I’d like you to meet Shere Khan… Have you met him before? Does his name sound familiar? Do you see simply a tiger here? I see a lord of the jungle. For me, Shere Khan was the real star of The Jungle Book.
I went and saw the film this past Saturday and was absolutely blown away by its quality. It’s not like I was a lifelong fan of the original animated version. If you’d asked me if I liked The Jungle Book a week ago, I’d say, “mehhh…” But now…? Holy hell, NOW?!?
It wasn’t the story or the characters that really resonated with me. (Though that’s not to say they weren’t contributors to the overall experience; they were!) It was the theme, specifically the law of the jungle. The animal’s nature. And by contrast the nature of man. This is something I think about a lot (in case I’ve not made it obvious yet!).
And the villain. Shere Khan. Take note, storytellers… The best-written villains are always the ones who commit the worst atrocities for the sake of the best intentions. In The Jungle Book, Shere Khan knows that mankind’s every footstep leaves only a trail of destruction and evil. In order to keep the jungle and all its inhabitants safe - to preserve life - he must call for man’s death. And Shere Khan makes no distinction between man and man-cub. A true leader’s convictions must be truly unshakable. Right? Well, it’s this flaw that leads the villain to his downfall. It always is.
We never get tired of these stories do we? I know I don’t! I promise that’s the kind of story “The Animal in Man” aims to tell. I assure you my villain has only the best intentions in mind. I swear you’ll be reading it soon. (#amwriting) But in the meantime, do yourself a favor and go see The Jungle Book before it leaves theaters. It is absolutely delightful. (Also, Christopher Walken as King Louie = priceless.)
And the final one: