SYMBOLISM in GMD

by FantasmaTraNoi

GMD is full of symbolism. You don't think so? This essay written by an over-analytical literature nerd tries to prove you otherwise. It's not fanfiction per se, but thoughts/opinions/reviews are much appreciated.

Symbolism in GMD

Overview

1. Introduction

2. Symbolism

2.1. Colours

2.2. Character analysis

2.2.1. Physical Appearances

2.2.2. Basil and Ratigan – Two sides of the same coin?

2.2.3. Basil and Ratigan's relationship

2.2.4. Ratigan's transformation

2.2.5. Olivia

2.3. Music

2.4. Night time

2.5. Other Symbols

2.5.1. Toy Shop sequence

2.5.2. Clock

2.5.3. Ratigan's Fall

3. Conclusion

1. Introduction

"Quaerite, et invenietis" – so I sought and found. Believe it or not, GMD is littered with symbolism. In the following attempt at an essay I shall give examples of some of the various symbols, allegories, and other subliminal meanings that have been, whether intentionally or not, incorporated into this lovely work of art. Naturally, I am aware that I might be reading into it too much and taking it far too seriously – but I mind not, since searching for hidden meaning in the seemingly simplest of things is what my default approach towards life and its mysteries is all about. (Apart from the fact that GMD ranks among my long-time most favourite films, as I find it to be very cleverly constructed but, sadly, vastly underrated and under-appreciated.) I hold the belief that anything can be analyzed, so prepare for a little mental excursion into dreamland in semi-academic style. I do not aspire to examine the entire film in all its detail (that could become very long), but only what was most prominent to my eyes and ears. This will include some character, colour, music, and general image decoding.

2. Symbolism

2.1. Colours

As in most films (and literature), colour is used to convey meaning, yet which is probably perceived by the viewer primarily on an unconscious level. The main characters' clothing colours, for example, give us some clues as to their personality.

Ratigan

Ratigan's outfit is a fine example: I shall begin with his pink and purple cravat. Light pink is often associated with innocent romance and gentleness; it is a softer version of red, which is associated with passion, aggression and the erotic. Combined with purple, considered a luxurious and mysterious colour, it has a kind of feminine appeal, which may be regarded as paradoxically 'effeminate' in Ratigan's case. In fact, the walls of his lair as well as the champagne are also pink. Surely this excess of pink must have a specific function? (The animators might as well have chosen blue, green, or orange). Does the gentle, girlish pink intend to subdue Ratigan's actual violent nature? If so, one may be inclined to wonder whether the Feminine is automatically linked to goodness and/or harmlessness.

Nevertheless, he is also clad in a black and red cape, similar to many on-screen incarnations of Count Dracula, who (at least in the original novel by Bram Stoker) represents pure blood-thirsty evil for its own sake. The combination of black and red is also associated with the Devil (red represents the fires of hell and blood of humanity, while black represents death). His white gloves signify refinement and wealth as well as untainted purity and innocence; wearing them implies that he does not need/like to do manual work, nor that he intends to 'get his hands dirty', literally as well as figuratively speaking. However, once he disposes of the gloves (during the Big Ben scene), he demonstrates how capable he actually is with his bare hands when he has no other methods left to reach his aim.

Basil

Basil's purple dressing gown is inspired by that worn by Sherlock Holmes in A.C. Doyle's stories. Purple symbolizes ambiguity, mystery, and sophistication. It is apparently frequently liked by creative and eccentric individuals (it is also my own favourite colour). A mixture of blue (cold) and red (warm), it may symbolize how Basil is cool-minded and emotionally cold towards others, yet extremely passionate and enthusiastic about his work. Though he can be insensitive to the feelings of others, he seems very expressive of his own emotions, especially his sometimes extreme highs and lows. Similar to Ratigan, who also has a touch of purple in his outfit, the colour of Basil's dressing-gown may be viewed as effeminate by some; my interpretation is that by wearing it, he demonstrates his disregard for social conventions and (gender) boundaries; he is an individualist who will wear whatever he pleases.

However, his coat is brown, which is a very down-to-earth, practical colour. It is as if he prefers to camouflage his eccentric self when he is outdoors and must present himself to the outer world.

