Kung fu
Panda and symbolism
It is important to be aware of what we are teaching children through media. More so for teenagers and adults, because we have forgotten about what we knew as children.
On the surface, Kung fu Panda seems like a funky
animation movie with witty comebacks and great action sequences. But it is so
much more.
The Dream
The movie starts with Po's dream which really is his
life’s dream, to become a Kung fu warrior. He imagines himself to be the
opposite of what society deems him capable of.
“Never had a panda
been so loved or feared.”
In the dream, he is fierce, swift in
his actions and defeats his foes easily. This is how he pictures himself.
The Panda is a stand-in for the
whole race which is overlooked because of their body weight and structure. It points
to the concept of body shaming and how readily we judge the other person’s
capabilities based on what is visible. How many times have you thought that
someone was not beautiful because of their weight?
The
restaurant
Reality knocks when his father interrupts
him and opens his eye to his apparent destiny, of working in a noodle
restaurant. His father represents the mediocre and stable attitude middle class
parents often subject on their children, because his dad did not believe in his
dreams when he was young and knows no alternate reality besides carrying on the
family tradition. “Broth runs deep in our veins.” He reiterates what his father
told him. When people grow up, they succumb to what their family or society
tells them as right. They stop questioning their purpose.
The fact that Po doesn’t belong in
his father’s restaurant is highlighted by his outgrown size and the low ceiling
of the restaurant because of which he has to stoop or undermine his
potential.
The theme of being a misfit is seen throughout
the movie:
when he is declared the dragon warrior and the
chair in which he is to be carried breaks apart and when he accidentally breaks
the wooden floor in the corridor where the furious five live. His clumsiness
represents his nervousness and awe.
The
dragon warrior and clashing destinies
The inciting incident is the
choosing day of the dragon warrior. At the last moment, his dad hands him the
noodle cart which has to be pushed upwards through thousands of steps to reach
in time to the Jade Palace.
'One often meets his destiny on the
road he takes to avoid it.' Oogway
The cart is symbolic of the burden
of his family destiny. The stairs are the friction between him and his dream.
He ultimately chooses to fulfil his dream abandoning his imposed destiny by
leaving the noodle cart, climbing thousands of steps only to have the door
close on him. His relentlessness throughout the film is really inspiring. He
doesn’t stop when he stumbles (literally).
The choices we make do decide our destiny. He
could have accepted his fate and given up. But he chose to fight.
To get inside the palace, he tries everything in his power
but can’t. Climbing walls, stretching bamboo and trying to peep through the
door does not work. Po gives up on seeing the ceremony when he is confronted
with his father who tells him that his destiny is to work in the noodle
restaurant. He consoles him to come back. Po lies on the ground, heavy with defeat.
Sometimes all we need is a push. But
a push from destiny is a latent spark of the firecracker and he soars high in
the sky and exceeds expectations (pun intended).
You can argue that he was lucky and that
is why he was chosen. But no. He was not qualified yet he had the learning
spirit. The other warriors had been trained since birth but they did not have
the burning desire. It was something they were destined for.
Po was too late to start and had the greatest disadvantage. But there is nothing more powerful than a person who is not afraid to fail.
Shifu
and his fears
Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) represents
the strict society who views everything as black and white. He is proud of his
knowledge and fails to see the hidden potential in Po. He is prejudiced due to Po’s
appearance. He has a dark past in which he drilled his own ambition into his
son-like student Tai Lung. As Tai Lung grew stronger, he became hungry for
power and could see nothing besides it. There is a subtle lesson here that
those who become obsessed with their end goals often end up sacrificing
everything, even themselves. Shifu believed in his son. In repentance of his
mistake, he loses faith in people. He fails to see the potential and efforts of
Tigress (Angelina Jolie).
The flabby panda who he hated brought
peace to him and the valley, as Oogway had foretold. Just because you’re not
qualified or experienced yet, does not mean you are not the right person.
It is amazing how DreamWorks (the
production that made the movie) managed to express the emotions through animal
characters, especially for Shifu whose strict expressions betray the pain and
anxiety in his eyes.
