Disney’s “attractability” and the aesthetics of the grotesque

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Disney’s “attractability” and the

aesthetics of the grotesque

How the grotesque aesthetics functions to create the “attractability” of early Disney animations.

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Photo used on the front page; Eisenstein and Disney at the Disney Studio, 1930 (Eisenstein Cabinet). Eisenstein about his meeting with Disney; “When we met each other in person, we met like old acquaintances” (Eisenstein 1988, p.1).

Disney’s “attractability” and the

aesthetics of the grotesque

How the grotesque aesthetics functions to create the “attractability” of early Disney animations

Author: Daphne Velenturf Student number: 2072017 E-mail: d.velenturf@gmail.com Thesis supervisors: prof. dr. A.M.A. van den Oever & dr. A. van Noortwijk Master thesis Culture Arts and Media Specialization: KCM Film

Groningen, 25-08-2015

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Finally here it is, my master thesis on the grotesque attraction of Disney, inspired by Sergei Eisensteins and my own a fascination for film. Finally is an understatement, it has taken me far longer to finish this thesis then I had expected. I would like to take this opportunity to give thanks to all those who have supported me throughout this process.

I would like to thank my sisters, Anne and Marie-Louise Velenturf who have supported me throughout my studies in various ways. They have always been willing to talk about the obstacles I ran into, study related or personal. They have let me rant about the thesis time and again. And they have set an example of persistence each in their own way. Without them I would probably have given up somewhere along the way.

I would like to thank my friends for their endless support as well. They provided much needed talks and words of encouragement.

Most of all I feel I owe thanks to professor dr. Annie van den Oever, who never seemed to lose faith in the positive outcome of this thesis. Even when I disappeared from the university to work for a year, I was more than welcome to come back. Time and again I have walked into her office in despair and without motivation, only to walk out smiling and with a plan of action. I could not have done this without her.

Enjoy,

Daphne Velenturf

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Introduction

I - Occasion

During the master program of KCM on film we were introduced to the grotesque as a study field of studies in the Humanities that can offer a wide variety of productive insights in the discipline of film. Today the aesthetics of the grotesque is said to be omnipresent; e.g. Carroll (2003) claims it can be found in all genres and it comes in all shapes and sizes. This lively field that combines aesthetics with the study of psychological effects spiked my interest and led me to the current thesis. To finish the master course I wrote an essay on the grotesque attraction of Disney. During my search for an interesting subject I found an unfinished essay by Sergei Eisenstein (1989 – 1948) discussing Disney as ground to research the survival of animism and totemism. Eisenstein is an inspiring writer; his descriptions of film are both vivid and highly insightful on a theoretical level, enabling the reader to connect to abstract concepts by his evocative examples. For instance, when he discusses animism, the giving of life to lifeless objects, he compares the process to something every one of us has experienced; bumping into a chair in the dark. One would curse the chair, as though it were a living being (Eisenstein 1988). His specific manner of describing the aesthetics of early Disney animation led me to the specific subject of this thesis.

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along the lines of the highest conceptual steps of consciousness and a simultaneous penetration by means of the structure of the form into the layers of profoundest sensuous thinking. The polar separation of these two lines of aspiration creates that remarkable tension of unity of form and content characteristic of true art-works” (1988, p. III).

Even after 1935 Eisenstein continued his work on Disney. And as common with his work, Eisenstein did not restrict himself to the questions at hand, he expanded his views on the master of cinema and so did his writing. Time and again he returned to Disney, but never organized a completed essay. Jay Leyda (1910-1988) has made these texts accessible to the western world. Leyda was an American avant-garde filmmaker and film historian, he was known for his work on American, Soviet and Chinese cinema. He knew Eisenstein personally; because of his work on A Bronx Morning (1931) he was given the opportunity to attend the National Film School in the U.S.S.R. where he studied with Eisenstein. Furthermore he assisted Eisenstein in his work on the aborted Bezhin Meadow (1938) project (Bordwell & Thompson 2010, p.291). Leyda edited Eisensteins writing on Disney and has bundled them in a small book; Eisenstein on Disney. Published in 1988 the book offers the text in a logical order for reading; although the introductory pages were written later than the earliest fragments written it is still placed as the first part of the book. Except for this rough

arrangement the fragmentary character of Eisensteins draft writing is preserved in the book.

II - Relation to standard post-war studies on grotesque art

The studies of Wolfgang Kayser (1957)1, Michael Bachtin (1965) and Noël Carrol (2003) are defining for the post-war research of the grotesque art. Both the research of Bachtin and Carrols relate to that of Kayser. Kaysers research defined the grotesque as an aesthetic category. To fully understand the theory of Bachtin and Carrol, Kaysers work cannot be omitted. Although there are many more studies on grotesque aesthetics, these three studies will be pivotal to my research, because they can be viewed as the standard works and because they can be related to Eisenstein’s essay on Disney.

Eisenstein does not mention the grotesque as an aesthetic category in his (drafted) essay on Disney. However his description of the formal aspects in Disney’s animations will inevitably remind an insider of these three standard studies of grotesque aesthetics. Many of the

descriptions of the aesthetics of early Disney animations read like the post-war theory on the grotesque. “In Disney they turn into each other. One of the devices of comedy is the

1_{Kaysers work was originally published in 1957, for this research I used an English translation of the book,}

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literalization of a metaphor” (Eisenstein 1988, p.39). This reminds us of Bachtin’s theory, as the literalization of the metaphor is formalized in the body of the characters. While exploring the attractions of the animations, Eisenstein depicts many characteristics that we would now name grotesque. For instance, Eisenstein’s discussion of Mickey Mouse dancing and singing: “And then reaching for a high note, the arms shoot up far beyond the limits of their normal representation. In tone with the music, they stretch far beyond the length allotted to them” (Eisenstein 1988, p.10). This suggests a clear transgression of our ontological boundaries, one of the basic trademarks of the grotesque that can be found in the theory of Wolfgang Kayser, Michael Bachtin and Noël Carroll. In his effort to explain the effects of Disney’s attractions, Eisenstein relates animism to animation and therefore the texts show many connections to Carrols theory. For instance: “In Disney’s works on the whole, animals substitute for people” (Eisenstein 1988, p.33). Eisenstein names the animated humanized animals which are all fusion figures as described by Noël Carroll (2003, p. 296).

Each of these three standard studies on grotesque art offer their own input on the different aspects of the problem central to my research. I will elaborate on these studies and

Eisenstein’s essay later on in my theoretical framework. This will then lead to determining the method of this research.

III - Historical value and productivity

In the essay for the master course I studied a broad range of material, exploring several Disney works marking explicit technological progress, in order to include the effects of the modernization (or digitalization) of animation techniques while studying the aesthetics. While this broad view on the subject offered many interesting angles, it lacked focus and thus depth. The essay asked for further, more focused and profound research.

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Confronted with a thesis including Disney and Eisenstein one may ask if it is new and productive? Disney has been studied extensively, but just as the work of Eisenstein on the subject; the aesthetics of early Disney animations have not been framed in the aesthetic category of the grotesque before. Some characters such as witches or monsters have been referred to as grotesque as an adjective. Studying the function of grotesque aesthetics in the creation of the attraction of Disney is new.

