Lesson 3) (Don't Go Into) The Black Cauldron
Welcome to Lesson 3 of Disney Lit Week 2! Professor Morgan has graciously agreed to cover The Black Cauldron and
I can honestly say there is no better person to do it. Although many
people don't quite remember this particular Disney movie, it has a rather
rich history in terms of film and cultural production. Disney's The Black Cauldron
can be traced back to 1971, when Disney Studios purchased the screen
rights to Lloyd Alexander’s The Chronicles of Prydain. The film took
over 12 years to make, 5 years of actual production, and cost over $25
million! They went through two major edits in order to
get the rating down from an R, to a PG-13, to the "PG" rating it
eventually received. Phew! That's a lot of work.
Today, you'll also hear from Professors Batyaeva (Potions: https://www.facebook.com/hihpotions) and Umbridge (Divination: https://www.facebook.com/groups/526643834145180/).
Finally, to tack on a bit of humour before I hand things over to Professor Morgan:
We solemnly swear we shall not forget!
EH
http://www.hogwartsishere.com/emmahart/
Lesson 3: (Don't Go Into) The Black Cauldron
Professor Morgan waltzes into the classroom smiling at all of the students she recognises from Lesson 1 of Week 2.
Hello Students! I am back again to talk about Disney's The Black Cauldron released to theatres in 1985.
The Setting
Before we jump into the film, I should first point out that I have a very strong love/hate relationship with this movie. The film is a cinematic masterpiece, perhaps released ahead of its time. Unfortunately, I’ve also read the books on which the film is based: The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander (1924-2007). Alexander is probably one of my favourite children’s authors, having also his Westmark and Vesper Holly series, among several other novels. If you have not read any of Alexander’s works, I highly suggest that you read at least the Prydain and Westmark series. They are absolutely brilliant!
My opinions on the movie and the novels are actually mirrored by the author as well. In a 1999 interview with Scholastic (a publishing company), Alexander had the following to say about the film:
First, I have to say, there is no resemblance between the movie and the book. Having said that, the movie in itself, purely as a movie, I found to be very enjoyable. I had fun watching it. What I would hope is that anyone who sees the movie would certainly enjoy it, but I'd also hope that they'd actually read the book. The book is quite different. It's a very powerful, very moving story, and I think people would find a lot more depth in the book.
The Story
Disney's The Black Cauldron is set in the land of Prydain and tells the story of Taran--an "Assistant Pig-Keeper"--to an old farmer named Dallben. Taran, however, spends most of his time daydreaming about becoming a famous knight. He is frequently disheartened about having to look after Hen Wen, the pig. But Taran's luck is about to change. Just as Taran sets about giving Hen Wen a bath, she seems to "see" something terrible. It isn't until she is placed before a bowl of water that we finally "see" what is troubling Hen Wen. In a matter of minutes, Taran discovers that Dallben is no mere farmer, but an Enchanter, and Hen Wen is no ordinary farm animal, but an oracular pig.
Taran learns that the Horned King, "a black-hearted Devil", is looking to find the powerful Black Cauldron, a magical cauldron created by the ancient Gods:
"Legend has it, in the mystic land of Prydain, there was once a king so
cruel and so evil, that even the Gods feared him. Since no prison could
hold him, he was thrown alive into a crucible of molten iron. There his
demonic spirit was captured in the form of a great, black cauldron."
Whomever possessed the Cauldron would have the power to raise an army of the undead, and with them, rule the world. What's worse, though, is that the Horned King has now discovered how to locate the Cauldron (which has been missing for countless centuries)--by using Hen Wen's oracular powers.
Dallben tasks Taran with a "quest": to hide and keep Hen Wen safe. While not overly thrilled by this, Taran does what he is told, but it isn't long before one of his daydreams distracts him and Hen Wen disappears, and eventually captured by the Horned King's pets known as Gwythiants. These creatures are designed after Alexander's Wyverns--two-legged dragons, as opposed to four.
Before Taran sets off to save Hen Wen, he encounters a troublesome, yet amusing creature named Gurgi. In Alexander’s novel, Gurgi is, in Alexander's words, "just a sort of a, kind of a thing". Essentially, Gurgi is a wild being that is a cross between animal and man. According to Alexander's description, Gurgi has long arms that are covered by fur and leaves. Like his Disney counterpart, he speaks in rhymed phrases; for example, "crunchings and munchings" and constantly refers to himself in the third person. While Gurgi, initially, appears to only be after the "crunchings and munchings" (aka, Taran's apple), over time, and especially at the film's end, he proves himself to be a true friend and perhaps the bravest one of all.
