Aladdin

Disney is known for being disloyal to original source material in its films and the same is true for Aladdin. Perhaps the animated feature is closest to the 1940 film version of The Thief of Baghdad in its story line and presentation, however, in no version of Aladdin works (books, TV, film) do we have a wise-cracking stand-up-comic Genie, as we do in this one brilliantly if obtrusively played by Robin Williams. The Thief of Baghdad is the only film produced of 1001 Arabian Nights which catches the colorful atmosphere of the Arabian tales. Having a Genie who befriends Aladdin and helps his cause is no different than many source versions of the story. However, having one

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n at Disney during the time the film was produced, one cannot help but wonder if his Jewish heritage promoted such offensive distinctions. Of course, one of the biggest differences in the Disney version is the obvious fact that in original sources of the story there was a lack of animals who could speak. In Aladdin we have an angry parrot named Iago (whose name is drawn from Shakespeare’s Othello more than anything to do with Arabians or Arabia), a chattering monkey, and a flying carpet personified to have emotions through its tassels and body language. Adding these elements to the Genie’s wise-cracking about everything from Delta Airlines to Disney’s own theme parks and you get the distinct feeling this is not your father’s version of 1001 Arabian Nights. These differences not only greatly separate the film from the original sources from which it was drawn, but their modern associations also reduces the impact the film will have as a member of the timeless classics of Disney studios. Humor seemed to be the key with producers of Aladdin and much of the faithfulness to original sources is sacrificed at its expense. The story is predictable, but it does not seem to have been inspired solely from either 1001 Arabian Nights or
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Approximate Word count = 1247
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page)

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