The aesthetics are involved in studies on the underlying message of Disney animations and in critiques on Disney’s portrayal of race, ethnicity gender and nature. The bulk of the studies found focus on the development of the Disney enterprise, here we find the early animations referred to as the starting point and as subject of a legal battle with Charles Mintz (Bordwell & Thompson 2010, p.150). Eisenstein has also been studied extensively and the essay in question has been cited in many books that offer an overview of his oeuvre. These citations are used in descriptions of Eisenstein’s life and personality or as part of research of other theory by Eisenstein. In Eisenstein rediscovered (1993) by Ian Christie and Richard Taylor, the habit of Eisenstein to sketch is described as a source of insight in his writings. Later on the analysis focusses mainly on Eisenstein’s personal life, reflected by his drawings. It becomes particularly personal when Eisenstein’s “hitherto repressed sexuality” (Christie e.a. 1993, p. 23) is discussed; “One at least of these creates and extensive tableau of male coupling around a central figure identifiable as a self-portrait” (Christie e.a. 1993, p. 23). In The Cinema of

Eisenstein, Bordwell discusses Eisenstein’s concept “ecstacy” as part of an elaborate

description of synthesis in cinema. Furthermore Eisenstein’s fascination for the closed drawn line is mentioned while describing his theory on film form (Bordwell 1993, chapter 5). These concepts are part of Eisenstein’s essay on Disney, but his analysis of Disney and the attraction of animation as such is not researched nor described. Other publications use the citations from the essay in a similar way, it is mentioned in biographies and sometimes the concepts are used to support clarification of other theory. But the study of Eisensteins ideas on the animated line and the effects of the aesthetics in Disney’s early animations, bundled in the book Eisenstein

on Disney remains shallow. There are no questions asked considering his essay about Disney

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I will start from the hypothesis that the specific “attractability” of early Disney animations can be explained in terms of the grotesque function in it. Disney animations have specific formal features in which grotesque aesthetics performs a key role in terms of attraction and entertainment. It is the relation between the grotesque aesthetics and the content of the animations that may be the cause of the attraction of Disney. In light of Eisensteins essay on Disney aesthetics and “attractability”; and taking the current theory on the grotesque into account, the following question is central to my research;

How does the grotesque function in the “attractability” of early Disney animations?

With regard to “attractability”; this neologism was coined by Eisenstein in light of solving his “grundproblem”, his study of Disney’s animations was part of this2. It is preferred over the more common attraction not only because this thesis is inspired by Eisenstein, but also because, as explained before, it refers to a dual function in art works. It stands for both

attractiveness and affectiveness of a work of art. The latter, affectiveness is not to be confused with effectiveness; which refers to the capacity of achieving any type of results. Affectiveness is more specific; it refers to the capacity to evoke emotions. This relates the term to the

standard studies on the grotesque of Kayser, Bachtin and Carroll. Their work ultimately focusses on the affects of the grotesque aesthetics. There for the term highlights the relation between Eisenstein’s study of Disney’s animations and our post-war theory on the grotesque and more importantly; it is functional to the current research.

With regard to the grotesque; the term in this central question refers to a large field of studies, all with their own value. However, as discussed above, this research will be done according to the standard studies of Kayser (1957), Bachtin (1965) and Carrol (2003). All relate to each other and can be related to Eisenstein’s discussion of Disney’s animations. The dual function

“attractability” refers to can also be traced in these standard theories on the grotesque

aesthetics. As mentioned above, all three focus on the affects of the grotesque aesthetics. Kayser views the grotesque as an aesthetic category that estranges our world. It instills a fear of life, because our world view has become inapplicable (1965, p 185). Bachtin’s theory revolves around revitalizing laughter, the final step in the process of ‘rabaissement’, elicited by the grotesque bodily element. Most notably Carrol specializes in the affects of the

grotesque aesthetics. The family relations between the affects of the grotesque aesthetics are

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the core of his theory. In chapter 1, in the theoretical framework, these studies will be discussed at length. This theoretical review will then result in the method of analysis. With regard to early Disney animations; the following part will elaborate on the subject and define what will be viewed as such.

V - Early Disney

This thesis will focus on early Disney animations, although this already suggests a lot, we must define what will be viewed as early Disney animations. Furthermore a specific corpus of animations must be selected to give focus to the research and to align with Eisensteins essay on Disney.

Walt Disney started his career in the Kansas City in 1919, with Ub Iwerks. The first years of his career were not very successful, till in 1927 the Disney Brothers Studios were producing the “Oswald the Rabbit” series. However Disney lost the leading character to Charles Mintz in a legal battle. This forced the studio to come up with a new character, resulting in the creation of Mickey Mouse. The character starred in Steamboat Willy (1928), the first cartoon to incorporate the new sound technology. Inspired by the Jazz Singer (1927), Disney had put himself to the task of making a cartoon with synchronised sound. It proved to be a big success and it put Disney ahead of the competitive animation business of the 1930s (Bordwell & Thompson 2010, p.150). The studio was also one of the first to use three-strip Technicolor technique, and it created the first feature length animation; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). This innovative approach is characteristic to Disney’s work and for his position in the animation business.

The selected titles should give a good intersection of Disney’s innovative work while corresponding with the time period in which Eisenstein studied Disney. In the context of solving his “grundproblem” Eisenstein wrote about Disney during the 1940s. He discussed a wide variety of Disney’s animations, with special attention the Mickey Mouse Series, the Silly

Symphonies and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). The premiering dates of these

animations provide a timeframe from the 1920s till the 1940s, in which we will look at early Disney material to be studied.

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essay on Disney. Besides this Disney’s iconic Mickey Mouse series can of course not be omitted. The series featured continuing characters, unlike The Silly Symphonies that were more singular. The whimsical mouse was accompanied by well-known characters such as Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto that would later have their own spin off cartoons. Form these series Steamboat Willie (1928), The Karnival Kid (1929) and Playful

Pluto (1934) will be studied. Furthermore Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) is an

important work to be included. This animation was the first full-length cell animated feature in colour motion picture of Disney and in history. The work marks the transition into Disney’s post-war work, producing full length features; including Bambi (1942), Alice in Wonderland (1949) Cinderella (1950) and Peter Pan (1953).

These early Disney animations are all drawn by hand and have a prominent soundtrack. My analyses of the films have shown that except for that of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the dialogue in these animations is subservient to the aesthetics. The films are first and foremost narrated by body language of the characters, music and sound effects. The movements of the characters literalize the emotions and communications. A strong sound-track sets the mood, guiding the viewer to the desired interpretations. Below I will give a more detailed introduction of the works to be studied to introduce my analyses of the grotesque aesthetics of early Disney animation.

