Analyzing Movies and Television: Is it Necessary?

In high school, I took a year long AP Lit course where we learned to analytically read. We learned to notice symbols and themes and to look deeper into the literature to find otherwise hidden meanings. My teacher warned us early on that by taking this course, we were setting ourselves up to never be able to superficially enjoy a movie again. We would start to see meaning and symbolism in everything.

She was right.

One weekend, I visited a friend of mine and we decided to get nostalgic and watch some old Disney movies. The Hunchback of Notre Dame was our first pick. A few minutes into the movie, we quickly realized that two of Quasimodo's gargoyle friends, Victor and Hugo were actually a reference to the original story's author, Victor Hugo. (The third gargoyle is Laverne, a name that is just plain funny in context.)

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a prime example of how a simple children's movie can hold a lot of hidden significance. Most Disney movies have very complex meanings shrouded by youthful images that allow for a timeless nature. As a child, I enjoyed the stories, images, and music. As an adult, I enjoy the deeper meanings.