Barry Jenkins’ Mufasa is based on Big Feelings and its groundbreaking cast. The result is magical
Barry Jenkins knows people were skeptical about his decision to direct Mufasa: The Lion King, a live-action prequel to the popular franchise. This is the guy who gave us Medicine for Melancholy and Moonlight, two seminal indie texts about romance, self-discovery and intimacy. He gave us If Beale Street Could Talk, one of my favorite films of all time; A film that heartbreakingly reveals how love can heal us and systems can break us. Jenkins’ filmography may not have been able to predict when he would direct a Disney blockbuster, but knowing his work, you could predict one thing: Mufasa would be bursting with emotion and, as I told Jenkins himself when I got him for that Interviewing the film’s press day in San Diego, “big feelings.”
“I just love big feelings,” Jenkins told me while sitting next to Lin-Manuel Miranda, the acclaimed director, musical genius, Broadway legend and Mufasa’s composer. “I only realized how powerful a musical can express big feelings when I was in the middle of making one. I’m pro-musical, pro-big feelings.” When you think about it, Jenkins’ narrative style, which explores longing, vulnerability and tenderness, fits the musical genre perfectly. And yet he is aware that when the project was first announced, people weren’t happy with the idea. “I’m excited for people to see the movie,” he said, after acknowledging the backlash but not engaging in it: “No reaction to the reaction,” he said with a smile. “What [people] The thing people respond to if they haven’t seen the movie is these big feelings, your words, which I love. I just tried to hurry up and fill this film with as many big feelings as possible, using an entirely new set of tools. The only thing that is different is the tool kit. The feelings are the same.”
As someone who has seen the film, I agree. Mufasa will make you feel even if you were skeptical after watching Jon Favreau’s The Lion King (2019), which took a bit of the soul out of the original 1994 version we grew up with. The photorealism of the animals failed and robbed the story we know and love of its magic and wonder. Mufasa benefits from having no original to compare it to, and from technological advances since 2019. The animals are more expressive, the cinematography is stunning, and Jenkins’ direction is full of heart. Furthermore, its cast delivers performances that are not overshadowed by the visuals. In fact, the film’s impressive technique works well with the commitment that each voice actor brings to their characters. Aaron Pierre and Kelvin Harrison Jr. are Mufasa and Taka (before he becomes Scar) and both young men continue to earn their status as Hollywood’s breakout stars and certified internet boyfriends by showcasing their good looks (have you seen these men! ?) underline undeniable talent.
Mufasa is an origin story about how a lion cub becomes king and how a precocious child becomes a villain, but mostly it’s about legacy. The story goes like this: In the harrowing opening sequence, Mufasa is separated from his parents by a flood that washes him away to Taka’s royal family, where he is adopted. Taka’s father is a king who believes that power is built through deception. Mufasa holds on to the lessons his parents taught him, and Taka’s connection to their brotherly bonds breaks when jealousy gets in the way. And of course, at the center of their conflict is a girl: Sarabi (Tiffany Boone), who later becomes Mufasa’s mate, but Scar saw her first. The plot thickens. The story is told to Kiara (Simba and Nala’s daughter, voiced by Blue Ivy Carter, who is really good in this role) through Rafiki (John Kani) and Timon and Pumbaa (Billy Eichner and Seth Rogan respectively) and respectfully, the duo’s screen time it should have been halved). As the story progresses, it becomes clear that both Mufasa and Scar are fighting for their place in the world, each thinking that their own path is the right one. So when I spoke to Pierre and Harrison Jr., I asked them to defend their characters’ perspectives.
I just tried to hurry up and fill this film with as many big feelings as possible, using an entirely new set of tools. The only thing that is different is the tool kit. The feelings are the same.
Barry Jenkins
“Ultimately, I was the rightful heir. I was a prince!” Harrison Jr. said passionately. “I tried to invite you to my house. I let you win a whole race and then you want to sit there and do what you did. I won’t say what he did, but you know what you did… What goes around comes back around. I’m pretty sure Beyoncé said that,” Harrison Jr. said with a laugh. Pierre took a more diplomatic route and discussed the scene in the film where Mufasa tries to talk to Taka about his relationship with Sarabi. “We tried to have a conversation on the said topic but the conversation did not lead to reality. In the end, we didn’t have that conversation. And instead of waiting for that moment to have the conversation, someone reciprocated, instead of being patient and waiting for the moment when we could have talked about it, but it’s okay,” Pierre said on behalf of his character . “I love [Taka]and I celebrate him, and I will always exalt him.” See, big feelings!
