Race, Gender, and Magic: Dr. Facilier from “The Princess and the Frog”

Walt Disney Motion Pictures

One of my favorite Disney films of all time is “The Princess and the Frog.” Not only because it follows a young Black girl who falls in love and finally lives out her dreams, but also because of the gorgeous colors and character designs. But as a little girl, I never picked up on the deeper connection to Creole culture and Voodoo magic.

Dr. Facilier, also commonly known as the Shadow Man, is an evil witch seeking to rule New Orleans with his Voodoo magic. The character is introduced roughly eight minutes into the film, giving a tarot reading to a man requesting a cure for his baldness. Facilier, obsessed with money and power, offers a magical solution for a price, which the man accepts. The spell conducted by the evil doctor backfires and causes the man to become fully engulfed in long, thick hair from head to toe, the first of many deceitful, magical acts in the film.

The doctor is based on the iwa of death, resurrection, and the afterlife, Baron Samedi. Though Baron Samedi is not traditionally an evil or deceitful figure, Dr. Facilier’s character in the film is a trickster witch doctor, using Voodoo and Hoodoo to control and manipulate seemingly innocent people in New Orleans. Facilier’s control over shadow spirits and his connection to the deceased directly parallel Baron Samedi’s power of resurrection and death: the doctor’s “friends on the other side,” Voodoo shadow spirits of some sort, are frequently seen and mentioned throughout the film, with an emphasis on one particular shadow that follows Facilier and everything he does. At first glance, the audience may ask, “Who has the power: Does the doctor control the shadow or vice versa?”, but by watching the actions of both figures, it becomes clear that Dr. Facilier’s actions are a result of his devotion and commitment to the deceased spirits on the “other side.”

Baron Samedi is a powerful spirit of Haitian and Creole Voodoo, often characterized with dark purple and red clothing and a sinister skull painted across his face. Disney adapts the Baron’s style and aesthetic in Facilier’s character, illustrating him in a dark purple suit and a large black top hat accompanied by various spiritual accessories: a talisman, cane, and a deck of tarot cards. His dark and sinister color scheme beautifully juxtaposes the soft, warm tones seen throughout the setting and characters of the film: The doctor’s reds and purples also perfectly contrast the green and yellow hues of the main characters, Tiana and Prince Naveen.

“The Princess and the Frog” is a perfect encapsulation of the colonial racism behind the negative perception of Voodoo: Dr. Facilier’s character, illustrated as a light-skinned man with French features, reflects the negative preconceived notions of Voodoo and its racist history rooted in white supremacy and post- Civil War Black history.

Though very little of this inherent systemic racism is directly portrayed in the 2009 film, there remains relevance in understanding the colonial narratives of Voodoo in New Orleans and how that history negatively impacted Black communities in the nineteenth century. Dr. Facilier’s characterization of a greedy and manipulative light skinned and presumably mixed-race man invites the audience to assume racist ideologies while viewing his acts of malice and mischief throughout “The Princess and the Frog,” effectively portraying the inaccurate perception and prejudiced beliefs behind magic practice within POC communities.

Western society’s perception of Voodoo and black magic has historically been incredibly racially charged, with its roots beginning as the policing and criminalization of Black bodies by white supremacist groups during a post- Civil War period. Dr. Facilier is a portrayal of the false narrative of Voodoo magic, emphasizing the racialized villainization of the practice. Disney uses Haitian and Creole folktales and figures, such as Baron Samedi, the iwa of death and resurrection, complicating Dr. Facilier’s characterization and his connection to Voodoo and Hoodoo magic. Ultimately, the Shadow Man’s deceit in the film furthers the preconceived notions of Voodoo as a harmful practice that should be avoided and feared.

Bibliography

Daniels, Kyrab Malika. “Bawon Samdi”. Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Mar. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bawon-Samdi.

Juneau, Eric J. “Analyzing the Disney Villains: Dr. Facilier.” Eric J Juneau, 3 February, 2013,

https://www.ericjuneaubooks.com/2014/02/analyzing-disney-villains-dr-facilier/