Dawson

Dawson's grey suit and trousers may symbolize his practical, perhaps even 'colourless' personality – grey is formal and conservative. He does wear a purple waistcoat, though – possibly it hints at his not immediately obvious taste for mystery and adventure?

Olivia

Olivia is dressed in blue, a colour associated with calm, peacefulness, the sky, water, and in a religious context, the Virgin Mary, who in turn symbolizes innocence and purity. Being but a well-mannered, affectionate child, Olivia is as innocent as can be. But blue (as in "to feel blue"/"to have the blues") also stands for sadness and distress, which makes sense considering the state she is in when her only parent is abducted.

Lighting during 'The World's Greatest Criminal Mind'

When Ratigan laments his misery because of Basil always getting in his way, the lighting becomes blue (as if to illustrate how "blue" he is feeling), but when he alters his tone and says "But this time nothing, not even Basil can stand in my way!", the lighting changes to red to convey his fierce determination.

2.2. Character analysis

2.2.1. Physical Appearances

Basil is tall and very slender, which, according to old-fashioned physiognomy, suggests a more intellectually than physically inclined personality (Holmes, the inspiration for his character, is tall, pale and very lean yet surprisingly strong himself). Evidently, he probably does not indulge in culinary pleasures too much as they do not satisfy his brilliant brain.

Ratigan, being a rat, has a towering physique that matches his flamboyant persona, and he also seems quite heavy. Next to depicting his physical strength, this also implies his apparent fondness of luxury in every form. The contrast to Basil's small frame demonstrates Ratigan's physical advantage which Basil does not possess.

Both Basil and Ratigan seem to have long and thin fingers, which, according to traditional palmistry, is associated with attention to detail as well as an intellectual and inquisitive temperament.

Overweight Dawson appears rather laid-back and comfortable (since leaving the army, anyway…), but his chubbiness is also intended to simply add to the affability and 'cuddliness' of this character.

2.2.2. Basil and Ratigan – Two sides of the same coin?

I view Basil and Ratigan as both similar yet contrasting characters, which makes their interactions so fascinating. Some of their similarities are that they both

*are highly intelligent geniuses

*are charismatic and have a flair for the dramatic

*work alone (except Ratigan has his minions do his dirty work for him)

*are very confident (though Ratigan is actually a megalomaniac)

*play an instrument

*are obsessed with each other (Basil keeps a portrait of Ratigan, and Ratigan owns a voodoo doll of Basil)

*smoke (Ratigan is seen smoking only cigarettes, and always with a cigarette holder, which makes him appear more 'glamourous'; Basil smokes a pipe and cigarettes)

They differ in that

*Ratigan needs to be the centre of attention to boost his self-esteem, but Basil does not

*Ratigan loses his temper more easily than Basil, who can control it better

*except when temporarily depressed, Basil is very self-confident (and self-sufficient), even seems a bit conceited, but Ratigan is, in reality, actually embarrassed of his true identity; he exaggeratedly tries to hide this by giving himself a semblance of refinement, and by giving pompous speeches (e.g. "My friends... we are about to embark on the most odious, the most evil, the most diabolical scheme of my illustrious career... [...]")

*Ratigan has a pet cat (Felicia), Basil has a dog (Toby; although it is actually Holmes's dog...); Toby helps Basil solve cases, Felicia serves Ratigan by devouring people who have 'upset' him. Judging by Felicia's obesity, a great number of people must have upset Ratigan... The cat/dog dichotomy points out another difference yet similarity between them; interestingly, the cat represents evil, the dog good; but while the dog actually subserviently does what he is told, the cat would probably eat mice anyway without Ratigan asking her to.

*Ratigan disparagingly calls Basil an "insufferable pipsqueak" while at the same time actually admitting that Basil has been the one obstacle standing in his way. Thereby Ratigan ascribes a certain power to Basil, which is contradictory to the way he talks about him as a "miserable, second-rate detective". Basil however introduces Ratigan as a "genius" to Dawson, acknowledging his extraordinary intelligence, yet emphasizing that he is "a genius twisted for evil". In reality, Ratigan fears being defeated by his enemy, but in front of his minions, pretends not to be too affected by the possible threat his opponent poses.

