The Gang of Five
The Land Before Time => 1988 Theatrical Release => Topic started by: NewOrder on August 26, 2007, 10:51:33 AM
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I was re-watching the original movie the other day, and couldn't help but wonder about the scene were Littlefoot was born. All those animals going there to watch him, everybody's attention on him, it kind of looks like he's a larger than life character, some kind of hope (which is what the narrator refers to him, as the last hope for the future of that family)
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That's about the last word I would use to describe him. the next time a baby is born not 10 feet from you, you try not being interested. It's only natural for curiosity to set in, even among animals.
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I too didn't have any however remote impression of any religious allusion in that scene. It really looked like curiosity and perhaps "appetite" on the part of the creatures around (the later is not too likely though as Littlefoot's mother probably would have intervened more vigorously if that had been the reason for those creatures' curiosity).
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I don't think he was the dinosaur messiah, although the music and lighting did seem appropriate for that announcement.
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When you come to think of it he did become the leader, and he lead the gang to the valley. I don't mean this in a religious approach, but more in a philosophical way, to understand better what the producers wanted Littlefoot to be.
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Littlefoot became the leader because everyone else stepped aside. Even Cera, though she did have her own ideas and thought they were better than Littlefoot's occationally. and that's why they had so much trouble in the beginning.
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That is a quite methodical way of putting it, yet, the others wouldn't follow him if he didn't have some sense of natural leadership.
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I never got a sense of that Littlefoot was a ""Messiah" of any sort. He was born, and there were curious creatures around to be curious or go "aw". The others of the gang of fiv ejust followed Littlefoot because he was the only one who'd had any directions given to him about reaching the Great Valley.
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I wouldn't say he's a Messiah. I would say why, but everyone else here already did so. :p
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Obviously that's not what was meant for him, but that's the way he ends up being represented.
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Hardly. In a line-up of Cera, Ducky, Petrie, Spike, and Littlefoot it would be hard for the latter to not look like a Messiah compared to the former four.
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I still see a difference between a leader and the Messiah. The Great Valley was kind of stripped of its Paradise-like status throughout the sequels (this place is nice, but there are others just as nice out there somewhere). I don't like the thought of a religious interpretation of the land before time in the sense of understanding LBT as strongly based on or promoting some established church (no matter if it is a Christian church or one of another religion). The presence of spiritual elements which can not be ascribed to one established religion (only) however is a fact. The cloud image of Littlefoot's mother, the Whispering Winds scene, the voice of the heart... all these are spiritual scenes which don't depend on a particular religion.
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I think Little Foot is more of Moses than a messianic figure. Although Moses was perhaps messianic figure in that he was the deliverer (really the LORD was, and Moshe/Musa/Moses was his man). Little Foot resembles Moses because his egg ends up traveling all over the place, even in water at one point like Moses in basket on the Nile River. Little Foot like Moses tries to lead his Gang to The Great Valley, which is allegorical of the Promise Land Moses lead the Israelites to (the departure is Moses never entered the Promised Land). Little Foot also leads the Gang to drown Sharptooth in the deep water, Moses and Israelites crossed the Red Sea when Lord parted it, and at God's behest, the Pharaoh and Egyptians, enemies of Moses and Israelites were drowned in Red Sea, just as Sharptooth is drowned in water. The fact they use a rock also alludes to Lord, "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold," (Pslam 18:2), and "For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, 'The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.' Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:11-12).
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I don't think any similarities to the story of Moses or Jesus were intended. You're reading too much into a children's movie I think.
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Cera: !!! Jesus Flathead Christ!!!
never thought about this
XD
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Littlefoot does kind of serve as the spiritual guide to the rest of the gang though. Trying to teach them how to work together and never give up hope. There are some similarities with messianic type of character, I suppose... Only with a lot less preaching and dogma involved. :lol:
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I don't think any similarities to the story of Moses or Jesus were intended. You're reading too much into a children's movie I think.
I am actually quoting some of Spielberg's own notes on the film, he was Executive producer. It's not far fetched, Superman has allegories of both Moses and Christ in his story. Watch the Making of "Man of Steel" and you will hear the director directly wanted allusions to Moses and Christ.