Millions of people worldwide have now downloaded the remake The Little Mermaid seen. Those familiar with the 1989 animated version will have noticed some changes. These adjustments should ensure that the film fits better in the current zeitgeist.
The songs in Disney movies often become as popular as the movies themselves. For the catchy songs, the group uses the best songwriters and composers. But those songs sometimes contain lyrics that are seen as very old-fashioned in 2023.
The animated version of The Little Mermaid (The little Mermaid) includes some classics, such as Kiss the Girl (Then kiss her) in Poor Unfortunate Souls (All the worries and anxieties). For the 1980s version, composer Alan Menken collaborated with lyricist Howard Ashman, who died in 1991.
Menken is responsible for the music of many Disney movies, including Beauty and the Beast (Beauty and the Beast), Aladdin, Pocahontas in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (The hunchback of the Notre Dame). The American received a total of eight Oscars for his work.
For the live action version of The Little Mermaid Menken dived into the sea again. This time he collaborated with lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda, who made songs for the Disney films, among other things Moana, Charm in Vivo.
The Little Mermaid was in need of a makeover
Since the animated version came out about 35 years ago, the movie was in need of a makeover. For example, mermaid Ariel is played by a black actress, her animal friends got a more realistic appearance and Prince Erik does have a personality this time. But the main changes are in the music.
So was in the number Kiss the Girl (Then kiss her) changed a line. The phrase suggested that Prince Erik kiss Ariel without asking her. In the original, Sebastiaan the crab sang: “It don’t take a word, not a single word. Go on and kiss the girl“(It doesn’t take a word, not a single word. Go ahead and kiss the girl”).
Now he advises Prince Erik: “Use your words, boy, and ask her(“Use your words, boy, and ask her”). The makers didn’t want to suggest that the prince would “impose himself in any way” on Ariel, Menken explained in an interview with Vanity Fair.
But the biggest change was made to the song Poor Unfortunate Souls (All the Worries and Worries). An entire verse, in which Ariel was urged to remain silent, has been deleted. In the original, the evil sea witch Ursula tells Ariel what she can expect from the people on land in that verse. Thus, these country people “prefer women who do not say a word”. “A woman who keeps her mouth shut gets a man,” says the witch.
Het geschrapte couplet uit Poor Unfortunate Souls (Al die Kommer en Kwel)
The men up there don’t like a lot of blabberThey think a girl who gossips is a bore!Yet on land it’s much preferred for ladies not to say a wordAnd after all dear, what is idle babble for?Come on, they’re not all that impressed with conversationTrue gentlemen avoid it when they canBut they dote and swoon and fawnOn a lady who’s withdrawnIt’s she who holds her tongue who get’s a man
De mannen daar zijn niet gesteld op praatjes
Een vrouw die roddelt, vinden zij een zwets
Op het land is men gewend dat een vrouw zwijgt als decent
En bovendien, je hebt toch niets aan dat geklets
Nou dan! Die mannen houden niet van conversatie
Een echte heer vermijdt dat als-ie kan
Maar ze vallen bijna flauw voor zo’n schone stille vrouw
Dus iemand die z’n mond houdt, krijgt een man
Women should be allowed to speak about their feelings
The new version, sung by actress Melissa McCarthy, should prevent young girls from feeling that they are not allowed to speak out of turn, Menken told Vanity Fair. Instead, young women should be encouraged to express their feelings.
Earlier the remake Aladdin also tested against the current zeitgeist. “If you’re making a live-action version of an animated movie, changes are necessary to make the characters believable in the current zeitgeist,” producer Dan Lin said. Insider.
Bee Aladdin according to Lin, the makers gave special attention to Princess Jasmine. For example, they made a new song for the remake, titled Speechless. In it, Jasmine sings, among other things, that she is no longer silent for injustice and oppression.
Also the creators of The Little Mermaid have used it. Not only did they adapt existing texts, Prince Erik, for example, now has his own song. In addition, Ariel now sings how she feels about being on land. In this way, the makers try to make the characters livelier and touch the viewer.
2023-06-03 03:01:22
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