Comparison of The Jungle Book (1967 and 2016)

George Hunt

In the 1967 version of Disneys The Jungle Book the social attitudes differ drastically to those in the
2016 remake. This is mainly due to the stereotypes and attitudes to the periods the films were
made. The cultural attitudes change as well to represent the different personalities of the characters
as well as to appeal to an older target audience. While some political attitudes remain the same, the
2016 version is more politically correct in representing the characters and is more representative of
modern/real life politics.

Social differences: The 1967 version of The Jungle Book is mainly male dominant. This was because,
at the time the film was made, females were less represented as they are today. There are very few
female speaking parts in the film. There are only two credited female voice parts: Verna Felton
(Elephant) and Darleen Carr (Girl). There are also very few female crew members and even fewer
females in higher roles (e.g. secretary: Lorraine Thilman was uncredited). In comparison, the 2016
remake has made improvements to the lack of female representation by incorporating more female
characters into the script. For example: Raksha, the mother wolf, has been given a speaking part
unlike the original. This character is also more important to the plot as she is Mowglis protector at
the beginning of the film. They have also Scarlett Johansson voice to play kaa, who was originally
played by Sterling Holloway. In terms of crew members, there are more females involved in the final
film (keeping in mind the credits are much longer for the 2016 release). Moreover, there are more
females in higher roles; such as, Molly Allen executive producer; Joyce Cox co-producer and
Sarah Finn Casting. This change in social attitudes towards women is clearly represented in this
comparison.

Another social attitude in the 1967 version of The Jungle Book is how the child and mentors are
represented. The representation of Mowgli is that of ignorance that one would expect of a child.
However, Bagheera is also a very ignorant character. Bagheera, on multiple occasions, abandons
Mowgli expecting him to come back. Although, in the end he ends up running back when he thinks
hes in danger. Another example is when Kaa is manipulating Mowgli, Bagheera talks nonsense
assuming Mowgli is complaining rather than talking to an enemy. This ignorance is what leads
Mowgli to Baloo in the first place and forms a relationship of distrust between Bagheera and Mowgli
along with the audience. In the 2016 version Mowgli is still as ignorant as he is in the original. But,
the way Bagheera is represented has changed. Unlike the original, Bagheera sticks by Mowgli despite
how much he is irritated by him. On the other hand, Bagheera and Mowgli are separated for about a
quarter of the film by Shear Khan. This change of narrative creates a sense of loss and loneliness in
the audience which is a reflection of Mowglis feelings. This makes the relationship between the
characters closer than the one in the original, which makes Bagheeras presents and guidance
appreciated more by Mowgli and the audience.

Cultural Differences: One of the main cultural aspects of the original Jungle Book is the Party
Lifestyle reflected in the music and personalities in the characters. Baloo, in particular, shows this
trait as he sings The Bear Necessities to Mowgli and cant stop himself from dancing in I Wanna be
Like You. The Vultures near the end talk about that area of the Jungle having a Swinging scene.
This is a reference to the Swinging Sixties which is when the film was made (the vultures were also
based on The Beatles). This also makes the film light-hearted and fun as this appeals to a more
younger target audience. In the 2016 version, the Jungle is a much more serious place. The light-
hearted songs have been replaced by tribal chanting (The Law of the Jungle). Here Baloos playful
and musical nature and personality is treated as unorthodox and socially unacceptable. Even King
Louis song I Wanna be Like You has a sinister tone to it and not as upbeat as the original. This
change in culture reflects the overall tone of the film, which is much darker than the original.
Therefore, it would be inappropriate for the film to be as happy-go-lucky as the original as this would
get in the way of the complicated emotions the film tries to portray.