2.2.3. Basil and Ratigan's relationship

It is implied that there exists a long-standing feud between Basil and Ratigan, but we are not given any details as to the history of their relationship, which leaves much room for speculation. Nevertheless, it is clear that they are obsessed with one another – not surprisingly, for the "world's greatest detective" and the "world's greatest criminal" seem to be made for (hunting down) each other, as their intellectual skills are apparently unparalleled. They secretly admire each other's brilliant mind, but especially Ratigan would loathe admitting this. He sets up an elaborate, 'ingenious' trap for his opponent (he is to be killed by a gun, a crossbow, an axe, and an anvil) and additionally records him a personal farewell song. "Goodbye so soon" implies Basil's death, which is quite macabre considering the cheerful mood of the music, and the lyrics, which read almost like those of a kind of love song. The line "so although it hurts, I'll try to smile" is particularly ambiguous. In fact, we see Ratigan (albeit mockingly) almost caress his enemy (for example in the mousetrap sequence, as he says, "it was my fond hope to stay and witness your finale scene […]"), which has, for some fans, encouraged the idea of a kind of love-hate-relationship between them (the definition of the 'love' varies...). During the Big Ben sequence, the infuriated Ratigan continuously tries to grasp his adversary, which may, from an alternative perspective, seem like an embrace (of Death).

2.2.4. Ratigan's transformation

Throughout the film, Ratigan succeeds at putting on a façade of cultured sophistication. This is especially seen in the way he dresses, moves and speaks – almost exaggeratedly elegantly. Basil, in contrast, seems almost rude. For instance,

*in his entrance, he shouts "Out of my way! Out of my way!" at his newly (and unexpectedly) arrived clients, Dawson and Olivia (though perhaps, he was only talking to himself...)when Olivia hands him the bullet, he only reluctantly thanks her, and throughout the film, refuses to call her by her correct name only to tease her (evidently he does remember it, for he addresses Mr Flaversham correctly).

*when Mrs Judson scolds him for destroying her pillows, he cleverly drags her outside the room without apologizing, but by manipulatively asking her to "go and fetch their guests some of her delightful cheese crumpets".

*when Olivia tries to tell him that she needs his help, he interrupts her, thereby demonstrating his absolute disinterest in what she has to say: "all in good time..", "if you will excuse me", without adding the 'magic word' "please" to his statements.

*he then places a pistol into surprised Dawson's hands, saying "hold this please, Doctor", using the imperative form instead of, for instance, a question (such as "would you please hold this, Doctor"), which gives him a semblance of arrogance, as if he habitually orders people about.

*in fact, he only takes an interest in Olivia's concern when he finds out that she knows something about someone in contact with Ratigan (namely Fidget).

Ratigan on the other hand, adds phrases of civility to much of what he says. For example,

*he tells Olivia "would you kindly sit down…" before assuming an impolite tone: "… and shut up!"

*he even temporarily pretends to let Flaversham decide to quit his assignment when the latter says that he refuses to have anything to do with Ratigan's evil plan: "Very well. if that is your decision..", he replies, until he mentions that he has arranged for Olivia to be kidnapped, sarcastically adding, "I would spend many a sleepless night if anything unfortunate were to befall her…" and having said this, he winds up her music box doll until he crushes it as an expression of his violent temper.

Generally, we see Ratigan continuously switching between refined gentleman and savage brute, though the moments where he expresses his true self last only very briefly, until the Big Ben sequence, where we see his unmasked self because he is outraged that Basil (with Olivia) has escaped him yet again. Thanks to Basil, Ratigan's cape is caught between gears, but he manages to break loose. While chasing after the mice, he gradually sheds much of his clothing (including his shoes and gloves), thereby exposing his true rat-like self. Shedding his clothing symbolizes the shedding of his contrived gentlemanliness, and consequently, makes him appear more 'animalistic' and impulsive.

