Frozen: melting the hearts of millions
March 13, 2014
Disney’s latest masterpiece, “Frozen,” has been breaking records and racking up awards like no other. Of course, there are some people that were let down by the film, but there are others whose hearts melt everytime they see it.
Before the movie was even released, many people struggled to comprehend what the movie was about based on the trailer that was released. It neglected to feature any of the catchy musical numbers throughout the film, leaving many shocked when they realized it was in fact a musical. Why they didn’t advertise this is bewildering, considering that they are (arguably) the best part of the movie. Not only this, but it led viewers to believe the storyline was centered around the typical battle of evil versus good, portraying Elsa as the evil ice-crazy queen. As soon as the film hit the big screen, it became clear that this was not the case at all.
The animated film features the strained relationship of sisters Elsa (Indina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell,) No, the tension isn’t over a power struggle, but more so an internal battle between Elsa and her “gift.” According to co-director Jennifer Lee, “the theme of the film is the power of love over fear.” This new concept for Disney teaches kids something other than the fact that Prince Charming will rescue you and everything will turn out happily ever after. It also gives the viewer a way to relate to Elsa, seeing that we all struggle with internal limitations, even a princess.
As young kids, the two were “best buddies.” This all changed one night, when a restless Anna woke Elsa from her slumber to perform her magic and build a snowman in their ballroom (a brief foreshadowing of the wise-cracking sidekick soon to come.)
Hand and hand, the duo rushes down the stairs, careful not to wake their parents. When they finally reach the ballroom, Elsa effortlessly transforms it into a winter wonderland with just the flick of a wrist and the tap of her foot. The two go about their fun without a worry in the world, until Anna starts pushing Elsa’s abilities. In an attempt to save her sister, she tries to place a snow pile under her. But seeing as the floor is ice and she is quickly slipping backwards, the attempt misses and instead hits Anna in the head. It is easily fixed, but only by the removal of these magical memories from Anna’s mind.
Elsa is warned of the dangers that may result from these mistakes. Had it been her heart that was impaled, only an act of true love would be able to thaw that (hint hint). From this point on, Elsa realizes that “though there is beauty in her power, there is also great danger.” This realization forces little Elsa into constant isolation from everyone, including her sister. She constantly reminds herself to “conceal it, don’t feel it, don’t let it show,” a saying her and her father created. With her memories washed of Elsa’s magical gift, Anna is left wondering what she did to cause their friendship to end; she feels she has no one to blame but herself.
Anna begs Elsa to leave her room and spend time with her again through the adorable song “Do you want to build a snowman?” Despite her many attempts, Elsa continuously declines, stuck in her room that’s slowly sinking into a deep freeze. After a great tragedy, Elsa rises to power as queen and, for her coronation ceremony, is forced out of her lifelong isolation. While she couldn’t be anymore distressed over the situation, Anna couldn’t be happier.
“For the first time in forever,” Anna gets the chance to explore world outside the castle as well as see her sister again. As they call the two sisters up to stand before their guests, they finally see each other in person. It’s not long before the two have a falling out, resulting in an accidental reveal of Elsa’s power. Not just to Anna, but to all of her guests.
Elsa’s fight or flight responses kick in, and she quickly flees up the infamous north mountain; accidentally sending Arendale and everywhere around it into a deep freeze. This is where she changes from the queen of Arendale to the Queen of Isolation.
In order to accurately portray the struggle of walking through mass amounts of snow, animators and effects artists traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to experience a similar atmosphere. They donned various attire—including long skirts—to capture the impact created by their steps and how snow interacts with clothing.
Anna attempts to follow, but reigns unsuccessful. That is, until she meets Kristoff and his trusty partner, Sven, who just so happens to be a reindeer.
Now, animating a reindeer with the behaviors of a dog is no easy task, so the filmmakers invited a real-life reindeer into the Walt Disney Animation Studios to observe the animal’s physical makeup and mannerisms, which were later caricatured into the loveable, furry friend he is.
As the trio begins their journey up the north mountain, they soon encounter Olaf, a hilarious snowman with a love for warm hugs and a desire to experience summer.
During her empowering solo “Let it Go,” Elsa shows a completely new side of herself, releasing all the tension and fear that had built up inside of her. She becomes a figure of confidence and maybe even a little bit of sassiness as she ends her song with the slam of a door and “the cold never bothered me anyway.”
This ingenious song was written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, along with most of the movies soundtrack. On the night of Sunday, March 2, their hard work was both recognized and awarded by receiving “Best Original Song” at the 86 edition of the Oscars. Along with this, Indina Menzel made an appearance and performed “Let it Go.” The “Wicked” singer’s voice brought out the true beauty in the song, and she was the perfect pick for this Queen of Ice. After all, she has plenty experience playing the role of a girl with good intentions, made out to be the “bad guy.”
This is certainly not the first award that this film has earned. Out of 50 nominations worldwide, it has snatched up a total of 36. “Frozen” sits comfortably at 18th on Mojos list of all time top box office earners, and highest grossing non-sequel film worldwide. The box office monster was released on Thanksgiving, and remained in the theaters through Valentines day due to popular demand. Select theaters are still showing it and some even feature a sing-along version, for those who wish to belt out the lyrics in a public atmosphere.
So far, it has made $1.00024 billion worldwide, leaving it at just 63 million short of beating Toy Story 3 for current top grossing animated feature of all time. Despite this, there is still a glimmer of hope for the movie. Frozen has yet to be released in Japan, and won’t be until March 15. Based on the fact that it generated $388.7 million in the U.S alone, odds are Toy Story 3 will soon be demoted to second place.
The Frozen craze reaches far beyond the monetary earnings and awards. With a upward of a three hour waiting line to meet Elsa at the heart of Disney, and over 47,934 “queenelsa” hashtags on Instagram, it’s clear to see the public’s overwhelming response to this film.
The unique qualities of this tale have attracted viewers of all ages. It’s just as common to hear an adult humming “In summer,” and a child babbling their own rendition of “Let it Go.” The movie does not feature an obvious villain, nor does it center around the ideation of finding true love. It depicts the unconditional bond between two sisters in both a comedic and heart-felt manner. In the words of Olaf, it teaches that “some people are worth melting for.”