10 Huge Changes In The Live-Action Dumbo Remake
5. Dumbo Doesn't Fly Alone
Dumbo flies alongside the crows in the 1941 original, and he also flies while carrying Timothy Mouse. Not once, however, does the film's ending suggest that Dumbo has so much as entertained the idea of a human rider.
In Tim Burton's update, this is actually Vandemere's primary interest. Not only does he believe the spectacle of a flying elephant mount would rake in cash, he also believes it will boost the fame of French trapeze artist Colette Marchant.
Colette is already one of Dreamland's featured acts, and she exhibits strong confidence in her abilities. She refers to her talents as her own ability to fly, and this fuels the symbolism in her relationship with Dumbo. While she possesses the confidence to fly on her own, she must now learn to fly with a partner. By the time Colette is fully allied with Holt and his children, she is able to fly the young elephant like a pro. Learning to work with others has allowed her to reach new heights.
By contrast, Dumbo relies on others yet must learn to fly on his own. When he finally learns to do this, Joe and Milly - the children who learned their own strength by helping him find his - ride atop his back.
Each message - relying on others and learning to fly alone - warrants individual merit. Teaching both at once is ambitious, with the potential for the ostensibly opposing lessons to conflict with one another. The film manages to avoid this by making human riders an important element of the story, and allowing Dumbo to share unique relationships with each of the humans that he carries.