Animals in film
Animals
that are used in film allow one to see how society viewed that animal at that
time. Using animals in film also helps to reconnect us to animals, nature and
also to point out wrongs to animals. Animals are use both in children’s and
adult film.
Dumbo is a children’s film that address the use
of elephants in the circus. In the film Jumbo Jr. is a small elephant teased
because of his large ears. Many of the kids and other animals that are seen in
the film taunt Jumbo Jr. by calling him Dumbo. One day Dumbo’s mother goes on
rampage against so kids who were picking on her baby. Dumbo’s mother is deemed
mad and locked away. Dumbo is forced to grow up alone in the circus with only a mouse as his friend. Because Dumbo is so clumsy he is forced to play a clown in the circus. Although Dumbo hates his job
Water for Elephant is also another film that addresses
the use of elephants in the circuses. However, Water for Elephant is an adult
film that showcases the brutality that many circus elephants experience. In
this film an elephant named Rosie is bought by the Benzini Brothers Circus to
replace one of their show horses that had been put down. August who is
responsible for training Rosie in the circus is very abusive towards the elephant.
August beats Rosie when she fails to follow his orders. Later in the movie the
trainers realize that Rosie actually can understand, she was just taught in
Polish. At the end of the movie Rosie ends up killing August after a big brawl
had broken out.
Both of these films both use elephant to convey
a similar message. However, the approach of how the message is conveyed is
different. The message in Dumbo showed
that every animal should be treated fairly no matter how different they are.
The message of Water for Elephant was to showcase the abuse that elephants in
circuses undergo just to entertain humans. Water for Elephants focused more on
a serious issue, and brought awareness to how inhumanely we treat performance
animals. The film also showed that these animals are intelligent and have
emotions.
Elephants were chosen for these films because
elephants are used a lot in circuses. They were used because to bring light to
the abuse that the elephants undergo to offer us entertainment and how these
elephants should be treated more humanely and ethically. I also believe
elephants were used because they are extremely intelligent animals. This shows
us humans that these animals are smarter than what we give them credit for.
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