Film
The Princess and the Frog was in its own way intended to be yet another film in the Disney renaissance. The ingredients were all there: the fairy tale, the musical, traditional animation and modern elements to modernise the classic frog prince fairy tale. The story is set in the New Orleans of the Golden Age of Jazz and follows the journey of Tiana, a work-obsessed waitress, in realising her dream of opening her own restaurant. On her way, she will meet Naveen, a butterfly and slacker prince, with whom she will be forced into an adventure of voodoo, sorcerers and eventually love. Two strong, realistic and, above all, topical personalities, whose union conveys a message hitherto unheard of in Disney cinema: the importance of finding the right balance in the relationship between the desire for personal fulfilment and the desire to live for the day.
Art
Herni de Toulouse-Lautrec was totally immersed in the picturesque bohemian world and was a keen observer and excellent narrator of that world. Dancers, prostitutes, singers and cabaret performers are the most recurrent subjects of his works. And it was in that forbidden world of Parisian night that he discovered his great vocation: the poster, which became a true art form thanks to him. One of Toulouse-Lautrec's first posters was the one for the Moulin Rouge created in 1891, which immediately stood out for the novelty of its style: the figures that make up the image are superimposed, creating an effect of far greater depth than that of a normal painting, and particular attention is paid to the way the silhouettes are reproduced. The physiognomy of the reproduced characters appears deformed, the figures are stylised to the point of taking on a grotesque, almost sinister appearance. The nose, in particular, is in some cases excessively elongated as is the case, for instance, in many lithographs reproducing Yvette Guilbert. Within a very short time, the artist achieved extraordinary success and thanks to the technique of lithography, he produced a great variety of posters in which he portrayed many Parisian establishments eager to advertise their shows with Toulouse-Lautrec's art. One of the most important is the Divan Japonais. The poster features the sinuous silhouette of Jane Avril sitting on a stage with art critic Edouard Dujardin. The celebrated dancer attends a performance by Yvette Guilbert, recognisable only by the long black gloves she always wore.
Looking at the works of Toulouse-Lautrec, one enters the world of nocturnal Paris. One has the sensation of hearing the clinking of absinthe glasses, the voices of the public and the background of cancan notes. One perceives that cheerful and carefree atmosphere typical of the belle époque made of lights, mischievous songs and provocative dances, not so different from the New Orleans of the same period that we see in the Disney Classic that places a particular focus on the French quarter. The protagonist's dream then is to open a restaurant of her own and every time she talks, dreams or sings about it, the animation is transformed and takes on the characteristics of those Toulouse-Lautrec posters we mentioned. Magical posters in which a strange feeling lurks, like an obscure omen that hangs over those carefree people who do not yet know that soon, the clinking of glasses, absinthe, opium and cancan would be supplanted by the horror of the First World War.
The animated film does not go so far back in time, but even without a world war there is still an evil omen weighing down on our protagonists: Dr Facilier. An intelligent but devious man, selfish and determined in his ambition to become immensely rich, but more out of respect for others than power. To this end he makes use not only of his persuasive charm and cunning, but also of magic. With it he manages to turn Prince Naveen into a frog, triggering a series of actions that will be resolved in the final part of the film. At this very moment in the story we see a familiar-looking church: it is the St. Louis Cathedral right in New Orleans.
External links
Watch The Princess and the Frog on Disney+
Artworks:
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