History AnimalMotifs / Film

** Bugs are everywhere in the film as well. The Other Mother added them to the Other World because she thought Coraline liked bugs.

* ''Film/Dune2021'': Not too obvious, but with his pasty grey skin, bald head, his [[FatBastard corpulent physique]], and the fact he bathes in black mud, the Baron is likened to a hippo or an elephant.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', red panda motifs are everywhere in the Lee family temple including multiple red panda statues and practically all of their gift shop merchandise being red panda themed.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', red panda motifs are everywhere in the Lee family temple including multiple red panda statues and practically all of their gift shop merchandise being red panda themed.

* In ''Film/{{Rebecca}},'' the animal favoured by the nameless heroine is the lap-dog, Jasper. Rebecca, however, is regularly mentioned in conjunction with horses. The second Mrs. de Winter is meek, mild, and childish, always eager to please and desperate for her husband's approval, to the point where she is almost pathetic. Rebecca, however, is wild and dangerous and too powerful for Max De Winter to keep control of -- especially since the horses mentioned alongside her are crazy with pain, as Rebecca whips them into a frenzy.

* ''WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda'' takes it so far as to name characters after what species they are ([[GeniusBonus or what style of kung fu they practice]]). For example, Tigress practices Tiger Style, and her personality is deeply emotional and fiercely competitive. Monkey is playful and used to be the town prankster.

** Manolo with bulls. He comes from a family of bullfighters, but can't bring himself to deliver the final blow.

** Xibalba with snakes, given his magical staff is a two headed snake. WordOfGod even states that the snake staff is actually a part of Xibalba himself.

* From ''WesternAnimation/{{Coraline}}'', the Other Mother is especially given imagery of a spider. It's revealed to be her real form, and her kind is known to [[spoiler: eat their offspring]].

** Butterflies are used for the family in general (there are butterfly designs on the magic candle), but are particularly associated with [[MuggleBornOfMages Mirabel]] and [[PosthumousCharacter their grandfather, Pedro]].

** [[WaifProphet Bruno]] has rats. Oddly, they don't relate directly to his gift, but he keeps them as pets, and like him, they [[spoiler:live in the walls]] and have a bad reputation.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheGreatMouseDetective'': Basil and Ratigan carry some traits from the animals they choose as their companions. Ratigan, like his pet cat, preys on the mice around him and displays many CatsAreMean tendencies. Basil, on the other hand, who 'owns' a dog, is a dogged and excitable eccentric similarly. Both characters are fixated on the other's defeat, and exemplify HeroicCaninesVillainousFelines.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheProphet'': There's a lot of avian one's about Mustafa and Almitra. Mustafa waxes poetic about the freedom that birds may aspire to with their wings and Almitra is often accompanied by a seagull that she emulates both as a fun loving free spirit and as a scavenger.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSeaBeast'': The sea beasts are pretty analogous for whales, who were vilified as aggressive, dangerous, and unknown sea monsters once upon a time, and for a long time. The Red Bluster drives fish to the surface using a similar move to real whales creating bubble nets. Red can also walk on land as a homage to whale evolution or "walking whales", albeit she is more like a seal or a sea lion (and actual walking whales were significantly smaller.) Whales are peaceful creatures by nature, who were basically saved in RealLife by crude oil destroying the whale oil economy. The idea that they were sensitive, intelligent animals wasn't discovered until ages later. The harpoons in Red's hide are also accurate, as 200 year old whales with unexploded harpoons in their bodies have been discovered. The culture surrounding whaling was also pretty close to the fantasy hunters, as celebrated heroes who risked life and limb for the good of humanity.

* ''Film/ArtOfTheDead'': In the 'Animals' painting series, each of the SevenDeadlySins is represented by an animal. character corrupted by that painting begin to take on aspects of that animal.

* Many of the characters in ''Film/BladeRunner'' are associated with an animal, including all of the (confirmed) Replicants. Roy Batty, in fact, has two -- wolves (his howling and stalking of Deckard in the climax) and doves (his final scene). His creator Dr. Tyrell has owls -- his company's logo is an owl, he keeps a (Replicant) owl in his offices, his large glasses give him an owl-like appearance and he is a holder of knowledge like owls are often portrayed as.
* ''Film/BramStokersDracula'' has the obvious bat, rat and wolf associations for the titular character, but there's also a snake motif for Lucy: her first appearance has her wearing an evening gown with snake embroidering and a hairdo resembling coiled snakes, the nightgown she wears when attacked by Dracula resembles a snake's belly, and her wedding/funeral dress was inspired by frill-necked lizards.

* ''Film/TheConspiracy:'' Members of the Tarsus Club are divided into ravens and lions, complete with masks, and the core of their mythos is the worship of Mithras with a heavy focus on the bull hunting-and-slaying scene [[spoiler:and a ritualistic murder symbolic of the latter in every meeting]].

* ''Film/Dune2021'': