Analysis of Hero Sara Crewe (Liesel Matthews) in the Film A Little Princess - Movie Review Example

Submitted Introduction This paper explores the composite hero Sara Crewe (Liesel Matthews) in the film A Little Princess (1995). Using the hero paradigm of Ray (1), Sara will be characterized both as an official hero and an outlaw hero. The basic qualities of each type will be laid out and related to the character of Sara. Magic, the myth that drives the film will then be discussed using the ideas of Seger (1). The paper concludes with an explanation of how the conflicting qualities of Sara were resolved in the film. 2. Sara Crewe, the Official Hero The official hero “represented the American belief in collective action and the objective legal process that superseded private notions of right and wrong” (Ray 1). At first sight, Sara Crewe appears to embody the qualities of the official hero – a smart, pretty, young lady who possesses a strong moral and ethical grounding. Growing up to a rich family, she speaks French and has lived most of her childhood years in India. In the film, she constantly speaks about how much she loves her father, and how badly she misses her mother who passed away during childbirth. Sara is a picture of an honest, beautiful, and loving daughter who seemed to have everything. Ray also talks about how the official hero embodies “the best attributes of adulthood: sound reasoning and judgment [and] wisdom and sympathy based on experience” (2). Sara, as young as she was, may be childish at times but she often comes across as an adult trapped in an adolescent body. In a letter to her father, she writes about the strict rules in the school that she reluctantly follows but, nevertheless, believes that those rules are there for a reason. Although the rebelling heart is there, the young mind of Sara is willing to understand and accept rules displaying a certain degree of maturity and sound judgment. “The official heroes were predominantly worldly, comfortable in society, and willing to undertake even those public duties demanding personal sacrifice” (Ray 3). Sara knows very well the class segment she belongs to – an heiress to a British father who mined precious stones for business. Her father constantly tells her in the film that she is a princess. Possessing these worldly qualities, however, Sara keeps her feet on the ground and treats everyone as her equal. Upon learning that the black servant girl, Becky (Vanessa Lee Chester), was not allowed to speak with the students, Sara went out of her way to give Becky a pair of new shoes. That small gesture started the relationship that eventually blossomed into a lifelong friendship between the two. 3. The Outlaw Hero Qualities of Sara Crewe While some qualities of Sara make her an official hero, she is predominantly driven by outlaw hero qualities. First, Sara is driven by “whims, tantrums, and emotional decisions” that characterize an outlaw hero (Ray 1). In one scene in the film, Miss Minchin (Eleanor Bron) tells Sara that jewelries are not allowed in the class. Sara pleads to be allowed to wear the necklace in her room instead, and gets instant approval from Miss Minchin. Sara’s little whims and tantrums are somehow an indicator of her rebellious heart. In a reading class, after seeing her classmates doze on and off while listening to the reader, Sara changes the plot of the story and inserts make-believe characters. This wakes up her sleepy classmates and at the same time irritates Miss Minchin. Sara also possesses “self-determination” and seeks “freedom from entanglements” (Ray 1). Upon learning the death of her father, Sara abandoned all her hopes and lost faith in the power of magic. A turning point in the film, the official hero suddenly breaks down and doubts the power of believing. Sara is suddenly faced with the grim reality of her father’s death, being penniless, and having to work as one of the school’s servant. In one of the most touching scenes in the film, Sara was offered a yellow rose after she gave loaves of bread to a hungry child who was selling flowers. The mother of the child, then, called her a “princess”. This affirmation was probably what Sara needed in order to awaken her imagination and continue telling magical stories. As a result, her friends visited her every night in her room in the attic although Miss Minchin specifically ordered the students to discontinue all forms of communication with Sara. Possessing the determination and freedom of the outlaw hero, Sara didn’t stop her friends from listening to her stories even though she knew the consequences of her actions. She also received a locket from her friends as a gift. This locket was taken away by Miss Minchin to pay for the school expenses that Sara incurred before the death of her father. Sara accepted it gladly while she knew that it was stolen by her friends from Miss Minchin. A “pattern of flight” also ensues at the last sequences of the film (Ray 2). Miss Minchin accuses Sara of stealing the locket from her desk, and stealing all the food and expensive tapestry that decorates her entire room. Instead of surrendering to the police and telling her side of the story, she escapes by using a block of wood as a bridge to the adjacent house. Her outlaw hero qualities motivated her to do what she perceived was right but was actually illegal and, therefore, wrong. 4. The Myth behind ‘Magic’ Seger talks about a “story that connects and speaks to us all” (1). This story is the myth that continuously attracts people to watch films. A Little Princess is primarily a film about faith in the unknown, believing with all your heart, and subscribing to the idea of magic. These themes which cut across every culture give the film its universal appeal. The magic works in the beginning of the film when Sara felt and acted like a princess. It was even stated that every girl is entitled to being a princess; it was every girls dream. Sara, meanwhile, had every reason to feel like a princess. She was pretty, smart, and rich. That belief was broken when Sara was faced with the death of her father. She hit rock bottom that ultimately led to a rebirth (Seger 3). At this point, the trick behind the magic was exposed. Sara no longer believed all the things that magic has promised to her. She was already fatherless, poor, and served the other students at school. The “transformation” came when she was given a rose by a child, and her status as a princess was reaffirmed once again (Seger 3). In the scene where she was confronted by Miss Minchin, Sara proudly claims that all girls are princesses even they are not pretty, smart, or young. Sara once again believed in magic, and continued to hope for a better future. Along the way an “internal healing” and transformation was experienced by Sara (Seger 4). She was restored to her old self and, as a reward, was showered by love with her friends and father. 5. The composite Sara Crewe: resolving the conflict Heroes embodying conflicting characteristics are prominent in cinema (Ray 1). Sara, while outwardly an official hero, is inwardly an outlaw hero. She moves with class and elegance but she could also act on whims sometimes. She follows rules but breaks them too when she deemed it appropriate. She was the hero who did some bad things but the audience nevertheless loved. Sara manages to resolve her conflicting qualities by using emotional appeal and humor. When she accepted the technically stolen necklace, she knew that what she did was wrong but it seemed that she didn’t have a choice. When the police arrived to get her, she escaped by going hiding in the neighboring house. What the audience sees is the suffering Sara that badly needed to be rescued from the evil Miss Minchin. The wrongdoings are justified and are hidden beneath the emotional appeal of the character. In one scene, Sara and Becky dumped a bucket full of ash in the chimney which led to the room of Miss Minchin. The rationality of that act lied in the humor that ensued when the audience sees Miss Minchin covered in dirt while Becky and Sara teasingly laughed. 6. Conclusion Amidst the myth of magic, Sara embodied both the official and outlaw hero qualities which eventually allowed her to achieve her goals and transform into a better person. Her official hero qualities make her respectable and predictable, but her outlaw characteristics make her character more believable, therefore, appealing to audiences. She committed mistakes that were illegal but, nevertheless, strongly justified. She was a composite hero who carried and represented the dream of all girls – being a princess. To accomplish her goals, the outlaw characteristics were a necessary part of that process. In the end, the totality of Sara is well-loved just like any other hero, official or outlaw. Works Cited Cuaron, Alfonso, dir. A Little Princess. Perf. Eleanor Bron, Liam Cunningham, and Liesel Matthews. Warner Bros. Pictures, 1995. Film. Ray, Robert. “The Thematic Paradigm.” Signs of Life in the U.S.A.: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. Ed. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston: St. Martin’s Press, 1994. 1-6. Seger, Linda. “Creating the Myth.” Signs of Life in the U.S.A.: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. Ed. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston: St. Martin’s Press, 1994. 1-6. Read More