Granted, the characters are technically all animals, however, they are designed to look and act more 'human' so viewers can identify with them. Exceptions being Toby and Felicia, whose sole purpose in the film is to serve their respective owners, Basil/Holmes and Ratigan. Visually, the sole thing that makes the characters human is their clothing (only humans wear clothes), so losing them automatically deprives them of much of their 'humanity'. Thus, in Ratigan's case, becoming more traditionally 'animal' is equated with (especially physical) savagery. He is no longer interested in denying he is a rat (among humans, rats carry a negative stereotype with them, mostly due to the Black Plague), but now realizes that being his true self is to his full advantage. This results in him mercilessly assaulting Basil, who is aware that he stands no chance against Ratigan when it comes to physical strength and therefore attempts to escape him without considering fighting back as it would be futile. Ratigan's soft and mellifluous tone also changes into a menacing growl as he snarls "There's no escape this time, Basil!" His seething rage causes him to lose absolute control of himself, whereas his opponent does not 'switch off' his brain even when it seems as if it is too late. While Ratigan laughs maniacally at his supposed triumph over Basil, the latter, who manages to save himself by holding on to the propeller of the dirigible, knows that it is only a matter of a few seconds before his enemy falls to his demise. Ratigan himself however is oblivious to this and in the end, suffers the consequence of not having thoroughly thought things through.

Therefore, Basil's statement at the ending of the toy shop scene "There's always a chance as long as one can think" can be successfully applied to the ending of the Big Ben scene.

2.2.5. Olivia

Olivia represents youthful naivety, inexperience and playfulness. She trusts pretty-looking things too easily and is quickly distracted by whatever catches her interest. Being still very young, she can be compared to a curious explorer of the world she lives in who has yet to face real danger (which she does during the course of the film) until she understands how the world functions, and that not all people have good intentions. Actually, she suffers quite a lot, as a half-orphan first having her father abducted on what she thought was to be her "very best" birthday, and then almost believing that she lost Basil, the hero whom she idolized in spite of his frequent rejection of her (of which she, arguably, may have been unaware). Her unrequited adoration of Basil eventually causes him to actually care about, and change his mind about her in the end. ("Not a bad little girl, actually...", he says, though initially, he thought of her as a great nuisance.)

2.3. Music

Ironically, Ratigan plays the harp, a symbol of love, but also of Ireland. Considering 'Padraic Ratigan' is an Irish name, it makes some sense. Further, the soothing and gentle sounds of the instrument belie the villainous nature of the one who plays it.

Basil, like Holmes, plays the violin, a very expressive instrument that can convey various feelings depending on how it is played. We see Basil play when he is in a melancholy mood, and the mournful tune reflects this.

I will now consider the film's instrumental musical score composed by the wonderfully versatile and talented Henry Mancini (one of my favourite composers of all time). I recommend carefully listening to it, preferably under headphones, for one can hear so many different melodies in the right and left speakers but which all come together sublimely, creating a full and glorious sound. Mancini makes use of the orchestra in a way that it seems as though every single instrument is a soloist among other soloists, and there to contribute to telling a story.

Each main character has its individual leitmotif (a recurring melody), so almost every time a certain character appears on screen, we hear the specific melody associated with it. There are themes for Basil, Ratigan, Dawson, and Olivia. Ratigan's theme can be heard on the songs on the score titled "Enter Ratigan", the beginning/first verse of "The World's Greatest Criminal Mind", "Reunion", "Ratigan's Plan", and more subtly on "Big Ben Chase". It is quite a melancholy tune in minor scale that should represent his character and, in my personal opinion, gives him an additional layer of mystery concerning his personality and history, because his theme does not only sound rather ominous and 'dark', but also somewhat tragic.

Whenever the focus is on Basil, upbeat staccato strings can be heard (especially violins and violas). Apart from the "Main Title", his theme appears on "Enter Basil" (obviously), "Unusual Footprints", "Reunion", "Big Ben Chase" and "Wrap-Up". (His theme dominates the score, since the film is mostly about him...) The 'bouncy' sound of the staccato strings intend to reflect Basil's usual curious/adventurous/confident/triumphant self.

Olivia's theme can be heard as a beautiful violin solo in "Dawson Finds Olivia". The bittersweet, somewhat sorrowful melody on one hand reflects her state of mind after having lost her father, but on the other hand also represents her childlike sweetness. Further, her theme can be heard in "Crushed Box" as the melody of the music box her father gave her, though combined with the dark contrabass in the background (which symbolizes Ratigan in the scene where he crushes the doll), it sounds quite eerie. Finally, it can be heard on "Wrap-Up", played on a flute during the scene where Olivia says goodbye to Basil and Dawson.

