The “Belly of the Whale”

In the well-known films Star Wars, The Lion King, Gladiator and Superman, the heroes all experience “the Belly of the Whale”. Star Wars, The Lion King and Gladiator all show “the Belly of the Whale” in the form of tragedy experienced by the characters. This, in Star Wars, was Luke, Princess Leia etc. all being trapped in a giant garbage crusher which slowly closed in, trapping them. They panicked and were in great fear of death. Tragedy in The Lion King, came when Simba’s father is killed, trying to save him from a stampede of wild animals. Simba’s whole world is crushed and after persuasion from his Uncle, runs away, leaving everything behind. Tragedy in Gladiator is shown when Maximus loses everything: his wife, child, estate, job and title as soldier. In Superman, however, he does not experience “the belly of the whale” in the form of tragedy, but rather in discovery. His identity and family history is exposed when he is provided with knowledge by his father. All the characters from these four movies, are then morphed through their experiences. So “the belly of the whale” can come in death, loss, tragedy or even in discovery. The key point is that the character is morphed.