[#MovieReview] #Disney Animation Marathon Review Part 15: "The Sword in the Stone" — A Hidden Gem? Exploring Its Charm [#Podcast Episode Introduction]

"Reel Friends in Tokyo" is a movie introduction podcast hosted by personalities "Mako" and "Oma." In this note, we delve into the popular works, masterpieces, and even cult classics featured in the podcast, exploring them from our unique perspectives with behind-the-scenes stories not covered in the show, personal deep dives, and supplementary information for our listeners.

Each time, we summarize the key points of the talk and discussion from the podcast, original insights from both Mako and Oma, and personal movie reviews that stem from our often-tangential, honest conversations. Whether you are a listener or not, please relax and enjoy.

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Chapter 1: This Work is Just Too Unknown

1.1 Honestly, isn't it the case that more people haven't seen it?

When trying to talk about "The Sword in the Stone," there is a wall you hit right at the start.
Its name recognition is just too low.

Even among Disney's feature-length animations,
this work somehow never comes up in conversation.
I've heard the name.
I vaguely know it's a story about pulling a sword.
But if you ask if I've actually watched it properly... hmm, that's questionable.

My impression is that
"there are probably more people who haven't seen it than have."
That's the level this work is at.

I personally saw it for the first time in my childhood.
I remember renting the VHS at TSUTAYA and watching it with my older sister.
However, if you ask if I laughed out loud, that's not really the case.
If you ask if a traumatic masterpiece scene was etched into my heart, that's also not it.

And yet, for some reason, I remember it.

This movie is exactly in that position.

1.2 It's not flashy. But there is definitely romance in it.

"The Sword in the Stone" is not a flashy movie.
The villain isn't trying to destroy the world,
and there is no grand war depicted.

But, there is romance there.

A mere boy,
without even realizing it himself,
grasps his destiny as a king.

The depiction of the process is, honestly, quite simple.
The training and the trials are somewhat fragmented.
Even so,
the satisfaction of the moment he pulls out the sword is something I remember clearly.

For that one moment,
everything that had been built up to that point,
that feeling is definitely there.

1.3 The me of those days who couldn't reach the original source

After watching this movie,
I went to the library to find and read the Legend of King Arthur.
But I gave up immediately.

It was too difficult.

I didn't know at the time.
That this film was not based on the legend of King Arthur itself,
but rather on T.H. White's fantasy novel
"The Once and Future King"
as its foundation.

Looking back now,
this film was not made as a reproduction of myths or legends,

but as a gateway to legend.

That is precisely why
it is easy for children to understand,
but somehow lacking for adults.

That discrepancy
makes evaluating this work difficult.

1.4 Too weak to be called a "masterpiece," but too good to dismiss as "mediocre"

"The Sword in the Stone"
is not counted among the so-called representative Disney works.
But at the same time,
it is hard to call it a failure.

The level of completion is high.
The music is good.
The characters are well-defined.

Yet,
it lacks a decisive punch.

I believe this "half-baked" quality
is the reason that has pushed this work into beinga hidden existence.

However,
there is a reason for hidden works to be hidden.

Unearthing those reasons one by one
is the purpose of this time.

Chapter 2: Synopsis

2.1 The story progresses through "placement" rather than "growth"

The synopsis of "The Sword in the Stone" falls into a rather unusual category among Disney works.
Because this story,while taking the form of a coming-of-age tale, does not depict growth in stages.

The protagonist is a boy named Arthur.
His nickname is "Wart." In short, a skin growth. Terrible.
He has low status and no special talents.
He lives his days aimlessly while doing chores at the castle.

The one who appears there is the wizard Merlin.
Merlin takes Wart as his apprentice
and provides him with various "education."

However, what is important here
is the point that what Merlin teaches is neither swordsmanship nor the art of governance.

What is taught is—
becoming a fish,
becoming a squirrel,
becoming a bird,
in any case,the experience of seeing the world as a different existence.

2.2 A unique structure where episodes are lined up

The story does not progress in a straight line.
Trial → Overcoming → Growth
The classic structure is almost never used.

