Cruella Di Vil in Disney's 101 DALMATIONS.
© Walt Disney Company
A Movie for Kids?
By: Robert T. TrateDate: Tuesday, March 04, 2008
With its classic opening title sequence and smooth easy jazz score ‘101 Dalmatians’ seems like your typical, easy, lighthearted Disney tale. In actuality it’s far from it. ‘101 Dalmatians’ is one of the darker Disney films coming from Walt’s era. Sure there is the fun romance of Pongo (Rod Taylor) and Perdita (Cate Bauer) and their “pets” (their owners) but the tale quickly turns incredibly dark. A short time later when Perdita is expecting puppies, her “pet’s” best friend Cruella Di Vil (Betty Lou Gerson) storms into the house wanting to buy all the puppies. Why? She wants them for their skin. Yes, a bit of departure from Disney’s usual.
Cruella Di Vil burns with a sinister fury that has yet to be surpassed in the history of Disney villains. Here is a character that abducts puppies (with voices of children) with the plan to skin them so she may create the new height in fashion. Her evil henchmen, Jasper and Horace (J. Pat O'Malley and Frederick Worlock), have no moral center as well. This is evident as they bicker over who does the skull bashing and the skinning. All this in a movie for kids?
In many ways it is not a kid’s movie. This is a cautionary tale for the parents. Disney always had the power to bring the audience the darkest of characters enabling his protagonists rise to the challenge seem even more heroic. Pongo and Perdita are two dogs looking for their puppies, concerned parents trying to protect their children from the ugliness of the world. Cruella Di Vil is ugliness brought to life by Disney’s animators. Disney is saying, “Get off your ass and do something or that ugliness will get to your children”. Again, the master storyteller found a way to appeal to one audience and educate another.
As usual Disney has unleashed this classic for a limited time. It is out for the first time in what Disney calls their “Platinum Edition” which is overflowing with special features and two pop trivia features during the film. This classic is a darker turn but still one that is fun to watch and the animation is as always classic Disney.
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