Analysis of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"

using Proppian and Levi-Straussian Analysis

 

Introduction

            The film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" is about a rabbit who is framed for a crime that he did not commit. "Roger Rabbit" exhibits mythical phenomena in our culture. "Who framed Roger Rabbit" can be compared and analyzed by using two different interpretive systems. The first interpretive system that will be used to analyze the film is the system conceived by V. Propp. The second interpretive system is known as the Levi-Strauss analysis. Finally, the analyses will be used jointly to show the mythical phenomena of "Roger Rabbit."

 

First Interpretive System

            Propp developed the first interpretive system, the Proppian Analysis. This system is designed to illustrate mythical phenomena by examining the structure of a fairy tale. In this case, the structure of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" will be analyzed to show the mythical phenomena.

            By using Propp's interpretive system "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" has an initial situation and a main story. Following is the list of functions that are in the film which will be explained later in more detail:

βγδηθ

A B C D E F G H J Ex I K W

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" starts with an initial situation. Using Propp's interpretive system it starts with β which stands for absentation. One learns that prior to beginning of the film Eddie Valiant's brother was killed and left Eddie by himself to take care of the private investigation business. All the Toons had regarded Eddie and his brother the ones to call on if they were in trouble. But all that has changed.

The next function is γ which represents an interdiction. Eddie Valiant has forbidden himself to investigate any criminal case that has to do with Toons. This interdiction is created because of the murder of his brother Theodore by a Toon, who we learn later is Judge Doom, the villain of the story. Not only did he forbid himself from investigating criminal cases concerning Toons but also stayed away from Toontown altogether.

But as the story continues Eddie violates this interdiction which is the next function called δor violation. The violation of the interdiction is caused mainly by Eddie's being short of monetary funds. The violation occurs when Eddie accepts a job from R. K. Maroon, which consists of photographing Jessica, a Toon and the wife of Roger Rabbit, with Mr. Acme. Even though this work deals with Toons, Eddie denies to others that he is working for them. We can see this denial when Eddie tells the people in the bar that he is working for Maroon and not the Toons.

Although Eddie violates his interdiction, he has been deceived as to Maroon's real motive behind taking the pictures. This results in the next function which is trickery or η.The pictures he took were not to be used to convince Roger Rabbit that Jessica was cheating on him. Instead Maroon wished to use the pictures to help in framing Roger Rabbit for the murder of Acme which was soon to take place The pictures were a part of a deal between Maroon and Judge Doom. Judge Doom was the major stockholder of Cloverleaf Inc. which agreed to buy Maroon Enterprises if Maroon could get pictures of Jessica and Acme. With these pictures Judge Doom would be able to frame Roger Rabbit for Acme's murder. Judge Doom wanted Acme murdered so that he could get hold of his will which deeds Toontown to the Toons in order to construct a freeway through It.

Eddie, the victim due to trickery, takes the pictures and presents them to Maroon and Roger Rabbit, who is so angered that he threatens to get his wife back no matter what it takes. By taking the pictures, Eddie submits to the deception of Maroon and helps him fulfill his part of the deal. This function is called complicity which is designated by the symbol θ .

The initial situation basically is background information for the audience before telling the main story begins. After the initial situation is presented the first function of the main story takes place. This function is villainy which occurs when the villain harms or injures a person. In the film Acme is murdered by the villain who we find out later is Judge Doom. Judge Doom then attempts to frame Roger Rabbit for Acme's murder.

Propp's next function is when the hero is approached by the victim and asked to help in his misfortune. Eddie, the hero, is approached by Roger Rabbit to help in proving he did not murder Acme.

The hero under Propp's system can agree or not agree to help the victim. In the film, Eddie agrees to find out who framed Roger Rabbit. Eddie agrees because Acme's had not been found and he knew that it did exist. He knew that the will existed because in one of the pictures he took of Acme and Jessica, it was in Acme's coat pocket.

The next three functions in the Proppian analysis are D, E, F. This sequence is called the donor cycle. The first function is 'D' when the donor tests the hero. The second function in the cycle is 'E' when the hero reacts to the donor's test. Finally, during the third function, 'F,' the donor gives something of value to the hero. In "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," Roger Rabbit plays the role of a donor as well as a victim. After Eddie Valiant agrees to help Roger, he hides Roger in an old rotgut room behind the bar. While Eddie leaves to find clues, Roger leaves his hiding place and entertains the people in the bar. By doing this Roger is testing Eddie. Eddie, angered by Roger's conduct, takes Roger and puts him back in the rotgut room. Roger then provides Eddie with the secret weapon of the Toons, laughter. The audience later sees Eddie use laughter to kill the weasels, Judge Doom's helpers, as he, Jessica and Roger are being held captive by Judge Doom. The weasels simply laughed themselves to death.

After the donor cycle, Propp's next function is 'G.' This function occurs when the hero is led to the whereabouts of an object in this case a person. Eddie Valiant investigates the case. With Roger he goes and talks to Maroon after he finds out that Cloverleaf bought Maroon's business. While Eddie is questioning Maroon, someone shoots him from behind a window curtain. Eddie rushes to the window and, seeing Jessica leave the scene of the crime, follows her into Toontown where he continues to look for clues which would facilitate his investigation

It is in Toontown where he is confronted by the villain. Propp's sixteenth function is when the hero and the villain engage in direct confrontation. This direct confrontation occurs in Toontown where he finds Jessica and has a shoot out with the real villain. As Jessica and Eddie go after the villain another function in Propp's system appears.

