The Lion King: Shakespeare on the Savannah

A resonant primal call and the rising sun opens the film, and I am cast back fifteen years to my childhood. I sat on my grandmother's sofa with a good cup of tea and a plate of biscuits, eyes glued to the screen. The Lion King was one of the first films I saw as a child, and the opening cry of the truly epic soundtrack still sends shivers down my spine.

But it’s not just the soundtrack that makes this film a long standing childhood favourite of mine. Let me explain. I am a real die-hard fan of Shakespeare. I love the guy. I have no less than three copies of his complete works sitting on my bookshelf, I know so many quotes that if you don’t stop me I’ll simply quote the whole play, and I even toured a theatre in education performance entitled ‘It’s Shakespeare – DON”T PANIC!’ Now I know the question on every one of your lips. Why is she telling me this? Why is this relevant? Well, because The Lion King is one of the best contemporary adaptations of Hamlet that I know.

I’m being serious.

Alright, it’s not a particularly faithful adaptation, but the basic plot elements and character dynamics are there. Oh, and of course the traditional Disney happy ending replaces the tragic poison fuelled massacre that is the final scene of the original Hamlet, but the basic elements are there. The evil uncle, the father from beyond the grave, the strange duo that add light hearted elements to what could otherwise be an exceptionally morose film.

This is good in several ways. Firstly, it shows a great imaginative use of adaptation. The Lion King is not an obvious reworking of Hamlet. It has simply used the play as an inspiration to create an entirely original context for the basic plot. As a screenwriter, this is exciting to see because it really proves the notion that an excellent screenplay does not have to be 100% original. Borrowing is allowed. Now, I’m not saying that you should all go out and grab a DVD of your favourite blockbuster and write a transcript of it, name it something else, and send it to Hollywood. Jaws has already been made, and calling it ‘Teeth’ and trying to sell it will get you nowhere. But Alien was originally pitched as ‘Jaws in space,’ and look how well that did. The point is that taking an existing idea and putting a new spin on it is a method of getting a really solid concept. And I think ‘Hamlet with Lions’ proves that.

Another reason why this adaptation is a good thing is because of what it is adapting. I am aware that as a Shakespeare lover I am rather strange. I also realize that as I loved Shakespeare in school I am even stranger. Many young people will say their blood runs cold at the mention of the dreaded S-word and his verbose plays. But show them She’s the Man and tell them it’s based on Twelfth Night, or tell them that Ten Things I Hate About You is a reworking of Taming of the Shrew, and they start to sit up and listen. The Lion King is no different. One of Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Hamlet is widely studied in high schools. Alluding to little Simba and his adventures helps to spark interest and get the original Shakespearean text to speak to its new young audience in a whole new way. I am a massive advocate of Shakespeare adaptation. And The Lion King, with its catchy soundtrack and Technicolor showcase of the Savannah, is an asset to the sub genre.

So there we have it. The Lion King is not only a masterful adaptation of a classic, it is also a pretty damn good film in its own right. I shed a tear, laughed until it hurt, had shivers up my spine, and felt all warm inside when I sat and watched it at my grandmother’s house all those years ago. And the best bit is that I still do all of those things when I watch it now as well. That is what makes it truly great. At six, and at twenty-one, I am captivated by that little lion cub. And one day, I will sit with my children and watch them be captivated by him too. See, even film viewing cannot escape the circle of life.