Exploring Societal Fears of Aging and Loss of Beauty in Disney Film “Tangled” and Indian Film “Yashoda”: A Feminist Film Analysis

Abstract

The fear of aging and the loss of beauty is a pervasive societal issue that transcends cultural boundaries, often manifesting in the media and film industry. This paper examines the 2010 animated film “Tangled” and an Indian Film “Yashoda” (2022) through a feminist lens, focusing on the themes of fears of aging and loss of beauty. It analyses how the antagonists, Gothel (Tangled) and Madhubala (Yashoda) navigate their journey in maintaining their beauty and youth which is a stereotypical expectation of the society. This study examines the portrayal of societal fears regarding aging and the loss of beauty through a feminist lens in the Disney film “Tangled” and the Indian film “Yashoda.” Both films, while culturally distinct, navigate the complex terrain of beauty standards, aging, and female autonomy. “Tangled” presents the narrative of Rapunzel, whose magical hair symbolizes youth and beauty, coveted by the antagonist, Mother Gothel, to prevent her own aging. This dynamic serves as a metaphor for the societal obsession with youth and the lengths to which individuals will go to preserve beauty. The paper employs a feminist film analysis methodology to uncover how these narratives contribute to and critique the cultural discourse on aging and beauty. It investigates how the films’ portrayal of female villains against the backdrop of societal beauty standards speaks to larger themes of female agency, body autonomy, and the commodification of women’s bodies. By comparing the Western and Indian cinematic contexts, the study reveals the universal and culturally specific aspects of how women’s aging and beauty are depicted and the implications of these portrayals for feminist discourse. This analysis contributes to a broader understanding of how cinema reflects, reinforces, and challenges the societal fears of aging and loss of beauty.

Keywords

• film
• aging
• beauty
• disney films
• indian films
• female agency
• body autonomy
• western cinema
• societal construction
• aging narratives