MovieChat Forums > The Swan Princess (1994) Discussion > Odette's personality. . .or lack there o...

Odette's personality. . .or lack there of.

posted 20 years ago by JoReia
76 replies | jump to latest

I used to like this movie when I was a kid. So, as an adult, I decided to watch it again. The first few moments of the movie were promising. (The prologue seemed to be just a tad reminiscent of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, all though.). Anyway, when the musical sequence "This is My Idea" started, I was thrilled. I loved the way Derek and Odette's characters evolved. Especially Odette. She changes from a fiesty little girl to a tomboy to a flirtatious preteen. I was glad to see some dimension to her character. Women do not always want some prince to come rescue them. It was nice to see Odette's character portrayed like a real woman.

Then it came to a crashing halt. At the end of the song, Derek and Odette kiss, everyone thinks they are going to get married and live happily ever after. Odette wonders why Derek all of a sudden wants to marry her, considering that they didn't really get along in the past. His answer is that "she's so beautiful." And like any other woman, Odette asks "What else?". Derek replies by saying "What else is there?". You can almost hear every woman groan. How could he say such a thing? Of course, Odette refuses to marry him because she knows he doesn't love her. Of course, Derek's not really far from the truth.

For the rest of the movie, Odette seems one dimensional. There is nothing more to her than her beauty and "love" for Derek. It's all a little ridiculous. It just supports the fact even more that beautiful women don't need personalities. Let me explain more. Odette is captured by this evil sorcerer named Rothbart. He wishes to marry Odette so he can have control over her dead father's kingdom. Odette refuses, claiming she loves Derek. I can believe that she loved him, since she grew up with him, but that doesn't mean she should forgive him right away.

Eventually, Derek finds Odette in Rothbart's lair. She seems so happy to seem him that she forgets what he said to her. I'm not one to hold grudges, but I am a stickler for unresolved conflicts. It's not even mentioned, "Odette, I'm sorry. You are very beautiful but also smart, caring, blah, blah, blah." ANYTHING would have been better than nothing. Instead, it's never mentioned again.

Despite all of Odette's flaws, I learned to like Derek towards the end of the movie. He made a mistake by saying what he did, but that made him human. It made him believable. Though, I didn't care for him much other than that. The side kicks were annoying, except for Brom and Rogers. They were good.

I realize that this movie is targetted for little kids that aren't as preoccupied with the characterization as they are with the sidekicks and funny songs. But still, adults beware.

"You should write a book: How to Offend Women in Five Syllables or Less."
-Rogers, "The Swan Princess"

[–] pretenderbabie 20 years ago

Good observation. As always...it's only a cartoon.

It was good enough that Odette was sensible with Derek in the beginning of the movie but love, oy vey.

[–] burninblazes 19 years ago

I agree with your complaint completely!

_ _ _

"Why spend your life making someone else's dreams come true?"

-- Ed Wood, the movie

[–] vickytickytock 19 years ago

actually...

the scene where she's dying...derek says something along the lines of, "i love your kindness and courage and blah blah blah"

so yeah. not much of a resolution, but its there.

[–] trina_disneyfanatic 16 years ago

"actually...

the scene where she's dying...derek says something along the lines of, "i love your kindness and courage...."
-vickytickytock

Thank you for remembering that scene. Just what I was thinking about When I read the original post.

If you love Jesus Christ 100% (and He is #1 in your life) copy this and use it for your signature.

[–] bubblely_baby12 19 years ago

You are very right. I'm watching this movie right now, as I'm writing this. Odette just shows that "beautiful" women don't need personalities.

I can see her loving Derek, because they grew up together, but "in love" with him, after what he said...? I don't think so. I know I sure wouldn't be in love with him.

And I think the sidekicks are annoying, period. Except Roger... He's great.

As for the songs, I didn't think they were terrible. I thought the song Odette and Derek sing, I've forgotten the name, when she's been kidnapped, and she's singing about breaking the curse... I thought it was cute, a little corny, but overall cute.

Now, being the children movie fanatic I am, I rented "Swan Lake" the Barbie version, and I even think Barbie had more character depth than Odette nearing the end of the movie.

And that isn't saying much.

[–] dangerousmermaid 19 years ago

I think the fact that it was 'true love' and that she loved him so, and needed him to break the spell meant that she could forgive him. Although I wouldn't just wait around all day like Odette did, I would get my ass out there and save the day myself. She probably just lost hope, and thought there would be no point in trying as Rothbart might just kill her.