Oogway
and his wisdom
“There are no accidents.” Oogway
The frail old turtle whose wisdom
drives the movie is an unforgettable character, with his gentle cooing voice
that puts you at ease. Even though he is an animated turtle, he is a
respectable character. His quotes drive the movie and is a mouthpiece for the
teachings hidden in the movie. He shows that the true mark for wisdom is accepting
your own ignorance and moving forward with faith. He accepts uncertainty
without fear. He contrasts with Shifu who thinks that Po cannot be the dragon
warrior.
“Nothing is impossible.” Oogway
To be wise is to be full of wonder.
The
disciple
The furious five and later Po are
the disciples of Shifu and Shifu is the disciple of Oogway. Respect towards
one’s teacher, a practice dominant in Chinese culture is seen throughout the
movie.
Shifu disbelieves Oogway at first
when he says that Po is the true dragon warrior. But his obedience does not
falter. He respects his decision when he refuses Tai Lung the dragon scroll and
chooses Po.
Being a true student, when Oogway is
gone, he reiterates his sayings to Po to make him believe in himself. He slowly
starts to believe in Po’s potential as well. It is when we start enjoying working towards what we
thought was impossible, we can achieve anything.
Tai Lung
and the hunger for power
Tai Lung is the aggressive
antagonist who wants to fulfill his destiny and prove himself worthy as a
student. So strong is his obsession that he is willing to hurt Shifu, his
teacher, and lay destruction to the valley. He could be represented as an
unconscious fear trapped in the mind of Shifu, locked away in a far off prison to
be forgotten. He represents the mistakes he had made blinded by his love. For
Shifu to be peaceful, Tai Lung has to be destroyed. But for him to be in peace,
he must confront him.
Tai Lung thinks that the dragon
scroll is a testament to power to be acquired, the last stage to be passed in
the way of success. He represents the thinking that is often used in the
education sector, that if you acquire this you will be qualified to have that,
with no regard to the person’s temperament.
Po and
yin and yang
And last but not least, Po is
the protagonist we did not want, but nevertheless needed, to contrast the
classic image of the hero as being all-powerful, virtuous and sacrificing. When
he comes to know that Tai Lung has escaped and his life in danger, he is the
first one to flee. He values his life which is natural. He is clumsy. He is
resilient but at times, loses hope and belief when he feels overwhelmed and
without any apparent guidance from the dragon scroll. Instead of portraying
what is right, he is portrayed as a natural person.
He is an adorable misfit that steals the show.
His character is loved for his wit and candidness and has qualities that all
age groups can relate to.
He is the personification of the
philosophy of yin and yang. In the climax of the second part of the movie he
spins very fast and his black and white patches form the yin and yang symbol. The
philosophy portrays moderation.
In the circular symbol, the dark side
symbolises the feminine forces which is passive. The feminine can be
personified through his fear, laidback nature and non-confrontational
personality. The lighter side is the masculine which is bright and powerful,
which is personified through his grit, unrelenting passion and hope in the face
of adversity. He starts to believe in himself towards the end which makes him a
true dragon warrior.
Both the yin and yang are necessary
to lead a successful life. For one to exist, the other has to be present.
Shifu, Tigress and Tai Lung symbolise dominance of yang and Po’s dad symbolise
dominance of yin. Excess of either, which is seen in Tai Lung with his
aggressiveness, can only lead to destruction.
The true portrayal of a hero that
has both sides to his personality makes him an appropriate role model for
children. They learn that hard work does not have to be a struggle. It can be
balanced with wit and fun.
The people in the movie who oppose
Po like his dad, Shifu, Tai Lung and Tigress all have their concerns and
destinies to fulfil. It is when they are not able to control them do they oppose,
which is certainly true for people’s behaviour in society at large.
Even though the movie is rated 7+,
it has a much deeper meaning than most believe. The characters don’t act for
the sake of it, but have their own desires that clashes with others.
The next time you watch a movie,
don’t dismiss it just because of it’s age rating. Sometimes children teach us
what we were not able to see.
Kung-fu Panda is available on
Netflix to watch.