A Bug's Life: Movie Review

The movie a Bug's life is a very entertaining film filled with comedy and action, about everyday life problems of insects. Specifically ants, and their relationship with the grasshopper. But if one look behind the very basic layer of the film we start to discover many symbols, imagery that can help one understand and appreciate the film a Bug's life just a little bit more. Within the film were all types of allusions,symbols, and themes that help one to connect with the film more. For example allusions to the story if Persephone, or symbols such as rain/water ,and lastly the plot theme of a quest needed to be undertaken by the protagonist. Can all be used to determine that the movie a bug life is a story about maturation, growing up and redemption/rebirth and finding one's self.

In the movie a bug's life we see the allusion to Persephone, when Flick the protagonist of the story is sent on a quest to get help from “warrior bugs” to fight of the grasshoppers . During this we Flick jump from ant island where he was safe and bright downs to the shadows below, where he then proceeds to cross a barren river and finally enter into a strange new world in the form of a bug city. This processed is similar to Persephone being sucked down to the underworld and from her sunny home ,crossing the river and into the strange new world of shadows that is the underworld. As we have learned earlier in the year a story with an allusion to Persephone is usually a story of maturation and loss of innocence. As the film proceeds we see flik mature and grow. This is evident when he did not back down he told hopper to drop princess dot, like he did the first time.

In the film a bugs life we the symbols of rain as a symbol of rebirth, cleansing and new beginnings. Around the end of the film the rain finally comes as Flick and the other ants prepare to fight hopper having already forced his subordinates to flee. This shows that rain is a symbol of new beginnings and rebirth