If I say 'Disney film' what do you immediately think of? Maybe Beauty and the Beast, Frozen or Toy Story, for me one holds a special place in my heart. Released on this date in 1985, The Black Cauldron became the 25th animated classic but it is widely regarded as the worst one.
The film was released at a time of uncertainty for Disney Animation Studios and almost killed the division. It was a costly project and made little to no money, the animation is considered below par and the theme is too dark. However, this is a unique Disney film and is quite different from anything that came before or after it.
The story is quite simple for its genre, a young boy with no military background tumbles through different tasks to defeat the villain. He meets friends along the way, a talking animal, fairies, a princess and a musician. He also faces a trio of evil witches. Harry Potter, another film franchise based on a book series, almost fits the exact description. There are numerous of comparisons to other films, after all there are plenty of fairies throughout the Disney Animation franchise, evil witches in the form of Maleficent, the Evil Queen and Madam Mimm. We see plenty of princesses and a band of musical cats in The Aristocats, along with many singers in nearly all the films, although not musicians by trade. So, what went wrong?
The story is widely assumed too dark for a Disney movie, there is no musical soundtrack and ultimately it comes across as a ‘boy's’ film. Boy's Disney films always do slightly worse than what is considered a girl's film. Going back in time Pinocchio and The Sword in the Stone are less well received that Snow White or Lady and the Tramp. The lack of songs in the film also contributes to a short legacy; if we look at patterns in the history of Disney classics those with little or no songs often perform less well than those with big numbers such as Circle of Life (The Lion King), Part of Your World (The Little Mermaid) and Let It Go (Frozen).
As mentioned above the film is considered too dark for a Disney film. The Horned King is the image of nightmares as he resembles the Grim Reaper, his army of the dead are walking skeletons and the atmosphere of the castle is more Bram Stoker’s Dracula rather than Walt Disney's Cinderella. The notion of a magical cauldron bringing back the dead to kill the living is something that should never have been made into a Disney film. True, it fits into the 'tales to entertain' category that Walt had wanted when he set out making his films in the 1930s but since his passing the studio had lost its way. This is a shame because The Black Cauldron has some rather fine moments, if people just gave it a chance.
Gurgi is a wonderful creation and more than meets the lovable, furry companion that is later performed superbly by Abu in Aladdin and Timon and Pumbaa in The Lion King.
Princess Eilonwy is a brilliant Princess; she has such fierceness that is not shown in another Disney film until Pocahontas. She is independent and brave but also scared at the right moments. It is such a crime that Disney doesn’t include her in their 'Official Princess List' because she deserves a place and actually is a better role model than what came before her.
Taran is a hard character to pin down, he is strong in the context of the film but his personality is similar to Mowgli from The Jungle Book or Arthur in The Sword in the Stone. However, focusing on the film, he is a dreamer and would do anything to prove he is a fearless warrior, throughout the film he always seems to be out to prove something. He offers his life so many times that it appears not to matter to him. He must see this as bravery but to everyone else it comes across as immaturity due to his likeliness to Arthur and Mowgli.
There are quite a few things in the film that doesn’t work; but there are also plenty of things that do. The lack of song and traditional Disney magic gives the film something of its own and allows its world to be unique and stands well. The source material it is based on, The Chronicles of Prydain, gives the animators and producers a lot to work with; the film also does really well to cram all of the different parts of the book series into the time span of a single film. There are plenty of characters that are cut and many seem like a missed opportunity, but the film, as it stands, ticks all the boxes needed for a great family adventure.
The imagery of the Horned King and his warriors are frightening anyway but his gruesome end is terrifying. These images give the Evil Queen's transformation in Snow White and Cruella Deville’s eyes in 101 Dalmatians a run for their money, they could even supersede them. As a cult film there is so much that it does well and in 2018 it would be considered Disney's attempt to cash in on the Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones wave. But in the mid-1980s, film audiences were not looking back to the middle ages and myths, but to the future such as Back to the Future and Star Wars. Plus animation was falling behind, since the late 1960s animated films were lagging behind other features for the family. Animatronics were leading the way, once again headlined by Star Wars but also ET.
The film will never be a hit in the eyes of Disney and although there are petitions to get the film released on Blu-ray this may never come to pass. The merchandise is lacking and other than the odd celebratory pin there has been very little released to date. But this is where some of the charm comes from; The Black Cauldron doesn’t need streams of merchandise or a new release every few years. Instead it is just a fun, yet scary, tale for people of all ages to enjoy. Don’t consider it in the same genre as Frozen or Mulan but look at it fresh, a Disney film in a category all of its own.
I am currently working on a number of fleshed out articles for each Disney film but I couldn’t miss my favourite Disney film’s birthday. One day you will get to learn a lot more, but for now, grab a copy and enjoy this young boy’s journey to find The Black Cauldron.