Beautiful


I was so deeply moved by this film and can't stop thinking about it. Beyond the beautiful animation, the great cast and classic story with a bit of a twist, the overall themes just continue to tug at my heart strings.

I realize that in today's society, some of the relationships displayed may have seemed strange or taboo, (little girl and older man, male fox and little boy, rose and boy, man and boy etc.) however I got an overwhelming sense of family, love, friendship that knows no bounds of gender, physical form and so on. The Aviator, to me, was like a father/grandfather figure to the little girl - her dad wasn't in the picture and her mom is constantly away at work while she is forced to live her extremely meticulous, scheduled life. Finally she had someone to talk to and play with who allowed her to be a child, full of wonder and imagination. She didn't seem to have any other friends having moved to a new city, and her childhood was being robbed from her. Spending time with the aviator awoke her dreams and her revelation that you don't have to forget about the sentimental, magical experiences in your youth as you grow up. Love, happiness, friendship, hope etc. are all things that we choose to live with or without. The stigma of adulthood being dim, strict and depressing doesn't have to apply if we can choose our own destinies, and live out our own ambitions.

As for what/who the little prince is, I looked at him as a representation of purity. He's not really held to any realistic expectation of a boy, or even a human, because he's neither. He is kind, loving, adventurous, and without judgment. I believe his purpose is to enlighten mankind and other beings to dream, believe, care, pursue. I can understand the comparisons to Jesus, as they are both the opposite of evil and seek to only do good and influence good. The way the little prince loved the rose for her beauty, and befriended the fox were just two great examples of his willingness to open his heart to love. I felt that at the end, when the rose "died" but then appeared in the sky - it was symbolic of how some memories fade and we allow ourselves to forget our faith. However, if you should choose to remember, the memories remain vivid and the impact they have on us remain as well, long after we grow up.

This got kinda long lol but lastly, one of the strongest themes I felt from this story were that people may come and go in our lives, but they don't have to truly "leave" if we keep them in our hearts. The little prince "dying" by the hands of the snake, the rose, and the aviator being sick/older, and hard goodbyes are all things that in our real lives, make us feel loss, grief, hopelessness etc. but for a life to end doesn't take away it's value for all that it lived. Death is seemingly permanent because we long for the physical presence of those we love and miss, but an emotional grip on their memory and impact is just as important as loving them when they are here with us.

This is all my own interpretation of it, so it's not the only way to look at it, or "right". I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish and felt like it was a privilege to see something so emotionally touching, and visually stunning.

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