But at the end she asks Derek if he will love her forever, until the day she dies, and his reply is:
"No, much much longer..." and there is the 'far longer than forever' song where they sing about how deep their love is. Although I was a bit shocked at how after hating each other's guts through childhood and then seeing themselves as adults they suddenly fall in love. Uhh.... it doesn't work that easily in real life. But then again, this is a fairy tale.
Jem~

~*What would I do to see you, smiling at me! *~

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] legolas_rox1 18 years ago

I hear ya! I never thought that of the conflict they had earlier. I thought Odette just relized that Derek really loved her. You make a good point. I LOVE RODGERS!!!! And as always the mighty hero always has a fat little scary sidekick by his side:Brom. But i REALLY LOVE JEAN-BOB< SPEED AND PUFFIN!!!! These five guys are the best people in the film.

[–] angel_cake24 18 years ago

Eventually, Derek finds Odette in Rothbart's lair. She seems so happy to seem him that she forgets what he said to her. I'm not one to hold grudges, but I am a stickler for unresolved conflicts.

You have to remember, Odette has been through some very traumatic events. Her father was injured to a point where he would soon die (likely before her very eyes), and she was grabbed by some large creature and taken to a place she doesn't know. Judging from the time period the movie was set in, woman weren't usually placed under the stress that some today go through, and Odette wasn't ready for this kind of thing to happen. For what could possibly be several months, she is put through the psychologically torture of turning into an animal at night, and during the day she has animals for her only company. They never addressed the issue of her kingdom in the movie, but I'd imagine she'd be worried about that, too. When Derek shows up, it must be a great relief for her. I'd imagine that'd be important than him insulting her many months back. I don't think the only thing on her mind was, "now we can get married!" but rather, "maybe I can go home and finally have a decent meal!"

Other than that, you made some very good points.

A Proud Chaucerette of the SCS: Sexy Chaucer Society

[–] flaming_aqua 18 years ago

My, so much observations from fictional characters...

But hey, i agree XP. And, in my opinion, Odette seems highly hyprocritical. I mean, she leaves Derek because he claimed that he wanted to marry her because of only her beauty, while she, having refused to see him at all before this, suddenly decided that she loves him after just glancing upon him, and nothing else. To my eyes, it seemed as if she only loved him for the fine physical character he grew into. The whole "Is beauty all that matters?" simply came out because she's a woman, and women tend to care more deeply about such sentiments.

I still love it, though. All intellectual critics about characterization aside, and seen from only a child's point of view, it's an amazing love story =D.

[–] katerdoodle1244 18 years ago

i can't believe you guys are seriously discussing the depth of the characters in an animanted movie...

R.I.P. River Phoenix
"cause growing up is awfuler than all the awful things that ever were!"

[–] flaming_aqua 18 years ago

Hah. Very much agreeable. But people discuss living movie characters, do they not? So what are the wrongs of discussing animated characters when others discuss the characters portrayed by actors, who are merely a somewhat live animation of the characters they play? Animations or actors, they're all just characters, really =D.

[–] nora-58 18 years ago

Well duh. She's a duck for gods sake!

[–] MaryAnne_Spier 18 years ago

Swan, silly head.
And about this just being an animated movie: just because it's animated doesn't mean that there doesn't need to be character development. Some of Disney's finer movies (nothing from the new century) have strong characters with personalities. Beauty and the Beast, for example, had Belle, an intelligent, stubborn, quiet and kind young woman who didn't want to marry Gaston because he's rude and conceited. And the Prince/Beast had some depth to him as well. Beauty and the Beast was nominated for Best Picture for the Academy Awards and won a Golden Globe for best Musical picture. So don't just write off a movie's depth just because it's animated.

Mind readers must only charge you half price.

[–] Belletrist0 18 years ago

i can't believe you guys are seriously discussing the depth of the characters in an animanted movie..

What is the difference between discussing the depth of a character in an animated movie and that of a character from literature? Both are make-believe.

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Everyone dies but not everyone gets to live.

[–] aljentra 16 years ago

Heh...the characters were a little two-dimensional, were they not?!

*cough*

Yeah, aside from the whole 'why bother with realism in a child's film'...well, it kinda offends me that it's okay to have ridiculous characters doing ridiculous things in these sorts of movies. Although that's probably just me being pedantic.

I suppose it's a pity about the superficiality of the characters, and Odette being probably the most boring heroine who ever there lived, but there's not so much you can do. At least she DID stick up for herself when Derek was all 'Hey, what a babe, let's get hitched.' I'd have been slightly more irritated if she'd kinda gone along with it and then gotten kidnapped. And at least she wasn't complying to Rothbart's will either.

Ah well, I suppose in the end it could have been worse, and I don't want to deromanticise one of my absolute favourite childhood movies, so I'll stop there.

[–] fusion2 17 years ago

Odette was merely using derek to break the spell the curse did not say she had to love him so she skillfully manipuleted him to make the vow and become human full time when she came back from the dead she was so grateful she hugged him shes gets home realizes her father is dead so she thinks she has no choice but to marry derek to keep her fathers kingdom.