Film 1401 Essay: Analyzing Music in 'Lion King' and 'Cabaret'

This essay examines the significant role of music in films, using 'The Lion King' (1994) and 'Cabaret' (1972) as case studies. It explores how music enhances storytelling, conveys emotions, and influences the audience's experience. The analysis delves into the specific musical elements within each film, discussing how they contribute to the narrative and thematic content. For 'The Lion King,' the essay highlights the impact of songs like 'Circle of Life' and 'Hakuna Matata,' showcasing how music reflects character development and the film's overall message. For 'Cabaret,' the essay explores how the music complements the film's themes of societal change and political commentary. The essay also provides a historical context and references various sources to support its arguments, ultimately demonstrating the power of film music as a tool for emotional engagement and narrative expression.

I
936549 Music in films is a powerful tool
Your Name
Date

II
Music in films Lion King” (1994) and “Cabaret” (1972)
Music serves several purposes, and in movies, the film music enhances the storytelling
and adds to the emotional aspect of the movie. The director and producer give significant
importance to film music when they plan and make a movie. While it is not mandatory for films
to have music, but the music adds to the expressions and emotions of the actors and carries the
power to make a scene more intense. However, the music should be appropriate for the scenes to
create the right impact on the viewer or the audience. The paper discusses the role of music in
films Lion King” (1994) and “Cabaret” (1972) and how the musical elements add to the
menacing and message of the films.
Before the nineties, the role of music in films and cinematic context was ignored by the
psychologists and musicologists1. However, today there is adequate evidence that shows how
film music effects can alter the meaning of film because of the complex cognitive process. As
music induces strong emotions, it adds to the emotional richness of lives. One is able to
remember a musical piece because of the superior emotional verbal and pictorial stimuli than
non-emotional ones2. The combination of rhythmic elements within the cinematic passages is
controlled by the film editor. The dynamics and patterns created by the editing are the final
expressive elements of the film shots3. The visual components of film shots are seen as formal
abstractions of form and movement that personify the rhythmic dimension visual music.
Lion King” (1994)
“The Lion King” is a very popular movie which was a big hit when it was released in
1994. The soundtrack of film the played a major role in making the film alive. The beautiful
1 Raymond MacDonald et al. “Musical Communication.” Oxford University Press,385.
2 Susann Eschrich, Thomas F Münte and Eckart O Altenmüller. “Unforgettable film music.” 1.
3 David Villalvazo,” Avondale Dogs,” 59.

III
narrative of the film and the wonderful film music adds to the quality of the film. The film starts
with the Circle of Life that sets the tempo and matches the stateliness of the Lion King Mufasa
and his boy Simba. The animated movements of the animals are in perfect harmony with the
vocal and this is what makes the movie much more enjoyable.
"The Lion King" is a 1994 Disney animated feature and is the story of Simba, an
energetic lion cub who lives with his family in the beautiful region in the African savanna4. He is
next in line to be the king. However, Simba’s father gets killed because of the wicked plans of
his uncle Scar and the Pride Lands experiences a period of desolation until Simba saves the
animals of the kingdom. The Lion King story is about family, identity, and responsibility. There
are several classic songs in the film such as “Circle of Life,” “Hakuna Matata,” “I Just Can’t
Wait to Be King,” and more. The film won the Best Musical 1998 award. The film collected two
Academy Awards for its achievement in music and has influenced many other adaptions and
sequels. Lots of different types of instruments have been used to create music such as drums,
organ, cymbals, Timpani, guitar, flute, accordion, a wooden xylophone, violins and more5. Elton
John is a famous musician who created the songs and music. As the highest-grossing film in
1994, The Lion King enjoyed enthusiastic reviews because of the iconic characters, great plot
and an appealing soundtrack6. The immense popularity of the film generated two sequels, a stage
musical and live-action/CGI remake.
The lively melody of the vocal “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” is a playful one and
shows the immature side of Simba. The words of the song and the music convey a sense of pride
and restlessness about Simba. The lyrics and music of the song add to the lovable personality of
4 StageAgent. "The Lion King."
5 Evolution of Disney Music. "The Lion King (1994).
6 Edwards, Kim. “Coming Full Circle.” 14.

IV
the young Simba. The son highlights the arrogance and ignorance of the young Simba and
reflects him as a flawed character. The upbeat music and colorful choreography during the song
add to its meaning. In the final scene, when Simba takes the place of his father, it is a symbol of
how the good has triumphed over evil and the circle of life is complete. The end of the movie is
as musical, emotional and visually moving as the beginning. Circle of Life is a lively song that is
used in the film to celebrate the birth of the prince. A synthesizer is possibly used to create the
sounds, and the vocal chorus used in the background lends a sense of unity and harmony.
Another popular song of the film “Hakuna Matata” 7is lively and carries dialogues in-between
the song. The song and its music add a sense of celebration and fun within the jungle. The
audience gets the feel of enjoying life to the fullest and without worrying. As the tune of the song
is lively and catchy, it is easy to remember.
“Cabaret” (1972)
Cabaret (1972) was nominated for ten Academy Awards, and the musical film went on
to win eight of them. The film based on politics was indeed unusual because of the composition,
content, and structure and it reinvented the musical genre8. The plot of the film is set in Germany
during the early 20th century when Nazism was on its rise. Cabaret apart from enjoying critical
appreciation was financially successful and enjoyed wide popularity. What gave the film a
stronger dramatic punch was how it treated the dark subjects of Nazism in pre-war Berlin. It
shows the gradual acceptance of the Third Reich’s ideals through music and styles of Berlin
cabarets9. The traditional American musical formula gets destroyed here as the film deals with
Nazi motifs and sends a provocative message.
7 Evolution of Disney Music. "The Lion King (1994).
8 Jeff Saporito. " How does the thematic content of “Cabaret”
9 David E. Isaacs, “We Have No Trouble Here” 188.