Instead, what is lined up are
a series of strange lessons by Merlin.

• What is knowledge?

• What is power?

• What is rule?

Each of these is
not presented in direct words, but
presented as an experience.

Because of this, the viewer is sometimes confused.
The feeling of “What am I being shown right now?”
often appears.

However, this very aimlessness
defines the character of this work.

2.3 The goal of the story is decided from the beginning

In this movie,
there is no clear final boss.
There is no mission to save the world.

All there is
is the single point of “whether or not one can become king.”

And that answer,
for those who know the legend,
is known from the start.

Arthur pulls out the sword.
That is all.

What is important
is not what he did to pull out the sword.
It is that the qualifications to pull out the sword were acquired before he knew it.

Merlin's lessons were
not stairs leading to a destination, but
a detour to broaden one's perspective.

2.4 The abruptness of the climax

In the final stages,
the sword stuck in the castle appears.

No one around can pull it out.
And then,
Wart casually pulls the sword out.

The buildup is minimal.
The direction is also understated.

However, there is meaning in this abruptness.

The moment of becoming king
does not need to be dramatic.
If the preparation is complete, it simply happens.

2.5 What is important as a synopsis is this sense of discomfort

When following the synopsis of The Sword in the Stone,
a sense of 'something missing' inevitably remains.

It lacks excitement.
The purpose is vague.
The catharsis is weak.

But rather than a flaw, that is a
design feature.

This film
does not depict a 'drama leading up to becoming king'.
It depicts 'how the capacity to be king was formed before one even realized it'.

How one perceives this gap
greatly divides the evaluation of this work.

Chapter 3: The Sherman Brothers Arrive

3.1 The 'sound' of Disney becomes definitive here

The biggest factor that makes The Sword in the Stone a special film is
undoubtedly themusic.

With this work, Disney finally
perfected the 'Disney-esque sound'.

The driving force behind that
is the Sherman Brothers.

In later years, they would go on to create
Mary Poppins,
The Jungle Book,
Winnie the Pooh,
and other iconic Disney musical catalogs one after another.

But thestarting pointis this film, The Sword in the Stone.

This film
entrusts much of its emotion to the music.

3.2 'The sound that plays when you think of Disney'

I want you to imagine something for a moment.
When you hear the word "Disney",
what background music plays in your head?

For many people,
it is the melodies of the Sherman Brothers.

Lighthearted,
approachable,
somewhat ironic,
and yet, it still carries a genuine sense of exhilaration.

The songs in "The Sword in the Stone" don't so much drive the story forward as they

set the tone for the entire film.

Even when Wart is lost,
the audience is not.
That is because the music tells us,
"This is a fun adventure."

3.3 Merlin's songs are almost entirely gags

This is particularly evident in
the songs associated with Merlin.

If you look at the content objectively,
almost all of them are composed of gags.

The spells are incoherent.
The lyrics are overly explanatory.
The rhythm is restless.

But that is what makes them good.

Without this pop sensibility,
the hard-edged nature of the original work—
the philosophical depth of T.H. White's "The Once and Future King"—
would certainly be too heavy for a children's movie.

The Sherman Brothers
took difficult concepts and
laughed them off through song,
thereby translating them into Disney.

3.4 The lineage of "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo"

Listening to Merlin's spell songs,
there is something I cannot help but recall.

It is "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo"
from "Cinderella."

The meaning is unclear.
But it is fun.
That is what a spell is supposed to be.

"The Sword in the Stone"
does not depict magic as something mystical.
It consumes it as a musical event.

That decision
makes the film feel much lighter.

This is not an escape.
It is an extremely calculated strategy that identifies the target audience.

3.5 Music defines the 'impression' of a film

To be honest,
the story of 'The Sword in the Stone'
is hard to leave a strong impression.

However,
the music remains.

Even after many years,
I suddenly recall just the melody.

That is,
the terrifying talent of the Sherman Brothers,
and the strength of Disney.

This film is
not a work remembered for its story.
It is a work remembered for its sound.