The chemistry between Pierre and Harrison Jr. (also Malcolm this year) is a back and forth between loving brothers and competing enemies. “We just had a lot of fun,” Pierre said of building the relationship with Harrison Jr. He illuminated also how Harrison Jr. got into his character’s headspace. “One of my favorite moments was when we read through the script for the first time. And I think at that time Kelvin was deeply immersed in Chevalier – which is a beautiful film, by the way he had his locs and everything and he had all the physicality of Scar. He imagined that bass. He had his shoes off and I just enjoyed seeing that. I always take inspiration from my brother here.
We just had a lot of fun doing it… I always take inspiration from my brother.
Aaron Pierre on Kelvin Harrison Jr.
One of my favorite moments in the film is watching Taka become Scar through his injury and suspicion of betrayal. His voice deepens and flickers with mischief. His posture drops menacingly. He slowly transforms from a naive would-be prince following his brother into the scar of “Be Prepared” (the song that became a classic for Jeremy Irons and which Chiwetel Ejiofor skillfully took up in the remake), a small, power-hungry lion. It’s exciting to watch and it proves that despite all the theatrics of photorealistic live-action technology, Mufasa is able to show the subtle development of a character with depth and nuance. It was a tall order and I know the reviews will be mixed, but I think they pulled it off.
“Yes, there is a lot of pressure,” Boone, who plays Sarabi, told me about taking on such beloved, nostalgic characters. “We are people who have been obsessed with this film since we were little and love these characters. So there is pressure, but it is a great honor. And I think we all felt like we were in safe hands with Barry [Jenkins] So that we could do the best we could and bring this to a new generation of kids. And yes, all day, every day, pressure, but here we are. We made it. You know, 30 years later we’ve done it and it’s out in the world. “It’s none of my business anymore,” she laughed.
Boone brought up a few points that I liked and that I think are important: first, that it is a children’s film, and second, that the way it is shot, the cast (or the creators) do nothing concerns. When I criticize films for children, I think my colleagues sometimes forget that these films are not for adults who may have fond memories of the intellectual property.
Sure, if you go into Mufasa expecting it to hit like the Lion King of our youth, you might be disappointed. The songs don’t hit as hard (there’s no clear equivalent to “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” or “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”), but they’re catchy enough to stick in your head. And the story of two young boys struggling to find themselves and gain authority, facing legacy, grappling with grief and daunting expectations is powerful and pure enough that when you read this Mammoth film certainly has an idea as a targeted cash grab – you’ll remember that Barry Jenkins, a superb filmmaker, found a way to keep the soul in the story while having fun. Some called Jenkins’ Mufasa a symbol of selling out, but I saw it as a valiant effort by one of our most brilliant talents to bring something wholesome and light into the world. After all the gravity and attraction he has given us, I think we can leave it to him. When Jenkins looks back on his legacy long from now, I don’t think he will regret making the quirky children’s film that made many people feel deeply.
When I asked Jenkins about the inheritance, he balked. “I radically defend myself against such thoughts,” he said. “I try to look right here, right at what’s always in front of me, especially when I’m creating something, and especially something as big as this.” [But] I thought it was really interesting to unpack and decontextualize legacy in that way, just taking Mufasa’s life, Scar’s life, and bringing it down to this event, and it was really intense and he changed a little bit and this other thing happened . It was really intense. And then when you step back and look at it from 30,000 feet, you think, Oh, that’s why this legacy is so influential. It was the journey. I love doing things like that. I love creating art this way.”
Miranda admitted to thinking about the legacy, but said he “got all the legacy out of my system on Hamilton.” The musical won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and 11 Tony Awards. “I kind of thought, okay, the first line of my obituary is done. What else do I want to do? And how do I choose what I want to work on when I know it’s “Hamilton, Creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda” no matter what happens to me? For me, the answer is that I only say yes to the projects that I know I will learn a lot on the job, and I knew that working with Barry, who I think is one of our great ones Storyteller is, would learn a lot. ”
Ultimately, Mufasa is better than its predecessor (The Lion King, 2019), it’s so beautiful to watch that you’ll stare at the screen in amazement, and it’s so much fun to continue the journey with its characters, you’ll notice that Only Barry Jenkins could have turned a Disney prequel that no one asked for into a profound exploration of brotherhood, leadership, and family.
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