When we think back to ‘The Lion King’, it’s easy to get swept up in the vibrant, hand-drawn animation, emotionally powerful story, iconic songs, and colorful characters, but something that isn’t talked about nearly as much is how the Disney classic dared to show us a part of the world that, historically, has been grossly misrepresented on screen.
Even though the original ‘Lion King’ was an animated film about animals, there was so much cultural authenticity that went into shaping the narrative. Boasting such an impactful and, at the time, bold opening statement carried by Lebo M’s powerful voice, ‘The Lion King’ extends an invitation to immerse ourselves in the sights and sounds of the African Savanna with such grandeur. 2019’s “live-action” ‘Lion King’ had a tall order to fill in evoking the same cultural authenticity as the 1994 classic. However, director Jon Favreau rose to the challenge, assembling a diverse cast of actors of African descent from across the globe and proudly expressing aspects of African heritage and tradition throughout the film, the most prominent of which being John Kani’s interpretation of Rafiki.
Not only does Rafiki speak Xhosa (a Nguni Bantu language and one of the official languages of South Africa) in the film, adding to the cultural authenticity, but there is an inherent relatability to the character that took Kani back to his time growing up in South Africa. During a recent “The Lion King” press event, Kani was asked about the authenticity of this remake and how personal the journey was for him in finding the character of Rafiki.
“[When Jon first asked me to play Rafiki], I thought to myself – it happens in Africa. It’s somewhere along the trek of the wildebeest millions moving from Kenya to Serengeti to Kruger National Park to [PH] Zodongwa. Therefore, it is an African story,” said Kani. “Watching it last night, I kept praying, please God, not another Scar in Africa. We’ve gone through terrible times. Let other people have Scar. Not us now. It’s enough for us. So that for me was the kind of resonance and relevance in everything I do. I always try to find myself within what I do.”
Dr. Kani went on to express how watching the film for the first time allowed him to revisit his childhood as he took in all the wondrous sights and sounds of Pride Rock. It wasn’t only the actor who expressed his appreciation for Favreau’s vision, Lebo M, the voice of ‘The Lion King’, who also starred in the Broadway production, gave his blessing as well.
“It’s the first director meeting…I see Jon and then when he starts the meeting, it’s what really tossed me, when Jon said, we are never going to compromise the authenticity of the original work,” said Lebo M. “And that is so true. Because not only does the new movie remain true to the original movie, but it’s also remained true and respectful to the Broadway production and I’m truly grateful as a South African and an African and an American, because I grew up here, who are blessed enough to be part of this amazing journey.”
While remaining true to the cultural authenticity of the 1994 original was a top priority for the filmmakers, what ultimately differentiates this remake from its predecessor is the way the film engages with its audience. If the original was a film designed to bring the majesty of the African Savanna to the world, this remake represents an opportunity to cinematically give that same Savannah back to the people it means most to – a fact that was not lost on Kani.
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”And it’s a story that I’m looking forward to our premiere in Johannesburg where it will be full of all African people who are looking for something that is about them,” said the actor. “We are sort of not at the level of entertainment that the western world is. Everything we see on the play on the screen, we read, we take serious. We take that it speaks to me. And so wonderful to see how the Johannesburg South African audiences will say what does it say to me? What does it make me feel? Why am I celebrating it? Is it humanity? Is it us? Is it our dignity? Is it our future? And is it what we want to tell our children? Because we’re only 25 years in our democracy. I went to the American embassy in South Africa and understood you guys were celebrating 243 years of democracy and they ain’t got it right yet.”
‘The Lion King’ is in theaters tomorrow.
