Many viewers fondly remember the heroic equine from "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron" and its memorable soundtrack featuring Bryan Adams. This 2002 movie employs great acting talent, with Matt Damon narrating as the main character, Spirit, and James Cromwell.
Interestingly, the voiceover cast for "Spirit" includes several actors who had roles in a previous Dreamworks film released about two years earlier: "Joseph: King of Dreams".
Voice Talent Crossover
In the animated movie "Joseph: King of Dreams" (2000), actor/producer Matt Levin had the minor role of Benjamin. Levin went on to do another minor part in "Spirit". Also, Richard McGonagle, who played the part of the powerful pharaoh in "Joseph: King of Dreams", was cast in "Spirit" in the role of some guy named Bill.
Shared Symbolism
Aside from sharing some of the same cast members, these two films have several symbolic and plot similarities. Both are classic animated musicals made in that era in which Dreamworks Animation tried to take after Disney’s popularity through the use of countless songs placed throughout their movies. Dreamworks has since moved away from the strong reliance on character sing-alongs. But when they did rely on it, they pulled it off just as well as Disney.
As far as similar visual signs are concerned, a bird on the wing is prominently featured in both films, though more so even in Spirit than in its predecessor. In "Joseph: King of Dreams," the scene in which Joseph is chasing the bird is seen later in the film as a flashback in a montage playing during the song "You Know Better Than I."
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In "Spirit," this bird is also important enough that it appears on several of the film’s posters and DVD release covers. The movie also opens with a sweeping view of the Cimarron landscape while following the eagle’s flight. An icon of freedom, the large predatory bird is commonly seen soaring high in the sky, having what the main characters of both films have lost at one time or another: their freedom.
The Hero’s Journey: From Freedom to Captivity to Freedom Again
Both films tell the story of a guy being taken away from everything he once knew, especially freedom and family. The main character becomes immersed in a culture and lifestyle different from his own. And in the end, the main character is able to return to his own family and land or bring his family to him.
Joseph, a man gifted with dreams sent by God and a knack for deciphering them into understandable messages, is sold by his brothers into slavery in Egypt. In this new environment, his superiors expect his looks to change. His physical appearance requires a makeover to be up for the tasks at hand. His hair is cut; he’s cleaned up, and he dons new apparel according to his new station.
Similarly, we see members of the military outpost, particularly the blacksmith, trying to adapt Spirit to the servile state of the rest of the military’s horses. They trim the stallion’s mane, clean him up, and even attempt to ride him. This last endeavor obviously requires a variety of oddments and apparel being attached to the equine. Let’s just say, Spirit really doesn’t let this fly. The flight he is seeking is that of the eagle.
In both films, the main character initially sees his own servitude and that of his peers as degrading. But their “bondage,” both that of horses in the Old West and human beings in ancient Egypt, is seen by their “superiors” to be necessary to the development of progress. The pharaoh comes to appreciate Joseph’s talents, respect him, and inevitably give him great authority in the kingdom of ancient Egypt. Likewise, by the end of Spirit, the stallion has gained the respect of Little Creek, the Colonel, and many of his equine peers.
Read also: Historical Famine in Egypt
Here's a table summarizing the similarities:
| Feature | Joseph: King of Dreams | Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron |
|---|---|---|
| Main Character | Joseph (gifted with dreams) | Spirit (wild stallion) |
| Initial State | Free, living with family | Free, roaming the Cimarron |
| Captivity | Enslaved in Egypt | Captured by the military |
| Transformation | Physical makeover to fit into Egyptian society | Attempts to tame and break the stallion |
| Respect Earned | Gains respect of the Pharaoh | Gains respect of Little Creek and the Colonel |
| Theme | Journey from freedom to captivity and back to freedom | Journey from freedom to captivity and back to freedom |
| Symbolism | Bird representing freedom | Eagle representing freedom |
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tags: #Egypt