Dawson's theme can be heard right after Basil's theme on "Main Title" (so the track actually introduces both characters, which is appropriate considering they become a team in the end), played on a bassoon. It recurs on the tracks "Reunion" and "Wrap-Up".

The first half of "Big Ben Chase", the most dynamic and (in my opinion) interesting track on the score, begins with a variation on Ratigan's theme and from then consists mainly of Basil's theme until 2:54, when nothing can be heard except for a deep dark piano. The time changes to 6/8 time signature (one can also hear a click track in the background, which reminds of the ticking of the clock). If one listens very carefully, one will notice that the notes played on the piano are a variation on Ratigan's theme. Then, staccato violas set in that represent Basil. Consequently, the violas combined with the piano represent the Basil/Ratigan duel and duality. From then on, parallel to Ratigan's increasing fury, the music gradually becomes more and more dramatic and shifts from major to minor as it foreshadows the film's climatic sequence. However, in the last few seconds of the track, we hear Basil's theme once again, demonstrating his triumph over Ratigan, though as he drags Basil down with him and they both fall, the music briefly stops (as if to say, "all hope is gone") and all we hear are the chimes of Big Ben. Just when we see Basil pedalling his way upward from the fog on the propeller of Ratigan's dirigible, fittingly uplifting music sets in again to illustrate the relief felt by the characters.

In general, the score can be considered an appropriately intelligent composition, as the melodies are never random, but reoccur in some variations throughout the film, depending on what is happening and which character(s) is/are currently in the centre of the screen. The music actually functions as an additional subtle storyteller, which is what a good score should be like.

2.4. Night time

The entire film may not only seem rather 'dark' due to its storyline and the villainous characters, but also simply because it is set at night. Ratigan, a rat, and Fidget, a bat, are actually true creatures of the night. Symbolically, the nightly setting may demonstrate how Basil and the others are figuratively 'in the dark' about the mysterious abduction of Mr Flaversham until the case is gradually unravelled.

2.5. Other Symbols

2.5.1. Toy Shop sequence

The toy shop scene is quite interesting, for as Basil says, behind the supposedly harmless (and (child-)friendly) toys might lurk a "bloodthirsty assassin". The peril behind the superficially friendly façade is well-hidden. This is also metaphorical of Ratigan's character, who reveals his true savage self when he loses his composure, and becomes the rat that he actually is, literally shedding his 'costume' of refinement and exposing his brutish nature. Fidget hides in a toy cradle, which he knows will attract Olivia's interest (assuming all little girls like dolls and babies), and, as he predicted, she pulls the cover away and to her horror rather than delight, sees the maniacally laughing bat instead of the expected baby doll. Naturally, the scare is intensified due to her contrary expectations. If she were expecting something frightening, she (as well as the audience) would have been less surprised.

First, a doll appears that has its arms held out as if about to grab something (or someone), followed by shots of three creepy-looking clowns and a sinister jack-in-the-box. Suddenly, we find out through the unexpected loud noise that Olivia has struck up the band of toy musicians, which interrupts the silence. Then, we see Basil, Dawson and Olivia walking across a chess board, and Basil seemingly randomly moves one of the figures, saying "check mate". On one hand, it could demonstrate how smart he is, on the other, the chess board could symbolize the general mystery of the case, the strategy behind it, as well as the process of unveiling it.

Then we see an army of toy Royal Guard soldiers that have been "stripped of their uniforms" and other toys whose clockwork mechanisms have been removed. All of a sudden, a noise/music coming from several toys is heard and we hear the barking of a toy puppy coming out of a top hat, which surprises both characters and viewers. Interestingly, we now see several less threatening-looking toys: the puppy, a merry-go-round, a violinist, a rabbit, a Bo-Peep figurine, and a friendly-looking Dumbo-figure that is blowing soap bubbles out of its trunk.

