Imperialism in Animated Films: El Dorado, Atlantis, and Treasure Planet
A Story of Conquest, Exploitation, and Commodification on VHS
Tags: #animatedfilms #eldorado #atlantis #treasureplanet #imperialism #capitalism #colonialism #adventure #film
Animation studios have their fair share of movies about adventure. In the early 2000s, we had a ‘trilogy’ that ventured first on land, then under the ocean, and finally out into space. The Road to El Dorado (2000) begins our journey on a ship sailing to the ‘New World’ following a pair of con-artists. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) takes us deep underwater, on a quest to find the lost city and its hidden knowledge. Treasure Planet (2002) pans whole galaxies following the trail of pirates. While all three movies appear to be fun little adventures, upon closer inspection they romanticize the ideals of imperialist conquest for material gain.
Each movie sets out as a ‘noble’ expedition into the ‘unknown’. Intrusions into foreign lands - or oceans or planets - are justified under the guise of a conquest to find hidden treasure. In El Dorado, the movie sets the scene by announcing Spain’s intent to venture off to find glory, gold, and expand the empire. After acquiring a mysterious map, Miguel and Tulio embark on an adventure to find the legendary City of Gold, hoping to find fame and fortune as well. In Atlantis, Milo’s thirst for knowledge sets him on a quest to ‘rediscover’ the lost city and their secret technology. Unbeknownst to him, the mercenaries hope to plunder the ancient ruins of Atlantis. Treasure Planet opens as Jim is entrusted with a map to the treasure of an infamous pirate. In each movie, the quest is set out as something honorable or virtuous because the goal is there to be discovered. It is framed as a prize to be ‘won’, hidden deliberately to be found and taken.
The initial goal of each quest is material/capitalist gain; the extracting of resources at the expense of indigenous people and their culture. Mistaken as gods, Miguel and Tulio prey upon the El Dorado people’s spirituality. Through manipulation, they seek to extract offerings of gold and jewelry, while also demanding the people build and stock a vessel for their return to Spain. Down in Atlantis, the mercenaries are after the knowledge of the Atlantean’s power source. After discovering that the city was still inhabited and that Kida could contain the power, they switch methods and imprison her. However, when they remove her, the city begins to crumble. As a result of systematic interplanetary looting, the entire core of the treasure planet consists of stolen resources. The original looting in Treasure Planet occurred before the movie begins; it is this massive, legendary hoard that was created by raiding any multitudes of civilizations by the pirate Nathaniel Flint. These resources are positioned as available, free, and for the taking, disregarding the source and the cost to the people and culture from which they are extracted.
To justify the exploitation of these resources, indigenous people are framed as naive, mythical or barbaric, as opposed to the ‘civilized’ colonizer. The people of El Dorado are depicted as gullible and worship Miguel and Tulio without question. The Atlanteans have somehow lost their own knowledge and ability to use their own technology, but Milo can easily read, understand, and translate their language upon arrival. The treasure planet is not a naturally formed planet and has no native population. The lack of cultural signifiers removes origin and, therefore, the need to view the indigenous as subordinate to the colonizer. The ‘othering’ of civilizations that are not part of the Global North, allows the capitalist narrative to portray the indigenous people as less than. Capitalist greed is depicted as rational, and anything else, including open resource sharing, becomes primitive.
Cultural artifacts, once removed, become stripped of value other than materialistic wealth. They become goods to be bought, sold, and displayed as status symbols. El Dorado is valued for its gold and not seen as a functioning society. The legend focuses on the city-sized amount of gold, instead of the people or culture it contains. Atlantis’ crystals are sources of profit, not a life source that sustains its people. As the ultimate commodification of artifacts, the loot on Treasure Planet becomes void of any cultural meaning. The acquisition of wealth exists without context as the endgame of capitalism – resources available simply for the sake of profit.
With the extraction of resources, the superimposing of imperialist and colonialist beliefs, while devaluing of indigenous systems leads to cultural assimilation. Like Christian missionaries, Miguel and Tulio exploit the El Dorado people’s spiritual beliefs to gain control over the material goods and offerings. The Atlanteans have survived for a millennium despite their lost knowledge. Yet, once Milo begins to study the city, his ‘scientific’ lens becomes more valuable. Jim romanticizes the idea of adventuring into the unknown and seeking out glory through conquest, but the treasure has been removed from context. The gold has already been culturally assimilated into colonialist beliefs. The erasure of the original meaning and beliefs serves to realign the new, imperialist system of capitalism onto indigenous frameworks.
The colonial adventurers are depicted as heroic figures. Miguel and Tulio prevent Cortes and his conquistadors from reaching El Dorado, ignoring that they themselves sought to exploit the city. They positioned themselves as heroes, ending human sacrificial rituals as offerings to the gods. Despite the mercenaries' ill intentions, it is Milo who leads the defense of Atlantis and saves Kida and the city from destruction. Milo convinces the team to keep the secret of Atlantis, protecting the ancient power and staying to live among them. Jim helps Silver escape the Naval Officers before he can be brought to trial. Doctor Doppler saves the otherwise capable Captain Amelia, nursing her back to health. Each story centres on the imperialist hero who rescues and restores order whilst marginalising native agency.
These three movies are offering bite-sized pieces of imperialism disguised as fun adventures. The viewer is invited to venture alongside the colonizers without questioning the story or the intentions behind the conquest. Lots of media from the Global North downplays the impact of imperialism and capitalism on indigenous groups. By animating the story, we are taking another step back from the human element of these populations. They are characters, often drawn with exaggerated features, and the colonizers are normalizing problematic behaviors while minimizing harms.
Since the US production companies are themselves capitalist machines, it is expected that they promote their own interest and spread their own philosophies. They are not just stories, created for entertainment; representation matters. How people are portrayed in the media has an impact on how they are viewed in real life. By perpetuating stereotypes, both historical and current, indigenous groups continue to be reduced and stripped of meaning, acting as spectacles for the imperialist gaze.
Movies are a form of entertainment, but we should be more critical of the media we consume. Enjoy them. But keep a critical eye out for problematic portrayals, not just of indigenous groups or women in media, but for all stereotypes taken as shorthand for colonialist, imperial, or capitalist beliefs in current media.