[#MovieReview] #Disney Animation Marathon Review Part 21: The Black Cauldron - A representative work of the terrifying dark age that some don't know, and those who do, harshly criticize [#Podcast Episode Introduction]

"Reel Friends in Tokyo" is a movie introduction podcast presented by personalities Mako and Oma. In this note, we delve into the hit works, masterpieces, and even cult classics featured in the podcast episodes, exploring behind-the-scenes stories we couldn't cover on the show, personal deep dives, and supplementary information for our listeners from our unique perspectives.

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 often stem from our off-the-cuff, honest conversations. Whether you are a listener or not, please relax and enjoy.

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Chapter 1: A Cursed Object Known as a Representative Work of the Dark Age

1.1 The Terror of Being Seriously Boring

Let me be honest.
While watching this movie, for the first time in my life, I seriously doubted, "Am I really watching a Disney movie right now?"

I can't laugh.
I can't cry.
My heart is completely unmoved.

As a result, rather than following the story, I checked the packaging over and over again.
"Did I accidentally play a B-grade fantasy from another company?"
"Is it possible someone stuck the Disney logo on later?"
Those suspicions were far more thrilling than the developments on screen.

This is different from mere boredom.
You can sleep through a boring movie.
The fact that you can sleep is proof that your brain has decided it's "not worth processing any further."

But The Black Cauldron is different.
I can't sleep.
Because I start thinking about the reasons why it's boring.

・Why does the story have no gravitational pull?
・Why do the characters look like symbols without emotions?
・Why is the "storytelling" that Disney was supposed to be best at dead?

This "why" won't leave my head.

This reminds me of "learned helplessness," a concept proposed by social psychologist Martin Seligman in 1975.
He states:

This is exactly what happens in the audience's heart.
Even if you have expectations, they aren't met.
Even if you try to understand, it's meaningless.
Even if you invest your emotions, nothing comes back.

As a result, the audience stops "feeling."
For a Disney movie, this is almost a fatal wound.

1.2 The Accusation of Numbers: A Box Office Failure

It's easy to criticize based on feelings alone.
But The Black Cauldron is clearly a failure in terms of numbers as well.

The production cost was about $44 million.
It was a very bold investment for a Disney feature animation at the time.
However, the domestic box office revenue was about $21 million.

In other words, it is an unrecoverable deficit.

This is not at the level of a "minor slip-up."
It is said that within the company, the very survival of the massive studio that is Disney was in jeopardy.

Here, I would like to invoke the institutional theory of sociologist Robert K. Merton.
In his 1938 paper, he pointed out the "dysfunction" that occurs when an institution loses sight of its original purpose.

Disney during this period was in exactly that state.

• A lack of vision after Walt's passing
• Conflict between veteran animators and the younger generation
• The aimless wandering of "children's entertainment" in 80s Hollywood

The organizational structure that originally functioned to create masterpieces had transformed into a device that
mass-produced mediocre works and eventually birthed a bizarre failure.

"The Black Cauldron" is the one where that dysfunction surfaced most blatantly.

1.3 Why it became a "non-existent work" in Japan

In Japan, this film is surprisingly unknown.
Even those who call themselves Disney fans mostly react with, "Oh, I've heard the title, but that's it."

The only exception would be the now-defunctCinderella Castle Mystery Tour.
For some reason, the final boss was the Horned King.
The criteria for that decision remain a mystery, but regardless, it was almost the only place where "The Black Cauldron" was visualized in Japan.

However, that attraction has also disappeared.
In other words, the route to finding this film in Japan today isalmost completely severed.

Cultural anthropologist Clifford Geertz (1973) stated that culture is a "web of significance."
Within that web, people understand, share, and pass on stories to the next generation.

But "The Black Cauldron" was never caught in that web to begin with.

• Few television broadcasts
• No related merchandise
• No context for it to be passed down

What is the result?
Those who don't know it will never know it.
Those who do know it usually make a troubled face.
It is in the most miserable position as a Disney work..

1.4 Why I still couldn't sleep

Normally, I would fall asleep halfway through.
With a truly boring movie, my consciousness naturally fades out.

But "The Black Cauldron" was different.
I couldn't sleep.

It wasn't that I was wide awake with anger.
Rather, it was because I started thinking about "why it was so off-base."

What drifts through this film is not malice.
There is no passion, no challenge, and no conviction.
All that remains are the "traces of an inability to make a decision."

That is why it is scary.
"The Black Cauldron" is
a film born not from someone's runaway ambition, but as a result of no one taking responsibility.

As entertainment, it is fatal, but
when discussing the Disney dark age, it is also an unparalleled piece of documentation.

That is why I couldn't sleep.
While despairing at how boring it was,
I simultaneously found myself deep in thought about "what the dark age really was."

Chapter 2: Synopsis — A story that makes you more anxious the more you explain it

2.1 There is a story, technically

First, let me state this as a premise.
"The Black Cauldron" does have a proper story.
It's not that it doesn't have one.
However, it is an extremely rare type of work where the more you explain it, the more ambiguous it becomes as to "what kind of story it is trying to show."

The setting is a fantasy world of swords and sorcery.
The protagonist is a boy named Taran.
He lives with the wizard Dallben as an assistant pig-keeper.

Here, a sense of discomfort arises early on.
As a Disney protagonist, his desires are surprisingly thin.

Does he want to be a hero?
Does he want to go on an adventure?
Does he want to protect someone?
None of these are clear.

The driving force of the story is
Hen Wen, a pig with the power to foresee the future, and
the existence of the Horned King who is targeting her.

If you just list the settings, it is truly easy to understand.

・Prophecy
・The legendary magic cauldron
・An army of the undead
・A demon king plotting world domination

But, being easy to understand and being interesting are two different things.

2.2 The fatal wound of not sharing the crisis

Hen Wen is an extremely important existence in the work.
If she is captured, the future will be read, and the world will be destroyed.

I understand the logic.
I can understand the setting.

However, we who are watching are not anxious at all.

Why?

Psychologist Paul Slovic states the following regarding the conditions under which people feel a crisis as a "personal matter."

The crises described in "The Black Cauldron" are all abstract.

・The world will end
・The future will change
・Darkness will spread

However, it never depicts
who will suffer and how because of it.

Therefore, even though they are supposed to be pursued, there is no sense of tension.
Even though they are supposed to be running away, there is no sense of urgency.

The crisis exists only as textual information in the setting, and
it is not conveyed to the audience as an emotion.

2.3 Why the story doesn't come alive even when the group grows

During the journey, Taran gains companions.
Fflewddur Fflam, the chatty bard.
Princess Eilonwy, who is active and independent.
And a pig that can predict the future.

Normally, this is where the story would suddenly spring into action.
Disney was good at creating emotional rhythm through the banter and division of roles among companions.

But in this film, for some reason, that doesn't work.

Sociologist Erving Goffman viewed human relationships as "performances of roles" and stated the following:

In this film, those "expectations" are never established.

Who is driving the story?
Who is speaking for the emotions?
Who is the audience's perspective?

Everyone is half-heartedly the protagonist, and
half-heartedly a supporting character.

As a result, no chemistry occurs between the characters.
Even though the group has grown, the story doesn't feel any lighter.

2.4 The Horned King: "Evil without a reason"

The Horned King is impressive in appearance alone.
A skull-like face.
Black robes.
A king who commands an army of the undead.

But there is a critical problem.
It is never depicted "why" he became that way.

Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche warned in "Beyond Good and Evil" (1886) as follows:

For this statement to hold true,
the monster must be born from "human logic."

But the Horned King is different.
From beginning to end, he is nothing more thanevil as a setting.

What does the protagonist learn by confronting him?
What does he choose, and what does he discard?

Because that question never arises, the climax feels empty.

2.5 The lingering sense of discomfort after finishing the synopsis

Up to this point, I have certainly told the synopsis.
I have explained the events, the characters, the enemies, and the goals.

Yet,
"why this story exists" remains unclear.

This is not a failure of the narrator.
The story itself is structured that way.

Chapter 3: Too disjointed—the story is joined while remaining fractured

3.1 The core of the story exists nowhere

The biggest problem with "The Black Cauldron" is not its flashiness or its darkness.
It is that the core of the story cannot be found.

The protagonist Taran goes on a journey.
The enemy plots to conquer the world.
Companions are gathered.
Crises are prepared.

