Today I watched the first movie of the Shrek series. The Shrek movies are known for their universal appeal. The appeal of Shrek derives from the movie’s superb craftsmanship and from the celebration of the many comic elements in human experience—including among them the scatological. Like that of humans, the ogre’s bodily functions (which some would try to wish away or find beneath recognition—certainly not finding them a subject for amusement) are celebrated as an indicator of the comedy of life and respect for the real. It is an optimistic movie in that it rests on requited love. Given humanity at its most real (the ogre in all of us), we see existence ennobled by the experience of honesty, love, and friendship. In fact, whether or not to voice the feelings of love and friendship becomes a test of simple honesty and character, and we rejoice when the feelings are expressed for we find in that way lies the promise of happiness.
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