Dumbo

Dumbo is the main character, the leading role, and he surely carries the whole movie. He’s full of charm and tenderness, and so is the movie itself. He embodies the talent animators have to transcribe the most powerful emotions into drawings. Indeed, this baby elephant, handicapped by his too long ears, is subjected to a very hostile world only because he is different. And the spectator can easily identify to him at any time of his life. Right from his very first shot, Dumbo is very likable, and becomes more and more likeable through the film. Besides, Dumbo is a true mime. He doesn’t say a single word and only shows his emotions through gestures and positions. Touching, naïve and so engaging, the baby elephant seems touched by grace as he manages to move the audience who adopts him for life, way after they see the movie. The effect on youngsters is even more powerful than the relationship between Dumbo and his mother, perfectly well rendered, contains an intense emotional charge.
Timothy the young mouse is the only friend of Dumbo. He is unquestionably the other main role of the movie. Indeed, he carries the "good" part of the story by accepting the elephant with no prejudice. He shines the same way Jiminy Cricket does in Pinocchio. The audience immediately adopts him as he brings comfort to Dumbo as he endures suffering. Like the main character, he enjoys a powerful identification capacity with the audience, with his "best friend" role. His kindness and consideration are even more striking that they are in complete opposition with the darkness of the elephant shrews, the cheek of the brats and also the extreme harshness of the circus director with Dumbo’s mother.
At last, Casey Junior is quite a noteworthy secondary character. Already seen in The Reluctant Dragon, he is a perfect example of personification of an object by animating it. Its very "cartoony" features are truly a showpiece. As for its interventions, they give the entire movie essential and welcomed breaths that turn down the emotional heaviness of the story. Casey Junior surely represents what the audience expects from Disney.

In spite of its shortness, Dumbo is packed with unforgettable scenes that play with very diverse emotions.
The Baby Mine scene is without a doubt one of the most tender sequence of the film, and maybe of the entire Studios works. Indeed, the baby elephant has just found his mother imprisoned for having defended him against some brats. Because she can’t hug him but just touch him with her trunk, she sings him a lullaby. Dumbo says nothing but his expression is heartbreaking. It made generations of moviegoers worldwide cry.
The Pink Elephants on Parade scene is also, but not likewise, an outstanding sequence. Totally surreal, it carries a reference to Dali’s works. Supposed to represent alcoholic inebriation, it is truly scary. The bright colors, the repetitive rhythm, the intensifying racket and the chosen shapes all participate to a feeling of sound and sight apocalypse, particularly disturbing and extremely rare in Disney movies.
The song When I see an Elephant Fly is, at last, a true gem with its communicative good mood. A bunch of crows, animated by Ward Kimball – One of the future « nine old men » - take a liking to Dumbo and help him, as Timothy did, to gain confidence with a surprising, playful and rhythmic ritornello.

Dumbo is praised by critics. It welcomes Disney’s return to where he was expected: a simple story with « cartoony » drawings. The two previous experimental movies were indeed disconcerting. Fantasia was judged far too much pompous and avant-gardist, and The Reluctant Dragon disappointing and rambling. Dumbo wins the Oscar for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture and is nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Song.
As for the audience, it gave the elephant a triumphant welcome. The Times even planed on putting the movie in its headlines, but History decided otherwise. Indeed, the attack on Pearl Harbor knocked Dumbo out of the famous magazine’s front-page.
The movie is a classic masterpiece, very popular, and also an incredible economical success. Its low costs compared to its outstanding receipts allowed Mickey’s company to recuperate a financial health after the commercial failures of Pinocchio and Fantasia.
Dumbo then experienced many theatrical re-releases, each of them with great success. Definitely anchored in the collective unconscious, the movie belongs to the envious category of phenomenon movies that have participated to Walt Disney’s reputation and signature. It is without a doubt one of the most touching work of the animation Master. So, no surprises that Dumbo is the favorite animated feature of both John Lasseter - Pixar director - and Leonard Maltin - Cinema historian.

Dumbo is a complete masterpiece, to be seen again and again.