Historical context is extremely important in storytelling. No stories exist in a vacuum; they are released into a world of politics and culture. While stories can certainly be isolated and analyzed as a solitary work, it often helps to understand the time period in which something was released. It doesn’t even have to be a controversial subject that touches upon the era or the news of the times. It could be simply trying to get in the head space of the first audience who experienced the work and what they may have been going through.
A great example of this is Fantasia. The original film came out in 1940. Political tensions were high all around the world. The Nazis came to power in Germany seven years earlier and World War II began just two years before the film’s debut. America had yet to enter the war, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t on people’s minds. There was a constant discussion about whether or not America should enter the war or even accept more refugees. This entire situation is the headspace that adult viewers would have brought into the film. That’s not to say that Fantasia has anything to do with World War II and the political situation in Europe. But keeping a release date in mind when viewing a film allows the viewer context for its release.
Of course, Disney is often geared towards children, and they might not have been worrying about such things. But this masterpiece of animation and music came out at a pretty tense time, and through the power of streaming, audiences can revisit it whenever they want to experience it. This idea can be projected into the future, where audiences may revisit something that is released today. Then they could try to wonder what the public in today’s world was going through while trying to view that piece of art.
Fantasia is now streaming on Disney+.
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