Chapter 4: Merlin as a Translation Device

4.1 The original is serious, the film is pop—how was that gap handled?

When talking about 'The Sword in the Stone,' Merlin's presence cannot be avoided.
This is because he is a character who embodies the 'translation policy' of this film itself.

The original work, T.H. White's 'The Once and Future King,'
is by no means a light story for children.
What is education? What is power? What is rule?
It is quite ideological, and in some cases, even preachy.

If this material had been turned into an animation as is,
it probably wouldn't have become the 'The Sword in the Stone' we know today.

The solution Disney chose,
was the bold translation of making Merlin a 'funny old man.'

4.2 Merlin is a teacher, but he doesn't preach

Merlin is Wart's tutor.
But he doesn't stand at a podium.
He doesn't have a blackboard.
He doesn't give long lectures.

What he does instead is
transformations, failures, slapstick, and accidents.

He turns him into a fish.
He turns him into a squirrel.
He turns him into a bird.
He just throws him into things.

In other words, Merlin is
not a teacher who imparts knowledge,
but is depicted as an educator who designs experiences.

This inherits the philosophy of the original work,
quite faithfully, yet in a different form.

4.3 Why are the spells always so bizarre?

Merlin's spells are
nonsensical, hard to remember, and
usually fail.

But that is perfectly fine.

If magic worked perfectly,
the movie would instantly become boring.
Omnipotent power robs one of the opportunity to learn.

Merlin's magic is
always slightly off.
That is why Wart thinks, and why the audience thinks too.

This design
is clearly connected to the lineage of
Cinderella's "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo".

Magic is not a mystery, but an
event for entertainment.
The moment you accept that,
the story opens up to children all at once.

4.4 Merlin does not teach the "correct answer"

What is important is that
Merlin never once says,
"This is how you become a king."

He knows the future.
But he does not teach it.

All he does instead is
expand the ways of seeing the world.

The world of fish.
The world of animals.
The perspective of the weak.
The foolishness of relying on power.

These all
connect to "being a king" later on, but
they are not explained at the time.

This lack of hand-holding makes
The Sword in the Stone
not a didactic film, but an
experiential film.

4.5 The greatest role Merlin played

Merlin is
not the protagonist driving the story.
He is not the villain.
He is not the final boss.

But he is
the very reason this movie managed not to become heavy.

He does not abandon the philosophy of the original work,
yet he opens it up for children,
and does so without being preachy.

As a translation device for that purpose,
there is no one more excellent than Merlin.

The reason "The Sword in the Stone" feels
somewhat light,
somewhat lacking,
yet strangely memorable,
is thanks to this character design.

Chapter 5: Reasons why it cannot quite become a "hidden masterpiece"

5.1 Is the lack of excitement a flaw, or a characteristic?

I think the impression most people have after finishing "The Sword in the Stone" is roughly the same.
"It's not bad"
"But, it feels a bit thin"
"Is it really worth calling a masterpiece?"

This "lukewarm" feeling is not simply due to poor quality.
Rather, it is structured that way.

This film has no clear "enemy."
There is no evil trying to destroy the world,
and no entity that must be defeated.
There is also almost no clear goal presented to pull the story forward.

In light of this principle, "The Sword in the Stone" stands on quite shaky ground.

5.2 Wart has no "desire"

The protagonist, Wart,
does not want to be king.
He does not want to be strong.
He does not want to change the world.

What he desires is,
at most, to "live without being scolded."

This "lack of desire"
is excellent for an educational film, but
it is also fatal for entertainment.

The audience empathizes with the protagonist's desires.
But Wart,
until the very end, does not actively go out to grasp anything.

Even in the moment he pulls the sword,
it is closer to "it just happened"
than to him being "chosen."

While this contingency
creates that exhilarating scene,
it also weakens the catharsis of the story as a whole.

5.3 That is why it doesn't become a "film you want to watch over and over"

Disney masterpieces have
reasons that make you want to watch them again and again.

• An overwhelming villain
• An unforgettable tragedy
• A clear growth story
• A powerful theme

In "The Sword in the Stone",
these are intentionally stripped away.