The Skeleton Dance (1929)

The skeleton dance is the first animation in the silly symphonies series and therefore a logical

starting point. This short was produced in black and white with the use of stop motion

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Merbabies (1938)

By selecting Merbabies for this research the later work in the Silly Symphonies productions is included. Furthermore Eisenstein was fascinated by these miraculous creatures and refers to the animation numerous times in his essay on Disney. The short was produced with the technicolor technique. This animation features the Merbabies as leading characters, who miraculously appear from the bubbles of breaking waves of the ocean. They are childlike in both their behaviour and appearance. The Merbabies decent to the bottom of the ocean where they lead a circus of sea creatures that pretend to be the animals we know in our human circuses. The circus has octopuses that pretend to be elephants, snails that pretend to be sea lions, a tiger fish that pretends to be his mammal version and many more morphed animals. They show many performances and then at the sneeze of a whale, the Merbabies return to the surface where they disappear by bursting bubbles.

Steamboat Willie (1928)

Inspired by the Jazz Singer (1927), Disney committed to producing the first fully

synchronized sound cartoon, this resulted in Steamboat Willie. Steamboat Willie features Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and antagonist Pete. Steamboat Willie is selected for the research because it is the first appearance of characters that are seen throughout the series. The way the characters are features in this animation has become iconic. Their formal structures are repeated throughout the whole series. Furthermore this animation is symbolic for Disney’s innovative approach to animating.

The animation begins with the iconic scene of Mickey whistling a tune at the bridge of a boat. Pete quickly comes around to kick him of the bridge, he is not in charge. Mickeys trips on a piece of soap and falls buttocks first in a bucket of water. He is mocked by a parrot and quickly responds by throwing a bucket on its head. In the next scene Mickey hauls a cow aboard and Minnie misses the boat. She is hauled aboard with a hook, while the boat sails on. Once on the boat, Minnie’s guitar and music are eaten by a goat; Mickey solves the problem by turning the goat into a record player. This leads into song and dance; while many other animals are played like instruments. The party is over when Mickey is caught by Pete, and thrown into the galley to peel potatoes.

The Karnival Kid (1929)

Steamboat Willie¸ does not show much of Minnie, therefore The Karnival Kid is included in

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features Mickey as hotdog salesmen at the carnival. He gets infatuated by Minnie who performs as a shimmy dancer at the carnival. He tries to sell her hotdogs, however these behave like actual little dogs. They try to run off and make Mickey’s move on Minnie very unsuccessful. Later that night Mickey returns to Minnie’s trailer to perform a song. Minnie is quite impressed; however the cat is annoyed by all the noise and throws a radiator at his head. Once again Mickey’s chances with Minnie are ruined.

Playful Pluto (1934)

To include Mickey’s iconic buddy Pluto the dog, Playful Pluto is included in the research. Furthermore this offers another view at Mickey’s formal structure. In Playful Pluto Mickey is doing some chores around the house and garden. Pluto, clumsy as he is, creates all kinds of chaos. He throws around the leaves that Mickey had just raked together. He goes on to fight the garden hose, swallow a flashlight and run into the house while panicking over the ingested flashlight. He runs straight through the screen door, leaving a hole that lets in many flies. Mickey tries to catch them with sticky paper but it is Pluto who gets tangles in it. The animation ends with both Mickey and Pluto tangled in sticky paper, laughing on the floor.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

This animation is included in the research because it marks Disney’s transition into the production of feature films. Furthermore Eisenstein discusses parts of the animation in his essay on Disney. This way a more general image of Disney’s work can be created while staying true to the timeframe provided by the essay.

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1: Theoretical framework and Method

The case study of the material mentioned above will be done according to the leading theoretical material in today’s grotesque research field. Eisenstein’s work on Disney will provide a basis to work with throughout the thesis. Therefore in this chapter I will do a

theoretical study of the most important sources, starting with the Eisenstein’s pivotal findings. Because he never finished the essay, he has not structured his work. Over time he changed his research angle, and several themes return throughout the book. I will give this more structure by categorizing his findings and depicting where questions are left or answers are untenable given today’s film research. Eisenstein’s pivotal findings will be framed within the theory of respectably Kayser, Bachtin and Carroll. Their theories substantiate the presence of grotesque aesthetics and the functioning of the grotesque in Disney. Furthermore they connect with the findings of Eisenstein. Their theories will be used to analyse the different aspects of the grotesque, which will be explained more elaborate in the method of analyses (p. 27). The overview of Eisenstein’s research will be followed by a short theoretical study of their work, meant as a tool for the analysis, not to define the grotesque. I will focus on their core view of the grotesque and depict their key themes. Furthermore I will give a clear view on what will be most important to the current research and what will be used in the method of analysis. In this first chapter I will focus on the questions; which basis has Eisenstein left us for a study of the grotesque in early Disney focussed on “attractability”? And in light of Eisenstein’s essay; how can the standard studies on the grotesque of Kayser, Bachtin and Carroll form a heuristic in a method of analysis for such a research.

On the subject of defining the grotesque I join the writers before me whom have decided the grotesque is in its essence undefinable. This form of art is the tradition to challenge the existing categories and definitions. Annie van de Oever is one of them, in de grotesque

tegentraditie she writes ‘Ik zou hier willen betogen dat in het groteskenonderzoek de

problematische verhouding van groteske kunst tot de traditie zeker zinvol kan worden bestudeerd, maar niet zinvol kan worden <opgelost> in termen van een <

afbakeningsprobleem>, omdat – en merkwaarding genoeg is dit maar door weinig beschouwers opgemerkt – groteske kunst juist ook de pogingen tot onderbrenging,

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defined formally, thematically, affectively or even by relation to other concepts’ (xxiv). “Even though there is no clear consensus about what the grotesque exactly is it is productive to study the effects of its many forms as it is a great way to test the effects of formal structures that transgress our ontological boundaries”.

1.1 - Eisenstein on Disney

With Eisenstein as the starting point of this thesis we must first look at his most important findings on Disney. His work on Disney, as organized by Jay Leyda, is separated in 5 pieces, 4 parts, separating certain time period in which he worked on the problem and a 5th,

containing extra notes, as an appendix. Parts I and II, written 1940 and 1941, are introductory pages and the first exploration of the problem. In the third part, written by the end of 1941 Eisenstein returned to the problem and he reorganized his research.

In the first two parts Eisenstein focusses on the creativity of Disney, the omnipotence in form and content, the complete synthesis between form and music and the animations as an escape from capitalistic American life. Eisenstein admires the creativity of Disney and he writes; Disney creates on conceptual level of man not yet shackled by logic, reason, or experience (1988, p.2). In this we already find the link to the grotesque as he notes that Disney is completely limitless on a conceptual level. Disney’s creativity transgresses all ontological boundaries of our world. As Eisenstein describes; “Disney (and it's not accidental that his films are drawn) is a complete return to a world of complete freedom (not accidentally

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Disney’s animated lines form all kinds of creatures; fish, mammals and birds. These creatures do not restrict themselves to their given form, they are omnipotent; they substitute for or are mixtures of other creatures. As Eisenstein writes; “The animals in Merbabies substitute for other animals: fish – for mammals. In Disney’s works on the whole, animals substitute for people. The tendency is the same: a displacement, an upheaval, a unique protest against the metaphysical immobility of the once and forever given” (1988, p.33). Here Eisenstein finds fusion figures and metamorphosis in Disney. In his “protest against the metaphysical immobility of the ones and forever given” we find Carrolls transgression of ontological boundaries.