Yet, the story never feels like it is "moving forward."

The reason is simple:
it is not defined "what this story is about."

Is it a coming-of-age tale?
Is it a rebellion against fate?
Is it a story about the temptation of power and ethics?

Each of these is hinted at halfway through, only to be abandoned.

Aristotle, known as a classic of narrative theory, states the following about the unity of a story in "Poetics" (4th century BC):

"The Black Cauldron" has a beginning and an end as scenes.
But the "middle," that is,the process by which meaning accumulates, does not exist.

Events happen.
However, they do not inevitably lead to the next event.

As a result, while the story seems to be progressing, it is actually just marking time.

3.2 The escape route of saying the original work is surely interesting

This film is based on Lloyd Alexander's children's literature, "The Chronicles of Prydain."
It is highly regarded among fans of the original work.

That is precisely why common excuses for defending it are born.

"The original work is interesting"
"The film packed in too many elements"
"There wasn't enough runtime"

Admittedly, that may be true.
However, that does not serve as a reason to exempt the film from criticism.

Media theorist Marshall McLuhan spoke as follows about the essence of media transformation.

No matter how excellent the original work is,
it is meaningless if it does not function as an animated film.

In "The Black Cauldron",
the resolve to translate the complexity of literature into visuals,
and the decision to restructure it for the screen,
were both half-baked.

As a result,
it falls into the worst possible position: incomprehensible to those who don't know the original, and unsatisfying to those who do.
it falls into the worst possible position.

3.3 Character development that all "get off halfway"

The characters, too, are all left unfinished.

Taran never fully matures.
Eilonwy never fully becomes an autonomous female figure.
Fflewddur Fflam fails to function as a comic relief.

Just as everyone reaches the stage where they seem like they are about to become interesting,
the story moves on to the next scene.

Psychologist Erik Erikson stated the following regarding identity formation in developmental stages.

What is important is that "fluctuation" and "conflict" are depicted.
But in this film, the scene cuts before the conflict begins.

The audience is left behind
the moment they think, "They look like they're about to struggle."

That repetition
turns all the characters into mere symbols.

3.4 The "Prophetic Pig" that Failed as a Mascot

Here, there is a presence that must be addressed.
Hen Wen.

A pig with the ability to foresee the future.
It is the starting point of the story and the center of the struggle.

And yet,
it is unclear how that ability affects the story.

It predicts.
It is predicted.
That is why it is targeted.

It is neither more nor less than that.

Ferdinand de Saussure, the father of semiotics, stated the following regarding the meaning of signs.

Originally, a mascot character has meaning
through its "difference from other characters."

But Hen Wen
carries no cuteness, no humor, and does not act as a proxy for emotions.

It is merely a "function."

The simple question of what a pig's prophetic ability even is
remains unresolved until the story ends.

3.5 Why Was It So Messy?

What we can see from looking at this so far is the fact that
The Black Cauldron was not made as a single film.

Multiple directions.
Multiple goals.
Multiple ideals.

They are all crammed into one without being organized.

As a result,
the story is joined while still divided,
and the audience is left not knowing where to invest their emotions.

Chapter 4: The Clichéd Fantasy Killed Everything

4.1 The Story of How the "All-Inclusive Set" is the Most Boring

Looking at The Black Cauldron again, only the elements are strangely luxurious.

Swords and sorcery.
Legendary weapons.
An immortal army.
An easy-to-understand villain.
A mysterious witch.
A proactive princess.

It packs in everything a young boy might like.
Scenes I've seen in the early stages of an RPG flow by one after another.

The problem is,that I've seen it all before.

There is no surprise.
There is no sense of discomfort either.
The understanding of 'Oh, yeah, yeah, it's one of those' comes before any emotion.

Aesthete Theodor Adorno describes the consumption structure of mass culture as follows.

"The Black Cauldron" is exactly that.
All the tropes of fantasy are presented.
But the excitement or discovery that should lie beyond them is nowhere to be found.

4.2 The 'Cursed Grammar' of 80s Fantasy

The mid-1980s, when this work was created, is also a period that cannot be ignored.

At the time,
• The success of "Star Wars"
• The spread of tabletop RPGs
• The standardization of the sword and sorcery worldview

were all advancing rapidly.

