‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’: The Dark Side of Santa in This Unforgettable Holiday Special

Santa Claus is typically shown as a representation of happiness and kindness throughout the Christmas season, showing up in a lot of movies, songs, and decorations. But sometimes, as in the 1964 Christmas special ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’, the adored character can play a darker role. Santa (voiced by Stan Francis) is not the cheerful, compassionate character that people anticipate in this stop-motion movie. Rather, he is portrayed as a sour and contemptuous figure who rejects Rudolph because of his exceptionally brilliant nose. Santa turns into a voice of uniformity, pushing for Rudolph’s rejection in spite of the movie’s main message of accepting individuality.

Santa’s brutality is immediately apparent. He sets the tone for the other residents of Christmas Town when he informs Rudolph as a baby that he would never be able to pull the sleigh unless he outgrows his brilliant nose. Santa minimizes Rudolph based on his appearance and ignores his skills, even when he does well in his flight training. Viewers find Santa’s behaviour unsettling because of this portrayal, which stands in stark contrast to the traditional image of him as a person of acceptance and generosity.

Image Courtesy: Collider

The story’s development depends on Santa’s involvement in ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ since he represents the social forces that Rudolph and the elf Hermey, among other misfits, must overcome. Even though Rudolph is eventually accepted by the other characters, Santa doesn’t change his mind until he discovers that he can use Rudolph’s luminous nose to steer the sleigh in a snowstorm. This incident reveals the darker side of Santa, who does not express regret for Rudolph’s previous treatment and only values him when his skills become beneficial.

Despite the fact that Santa’s character is not given much attention in terms of his flaws, his actions throughout the movie cast him in a negative light. In spite of this, ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ is still a well-liked holiday favourite, partly because Santa’s flaws are minimized and the story’s acceptance message is highlighted.

–Farheen Ali