While the film certainly has the familiar trope of an orphan boy sent on a quest not of his
own choosing (and eventually coming into greatness), the film also repeatedly reminds us that Taran is still very much a boy. He loses Hen Wen on account of daydreaming; he falls (gracelessly) into the Horned King's den; he even trips as he attempts to escape the guards on his way out of the castle. While Taran certainly demonstrates bravery at the film's beginning, he seems to lack the coordination of the kind of hero he dreams of becoming. Moreover, what sets Taran apart from his Disney counterparts (such as Arthur) is that he is, and remains for quite some time, a whiny brat. You kind of don’t want
him to be the hero of the story, because he can be quite frustrating and also frequently puts his foot in his mouth:
As
we all know, however, the journey’s the thing. Taken prisoner by the Horned King, Taran encounters the Princess Eilonwy, who possesses a glowing magic bauble. Her reason for being in the dungeon, according to the film, is that the Horned King thought her bauble might be able to lead him to the Cauldron. However, in the novel, Princess Eilonwy is actually the self-proclaimed "niece" of Queen Achren, a powerful enchantress who imprisons Taran. However, the Princess appears to dislike Queen Achren, as she chooses to help Taran escape and leaves the castle with him.
In the film, Taran and Princess Eilonwy discover Ffewddur Fflam, a wandering bard who plays the harp (a musical instrument that seems to be the equivalent of a lie detector). Ffewddur is certainly an amusing character, as he, like Taran, believes he is capable of greatness if only someone would just give him the chance. In the novel, Ffewddur is actually a "minor King" who often leaves his kingdom to play the part of a wandering minstrel since he feels that his kingdom functions just fine without him. Like Taran, "afraid" doesn't seem to be in his vocabulary (though of course we learn otherwise).
The three escape on account of the sword and sheer luck and they soon find themselves back in Gurgi's company. Of course, Taran really doesn't trust Gurgi since he's already abandoned him twice (first when Hen Wen was captured, and again when Taran chose to rescue Hen Wen from the Horned King). But who could resist such a loveable little creature?
Once a mortal man with magical powers, Arawn was tutored (much like Princess Eilonwy) by Queen Achren, ruler of Prydain. However, Arawn took her Iron Crown and became King. It is Arawn, and not the Horned King, who came into possession of the Black Cauldron and created an undead army (known as "Cauldron-Born", as the film's Horned King deems his evil army).
In attempting to cover two of Alexander's books, the film leaves out a great deal of the original story, though makes up for it in its addition--or alteration--of "colourful" characters, such as the previously mentioned "Creeper" and the lovely (and sometimes irritable) underground fairies. In the novel, these underground magical beings are known as "Fair Folk", though they mostly take the form of dwarves (though there are those who take on more 'beautiful' shapes).
Finally, the series (as well as the film) mentions three witches named Orddu, Orwen, and Orgoch (one of whom falls in love with Fflewddur). Like in the series, the witches live alone in the Marshes of Morva. They were the original owners of the Cauldron, and are responsible for Arawn's eventual possessing of the magical object and his subsequent army of the Cauldron-Born. In the film, the witches "trick" Taran into trading his magical sword for the Cauldron. Although the Cauldron is theirs, they can't "do" anything with it (unless someone sacrifices their own life by climbing it, subsequently destroying the Cauldron in the process).
By the end of the movie, Taran is much more tolerable as the hero of the story, especially when he learns that a true hero (in the words of Zeus from Disney's Hercules) isn't measured by the size of his strength (or his weapon, for that matter), but by the strength of his heart. Taran's willingness to forget his powerful magical weapon for the return of his dear friend Gurgi provides further evidence of his transformation.
But the real hero of the story is none other than brave little Gurgi, who chooses to sacrifice himself to save his friends:
With the Black Cauldron emptied of its power, it self-destructs, taking with it the evil Horned King. The four companions then escape the castle as it falls to ruin, and--in perfect Disney fashion--live happily ever after.
The Magic
The Black Cauldron and the entire book series of Prydain are loosely based on Welsh magic and mythology. As with many movies and books based on this mythology, magic is broken down into two categories: magical objects and magical users. Disney's film is focused solely around a magical object--the Black Cauldron. An object of magic capable of producing an army of undead. Need a visual? Check out this clip from the movie!
