Pixar’s sci-fi romance film WALL-E took a significant storytelling risk, which had only been attempted once before. WALL-E takes viewers to the year 2805, where a solitary robot named WALL-E, works daily to clean up a deserted Earth. Humanity now resided in space on a giant starliner, awaiting the day they can travel back to their clean home planet. An emotional and character-driven tale, WALL-E is one of the best Pixar movies.
WALL-E brought to life lovable characters, beautiful animation, and a captivating storyline, all while delivering a poignant message about climate change and setting the bar high for upcoming Pixar movies. The movie ended up winning the Oscar for Best Animated Film in 2008. As WALL-E salvages parts from inactive robots and interacts with his pet cockroach it is clear that one thing is missing from the film: dialogue.
Pixar’s WALL-E Repeated Disney’s Huge 1941 Risk
The absence of dialogue from the protagonist and titular character in WALL-E was a rarity in Disney’s history, occurring only once before in 1941 with Dumbo. Dumbo tells the story of a young elephant, who is scrutinized for his incredibly large ears. However, when he shows the members of the circus his gift of flight with his ears, he becomes beloved by all. WALL-E and Dumbo are the only Disney protagonists who don’t speak during their films. This absence of dialogue is a storytelling risk, as it makes it more difficult to keep the viewer engaged, especially children.
While the reasons for the protagonist’s silence differ, with Dumbo being a baby elephant and WALL-E a robot, silent films, popular between 1894 and 1929, have since become quite rare. Movies with little or no dialogue require the audience’s full attention in order to be engaged with the narrative. Given that both the lead characters in WALL-E and Dumbo did not speak, the risk of losing the audience’s connection to the characters and the movies as a whole was substantial.
WALL-E & Dumbo Both Work For The Exact Same Reason
Despite the risk assumed, both Dumbo and WALL-E manage to captivate their audiences for several reasons. Firstly, the animation in both films skillfully conveys a wide range of emotions through the character’s expressions, allowing viewers to immediately connect with them. For example, when WALL-E watches Hello Dolly!, viewers can clearly see his love for the film, especially during the romantic number “It Only Takes a Moment,” showing that he longs for love and sets up his relationship with EVE.
Likewise, when Dumbo is taunted by the other elephants at the circus it is clear through his expressions and droopy ears that he is deeply saddened. Furthermore, both movies feature exceptional scores that breathe life into their narratives, setting the tone and pace for the stories of these non-speaking protagonists. Despite the significant narrative risks, WALL-E and Dumbo both triumph through their remarkable animation, facial expressions, character movements, and great cinematic experience that proves how powerful animation can be in its many forms.
