It's amazing how much you can learn from something that you didn't even think about as a child. All year my friends and I have been enjoying so many Disney movies from our childhood. Usually it's just really funny to see how much adult humor is in these movies that none of us understood as kids, but I found one that is exceptionally different the other day. My friend Marcy made me watch The Hunchback of Notre Dame (which I totally didn't want to cause I had only seen it once and I thought it was actually about the football team of Notre Dame...) anyways, so I caved and watched it. WOW! Seriously, this movie is so unbelievably inspirational and has so many representations of Christ in it. I didn't understand social injustices when I was a kid, but now watching the movie, it all made sense. Now don't laugh because I am writing about a Disney movie, but seriously this movie impacted my life big time. It's such a beautiful story about outcasts thinking they are the monsters, but through the Lord, they come to find out that the judgmental people who torment them and are taken over by the devil are the real monsters in the story.
Quazi Moto, the Hunchback, was told ever since birth that if he went out into the world he would be ridiculed because of how different he is and how he looked by his master who is a so called 'minister.' So he locks Quazi away for about 20 years, and tells him never to go out into the world. One day Quazi goes out and is caught by the city, who is disgusted by him and the way he looks because he is different. Only one person gives him grace, a gypsy named Esmerelda. In this movie, gypsies are considered witches and sworn the hell just because who they are, with no way to redeem themselves. She is the ultimate outcast, and it is her grace and love she shows towards Quazi that makes him start to realize that he is really not a monster. She sings this song in the movie called "God Help the Outcasts," where she asks for nothing for herself, but just for all the outcasts to be able to live the life God has given them in peace. She understands that Christ himself was once an outcast as well, so she knows he would understand more than anymore. If you don't know the song, please listen to it, you will be inspired.
There is an amazing amount of symbolism in this movie. Frolo, who is Quazi's master is a minister in the movie so you would assume he would be a holy man, but his views are conflicted. He convinces Quazi that he is ugly, and a monster and tells him that the world is a cruel, horrid place which has nothing beautiful about it. When in actuality, Frolo is possessed by the devil and is the person ruining Quazi's life, not the world. It can be very dark at times, but it's necessary to truly understand the meaning of this movie. In this movie, the only place where the outcasts are free is Notre Dame herself, the church; definitely not a coincidence there.
I don't think I have ever felt so much hurt, confusion, hatred, compassion, love all in one Disney movie. There are some scenes that are so unbelievably powerful and mature for little kids, which is why you should see this movie again as an adult. Some parts are too hard to watch because how they treat Quazi, but in the end, Christ's love through people like Esmerelda, is the thing that conquers all. It also hows how God's wrath on people who are killing and abusing people in 'Christ's name' will happen one day. This movie makes you think, more than a lot of movies, especially Disney movies. This movie taught me so much! All of the songs are so inspirational and tear jerking for sure. I HIGHLY recommend seeing it again as an adult or at least listening to the songs. God will teach you something through this movie.
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Probably my favorite Disney song ever. I use to rewind and listen to this song over and over. I actually have used this movie as a sermon illustration several times. There are some cool parallels between claiming sanctuary in the movie and the cities of refuge in the OT.
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