Besides their transgression of ontological boundaries in their zoology, Eisenstein also finds grotesque abilities in Disney’s creatures. “Disney’s beasts, fish and birds have the habit of stretching and shrinking” (1988, p.4). Whenever needed the creatures will stretch and shrink, a symptomatic ability found in all early Disney animations. Here the creatures switch easily between the very large or gigantic and the very small, two different grotesque subcategories described by Carroll. This ability is often used by the creatures to reach complete synthesis between form and music. Eisenstein finds this characteristic as he describes Mickey Mouse; “The hands echo the music as only the movements of Disney’s characters are capable of echoing a melody. And then reaching for a high note, the arms shoot up far beyond the limits of their normal representation. In tone to the music, they stretch far beyond the length allotted them” (1988 p.10).

The last focal point, the escape from American life is heavily tainted by political views. With a background in Marxist Leninist communism, Eisenstein can be expected to reject the democratic capitalist lifestyle of America. He writes; “And you see how the drawn magic of a reconstructed world had to arise at the very summit of a society that had completely enslaved nature - namely, in America. Where, at the same time, man had become more merciless than in the stone age, more doomed than in prehistoric times, more enslaved than during the slave owning era”(1988, p3). This political view returns many times in Eisenstein’s essay, however this is not a thesis about the political differences between the USSR and America mirrored in film. Interesting for this research is Eisenstein’s remark that these animations are formed in a time of change and friction, as is often seen with grotesque art in general.

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explains the grotesque is a ready source of intense emotion and novelty (2003 p.309), making the grotesque form very productive to the growing entertainment industry. Besides being a filmmaker, Disney is a businessman, and is therefore more than likely to exploit such an opportunity. Furthermore as an animator, as Carroll has also pointed out, he had afforded the freedom for imaginative invention through drawing, which perhaps predisposed Disney towards the grotesque as well (2003 p.293). The theory of Kayser and Bachtin can also be connected to this escape from daily life as both theories hold liberating aspects of their own. Kayser views the grotesque as a way to enable the viewer to see their word differently, to overcome fears and boundaries and ultimately to imagine new possibilities. Bachtin views the grotesque as a way to liberate man from all inhuman necessity’s that direct the prevailing concept of the world.

In the third part of Leyda’s book we find Eisenstein’s return to the problem. He reorganizes his research and tries different angles to explain the effects on the viewer. Eisenstein had some sources to base his explanations on such a theory from Freud and Lenin, although he is mainly dismissive of their findings, for obvious reasons more explicitly on Freud (1988, p.46). Time and again he approached the themes animism and totemism, in relation to fire and ecstasy. This part of his work is gravely unstructured and clearly unfinished; it is more a collection of different notes and ideas. Below, I will try to organize his most dominant views.

Animism

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primal 'omnipotentence' -the element of 'coming into being' –'the plasmaticness' of existence, from which everything can arise” (1988, p46). Because man craves this sensation he will always search for something to resemble it, and this would make Disney’s formal traits attractive as it connects to this deep trait of the primal psyche.

Totemism

Eisenstein finds two stages of totemism in Disney’s animations. Totemism goes through three stages knowing; factual unity of animal and man, unity of animal and man in totemistic belief, the comparison of animal and man. Disney is on the first stage in the sense that the creatures in the animations are both animal and human, or as Carroll would say; fusion figures or humanized. As Eisenstein describes; “The peacock and parrot, the wolf and horse, the night stand and dancing flame of Disney are actually simultaneously and identically both animal (or object, or bird) and a human” (p.53). The third stage, the comparison of animal and man is reversed in Disney. “The gamecock is a plastic metaphor of .. an aggressive, cocky fighter. Taken in reverse and literally” (p.49). Eisenstein explains that this literalization of the metaphor, “the absence of a transference and figurative sense” (p.49), causes the comical effect. In another part on totemism, this imersion of the self is connected to ecstasy as was done with animism. Eisenstein describes Disney as 'pure formal ecstasy’. Here the comical effect is attributed to the fact that “the process of ecstasy is represented as an object: literalized, formalized” (p.42).

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the affects of experiencing omnipotent form. All and all today’s research will provide a more specific analysis of the different aspects of this characteristic of Disney’s work.

1.2 - Post war theories of the Grotesque Kayser, 1957

Wolfgang Kayser was the first to formulate a theory on the grotesque that established it as an aesthetic category. Grotesque art had always been viewed in light of the classical tradition. The romantic era, the second half of the 18th century, emphasized intense emotion triggering a new appreciation for emotions such as apprehension, horror and terror and awe. This period resulted in extensive dissolution of the traditional views. This combination gave way to the grotesque aesthetics to be re-appreciated and considered from a theoretical point of view and it could be given meaning other than subversive, disorderly, objectionable etc. For Kayser this period of renewed appreciation was most important to draw from for his theory (v. d. Oever, 2003, p. 10).

Kaysers standard work on the grotesque Das Groteske: seine Gestaltung in Malerei und

Dichtung appeared in 1957. This work has been of great value to most grotesque studies in the

20th century. His study follows the evolution of the term grotesque and is set up

chronologically; following centuries of artwork containing grotesque elements (v. d. Oever, 2003, p. 10). His research resulted in similarities in grotesque manifestations bridging time periods and disciplines. Based on this Kayser concluded the term had grown from proper designation to an aesthetic category because it denotes a creative process a work and a particular effect within the spectator.

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the grotesque. It is <a pregnant moment> – <a situation that is filled with ominous tension>. According to Kayser, while the grotesque suddenly takes the viewer into an unknown fearful world it can also elicit laughter (Kayser, 1981, p.187). Because we can’t understand this new world it can seem absurd to us giving way to a bitter, cynical laughter. This has little to do with fun though, according to Kayser it expresses our incapability to grasp and understand our world.

This uncanny, fearful, powerless experience is not as negative as it seems, according to Kayser it holds a “secret liberation”. (Kayser, 1981, p.187). Because we have experienced the grotesque we have faced the ‘dark forces which lurk in and behind our world’, we know what is hiding in the darkness capable of changing our truth. By exposing the dark it can be

overcome, once liberated of the fear of the unknown we can face its challenges, enabling us to enjoy its limitless possibilities.

Following his research Kayser has found six recurrent themes leading to the grotesque experience. Kayser has listed them in the summary of his book ‘The Grotesque in Art and Literature’. First on the list of recurrent forms and motifs are the monsters (Kayser, 1981, p.182) like the demons from the biblical apocalypse. Next are the animals, specifically the creeping and nocturnal animals that “inhabit realms apart from and inaccessible to man” (Kayser, 1981, p.182). Among these grotesque animals are the snakes, owls, toads, spiders and bats. The plant world also offers grotesquery’s for instance when the jungle is so wild it seems to become one with the animal world. The fourth theme consists of tools that come alive and/or fuse with organic elements. In human beings, Kayser finds the final two themes on his list; starting with those deprived of life, but not entirely lifeless. These are the puppets, marionettes and automata with faces like masks. In the same group, with similar macabre content, are the grinning skulls and moving skeletons. Last are the insane people, in which human nature has taken on threatening form. In the case of the puppets, it is as though an outside force has taken over a lifeless body, in the insane person, an outside force seems to have overtaken the soul (Kayser, 1981, p.182).