V
The film “Cabaret” is a musical and its music is sure to impress people even those who
do not particularly care for musicals. Before the release of Cabaret in 1972, the musicals were
full of eccentric cheer and were hardly used for political or cultural ideas. Cabaret broke those
conventions, and its extraordinary music with heavy thematic content was both prominent and
flamboyant10. Cabaret musical took on an edgy take on subjects like Nazism, abortion, and
homosexuality. It was very different from the musicals made earlier. Cabarets were often used to
mock politics and satirize popular culture. The thinly-disguised songs of the film highlight the
changeover of a socially tolerant people towards radical fanaticism. The film songs and music
drive themes in a bold way. What is interesting about the film is how its songs and musical
numbers are confined to the club and address Nazism through subtlety and inference11.
Cabaret did not cater to a family audience and what added to the film’s authenticity was
that the film was shot mainly in Germany. The audience was drawn by the realism of the film
and its unique environment. What contributed to the music of the film was the music of the
Weimar era and German Expressionist paintings. The song and dance are the main elements in
the musical construction of the film. Instead of loud music, one finds the music very subtle to
deal with serious subjects of tyrannical power. The love story is an unconventional one and
involves two bisexual males with a promiscuous woman.
The only song to be sung outside the cabaret is by a young Nazi in a beer garden,
“Tomorrow Belongs to Me.” The self-congratulatory anthem, although set in its brightest
settings is the darkest moment of the film12. The final shots of the film show a song sung through
10 Jeff Saporito. " Why was “Cabaret” called “a musical.”
11 Jeff Saporito. " How does the thematic content of “Cabaret”
12 Jeff Saporito. " How does the thematic content of “Cabaret”

VI
fear and sorrow in front of a Nazi-filled audience. The angelic voice singing the song in a
country garden looks bright but marks the dark rise of the Nazi Party.
The musical experience of Cabaret and the choreography and atmosphere of the film does
not always feel like a musical. However, the music drives the themes and makes a lasting
impression on the audience. The songs are well integrated into the story and allow the characters
to express what they feel about themselves or another character. The musical numbers serve as a
metaphor for the political deterioration in the streets of Berlin. The infectious music and
contagious melody of the songs force the audience to sing along despite the context. Thus, the
message and the medium of music work together for a powerful effect and pervade the minds of
the audience.
Conclusion
A discussion on the music of the two films Lion King” (1994) “Cabaret” (1972) shows
how music has been used as powerful tool add to the emotive content of the film and convey the
dramatics of the film narrative. "The Lion King" is a classic example of Disney animated films
where the characters burst into songs. The different songs in the film display the personality of
different characters and could be joyous, romantic or fun. The musical themes of the” Cabaret”
film are still relevant to the conditions of the world today. This is because the film addresses
racism and political fanaticism and these two issues are still major ones across the world.
Bibliography
Raymond MacDonald et.al., "Musical Communication." Oxford University Press, 1, no.1(2005): 1–433. 1–
433.
E.Isaacs, David. 2011. "We Have No Trouble Here: Considering Nazi Motifs in The Sound of Music and
Cabaret." At the Interface / Probing the Boundaries 179–98. .
KimEdwards. 2018. "Coming Full Circle: A STUDY GUIDE TO THE LION KING." Coming Full Circle: A STUDY
GUIDE TO THE LION KING 8–15.

VII
Evolution of Disney Music . 2018. The Lion King (1994). Accessed March 22, 2019.
https://evolutionofdisneymusicpersonalproject.weebly.com/the-lion-king.html.
Saporito, Jeff. 2015. How does the thematic content of “Cabaret” maintain the film’s cultural relevance
today. Accessed March 22, 2019. http://screenprism.com/insights/article/what-keeps-cabaret-
culturally-relevant-four-decades-later.
—. 2015. Why was “Cabaret” called “a musical for people who don’t care for musicals.". Accessed March
22, 2019. http://screenprism.com/insights/article/why-was-cabaret-called-a-musical-for-people-
who-dont-care-for-musicals.
StageAgent. 2018. The Lion King. Accessed March 22, 2019.
https://stageagent.com/shows/musical/1581/the-lion-king.
Susann Eschrich, Thomas F Münte and Eckart O Altenmüller. 2008. "Unforgettable film music: The role
of emotion in episodic long-term memory for music." BMC Neuroscience 1-7.
Villalvazo, David. 2019. "Avondale Dogs: The Parallelism between Music and Film ." Short Film Studie 57–
60.