Frozen and Christianity

The first time I watched the Disney film ‘Frozen’ was the penultimate day of 2013 (30 December 2013), which I panned to be overrated upon my departure from the theaters. I watched it again yesterday, with my brother, this time with my glasses on. Now, I revoke my past critique of the movie and consent to extreme satisfaction with the movie.

This time, however, I’ve decided to collate my insights on this film, not focusing on its synopsis or its aesthetical appeal, as brilliant as they may be, but on how this film is a wonderful illustration of Jesus and the love of God. This exposition may not be perfect due to my limited knowledge as well as the limitations of typology in the movie, but I shall work with my capabilities to prove my point.

The film kicks off with two sisters Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell) and Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel), princesses of the kingdom of Arendelle, joyfully playing with snow created by cryokinetically–powered Elsa, a wonderful picture of how God and man enjoyed fellowship (inferred from Genesis 3:8) with the purity and innocence of man’s heart. While the sisters played in the winter wonderland, Elsa accidentally struck Anna’s head with a blast of ice. This is where the type is limited, since Elsa, though more powerful, is representative of sinful man whose falls short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) and Anna, though a regular human being, portrays the omnipotent God, hurt and upset that man has chosen himself to be his god rather than God by disobeying Him in the garden. (Genesis 3:11)

Since then, their royal parents decreed total separation between the two sisters, lest anyone get hurt more by Elsa’s snowbending, a picture of separation of man in his sin from God in His righteousness. (Genesis 3:23–24) Ever since then, Anna has always been trying to penetrate into Elsa’s isolation, time and time again, from knocking the door as a child to adolescence and, even after the unfortunate fatality of their parents, as an adult. Clearly, this pictures God’s numerous attempts to reach out to man, by clothing them with skins (Genesis 3:21), saving Noah to preserve the human lifeline despite devastative sin in men (Genesis 6–9), using Abraham to reach out to wild humanity (Genesis 12:1–3) and ultimately with Jesus (John 3:16). Even today, God is still sending out missionaries to reach out to the unreached people groups (Matthew 28:18–20) just so to reconcile with man. (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Following the lonely growing up of the sisters was Anna’s infatuation and misconception of true love with Hans of the Southern Isles (voiced by Santino Fontana). Here, the role of Anna portrayed not of God but of man’s foolishness, assuming true love as eros love rather than agape love. Man looks for love but in all the wrong places, and is eventually further buffeted by them, exemplified by Anna’s failure to get Han’s true love kiss later on, if it were true love at all. And true love only came by being reconciled with sister Elsa, similar as to how man can only receive true love by returning to God, who is the epitome of love. (1 John 4:8)

Elsa, after objecting to Anna and Hans’ engagement, unintentionally let loose her ice powers and set off an Arendelle–wide flurry of a violent winter. This led Anna to chase after her, once again, this time with assistance from an initially hesitant Kristoff (voicer Jonathan Groff). Kristoff, during the wolf chase, was particularly resembling of man’s self–effort to solve problems by trying to tackle the wolves on his own, but failing to actually resolve the issue. On the contrary, a scuffle with the wolves let him see his need for Anna’s sharp reaction, just like how many only ask God for merciful help once they find themselves in a pickle. Yet, Anna came through. Yet, God came through. (Romans 8:28)

Anna sought after Elsa once more at her ice castle, but Elsa continually fled and ordered Anna to leave, in fear. Man is not ignorant of God; he choses to be so because he fears His holiness and does not want to acknowledge that he is wrong, and as such admit that he is in dire need of a savior. Elsa strikes Anna again with another icy blast, this time at the heart, which could potentially be fatal. In man’s despair he continually, time and time again, breaks God’s heart, over and over again (added for emphasis). To find a cure, Anna and Kristoff searched for the trolls whose leader explained that only an act of true love could salvage Anna’s life. Again, Anna’s role reversed as only true love can save man from his never–ending pursuit for love.  

Cliched true love’s kiss failed, leading the four Arendellers into the Norwegian blizzard. While Anna could have been saved by Kristoff’s kiss, she glanced in the corner of her eye a guilty Elsa in the face of assassination by Hans, symbolizing man being broken further by man. In an act of true love, Anna stood between the two, froze, and blocked the blow, disintegrating Hans’ sword and saving Elsa’s life: the perfect depiction of true love, that one lays down his life for his friends. (John 15:13) You see; God loves you so much, that He never gave up wooing you. He went to the full extent to redeem you: sacrificing Himself to His justice (Hebrews 10:12) that you may be righteously restored with His love.

Elsa, after being touched by Anna’s agape love and Anna thawing due to that act, used her love to thaw the kingdom. Summer returned, Olaf enjoyed summer thanks to Elsa’s miniature flurry above him, Anna and Kristoff get together, Hans was banished and the sisters finally reunite after more than two decades of separation. That is the gospel. That God wants to reunite with you. Even though you were afraid, even though you’ve messed up, big time, even though you’ve let Him down over and over and over again, He still wants to pick you up each time you fall and enjoy communion with you. He loves you. And once you are convicted of His love for you, you have the power to influence the world around you for His glory. You are finally blessed, to be a blessing.

The kingdom of wintery chills was birthed out of fear, and Anna’s love for Elsa thawed her frosty fear, transforming her heart of icy hardness into a heart of loving warmth. Perfect love casts out all fear. (1 John 4:18) God wants to take your fear and turn it into love, not your simple perception of eros love, but God’s perfect example of agape love, that you may revolutionize the world with the Father’s love.

God loves you, but God, in His righteousness, hates the sin in you and must eradicate it with death (Romans 6:23), yet in His love He didn’t want to punish you. So He made the first move: by taking your sin and punishing it in the body of His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus became your sin that you may become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21) and the only way to be saved is to believe on Him, confessing that He is Lord. (Romans 10:9) He died that you may live. (2 Corinthians 5:15)

If you would like to be saved, you may pray this simple prayer:

Lord Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner. Thank You for loving me and dying for me on the cross. Your precious blood washes me clean of every sin. You are my Lord and my Saviour, now and forever. I believe that You rose from the dead and that You are alive today. Because of Your finished work, I am now a beloved child of God and heaven is my home. Thank You for giving me eternal life, and filling my heart with Your peace and joy. Amen.