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an important aspect of this experience. This new world can elicit a bitter laugh, only because we have no other response. Kayser has listed 6 recurrent themes that are predisposed toward this sort of content. These will be used in a systematic search for grotesque forms in the early Disney material as selected in the introduction. This way the presence of the grotesque aesthetics early Disney animations can be demonstrated. The current thesis revolves around the affects of these formal aspects namely; the functioning of the grotesque in the attraction of Disney. The pregnant moment, the estrangement of our world and our resulting liberation of fears of the unknown are all effects taking place within the viewer. Given the comical nature of the early Disney animations, and laughter being underexposed in Kaysers study; the studies of Bachtin and Carrol will be more productive in explaining the affects. However Kayser does offer a preliminary view on the presence and functioning of the grotesque aesthetics in

Disney. The application of Kaysers study in the current research will be further discussed in the method of analyses (p. 27)

Bachtin, 1965

Bachtin found the true nature of the grotesque in its purest form in the folk culture of carnival. The folk culture of carnival is a collection of protocols and rituals based on laughter. By contrasting the classical world, filled with rules, politics and ceremonies it offered a different nonofficial world in which all medieval people participated (Bachtin, 1965, p.6). According to Bachtin carnival feasts were a temporary liberation of the prevailing truth (1965, p.10).

Bachtin views this as a second life for people. The elite class system has pushed the carnival culture into the unofficial realm. This deepened the meaning of the culture and it became “the expression of folk consciousness, of folk culture” (1965, p.6). Carnival offered an escape for people from all classes from the official world. Official feasts were marked by the established truth, organized and unchanging. Carnival feasts by contrast were the liberation of the

established truth; “Carnival was the true feast of time, the feast of becoming, change and renewal” (1965, p.10). In this cultural movement lies the essence of Bachtin’s theory on the grotesque. For Bachtin the grotesque is an aesthetic of hope and renewal. Through the grotesque aesthetic experience the acquainted world becomes alien (in Kayserian terms) and because of this it discloses the possibility of a different world. This different world has the possibility of being a better and friendlier world. The existing world is broken down and then can be regenerated and renewed (1965, p.48).

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that direct the prevailing concept of the world” (1965, p.49). In prevailing concepts through time, necessity has claimed to be stable, serious, timeless and unconditional. However the prevailing concept of necessity always changes over time. The grotesque destroys the pretences of necessity using laughter from the carnival spirit. By destroying the prevailing concept of necessity the human consciousness, thought and imagination become available for new possibilities (1965, p.49).

Following his analysis of the representation of the human body in the work of Rabelais, Bachtin found it to have a subversive, contrasting relation to the classical bodily canon (v. d. Oever, 2003, p.60). He notes that the concept canon can’t be applied as a specific group of consciously established rules, norms and proportions in the representation of the human body. The grotesque aims to break such rules, it is ‘non-canonical by its very nature’ (Bachtin, 1965, p.30). The term is used in a wider sense of representation. Even though Bachtin distinguishes two canons; the classic and the grotesque, he notes that they are never truly separated or changeless, because both forms interchange various elements and change over time (Bachtin, 1965, p.30).

The classical canon, based on the canon of antiquity, represents the body as a ‘strictly completed, finished product’ (Bachtin, 1965, p.29). This body is strictly singular and has no connection to other bodies. This body is healthy and perfectly proportioned, it is smooth and closed off; signs of its natural unfinished character are not represented. It has no bumps or wounds, it doesn’t conceive or give birth, nor does it struggle with age, death or disease. It is as far away from both womb and grave as possible. “The accent was placed on the completed, self-sufficient individuality of the given body” (Bachtin, 1965, p.29). The eyes, mouth and nose and the lower abdomen have an expressive characterizing function, they do not represent the inside of the body or bodily functions. The higher bodily functions and features expressing individuality are emphasized. In this fashion the classical bodily canon is used to represent the exalted idealistic, spiritual and intellectual ideas.

In the grotesque imagery the body “reflects a phenomenon in transformation, an as yet

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bumps and warts and wounds. It is heavily disproportioned; gigantic, minuscule or partially mixed.

Contrasting the classical canon, the grotesque body is often either close to the womb or to the grave; it is pregnant or giving birth, emerging from the womb or dying. The imagery will often feature both at the same time in one or two bodies. In such an image we see two characteristic traits of the grotesque; a strong relation to time by showing transience while being ambivalent. It shows time by featuring a metamorphosis that is contradictory, both beginning and end of a process, otherwise separated by time, are pictured simultaneously. As an example, Bachtin refers to the terracotta collection of Kerch; featuring old senile pregnant hags, laughing hysterically. “This is a typical and very strongly expressed grotesque. It is ambivalent. It is pregnant death, a death that gives birth” (1965, p.25).

The imagery of the grotesque body seems repulsing and frightful; however the bodily element is deeply positive in Bachtin’s theory. This body is never individualized; it is connected to other bodies and spheres of life (1965, p.19). It represents life as one cosmic whole, including death. In Bachtin’s theory the principle of the body should not be interpreted as a

physiological body. It is not found in the biological individual or in the bourgeois ego but in the people as a whole, ‘who are continually growing and renewed’ (1965, p.19). This body does not deny its origin in and connection to the material and earth. The manifestations of life as described above; the bumps, warts, wounds and giving birth do not refer the individual but indicate the connection to the continually changing cosmic whole. They refer to the whole of life, to the “collective ancestral body of all the people” and not the individual. They signify the themes of the grotesque bodily life knowing; “fertility, growth, and a brimming-over abundance” (1965, p.19). Decay or degradation in one body thus indicates renewal in the people as a whole.

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is degraded by the focus on the lower bodily functions because it is linked with the people’s laughter. This laughter degrades and materializes. Lowering and degradation do not have negative or humiliating character. Here they have ‘an absolute and strictly topographical meaning’ (Bachtin, 1965, p.21). As the exalted is brought downward it reconnects with the element earth. In Bachtin’s heuristic this is where the opportunity for renewal lies.

‘Degradation here means coming down to earth, the contact with earth as an element that swallows up and gives birth at the same time. “To degrade is to bury, to sow and to kill simultaneously, in order to bring forth something more and better” (Bachtin, 1965, p.21). In the grotesque imaginary death and renewal are part of life's eternal movement. “The grave is related to the earth's life-giving womb” (Bachtin, 1965, p.50). Because death is part of life it is no longer frightening, because death is no longer an end but a new beginning (Bachtin, 1965, p.50).

In sum; Bachtin finds the grotesque in its purest form in the folk culture of carnival. The grotesque bodily element has a central role in Bachtin’s theory; it can be viewed as a tool in the method of ‘rabaissement’, the method that lowers the exalted idea or concept. Bachtin’s positive view on the grotesque compliments Disney’s joyful world, Bachtin’s grotesque bodily canon, the ‘rabaissement’ and continuous growth and renewal can be seen throughout the animations. The most obvious examples of these are the bodies of dark and evil characters like the skeletons, witches and monsters. But also the protagonist characters, such as Mickey Mouse, have grotesque bodies. Mickey is both mouse and human (a mixture better explained by Noël Carroll, whom will be discussed later), his bodily features are dramatically

exaggerated. Besides this his body is able to stretch far beyond the limit we would expect. Mickey features emphasis on lower bodily functions; his belly is big and round and responds to his surroundings as much as his face does. Bachtin’s study provides a clear heuristic to this research to analyse the grotesque bodies in Disney’s animations. Eisenstein’s research has singled out many of these grotesque bodily features and shown they are characteristic for Disney’s work. He has also reviewed Disney as an escape from daily American, capitalist society. Analysing the grotesque bodily element in Disney will show how the method of

‘rabaissement’ lowers the exalted ideas of the American society of the 1920s to 1940s. This

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understanding of the “attractability” of the animations. The application of the heuristic provided by Bachtin will be further explained in the method of analyses (p.27).

Carroll, 2003

In 2003 Noël Carroll has written a pivotal definition of the grotesque aesthetics its strategies and its functions; The grotesque today, preliminary notes toward taxonomy. By comparing the amount of grotesques available in his childhood and in contemporary media a clear

conclusion can be made; the grotesque is one of the leading formats in today’s mass art and entertainment industry. Contemporary media supplies audiences with an abundance of grotesques through video-games, film, theatre, comic books and TV. Whether or not one thinks this is true depends on what you count as grotesque (Carroll, 2003, p. 291-294). It depends on your definition of grotesque. With this problem Carroll starts his reflection on the grotesque.

Carroll recognizes that the grotesque fulfils many different functions in contemporary media culture. To name and organize all these different function would be an endless task. The structural account of the grotesque offers and alternative approach to the problem. In his attempt to define the grotesque Carroll explores the hypothesis that the genus of the grotesque can be characterized structurally. Meaning the grotesque as a whole can be better

distinguished and explained through structure rather than function. This will lead to the different strategies in which the grotesque is displayed. This account can then be used to characterize functionally certain kind or species of the genus of the grotesque (Carroll, 2003, p. 295).

According to Carroll, grotesque figures are all violations of our standing categories or concepts; they are subversion’s of our common expectations of the natural and ontological order. Carroll distinguishes 4 recurring strategies to realize the structural principle of grotesque; disproportioning, fusion, formlessness and gigantism (2003, p. 296).

Carroll limits the grotesque to beings, things that are perceived animated. For lifeless objects, for example buildings or music and arguments the term grotesque can only be used

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According to Carroll the grotesque elicits three effective emotional states; horror, comic amusement and awe. A creature can be counted as grotesque horrific when it fits the criteria of harmfulness and repulsiveness. Just harmfulness will not elicit the emotional state of horror, for then a soldier carrying a gun would be grotesque. To be repulsive the creature must have some form of impurity. For example vomit, pieces of flesh or blood, these are

experienced as impure because they confuse categorical distinctions such as; me/not me, living/dead and inside/outside me (2003, p.300).

Besides horror, the grotesque can also elicit the emotional state comic amusement. To

theorize this effect Carroll uses the incongruity theory of humour. According to this theory the amusement must be directed at something particular that is perceived to be incongruous. Incongruities that elicit comic amusement often violate, transgress, problematize or jam our ontological and biological categories (Carroll, 2003, p.303). Comic amusement by

incongruity is wider than the grotesque, it is not restricted to animated beings. Carroll does distinguish between both, for his theory, grotesque comic amusement by incongruities can only be accounted to animated beings (2003, p.303). Incongruity can only be experienced as comic when it is perceived as unthreatening. We experience film through the identification with the characters. In the case of a threat we do not fear for our own lives but for that of the character. A grotesque incongruity can be experienced as comic when it is not threatening to the characters (2003, p.305).

Finally the grotesque can elicit the emotional state of awe and wonder. The state of awe is triggered by grotesque beings that transgress our knowledge of nature. “The miraculous defies our conception of nature” (2003, p.307). The horrific and the comic grotesque elicit reactions to reject the being. Disgust and laughter are rejecting reactions to expel the being from our body. The grotesque miraculous is different, we are astonished by the unlikeliness of what we see, yet we accept and take it in. The difference is the fact that we do not experience the miraculous as threatening. The possibility of a being to be perceived as miraculous depends on the way it is presented in relation to the character (Carroll, 2003).

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study with regard to the affective states elicited by the grotesque. According to Carrolls standard work, the structural principles of the grotesque can elicit 3 affective states: horror, comic amusement and awe and wonder.

Eisensteins work on Disney depicts many of Carrolls structural principles. However on the affective states Eisensteins work was unsatisfying. The grotesque horrific, grotesque comic amusement and the grotesque miraculous are omnipresent in Disney’s work. Framing Disney in the grotesque theoretical perspective according to Carroll, will result in a more complete explanation. Furthermore it must not be forgotten that Disney was an entrepreneur. In light of this aspect of Disney’s artistic endeavour, Carrolls study is an asset to this research because it incorporates the value of the grotesque to mass art and the entertainment industry. The

analysis of early Disney animation according to Carroll will focus on the affective states of the grotesque. This will prevent a repetition of the analysis according Kayser because it depicts similar structural principles. The application of the standard work of Carroll in this research will be further discussed in the method of analysis below.

1.3 - Method of analysis

In chapters 2, 3 and 4, I will do analyse the early Disney animations selected in the

introduction, in the three clusters; Kayser, Bachtin and Carroll. Under the first cluster I will search for grotesque forms in Disney’s world according to Kaysers 6 themes. In his summary of his book ‘The Grotesque in Art and Literature’ he summarizes them, knowing; monsters, animals, the plant-world, tools that come alive and/or fuse with organic elements, people deprived of life and the insane. The examples found in this systematic search of the early Disney material can then be linked to the implications on the viewing experience in

accordance with his theory. In Kaysers view the grotesque takes us suddenly to an estranged world. It takes the viewer to the realm of the unknown, the fearful, the repulsive, the

unnatural, the dark, the demonic and the disorderly. He sees a secret liberation in this, by exposing the evil it can be overcome. A systematic search will confirm the presence of the grotesque aesthetics in Disney and lead to a better understanding of the effects of these forms in relation to the viewing experience of the animations.

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on the grotesque body on a formal level. But more importantly the functioning of the grotesque bodily element in his study offers a connection to a more profound insight. This body performs a pivotal role in Bachtin’s ‘rabaissement’, a process that became the core of his theory. Within it, the bodily element is deeply positive as it stands for fertility, growth and renewal, complementing Disneys work perfectly. In chapter one this theory will be explained extensively. In the analysis according to Bachtin we will look for the trademarks of his grotesque bodily element in the bodies of the creatures found in the early Disney material. The examples will then be connected to Bachtin’s ‘rabaissement’, resulting in a better understanding of the effects of grotesque form in Disney’s animations.