In other words, fantasy was no longer a 'new expression,' but was beginning to become
a symbol that had already been completely consumed.

Semiotician Jean Baudrillard speaks of the problem of representation in modern society as follows.

The fantasy elements in "The Black Cauldron"
are no longer a mirror reflecting reality or human problems.

They are just decorations 'placed there because they look like fantasy.'
As a result, the worldview lacks depth and becomes hollow.

4.3 Easy-to-understand evil flattens the story

The Horned King is an extremely easy-to-understand villain.
His appearance, principles of action, and goals are all simple.

However, this 'simplicity' was fatal.

Because,
when the protagonist confronts him,
nothing is shaken.

The philosopher Hannah Arendt states the following regarding the nature of evil.

But the Horned King is different.
From beginning to end, he is positioned as
an entity that is clearly evil without needing to think about it.

As a result,
neither the protagonist nor the audience experiences any ethical conflict.

There is simply an enemy to defeat.
That is not a story; it is a chore.

4.4 The lack of the twist that Disney was originally good at

Think back to Disney's Golden Age works.

“Snow White” hid terror behind its charm.
“Pinocchio” depicted cruelty in the name of education.
“Dumbo” used weakness as a metaphor for discrimination.

In other words, Disney was a studio that
did not use archetypes as they were.

However, “The Black Cauldron” lacks that.

A sword remains just a sword.
A demon king remains just a demon king.
A princess remains just a princess.

Sociologist Pierre Bourdieu states the following regarding cultural expression.

The fantasy in this film
remains stuck in the simplistic classification of, “This is what you like, right?”

Therefore, the audience also remains classified and stagnant.
Neither their emotions nor their values are updated.

4.5 The cliché was also a form of escapism

Why did they lean so heavily on archetypes?

It is likely because
Disney itself no longer knew what to believe in.

They lacked the courage to try something new.
Yet, the success formulas of the past no longer applied.

As a result,
the decision was made to “just put everything in.”

However, as a result of including everything,
nothing is emphasized.

"The Black Cauldron" is a work where
the anxiety and confusion of Disney's dark age
appeared as they were, wearing the skin of fantasy.

Chapter 5: The Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour as an Absurd Device of Life

5.1: The "Resentment" Imprinted Before the Movie

Here, I must talk about something personal.
Because my feelings toward the movie "The Black Cauldron"
do not end within the screenalone.

My evaluation of this work
is mixed with clear personal resentment.

Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour.
A Japan-original Disneyland attraction that no longer exists.

For some reason, the ones standing in the way at the end
are the Horned King and the Cauldron.

Even if you haven't seen the movie,
many people were likely first imprinted with them
as "some kind of dangerous enemy" through this attraction.

That's not the problem.
The problem isthe chosen child.

5.2: The Chosen One Is Never Me

At the climax, the guide lady says,

"You, please take the sword and step forward."

Only the chosen child
takes the sword that shoots lightning,
and stands up to the Horned King.

I experienced this scene many times.
Because I was from a family that went to Disneyland almost every year.

However,I was never chosen once.

Always, some other child steps forward.
I don't know the criteria.
It's not height.
If it were, I was already over 130cm at age 6, so I was overwhelming and should have been chosen.
It's not age either.
It's not even about whether you spoke up or not.

The only thing that is certain is that
effort and the number of times you try have absolutely nothing to do with it.

Sociologist Max Weber states the following regarding the limits of rationality:

This attraction
mercilessly drills that into children.

5.3 The place that first taught me about a world where effort is not rewarded

At school, we are taught that if you work hard, you will be rewarded.
If you do your best, you will be recognized.
If you keep at it, you will get results.

But the Cinderella Castle Mystery Tour was different.

・No matter how many times you go
・No matter how seriously you listen
・No matter how strongly you wish for it in your heart

Those who are not chosen, are not chosen.

Philosopher Albert Camus writes the following about the absurd.

In that space, I experienced that for the first time.

The world does not answer our expectations.
It offers no explanation.
It simply presents the result.

5.4 The ethics of those who did not receive a medal

The child who is chosen
receives a medal,
is showered with applause,
and becomes a bit of a hero.

The child who is not chosen
turns to the side that quietly applauds.

