The Lion King: Film Analysis

“It's the circle of life, and it moves us all. Through despair and hope, through faith and love till we find our place on the path unwinding in the circle, the circle of life” (The Lion King). In the popular Disney movie, The Lion King, the main character, or lion named Simba, is involved in an adventurous journey to find his place in life. The young lion is born into royalty after his powerful father King Mufasa. Filled with envy, Simba’s uncle Scar conspires to kill both Mufasa and Scar in order to reign over the kingdom. Scar becomes triumphant after eliminating the king, therefore; Simba departs from the pride in shame and begins a new lifestyle devoid of worry or responsibility, contradictory to his upbringing. However, when Simba is reminded of his father’s ceaseless love, he …show more content…
In the pantheistic worldview, gurus are the peak of perfection, so humans should strive to obtain their knowledge. In the film, Mufasa attempts to instruct Simba about the importance of all living things. “Everything you see exists together in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance, and respect all the creatures from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope”(The Lion King). While expanding Simba’s knowledge about the unity of the world, Mufasa is helping him achieve enlightenment. Human beings are one with nature and the earth, as well as all things that inhabit it, making them interdependent. The self-sustaining lifestyle that aids all creatures, from ants to antelopes, allows all parts of nature to work in harmony. Thus, the theme of ‘the circle of life’ can prosper through the interrelation of all beings because they all serve a purpose to balance each other and legitimizing the differences in society. Yet, lions eat the antelopes for survival and to circulate ecological system because even though there should be respect, death is