children understand the meaning of complex jokes.

Values ​​promoted by Walt Disney

Obviously  every movie focuses on exhilarating and learning a certain value. Already from the first feature films: in Pinocchio, the goodness of being sincere was praised. In Beauty and the Beast , it was the problem of superficiality around physical beauty.

The Walt Disney company has even managed to adapt historic literary works to the big screen. This is the case, for example, with Hercules or the Hunchback of Notre-Dame de Paris , written by Victor Hugo.

In Finding Nemo , in union with Pixar, strength of will and perseverance are the central themes. When it comes to The Lion King , values ​​as complex as positive leadership and diversity are discussed.

And already with the little Wall- e robot , Walt Disney has tried to educate the public in terms of ecology.

The good, the bad and the rights

Over time,  the subjects of Walt Disney films seek to adapt to our times. It is the same for its animations. But at the level of the structure, the characters of each feature film present two models.

Bad behavior and good behavior. Thus, the development of morals from an early age is certainly the strong point of this company.

Each year, we see new dynamics adapted to the realities of the present. Indeed, this is the case of the remake of Beauty and the Beast . In this movie we see the first LGBT character in a children’s movie. It is Le Fou, the assistant of the cruel Gaston.

Morals, rights and values ​​remain at the heart of Walt Disney’s work. Nowadays, there are other companies like Pixar that are taking animation to another graphic level. But nothing would have happened without the help of our good Mickey Mouse and its visionary creator.