Let’s look at Disney’s Aladdin and see what we can learn.
Shortly after Aladdin and Jasmine meet in the market he takes her to his home on the rooftops. It’s pretty clear to anyone paying attention that they’re falling in love. There’s lots of eye contact, some “accidental” sexual contact (seriously, her bare cheek is on his naked chest at one point) and some pole-vaulting between buildings, a pretty normal teen romance. Bring on the violins and the cheesy love songs they’re in love.
BUT wait a sec. They don’t know each other. Here’s a great example of what I was talking about in my last post. Just why are they falling for each other? What does her subconscious mind see in him? What does she represent to him?
Here’s what I think . . . because I know you want to know what I think.
Jasmine’s a young woman who needs freedom. She lives in a prison, it’s a very nice prison, but she has to break out to go for a stroll around town. She needs to be free. It’s not just the palace that keeps her imprisoned, she lives an utterly ridged life: follows the rules, afraid to think for herself, she needs freedom. He lives by himself, steals for a living and makes up his own rules, how could she not fall for him? It doesn’t hurt that he looks pretty hot without a shirt on.
Aladdin’s a young man who is a diamond in the rough. He lacks focus, drive, direction. He doesn’t have a clue what he wants past his next meal. His subconscious mind (much smarter than our conscious mind) sees a woman who knows what she wants and has gone to some lengths to get it, she’s focused and strong. He doesn’t know she’s a princess yet, but have you seen her posture and her walk cycle? Oh and she’s got pretty awesome eyes that you could get lost in for days.
Over the course of the film, they get to know each other and something like the beginnings of real love start to grow, but here on Aladdin’s rooftop, they’re being sucked in by their subconscious projections . . . and the crazy pole-vaulting.
I Want to be really clear here, I want you to fall crazy in love every once in a while (BRING IT ON – I WANT IT TOO) I just want you to know what’s really going on when it happens.
For a little more on the egghead Psych stuff around love and romance check out
http://animatingyourlife.com/2013/01/19/jung-and-freud-in-love/