As you have learned in your studies here at HiH, it is certainly impossible to raise someone from the dead--even if you possessed the resurrection stone. The most similar comparison between "Cauldron-Born" and our world is the creation of Inferi. Magically infused corpses are a powerful tool for world domination, as Lord Voldemort discovered during the Wizarding Wars.
On
the other hand, an enchanted sword capable of defeating Dark magic?
That is much more likely. Taran’s sword and its magic abilities are
certainly something that are attainable by Charms masters. Indeed,
Hogwarts has its own magical sword: that of Godric Gryffindor, which helps Harry destroy the Basilisk in Chamber of Secrets.
The other aspect of magic in Black Cauldron is that of the magic user, specifically, Dallben the Enchanter, and Hen Wen, the oracular pig. Dallben is quite obviously a wizard; he can cast spells and enchant objects. He also follows the standard trope of being the wise man of the story - the one who warns of the impending doom and also sets Taran up on his grand adventure to save the realm.
In all honesty, the
most fascinating magic in the entire story is that of the oracular pig,
Hen Wen. I myself have never met an oracular pig. Perhaps Professor Anne
knows
of such a creature, but the only creature that I know to have oracular
abilities are the Centaurs. I am not so sure that they would be content
with being compared to a pig, so I highly suggest that if you are ever
having a conversation with a Centaur, DO NOT bring up the subject of an
oracular pig. I prefer to have all of my students in one piece! If you
are interested in learning more about Centaurs, be sure to look forward
to Professor Anne's and Cattercorn's Care of Magical Creature class in
Year 6.
The Black Cauldron was the first Disney film to feature computer animation, and also the first Disney film to use the now-familiar white Disney castle opening. Additionally, it was the very first Disney film to be rated PG. Unfortunately, it was one of Disney’s greatest box-office flops. So much so, that the home video release of the film was delayed over ten years until 1998.
Why, you may ask? There are a few reasons:
Firstly, the movie was not released on time. Timing is everything in the movie business, and the six month delay of the release put the movie in direct competition with some other major films of the time, including Back to the Future, National Lampoon’s European Vacation, The Care Bears Movie, and the re-release of Spielberg's family classic, E.T. The odds were certainly not in The Black Cauldron's favour.Secondly, there was a dramatic change in staffing at Disney Animation, causing the film to be cut and remixed with the most violent and possibly objectionable content being dumped on the floor. Animated movies at this time were not designed to be cut and remixed, and those changes make the story and soundtrack choppy and discordant at times, not to mention removing significant character development from the story, which is seemingly lacking in the final edition.
Finally, and perhaps most likely issue, is the film's PG rating. While many Disney movies had elements of darkness in them, this film is particularly dark as imminent death is forever on the horizon. This was mostly a new direction for Disney, whose violence to this point had mostly occurred off-screen. We never saw the blade actually strike Maleficent in Sleeping Beauty, and we only hear a gun shot signalling the death of Bambi's mother, as the actual event occurs off-screen. Disney was afraid of the violence, to the point that they cut most of it.
For example, during the dungeon escape sequence, Taran's magical sword scares away the guards and helps open the drawbridge for them. However, in the series, Taran uses the sword to actually kill the guards who cross their path. Disney's magical sword appears to be infused with "light" magic, but the novel's sword is depicted for what it is: a deadly weapon that kills.
Not to mention, the film has no musical score, which is a far cry from many Disney films that came before it. While the film never reached a "classic" label in the eyes of most Disney fans, its imagery, magical concepts, and comedic relief are certainly enough to make it enjoyable in its own right. However, watching it does make me yearn to pull out the five volume set of Prydain novels and start the magic all over again. I highly recommend you do the same!
Today's Extra Credit assignments include comparing Taran' and Gurgi's relationship to that of Harry's and Dobby's as well as writing a song for the film.
I wish we all had a friend like Gurgi as I am sure our lives would never be dull! Thank you so much to Professor Morgan for that wonderful lesson, as it brought back many fond memories. I would like to thank everyone for participating in Disney Lit Weeks thus far. The House Cup will be awarded tomorrow, so this is the last Disney Lit Lesson you will have before that happens. I'm unfortunately dealing with something else at the moment, but I promise to return on Tuesday with more Disney magic.
Good luck to all Houses!
EH
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