What is important here is
that showing frustration ruins the atmospherepoint.

Disneyland is a land of dreams.
Dissatisfaction and jealousy are not welcome.

Therefore,
you say "congratulations."
You put on a smile.
You pretend that nothing happened.

Sociologist Émile Durkheim states the following regarding social norms.

The order of the setting
is prioritized over individual emotions.

This attraction
was also a training device for internalizing emotions.

5.5 Why the Horned King?

Here is a question we must return to.

Why was the villain who took on this role
the Horned King?

The answer is ironic.

Even within the film, he appears
without reason,
without explanation,
simply as an 'entity that stands in the way.'

That is precisely why
he was perfect as a symbol of absurdity.

There is no known reason for him to be defeated.
There is no known reason for him to stand in the way.
Yet, he is there in front of you.

The absurdities we encounter in life usually take this form.

Perhaps that is why
even before this film,
I understood the work "The Black Cauldron"
through this attraction.

Chapter 6: So—This is a shitty movie, but as a reference, it's perfect

6.1 Let's start with the conclusion: it's a shitty movie

I've talked at length up to this point, but
first, let's make the conclusion clear.

"The Black Cauldron" is a shitty movie.

There is little room for defense.
It is not moving.
You won't feel attached to the characters.
The story is disjointed, and the themes are unfocused.

What is expected of a Disney work—
the pleasure of the story, emotional catharsis, a lingering ending.
Almost none of that exists here.

For the duration of the viewing,
your disposable time in life is quietly whittled away.

This is no exaggeration.
When viewed as a piece of entertainment,
it is safe to call it a failure.

6.2 The reason why we still cannot say it is 'meaningless'

However, it is too easy to end the discussion here.
Because this film is packed, to an abnormal degree,
with value in a different sense.

That is the point that it is
an almost perfect sample for understanding the Disney dark age.

・An organization that has lost its direction
・A production system incapable of making decisions
・Reliance on templates as a safety measure
・Failure in adapting the original work
・The hollowing out of fantasy symbols

All of these are packed into a single film.

The "dysfunction" described by sociologist Robert K. Merton
can be observed here not as a theory, but as a visual reality.

"The Black Cauldron" is
the trace of the massive system known as Disney
temporarily wounding itself.

6.3 A masterpiece for those who want to talk about the dark age

Let's flip the perspective here.

What if you are someone who wants to discuss
"What was the Disney dark age?"
or "Why was the Renaissance period necessary?"

This film is
a required course.

Without watching this,
you cannot discuss the revolutionary nature of "The Little Mermaid."
You cannot truly grasp the perfection of "Beauty and the Beast."
You cannot understand the confident storytelling of "The Lion King."

The philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
stated the following about history.

But at the very least,
Disney learned from this failure.

The proof of that
is the Renaissance of the 90s.

6.4 To you who couldn't resist and hit play

Having read this far,
you thought, "If they say that much, maybe I'll watch it once,"
and you couldn't resist pressing the play button.

Unfortunately,
there is no turning back for you now.

The moment you feel a sense of discomfort midway,
cannot empathize with the characters,
and start wondering, "When does this get interesting?"

At that point,
you are standing atthe entrance to becoming a Disney nerd.

Because
ordinary viewers would stop halfway.
They wouldn't try to analyze it.
They wouldn't be interested in the term 'dark age'.

Yet, only those who keep watching,
keep searching for meaning,
and keep trying to talk about it,
end up needing this movie.

6.5 A shitty movie can sometimes be a gateway.

Finally, let's end by saying something a little kind.

"The Black Cauldron" is,
for many people,
a "movie that wouldn't be missed if it didn't exist."

But for some people, it is:
• A gateway to knowing Disney deeply
• A teaching material for failure in creation
• A trigger that reminds them of the irrationality of life

For that alone, this movie cannot be called completely worthless.

I won't watch it again.
But I won't stop talking about it.

Because,
only those who can face the dark age can talk about the next golden age.

Podcaster Mako (@_macobana) brings the movie discussions that were unfolded on the podcast program "#YomoyamaKobanashi" (#Makobana)—where she talks solo about various things that couldn't be covered on her main channel "Pocket ni Numa" (#PokeNuma)—finally to a dedicated channel.

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