Olivia, evidently charmed by the sight, heads towards it, then sees the cradle and is even more interested in that. (Her father is a toymaker, so the whole place would naturally seem familiar to her, so initially, she is not afraid but intrigued). When Fidget unexpectedly bursts into the scene, she screams. The toys now seem to be chasing after Basil and Dawson (the doll with the open arms actually falls to the floor, almost hitting Dawson, and we see how the porcelain breaks, the doll's head severed from the rest of it, an eye still blinking (it is quite disturbing actually). A toy knight with a sword riding a horse chases after Dawson and pins his coat right into the bull's eye of a dartboard, while Basil gets his head knocked between one of the toy musician's cymbals, causing him to collapse for a moment and slip on the marbles rolling all over the ground. He then attempts to catch Fidget, but fails, falling from the large pile of building blocks from which Fidget managed to escape through the open window on the ceiling.

Apparently, research suggests that children are frightened by clowns, or generally dislike them. Interestingly, in 1986, the same year GMD was released, Stephen King's horror novel "It" was published, which centres on children being attacked by a menacing shape-shifting entity primarily in the form of a clown. One explanation for people's fear of clowns is that they are typically scared by things which are 'wrong' in a disturbingly unfamiliar way. The face of a clown is similar to a human face, however, it is only a mask, and incessantly bears a comical/smiling expression, which is unnatural and therefore, scary. The colours of the three clowns in GMD are red, white, and black, a combination often used to convey some kind of evil/menace (and they are the colours used for Ratigan's attire). Moreover, they remind of the commonly depicted features of a corpse, and suggest that there is some kind of "monster in the closet". Also, clown outfits are usually grotesque and not aesthetically appealing to most.

Generally, it is interesting that the really scary surprise happens when the focus is on cute, harmless-looking toys, but that before this, we see the creepy toys, as though their only function is to hint at the fact that something bad is going to happen, apart from just being "there". It is a toy shop after all, but personally I find that it seems hardly unintentional that the toys were designed to look so disturbing at first when one thinks nothing is wrong. The sequence demonstrates that not even toys are all safe, for there may be danger lurking behind the cute/pretty surface.

2.5.2. Clock

The clock symbolizes time in general, more specifically fleeting time. ("I simply have no time for lost fathers"... "We know by now that time knows how to fly"... "With time so short I'll say 'so long'"... etc.). It reflects the sort of 'countdown' to what turns out to be Ratigan's last moments alive. In fact, when he falls from the clock's hand, his final hour strikes, which, literally and figuratively, signifies his death (most probably, as it is extremely unlikely to survive a 180 ft fall, especially as a rat). Therefore, who is going to be the winner (either Basil or Ratigan) is only a matter of who can think more quickly. The ticking of the clock puts the characters (especially Basil) under pressure to make their decisions and act as rapidly as possible.

2.5.3. Ratigan's Fall

Just when Ratigan thinks that he has won, he is sent falling of the hand of the clock as it strikes 10 p.m. First, we think all is well and that the villain has met his doom, but then he grabs Basil to make certain that he falls into the abyss with him. Assuming Ratigan and Basil are two sides of the same coin, it makes sense that they perish together, for they have been spending years obsessed with hunting each other down. Basil's survival is similar to Sherlock Holmes's, who survived the fall from the Reichenbach Falls after battling Professor Moriarty (on whom Ratigan is based).

It is ironic that Basil somehow (for reasons not given to the viewers) managed to take Ratigan's bell and slip it into his pocket. Ratigan used to ring it whenever someone had offended him and was doomed to be killed, but this time, it is Basil who has the upper hand (and the bell) and Ratigan becomes the victim of his own uncontrolled insanity. Basil cleverly announces his demise by ringing the bell ("the game is not over yet", he says – as in, the game of rat and mouse), just a few seconds before the clock sounds.

3. Conclusion

GMD can be considered a film that relies heavily on characterisation, perhaps even more than on the plot, to guarantee its audience's interest. The characters' appeal depends much on the subtle methods used to define them. The primary focus is on Basil and Ratigan, who share some similarities but whose motivations vary greatly: Ratigan seeks power and world domination, whereas Basil solves crimes because he wants to and because he can; furthermore, he appears to seek justice. Ratigan, who is portrayed as a villain who commits crime out of amusement and seems to lack any other motif, appears to be polite and pseudo-friendly, in contrast to Basil, who is essentially benevolent yet somewhat self-centred and outwardly appears less amiable at first. Both are highly theatrical and uniquely charismatic, which catches the audience's interest. In essence, the underlying meaning of the film is that things are not always what they seem to be on the surface, which is illustrated by the symbolism and metaphorical allusions.