The hero is branded by a wound or injury. As Jessica and Eddie go after the villain, the villain injures them by taking them captive. When they are brought to the warehouse of Acme the villain is exposed and the deal with Maroon and Cloverleaf is learned of. This exposure is another function in Propp's system it is designated by 'Ex.' The villain is further exposed to be the Toon who killed Eddie's brother.

After the exposure of the villain, the villain is defeated in direct combat with the hero. Eddie kills Doom by using laughter to kill his helpers and the dip created by the evil Judge Doom to kill Toons. This illustrates Propp's function of victory or 'I.'

The next function that comes up is 'K.' The definition of this function is that the misfortune is liquidated. By the death of the evil Toon and the appearance of Acme's will, Roger's misfortune is liquidated. This liquidation result in the last function which is 'W.'

Propp describes 'W' as the time when the hero gets married. In the film it is the ending of the film were the Toons inherit Toontown and Eddie and Dolores join up as a couple

By using Propp's interpretive system one is able to see that the structure of the story is an example of mythical phenomenon.

 

Second Interpretive System

The second interpretive system which will be used was written by Levi-Strauss. Like the first interpretive system it is designed to look at the structure of a fairy tale. In this case the structure of this film will be analyzed to show the mythical phenomenon.

The first step is to look at the society that exists in the film and look at the different structures that exist. In the film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" there are two main structures which are different The first structure is culture where humans live in Los Angeles and at the other end of the spectrum there are the Toons who live in Toontown. With these two structures one can form a line with culture on one end and nature on the other end. The Toons and humans who live outside of their own structure would be situated in the middle of this spectrum. The story is about a hero and how he shifts from one structure to another (see Figure 1.0).

Figure 1.0

At the beginning of the film Eddie, the hero, is situated all the way to the right of the line under culture. As a result of his brother's death, he did not want anything to do with Toontown (Figure 1.1). This attitude changes as he accepts the job from Maroon involving Toons. By accepting the job, Eddie shifts away from culture towards the middle of the spectrum.

Figure 1.1: Beginning Situation

After Acme was murdered and Roger Rabbit asks him to help, Eddie shifts to the middle of the line (Figure 1.2). Eddie shifts to the middle because Roger Rabbit is a Toon in a cultured environment and on the line he is situated in the middle.

Figure 1.2: After Acme's Murder

As the investigation continues Eddie shifts to nature because he goes into Toontown after Jessica (figure 1.3). At this point he is in nature, Toontown, where he confronts the evil Toon who wants destroy Toon town. The evil Toon is the villain Judge Doom, who searches to be cultured by trying to destroy Toon town in order to construct a freeway. Creating a freeway is a symbol of modern culture.

Figure 1.3: Jessica leads Eddie into Toon Town

Eddie pursuing Judge Doom to stop him from succeeding g eaves nature and once again shifts towards culture (figure 1.4). Eddie does this by physically leaving Toon Town.

Figure 1.4: Confrontation between Hero and Villain

At this point Eddie and the Judge Doom are in Los Angeles which symbolizes culture. The combat between the two characters show a strong cultural element. Since Judge Doom is an evil Toon, his will to become cultured put him in the situation where he dies just like King Kong. Eddie, however, survives because he achieves a balance between nature and culture (figure 1 .5).

Figure 1.5: Result of the death of Judge Doom

Levi-Strauss with his interpretive system shows another way to observe the mythical phenomenon within the film. The film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" has been analyzed separately using two interpretive system. If we analyze the film with both interpretive systems at the same time we can see that both system complement each other.

 

Joint Analysis

Both interpretive systems complement each other and show that structure can bring the mythical phenomenon out from a myth. Propp's interpretive system has two main parts, the initial situation and the main story. Levi-Strauss shows the spectrum between culture and nature. Propp's initial situation begins when the audience meets the main characters and backgrounds. Levi-Strauss with his system puts these characters on the line between culture and nature. Propp's functions have a direct relationship between where the Hero is situated in Levi-Strauss's system.

In the film Eddie accepts the job from Maroon. Using Levi-Strauss's system would shift Eddie from culture to the middle of the spectrum because he is interacting with Toons. Another function is the hero is led to the whereabouts of an object in this case a person. In the film Eddie is led into Toon town by Jessica. This would shift Eddie, the hero, to nature from the middle of the spectrum.

The direct relationship between both interpretive systems brings out the system. In the film Eddie accepts the job from Maroon. Using Levi-Strauss's system would shift Eddie from culture to the middle of the spectrum because he is interacting with Toons. The designation function, G, occurs when the hero is led to the whereabouts of an object in this case a person. In the film Eddie is led into Toon town by Jessica. This would shift Eddie, the hero, to nature from the middle of the spectrum.

The direct relationship between both interpretive systems bring out the mythical phenomenon. The relationship does not just bring out the mythical phenomenon but also gives evidence that there is mythical structure within the film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit."

 

Conclusion

The film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" displays mythical phenomena in our culture. After comparing and analyzing the film separately and jointly with two interpretive systems these mythical phenomena are more apparent.

 

 Works Cited

 

Thury, Eva M. and Margaret K. Devinney, Mythology: Contemporary Approaches to Classical and World Myths 2^nd ed. New York: Oxford, 2009.

 

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Dir. Robert Zemeckis. Perfs. Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd. Touchstone Pictures, 1988.