What Country Is Aladdin Based On? A Comprehensive Story
What country is Aladdin based on? Tangled, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and Frozen are just a few examples of Disney films in charming, made-up villages that seem remarkably like real ones. Similarly, Disney's Aladdin doesn't break the mold. Hopefully, you can figure out that Agrabah from Aladdin and Jasmine doesn't exist without resorting to a map.
Nonetheless, Aladdin's Agrabah's narrative and sights hint at a fusion of Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern influences. Do those cultures come across accurately?
Source: Getty Images
After the premiere of Guy Ritchie's live-action Aladdin, the city of Agrabah has made its way back into movie screens. While the new version is more up-to-date, the fictional country in the original 1992 film was criticized for being a collection of stereotypes a group of white dudes decided upon.
Ritchie's Aladdin had already stirred up a few scandals of its own, from casting to claims of "tanning" white extras during filming (Disney later released a statement that tanning Aladdin actors were only done in "a handful of instances when it was a matter of specialty skills, safety, and control"). There is much that isn't fantastic, but let's look into the history of Agrabah anyhow.
Baghdad was the location of our initial therapy, but then the first Gulf War broke out. Roy Disney first remarked, "This can't be in Baghdad." "I just grabbed letters and mixed them up and came up with Agrabah," From what I've seen of Aladdin, Agrabah draws more inspiration from other parts of the world, including South Asia and the Middle East. At the film's beginning, the narrator states, "Welcome to Agrabah, city mystery, of magic, and the greatest commerce this side of the River Jordan,"
Throughout the film, several characters reference Allah. According to Conde Nast Traveler, the Sultan and his wife Jasmine reside in a palace resembling the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. According to Entertainment Weekly, the new Agrabah scenes for Ritchie's Aladdin, set to be released in 2019, were shot in England and the deserts of Jordan.
Gemma Jackson, Agrabah's production designer, told Entertainment Weekly that the city was designed to resemble a port where "everything comes and goes on ships, which gives Agrabah quite a nice connection to the rest of the world." Hence, there are issues with portraying individuals from these widely dispersed places of the world, even though both Aladdin films are honest about the fact that the city does not depict one location or country.
The opening song of Aladdin, "Arabian Nights," was already divisive by the time the film was released in the '90s. The original song lyric read, "Where they chop off your ear if they don't like your face," referring to the territory around Agrabah. The original lyrics of "Arabian Nights" similarly paint a picture of the region as "barbaric, but hey, it's home" (albeit in the new Aladdin, Will Smith replaces "barbaric" with "chaotic" while singing the opening number).
The contrast between Jafar's black complexion and the pale skin of Jasmine and Aladdin, not to mention their native American accents, is not subtle. Several individuals have complained that the filmmakers of the new Aladdin treat people of South Asian and Middle Eastern descent the same. This has been a common complaint since the film's plot specifics were originally disclosed.
The Huffington Post reports that several people reacted negatively to the news that British-Indian actress Naomi Scott will be playing Jasmine. Former cast member Julie Ann Crommett has discussed the reasoning for the decision. Crommett, echoing production designer Jackson, remarked that Aladdin's multifaceted Middle Eastern and South Asian cultural influences are reflected in Agrabah. Crommett commented on the decision to cast Scott as follows:
If you found this article interesting, don't hesitate to visit our website, AUBTU.BIZ, to get access to a wide range of creative and entertainment news.
Nonetheless, Aladdin's Agrabah's narrative and sights hint at a fusion of Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern influences. Do those cultures come across accurately?
#1. What Country Is Aladdin Based On?
Source: Getty ImagesAfter the premiere of Guy Ritchie's live-action Aladdin, the city of Agrabah has made its way back into movie screens. While the new version is more up-to-date, the fictional country in the original 1992 film was criticized for being a collection of stereotypes a group of white dudes decided upon.
Ritchie's Aladdin had already stirred up a few scandals of its own, from casting to claims of "tanning" white extras during filming (Disney later released a statement that tanning Aladdin actors were only done in "a handful of instances when it was a matter of specialty skills, safety, and control"). There is much that isn't fantastic, but let's look into the history of Agrabah anyhow.
Baghdad was the location of our initial therapy, but then the first Gulf War broke out. Roy Disney first remarked, "This can't be in Baghdad." "I just grabbed letters and mixed them up and came up with Agrabah," From what I've seen of Aladdin, Agrabah draws more inspiration from other parts of the world, including South Asia and the Middle East. At the film's beginning, the narrator states, "Welcome to Agrabah, city mystery, of magic, and the greatest commerce this side of the River Jordan,"
Throughout the film, several characters reference Allah. According to Conde Nast Traveler, the Sultan and his wife Jasmine reside in a palace resembling the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. According to Entertainment Weekly, the new Agrabah scenes for Ritchie's Aladdin, set to be released in 2019, were shot in England and the deserts of Jordan.
Gemma Jackson, Agrabah's production designer, told Entertainment Weekly that the city was designed to resemble a port where "everything comes and goes on ships, which gives Agrabah quite a nice connection to the rest of the world." Hence, there are issues with portraying individuals from these widely dispersed places of the world, even though both Aladdin films are honest about the fact that the city does not depict one location or country.
The opening song of Aladdin, "Arabian Nights," was already divisive by the time the film was released in the '90s. The original song lyric read, "Where they chop off your ear if they don't like your face," referring to the territory around Agrabah. The original lyrics of "Arabian Nights" similarly paint a picture of the region as "barbaric, but hey, it's home" (albeit in the new Aladdin, Will Smith replaces "barbaric" with "chaotic" while singing the opening number).
The contrast between Jafar's black complexion and the pale skin of Jasmine and Aladdin, not to mention their native American accents, is not subtle. Several individuals have complained that the filmmakers of the new Aladdin treat people of South Asian and Middle Eastern descent the same. This has been a common complaint since the film's plot specifics were originally disclosed.
The Huffington Post reports that several people reacted negatively to the news that British-Indian actress Naomi Scott will be playing Jasmine. Former cast member Julie Ann Crommett has discussed the reasoning for the decision. Crommett, echoing production designer Jackson, remarked that Aladdin's multifaceted Middle Eastern and South Asian cultural influences are reflected in Agrabah. Crommett commented on the decision to cast Scott as follows:
If you found this article interesting, don't hesitate to visit our website, AUBTU.BIZ, to get access to a wide range of creative and entertainment news.
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