Characterisation of Animals

       

        Often in animation, animal characters (as opposed to animals which form part of the scenery) are gifted with human personality traits in order to help the audience identify with and understand them. This is not a recent trend; for hundreds of years stories have been written with animals as the central protagonists, including Aesop's Fables, Black Beauty and The Jungle Book, making it necessary for animals to be given a voice in order to tell their tales.

        There are varying degrees to which the humanisation of animals occurs. In Antz, DreamWorks constructed a society which is human in all but appearance; Woody Allen's Z suffers the same neuroses and existential crisis as many of his human characters, and the ant colony could be seen as a microcosm of a human dictatorship. On the other hand, there are films like Bambi, which attempt a more naturalistic depiction of animal life, using human voices to make that world more accessible. 

        Anthropomorphism reflects our own desire to project human feelings and emotions onto animals. Dug is the epitome of this desire, embodying the fantasy that animals can understand and may one day learn to communicate with us in words. Yet he never becomes too human; unlike some anthropomorphised animals, he never takes to two legs or dons clothing. His readiness to bestow love and adopt the cantankerous Carl as his master demonstrates a trust that is purely canine, as are his sense of humour and dialogue.

        However, it is not always human qualities that are used to help an audience identify with an animal character. As the below infographic shows, the dragons in the How To Train Your Dragon films adopt the idiosyncrasies of numerous animals, and even tools and vehicles, which the audience might be familiar with. This allows us to begin to interpret the individual characters and personalities of these enigmatic, mythical beasts.

  

Infographic courtesy of Empire Magazine

        Notably, a number of the dragons reference dogs, cats, or in Toothless' case both. By exhibiting the traits of these animals, the animators help establish that behind their gruff exteriors, the dragons are closer in character to pets than monsters, capable of being cute as well as scary. This resemblance is particularly apparent in the scenes where Hiccup tentatively approaches Toothless, and when he uses various tricks to 'tame' the ferocious creatures; a grass which has a similar effect to catnip, and a penchant for being tickled behind the ears transport the dragons to a state of ecstasy familiar to many pet owners. 

An undeniable resemblance, both in looks and demeanour.

        In Tangled Maximus fluctuates between degrees of anthropomorphism, a caricature of the honourable steed, and adopting the mannerisms of a dog (a narrative device to reveal his softer, more compassionate side). In a film with a relatively small central cast, Maximus embodies several roles, at various points playing a determined soldier, a tracking hound, a hard-nosed detective, a bickering child, a lovable pooch, a capering sidekick and a noble destrier.

Much of Tangled's comedy arises from the rivalry between Maximus and Flynn

        While Maximus does not talk, he is no less expressive or emotive for that. The animators manage to transpose a variety of human expressions onto this horse's face, which along with sharply observed body language establish his haughty personality, and ensure that he is as memorable and appealing a character as Rapunzel and Flynn. As the saying goes, a picture paints a thousand words.

        Maximus is not the sole scene stealing animal in Tangled. Recognising the draw of cute animals, Rapuzel is given her own sidekick in the form of loyal Pascal. Like Maximus, Dug and Toothless, he is animated as an animal, rather than being overtly anthropomorphised. Again, his humanity comes through in gestures and facial expressions which give him the emotional range to fulfill the role of friend and confidante. To effectively convey these emotions, a small concession is made in the design of both Pascal and Maximus; they are given human, rather than horse/chameleon eyes, which are arguably more engaging and intelligible to the audience.

        Perhaps the indisputable appeal and popularity of animal characters is due to the fact that they are intrinsically more likable than humans to us, a society of animal lovers. Rarely do they come with the emotional baggage of people, or embody less desirable personality traits. They have come to represent a simpler, more honest way of life.