The ogre who would not be king

Taking us back to the kingdom of Far Far Away, Shrek the Third surrounds us with the fairytale world we have come to know and love. We follow Shrek (Mike Myers) on a mission to find the next heir to the throne after the death of Fiona’s (Cameron Diaz) aging father, the Frog King (John Cleese). As was seen in the previous two films, Shrek fought off the opposition of Prince Charming (Rupert Everett), who had wanted to rescue Fiona so he could marry her and become King. Now, as Shrek adapts to becoming a father, he once again has to fight against Charming’s desire to occupy the throne. Shrek, however, does not want the responsibility of the kingdom which has been left to him, and so sails to a high school in another land to find Fiona’s cousin Arthur (Justin Timberlake), the next in line to the throne. Meanwhile, Charming gathers all the bad guys from different fairytales and takes over the castle in Far Far Away. There he builds a theatre stage in the castle where he prepares to slay Shrek in order to become the next king.

Throughout the film, Shrek is again battling with his longing to return to his life as an isolated ogre and with the hurt of being, as the film puts it, ‘totally ew-eth’ (that is ugly in high school talk). Fiona is growing into her role as a wife and soon to be mother, also empowering the other fairytale women to help seize the day as the kingdom is taken over by Prince Charming. Prince Charming once again fails to live up to his name as he continues to seek revenge over Shrek. Alongside Shrek are Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss (Antonio Banderas), the ever-humorous sidekicks, along with the many other cameo characters that make the films so recognisable.

Taking one million hours to complete, it is obvious that this time and money has been well spent. The texture of the skin, fabrics, and the detailed facial expressions of the characters have advanced since the second film, and are much clearer and more precise. Although there have been mixed reviews on the film, with some articles claiming more work was put into the fabric texture than the script, I believe that the film's storyline is a good continuation from the previous two, allowing us to experience Shrek’s battle with his identity and his new responsibilities.

Within the story, Charming, Shrek, Fiona and Arthur all fight for their own ‘Happily Ever Afters’, each reflecting the particular character’s worldview. Shrek believes his ‘Happily Ever After’ lies within his swamp, with just him and Fiona living a secluded life away from the ridicule they get for being ogres. Because of this, he is determined to find Arthur and hand over the kingdom so that he doesn’t have to take the responsibility himself. However, through trying to convince Arthur that he is the right person to inherit the crown, Shrek realises that it is his own identity which hinders him in taking on the role of King. With Shrek’s view of his life being shaped by his outer identity, it is easy for us to relate to his character. We have, no doubt, all believed that how we look on the outside determines what we can be or do, and like Shrek, it can become hard to see beyond this to the real plan for our lives.

The Bible reflects this human reaction, commenting, ‘Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart’ (1 Samuel 16:7). Christians believe that their faith in Jesus Christ therefore shapes their identity more than anything else. When writing to the Galatian church, Paul stated, ‘I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me’ (Galatians 2:20). Paul has not literally been crucified with Christ, but counts himself dead to his own control, living only for the purposes of Christ.

Although God does not exist in this fairy tale world, Shrek realises his potential, eventually seeing past his outer identity and becoming aware of his abilities as a leader, and his desire to be a father. Shrek states, ’People used to think that I was a monster, and for a long time I believed them. But after a while you find out who you really are inside.’ Shrek’s decision to take on his responsibility as a father, but to leave the role of King to Arthur, challenges us to identify and use our own abilities. It’s an important lesson for children watching the film: our lives should be shaped by our inner character and our gifts, rather than by our external appearance. This can come, to some extent, through discovering and realising our potential regardless of our belief in God. But since we were created to live in relationship with God, we will only be ourselves fully when that relationship becomes central to our lives.

However, alongside Shrek’s struggle to realise his potential is Charming’s belief that his ‘Happily Ever After’ can be achieved through wanting what others have, planning ultimately to kill Shrek and Arthur to gain access to the throne. His sense of morality appears to come from his mother acting as his conscience, telling him what is right and wrong, forcing Charming to fight for what will make him the most popular and successful. Although Charming craved the title of King, the Bible tells us that, ‘By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down’ (Proverbs 29:4). The writers seem to agree. Charming’s greed is not a good moral basis for ruling the kingdom, and so is not the right person to rule. The writers’ view of greed within the film shows that they believe it gets you nowhere. Again, the message is that you must have the right attributes to hold responsibilities such as being King. Although Shrek does not end up with the crown, his leadership qualities prove to him that he is fit to be a father. Arthur’s concluding speech reinforces this theme of the importance of character and acknowledging your own talents, leaving us with the challenge that, ‘the only thing that can get in your way is you.’ 

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