Last night my boyfriend and I sat down and watched “The Rescuers,” a movie that is based on the children’s novels of Margery Sharp. I know that for many of you this movie does not fall on your top ten list of favorite Disney movies, but for me it brings out more heart than the Disney movies that are being released today. This could be the result of the film being the last collaborative project the original Disney animators (Nine Old Men) worked on together.
The story centers on a little orphan girl named Penny who gets kidnapped by the evil Madame Medusa and taken to Devil’s Bayou to search for the Devil’s Eye (One of the largest diamonds in the world). After several failed escape attempts Penny resorts to her last hope, and sends a message in a bottle for help. Little does she know her prayers are answered by the Rescue Aid Society in the form of two heartwarming mice named Bernard (Bob Newhart) and Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor). Together with the help of several swamp critters the duo takes down Medusa and her two crocodile henchmen.
As I watched this movie, I realized that Madame Medusa (Geraldine Page) is a seriously neglected villain in the Disney franchise, and to be honest I feel like she’s the most horrifying and one of the only villains that disturbed me as a kid besides Cruella de Vil. Interesting enough the two animators (Milt Kahl and Marc Davis) who created these frightful villains had a debate to see which one was superior. (I don’t know who won, but they both seem pretty disturbing).
Medusa is insane, devious, and malevolent. I still remember to this day how freaked out I was by her in the scene where she removed her makeup. Her animation is truly a masterpiece of emotion changing from one side of the spectrum to the other in an instant. Every movement is dynamic and unpredictable and that’s what makes Medusa a great villain.
“The Rescuers” is so unique from other Disney films in the way the art and music are handled. From the moment the movie starts, the images seen are unlike any other Disney movie due to the dark and rough style animators chose to create. The score done by Artie Butler also enhances the macabre feeling throughout the movie, but like any Disney movie there has to be a glimmer of hope and the songs sung by Shelby Flint do just that. Some people may find that the 70’s stylistic songs to be too gaudy, but I find these songs to be soothing ever since I was little.
This movie will bring you back to your childhood time and time again, and will seem like a new adventure each time you watch it. It’s such a treasure to keep in your collection if you’re like me who must have every movie that you were obsessed with as a kid.
movie night with Alex 