Dsiney’s Dumbo Will Be the Saddest 64-Minutes of Your Life

by

I’ve always loved how Disney movies, even though they’re known for being so joyful and ending happily, aren’t afraid to start with sadness. They really understand that you need those darker moments to truly appreciate the light, and they’re masters at setting that up – it’s something they’ve been doing brilliantly since almost the very beginning, starting with one of their earliest films…

It’s funny that Disney, known for sad moments in films like Bambi and The Lion King, manages to be incredibly moving in Dumbo. Despite being one of Disney’s shortest movies, Dumbo really tugs at your emotions as you watch it move toward a happy conclusion. What’s most surprising is that this heartfelt story achieves all of this without anyone actually dying.

Dumbo Isn’t For the Faint of Heart

Finally, a stork delivers Jumbo Jr., bringing joy to his mother. But everyone soon realizes the baby elephant has unusually large ears, causing him to stumble and fall. Sadly, he’s nicknamed “Dumbo,” and the movie largely focuses on the difficulties he faces because of them.

Dumbo faces a lot of hardship. Other elephants tease him, children pull on his ears, and even his fellow circus performers treat him poorly and frighten him. He’s mostly alone, except for his friend Timothy the Mouse. While Timothy helps Dumbo discover he can fly using his ears and eventually reconnect with his mother, the movie remains a heartbreaking story.

Mrs. Jumbo becomes overly protective of Dumbo when he’s teased, and as a result, they are separated as punishment. They can only reach each other by linking trunks through a hole in the wall. The film also shows adults bullying Dumbo, making it a surprisingly tough look at the issue, all wrapped up in a circus story about a flying elephant.

Disney Breaks a Grim Trend With Dumbo

By the end of Dumbo, it’s hard not to feel deeply for the little elephant. Although the film deals with some difficult and upsetting themes, it ultimately delivers the heartwarming conclusion audiences want. Dumbo challenges viewers to confront how unkind people can be, and emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance and believing in yourself.

Considering this, it’s surprising Disney didn’t often explore challenging themes without resorting to death in their older movies. Dumbo stands out as an early example of Disney moving away from that pattern, as the story doesn’t need a character to die to create emotional weight. By doing so, it highlights how the main character can grow and succeed even when facing difficult obstacles.

However, the film also touches on challenging themes that many people experience, like bullying and the desire to fit in. While Dumbo learns that a single, loyal friend is more valuable than widespread acceptance, it’s particularly poignant that he can’t even express himself verbally, making his struggle even more impactful for the audience.

The emotional impact of Dumbo is particularly strong because even with all the same events happening, if his mother had died, it would have been even more heartbreaking. Dumbo’s sadness builds slowly and relentlessly, like a drawn-out pain, whereas films like Bambi or The Lion King deliver sadness more quickly. Both are upsetting, but Dumbo combines a slow burn with devastating events, making it especially painful.

While much of Dumbo is sad, the powerful and lasting bond between a mother and child makes the difficult parts bearable. The happy ending feels genuine, but you have to experience the short, yet deeply moving, story to truly appreciate it. Essentially, you need to watch Dumbo to get to the heartwarming conclusion.

5 Questions
How Well Do You Know Dumbo’s Heartbreaking Journey?
Your Top Score
—
Attempts
—
0
0
Report Error

Found an error? Send it so it can be corrected.

Read More

2026-01-25 18:08