In chapter four the early Disney material will be studied according to Noël Carroll. In ‘The

grotesque today, preliminary notes toward taxonomy’ Carroll offers a different categorization

than Kayser on different grotesque beings. Carroll categorized 4 strategies to realize the structural principle of the grotesque, knowing; disproportioning, fusion, formlessness and gigantism. The study material will be searched for examples of these strategies. Furthermore Carroll has described three emotional states that the grotesque can elicit, knowing; horror, comic amusement and awe and wonder. This will complement very well with questions left in Eisensteins work. Although he has pointed at many grotesque forms, he was far less able to explain the effects in the viewer. Therefore Carrolls theory on emotional states will be most productive in explaining the grotesque function in the “attractability” of Disney.

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2: Analyses according to Kayser

In this chapter I will research the early Disney animations according to Kaysers theory on the grotesque. Kaysers grotesque is the estranged world, a play with the absurd and an attempt to invoke and subdue the demonic aspect of the world (Kayser, 1981). The estranged world is not what we see in the work of art but the effect of it on the perception of our own world. Suddenly the viewer is taken in to the realm of the fearful, the repulsive, the unnatural, the dark, the demonic and the disorderly. This results in our own world and truth to become unreliable, instilling a fear of life in us.

2.1 Structural accounts of the grotesque in Disney animations

To find Kaysers grotesque in the early Disney animations I will search for examples of the six recurrent themes as mentioned in his summary of “the grotesque in art and literature” (1981). I will search for the monsters, the animals, the plant-world, tools that come alive and/or fuse with organic elements, people deprived of life and the insane. I will separate the animations in 4 parts searching for examples of the structural account in The Skeleton Dance, Merbabies, the Mickey Mouse series and Snow white and the seven dwarfs. The Mickey Mouse series will be clustered to, as described in the introduction, prevent repetitive descriptions.

The monsters

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p.184) Later on we can overcome the fear and estrangement of our own world, but this liberating result is not achieved through comical harmless creatures. Kaysers themes exclude these beings that Carroll includes through his theory on comic amusement.

Only a few examples of Kaysers monsters can be found throughout Disney’s early

animations. In the Silly Symphonies series, in Merbabies, we find the leading characters, the Merbabies (still 1). These little creatures are half human toddler or baby and have a tail that could be both fish and plant. The tail is shaped as a fish tail, however because of the fluent movements and color it can also be interpreted as plant material. This formal structure is similar to the mixture of elements we find in the ‘plant boys’ and fauns and nymphs

represented in the frescoes found in Rome. Purely formal, these creatures fit Kaysers monster category perfectly, however when we review their effects on the viewer it becomes a stretch. The Merbabies are the viewer’s guide into a magical circus on the bottom of the sea. This is a carefree world, and the viewer is taken through it in a flowing colorful animation. This animation does not suddenly shock the viewer or instill a fear of life. It elicits a liberating laughter, not a cynical one.

In the Mickey Mouse series we find Pete the Cat, staring in Steamboat Willie. Pete was

originally designed as a bear and therefore exceedingly big. Because of this mixture of species Pete can be viewed as a hybrid. Because of his aggressive nature we can link him to other monsters and hybrids from mythology (still 2). However this does seem like a stretch, Pete is also silly, and his threats never result in serious consequences. Perhaps when one viewed their first Mickey Mouse animation Pete could still bring ominous tension to the screen. But

halfway through Steamboat Willie we already know that Pete is more bark than bite. The narrative does not pay attention to his aggression and even Mickey Mouse, who is half his size, is never startled for too long by this giant.

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In Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs we find the exceedingly small dwarfs. Although not specifically monstrous these creatures can be placed on Kaysers monster category because they are mythical creatures.

The animals

In the category animals we search for the creeping and nocturnal animals that ‘inhabit realms

apart from and inaccessible to man’ (Kayser, 1981, p.182). Among these grotesque animals

are the snakes, owls, toads, spiders and bats. These animals do not transgress ontological or biological boundaries as the monsters did but signal that the situation is unnatural or unsafe for a character to be in.

The Skeleton Dance of the Silly Symphonies series opens with a sequence featuring and owl,

bats, a spider, a wolf and two black cats. The owl is first, the animation starts with a close up of his eyes, luring through the screen at the viewer (still 3). As the ‘camera’ zooms out we see the whole owl, inflating him-self to be even more threatening. Soon after the owl is startled by the tree it is sitting in, breaking his threatening guise. (More on the tree under ‘the plants’). After this the animation features a cemetery overlooked by a church, from the tower bats fly towards the viewer, soon followed by a spider crawling across the screen (still 4). The next shot shows the contour of a dog, which would later appear as Pluto, howling at the full moon, as though he were a frightening wolf. The inflating and deflating, while howling, leads to comicality, breaking down all his credibility as a frightening wolf. Last are two black cats, fighting on top of two tombstones. They hiss and spit at each other and pull on each other’s nose. In western culture black cats are considered an omen of death and bad luck, however these cats are having an infantile fight, which breaks down their mystical effect.

These animals are all black with just eyes that can be distinguished from their contour, emphasizing their dark nature, their belonging in the nocturnal environment. They symbolize for the viewer that this is surely not a place for man to be, creating an initial tension

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In Merbabies of the Silly Symphonies series many animals are featured in the underwater circus. Placing these in Kaysers animal category does not quite fit either. They are animals that suddenly take us into an absurd world, into a place where people would not naturally come. But they are gay circus animals, playing and frolicking around (still 6). There is no ominous tension to speak of in this animation, as we are looking for attractiveness, and effect ultimately within the viewer, Kayser theory has little productive value in this instance. Kayser discusses a fearful effect of the grotesque and considering comicality only the cynical laugh, which is absent in this animation. The same applies for the Mickey Mouse series, at best we find some insects (still 5). Such as the fly in Playful Pluto, but again it does not really produce a pregnant moment. It is part in a clumsy struggle of Pluto, who gets stuck to the sticky paper which was meant for said fly.

In Snow White and the Seven dwarfs we do find a few of Kaysers grotesque animals such as bats, vultures and a raven (still 9, 10). Some of the most famous animals in this animation are the critters and deers, helping snow white when she first gets lost in the woods (still 7). These animals can surely be named grotesque, however they do not fit Kaysers theory like the animals in the Mickey Mouse series and silly symphonies. They will be discussed in the analyses under the analysis according to Bachtin and Carroll as their theory will be more productive for the current research in these instances.

Still 3 Still 4

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The bats, vultures and the raven all show up at moments when danger arises for Snow White. The bats appear, while snow white is panicking through the woods. They complement the impact of the hunter’s confession that her stepmother wants to have her killed. Just now snow white was picking wildflowers on a sunny day in the woods. But now everything has

changed; her world is no longer the same. The bats formalize this sudden change, invoking the demonic aspects of her estranged world.