What exists in their place is
a series of episodes.
A accumulation of small lessons.
An adventure that feels like an extension of daily life.

As a result,
it is easy to get the impression that
once is enough.

However, this quote
does not say that “simple equals interesting.”

5.4 Still, the reason I cannot bring myself to hate this movie

Nevertheless,
“The Sword in the Stone” is strangely hard to dislike.

That is because this film is not
a story about “becoming great,” but
a story about “the time spent growing up.”

Not everyone becomes a king.
But everyone is living through
the time spent on the way to becoming someone.

That sense of being in limbo,
that lack of a fixed direction,
that feeling of moving forward while still unfinished.

In that regard,
this movie is strangely realistic.

5.5 The true nature of the term 'hidden gem'

Ultimately,
“The Sword in the Stone” is
too weak to be called a “masterpiece,”
and too sincere to be dismissed as a “flop.”

That is why
it has been tucked away
into the convenient phrase “hidden gem.”

But to be precise,
this is not ahidden film—
it is a film that does not step forward.

That is its strength,
and at the same time, its weakness.

Chapter 6: What 'The Sword in the Stone' left behind anyway

6.1 Its quiet role in Disney history

When discussed among Disney works, the position of “The Sword in the Stone” is generally ambiguous.
It is not revolutionary.
It was not turned into a series.
The villain is weak.
It does not try to make you cry.

Nevertheless, this film functions perfectly as a “passing point.”

That is because it marks the moment
when Disneycompletely shifted the focus of its feature-length children's animation from “education” to “entertainment.”

Snow White and Pinocchio still had clear morals.
There was good and evil, punishment, and reward.
But in “The Sword in the Stone,” that has almost completely dissipated.

All you have is experience.
The results will follow later.

Wart's life is exactly that.

6.2 Not a "story of becoming a king," but the "time before becoming a king"

Many stories about kings
place the moment of coronation as the climax.

But this film
ends just one step before that.

The moment the sword is pulled,
the film abruptly brings down the curtain.

Governance is not depicted.
War is not depicted.
Responsibility is not depicted.

What is depicted is
only the time before becoming a king, when one was nobody.

I think this is a quite bold choice.

6.3 Why it resonates in childhood and fades in adulthood

People who watched this film as children
often remember the "romance" of it.

But when you watch it again as an adult,
it feels somewhat lacking.

That is because this film is
a story that does not depict "completion."

Adults seek results.
They seek meaning.
They crave catharsis.

But "The Sword in the Stone"
provides almost none of that.

This lack of accommodation
is also the sincerity of this film.

6.4 Among what Disney has built up

In the shadow of flashy hits,
there is a film like this.

It doesn't explode.
It doesn't make you cry.
It is also hard to pass down.

However,
the reason Disney
was able to remain a "studio that continues to produce feature-length animation"
lies in the accumulation of such experimental works.

Among them, "The Sword in the Stone" is
a work that
chose lightness without fear of failure.

6.5 Not a hidden gem

I feel that calling this movie
a "hidden gem"
is a bit off.

This is neither a masterpiece nor a classic.
However,
as the first work where Disney allowed itself to "become light," it has real significance.

The courage not to make it heavy.
The resolve not to tie it all together.
The choice not to complete it.

All of these things
place this movie in a unique position.

6.6 In conclusion

"The Sword in the Stone" is
not a movie you want to watch over and over again.

But,
it is a movie you remember from time to time.

Only the satisfaction of that moment
when the sword was pulled
remains in my head.

Perhaps that is enough.

It is not a story about becoming a king,
but a story about the time before becoming a king,
when he was still nobody.

This movie certainly preserves
that quiet value.

And hey, Disney.
It's been 10 years since the announcement, so what happened to the live-action project?

Podcaster Mako (@_macobana) discusses movie topics that couldn't be fully covered on the main channel "Pocket ni Numa wo" (#PokeNuma) on the podcast program "#YomoyamaKobanashi" (#MakoBana), where she talks solo about various things, finally moving to a dedicated channel.

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