The Presentation of Heroes and Villains in Shrek by DreamWorks and Other Traditional Fairytales in Walt Disney Stables

The Presentation of Heroes and Villains in Shrek by DreamWorks and Other Traditional Fairytales in Walt Disney Stables

DreamWorks's 'Shrek' is the award winning animated film from 2001,

known to be the modern day fairytale with its informal language and

alternative storyline. Shrek is very much the opposite of what we know

to be traditional fairytales, tales that send out heart-felt warmth

and feed the imagination. These tales of fantasy have been known

throughout many generations and with the experience of Shrek we may be

introducing a whole new interpretation of fairytales. This story

overrides any of the traditional fairytale boundaries with its heroic

princes', beautiful princesses and terrifying beasts.

The first scene that we come across is of an imitation fairytale book

that is seen in Sleeping Beauty as if to show that this will turn out

to be a conventional fairytale. The soft classical music being played

in the background shows authenticity of a stereotypical fairytale.

Suddenly a large green hand rips out a page and snaps the book shut.

Already we notice certain opinions that are being expressed towards

fairytales in this story and give us the impression that this will not

be just any ordinary fairytale. The moment Shrek steps out of the

outhouse, modern upbeat music begins to play and we continue to watch

Shrek's daily life as an ogre. Although we see him basking in mud we

are still able to feel warmth towards him. His large grin and

non-angular features give him a soft, friendly look, which also makes

him different to the conventional evil characters with their stern

appearances. All of these ingredients are what makes him ...

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...ints of view to change the way that the

characters are seen. In stereotypical fairytale the hero's and

villains would be viewed in ways to exaggerate their appearances, but

Shrek deliberately distorts the way you watch the film. This is to

keep attention and to bring a funny side to the way the film was

produced.

In conclusion, Shrek is a modern fairytale, which allows a

contemporary audience to relate to its morals and messages. The

characters are not uniform with traditional fairytales but all of the

components of the stereotypical story are there. The fact that certain

aspects are disguised means that the film can offer different

significances to people of different age groups and different

backgrounds. It covers a wider range of subject matter, which allows

it to offer a lot more than conventional fairytales.