Later on the raven is witness to the stepmothers change into the witch. An important moment in the film, it is the rise of a terrible threat to Snow White. This moment is surrounded by grotesque form, in the stepmother herself, and in the mise en scène. It is dark, there is a skull, a poison is brewing and the raven is watching. The raven has yellow eyes, reflecting the literal poison in this scene, giving it a repulsive quality. It is an animal known in Christian and western culture in general as a symbol of bad luck, evil and death. Thus it is no surprise that the evil stepmother is accompanied by it. It formalizes the uncanny in this scene,

complements the ominous tension of the moment and takes the viewer into the realm of the fearful. Later on the stepmother, by then transformed into the old witch, comes to the house of the dwarfs to offer Snow White the poisonous apple. In this scene we see two vultures

watching over the proceedings. As the witch gets closer to her goal, getting Snow White to eat the apple, they lower their heads and look at each other in eager anticipation Snow Whites

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death. In this instance as well the animals, the vultures formalize imminent danger, a sudden change about to happen.

The plant-world

Under the plant world we search for examples where nature seems to erase the difference between animals and plants (Kayser, p.183). Above the tree in the opening sequence of The

Skeleton Dance was mentioned while considering the Owl. Here it can be categorized as an

instance of Kayser plants that come alive.Still 11 shows a tree forming a human arm and hand with its branch. It tries to grab the owl, startling the animal. This fits Kaysers category, however as discussed above, due to comical effect, it also loses its effect rather quickly.

Images 12 and 13 and 14 show instances of Kaysers grotesque plant theme during snow white panicked rush through the woods. Besides the bats that were discussed above, the woods seem to come alive and try to capture her. Logs in the water turn into vicious crocodiles and

branches form hands that try to grab her. These living threatening plants add to the uncanny atmosphere of this moment. As discussed above, snow white’s world has suddenly changed. These forms draw the viewer into Snow Whites threatening world, into the realm of the fearful, the dark and demonic.

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The tools that come alive and/or fuse with organic elements

In this category we look for examples that transgress the boundaries between the mechanic and the organic. They are the machines that come alive, or those that merge with a living being (Kayser, 1981).

In the Mickey Mouse series we find some examples of this phenomenon. In ‘steamboat willie’ the boat itself comes alive, the chimneys move up and down while blowing smoke (still 15). The whistles of the boat whistle along with the music and when one forgets to play its not, the others remind him by kicking (still 16). Later on the boat picks up Minnie Mouse, the hook hauling her about, moves to lift her skirt, and grabs her undergarments (still 17). On the boat a goat eats Minnie’s sheet music and guitar. Luckily when the goat is treated as an organ by turning his tail, it can still play music (still 18). This merges the goat with a mechanic devise. Mickey gets inspired and the same follows with many more animals, they are all played as musical instruments, creating several fashions between animal and instrument. In ‘Playful Pluto’, Pluto gets into a struggle with the garden hose and while doing so it seems to fight back (still 19). Also the water meter, in still 20, goes wild and seems to be more living than strictly mechanics. Furthermore Pluto swallows a flashlight, and while it lights the dog from inside, this mechanical devises merges with the dog (still 21).

These instances have the same problem as mentioned discussing the examples of the animals and the monsters in the silly symphonies and the Mickey Mouse series. They can be fitted into Kaysers theory formally, although it is a stretch. The mechanical objects come alive but do not ‘unfold a dangerous life of their own’ as he describes in his summary (1981, p.183). These instances too elicit gay laughter, not a cynical one. When considering their effects Kayser offers little productive answers for the current research. The theory of Bachtin and Carroll will fit these phenomena’s better.

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People deprived of life

Under the deprived of life, Kayser focusses on human bodies that are reduced to puppets, marionettes and automata (1981, p.138). However the theme has changed over time, Kayser writes “Even the grinning skull and the moving skeleton are motifs the macabre content of which structurally aligns them with the grotesque” (1981, p.184). The Dance of Death is also discussed as a source of influence and according to Kayser it can enrich the vocabulary of the grotesque if it would “slough off its didactic skin” (1981, p.184). Bases on this we can

categorize the skeletons of The Skeleton Dance of the Silly Symphonies under the deprived of life. They are moving skeletons; we know that ones they were human bodies with flesh, now clearly biologically deprived of life, yet moving. Disney shows what Kayser had asked for; the skeletons perform a dance of death without a didactic skin. However here too it would be a stretch to make Kaysers further theory productive, as the skeletons are a caricature of the

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horrific beings they represent. Supported by the chancing mood of the music they sneak around, one moment frightening, the next comical. As the music changes so does their posture, in stills 23 and 24 the switch between horrific and comical is clear to see.

The insane

The insane includes people in which the human nature has taken on a threatening form; an outside force seems to have overtaken the soul (1981, p.184). In this category we can place the evil queen from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This stepmother, queen and witch transforms herself into an old hag because of mad jealousy. Before the transformation in an old hag, her clothing, eyes and mouth give her a threatening guise (still 25). She wears and impressive cape making her look bigger than she naturally would be. Her eyes are poisonous green and frames by dark lines and strict eyebrows. Her mouth holds a cynical grin

throughout the film, nearly grinding her teeth, giving her a controlling, mad and frustrated look. During her transformation, evil forces completely take hold of her. Although she only takes the form of an old hag to disguise herself, it also reveals her true form, as it reminds us of evil witches (still 26).

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By finding examples of the forms and motifs of Kaysers themes it has been established that there are many grotesqueries in Disney’s early animations. Many of the grotesque forms found in Disney are either difficult to place within the themes or not at all. Even though Kaysers theory does not fit all grotesqueries found, this analysis has brought productive results.

According to Kayser “the word grotesque applies to three different realms - the creative process, the artwork itself, and its reception” (1981, p.180). For all animations considered Disney’s work fits into the first two of these realms. As Eisenstein has described, Disney liberates himself of all boundaries of our world in his creative process (1988). While doing so he also plays with the dark and absurd, breaking down its boundaries. This has led to

animations, the artworks an sich, that are structurally clearly grotesque. Disney’s work is a play with the absurd and estrangement of our world. A goose can also be an instrument, the dead can dance and bodies can be completely transformed.

The categorization of the grotesque forms in the material, marked as early Disney animations, according to Kaysers themes has also revealed an important division. Disney is consistent in his boundless creativity and in the structure of his forms, however there is a remarkable change in the effects of these forms when he switches from cartoons to feature films. The short animations or cartoons, the pre-war work; in this research represented by the Silly Symphonies and the Mickey Mouse series, are comical and for all ages, including adults. The feature animation films, the post-war work; in this research represented by Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, are for children and more serious.

The pre-war cartoons, contain some of the grotesque strategies covered in Kaysers themes; some beings, tools and plants, but categorizing these as such is a stretch. These fit partially, but Kaysers theory would not provide complete understanding of the reception of these

Disney’s “attractability” and the aesthetics of the grotesque

Disney’s “attractability” and the

aesthetics of the grotesque

Disney’s “attractability” and the

aesthetics of the grotesque

Table of contents

Introduction

1: Theoretical framework and Method

2: Analyses according to Kayser