In a thriller that was inspired by horror movies that Jordan Peele has viewed over the course of his lifetime, there are a number of classic/cliché horror genre references - by design (Jordan Peele stated as much in interviews). One such allusion is the man with the ax - which he uses to split firewood. I thought it would've been an interesting scene for the same groundskeeper to come up unseen behind the protagonist, Chris, as he is walking silently through the woods; turn on the chainsaw, thereby startling Chris and the audience; then casually mention, as he cuts a dead tree into pieces that he will later "process" by splitting it into firewood, something like, "With a little effort and know-how, this decrepit old thing can be repurposed and made useful".
Reviews
2 Reviews
Mickey and the Beanstalk
(1947)
This is veiled political metaphor - perhaps unintentionally
27 July 2013
When I first viewed Mickey and the Beanstalk with my toddler son approximately 16 years ago, I saw it as more than a retelling of an old fairy tale. Later, while watching a documentary about the devastation wrought upon a real life "Happy Valley", the Owens River Valley, I was reminded of my initial impression of the back story of this short film - the drought and desolation in Happy Valley caused by the theft of the harp as a veiled metaphor for the appropriation of water resources by the GIANT burgeoning metropolis of Los Angeles under the direction of "Willie" Mulholland. Streams and brooks sing or are musical in their own way. Diversion of riparian resources can cause calamity. A giant municipality that diverts water for its own use can leave the former beneficiaries of those resources woefully lacking the wherewithal to prosper or even survive.
If the writers used the foundation for the plot of this short animated film as an opportunity for political protest or commentary, they may have done so secretly, fearing that their theme might be edited from the film or that they might suffer reprisal. I'd like to believe that Walt Disney, whom I believe had a social conscience, left the metaphor in the film but didn't publicize it so as not to cause undue controversy around a film that was intended as children's entertainment. I'd appreciate comments about this subject, especially from anyone who has knowledge of the intentions of the writers, directors, or producer.
If the writers used the foundation for the plot of this short animated film as an opportunity for political protest or commentary, they may have done so secretly, fearing that their theme might be edited from the film or that they might suffer reprisal. I'd like to believe that Walt Disney, whom I believe had a social conscience, left the metaphor in the film but didn't publicize it so as not to cause undue controversy around a film that was intended as children's entertainment. I'd appreciate comments about this subject, especially from anyone who has knowledge of the intentions of the writers, directors, or producer.
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