By Alberto Gomez, Entertainment Editor
Given the task of describing Shrek, most would explain the film series as a raunchy, crude, and cash grab tetralogy.
While not an incorrect description, summarizing Shrek, Shrek 2, and Shrek Forever After solely so would equate to a disservice on the surprising genius and care behind these movies. Shrek evolved from the first Academy Award winner of Best Animated Feature Film, to a bounty of memes flooding the internet.
But Shrek 2, behind its surplus of gross-out humor and witty pop culture references, expands on themes of self-acceptance and love initially laid out in the first film. Shrek teaches audiences to look within yourself and love who you are, green and all. But Shrek 2? Shrek 2 is about so much more than introspection. Shrek 2 acts as a compelling commentary on modern American racism and segregation.
The Shrek films have always used Shrek’s appearance as a major motivation for the world’s displeasure of him. In the first film, just the sight of Shrek forced an angry mob to tremble in fear. But in the second film, the first major comment comes from Shrek when he comments on a formal invitation to visit his wife Fiona’s parents, full fledged esteemed royalty. “I don’t think I’ll be welcome at the ‘country club.’” Immediately Shrek outlines an expectation and separation between his lifestyle and that of a higher society.
When Shrek and Fiona finally do arrive to the Kingdom of Far Far Away, the moment the residents see Shrek appear, there is an audibly shocked silence. Should audiences pause at any point, they may also notice at no point is there a noticeably racially diverse character. This could be chalked up to the film’s setting in a Europe-esque world, but the Kingdom is also meant to act as a parallel to the city of Los Angeles, evidently seen with the Hollywood sign spoof sitting in many backgrounds.
Shrek 2 never leans to hard into its racial themes, but uses the concept as subtext and back-headed motivations. The lack of racial diversity seen in Far Far Away suggests a lack of integration and racial intermingling. But, maybe the color of skin isn’t the equivalent of racial disparity.
The only other time fairy tale creatures are seen in Shrek 2 happens in the middle of the woods in a seedy saloon known as The Poison Apple. Outside castle walls, away from major civilization.
Consider another comparison. Where are Latino and black populations most famously densely populated in LA? Inglewood and Compton. Farther from the central city. Left out from the economically successful districts.
King Harold, Fiona’s father, is no saint. He seemingly supports the separation of fairy tale creatures and his human subjects. In the first major dispute of the film, King Harold and Shrek throw hard jabs at each other, akin to Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, a 1967 film where a white woman brings home a black fiance to introduce him to her parents. And like Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, the father’s main point of contention does not derive from character, but from appearance.
Harold spends an entire scene evil-eyeing Shrek over dinner and repeatedly claiming that Shrek is unfit for his daughter solely for the fact that he’s an ogre. He’s disgusted to think that his grandchildren would be ogres. Harold’s amused by the fact that Shrek lives in a swamp, sarcastically commenting “how original” his residency is. He “happily” adds how perfect it is that someone of “[Shrek’s] type” would live in such a grimy habitat.
Through just the use of scenery, setting, and subtle location, Shrek 2 manages to create a hidden message on segregation in Los Angeles today. While, not the focus of the film, Shrek 2 uses this concept to help supplement its narrative and character motivations. King Harold’s temperament with Shrek’s species and where he comes from is used as Harold’s justification for Shrek’s disqualification of a place in his kingdom and at the side of his daughter.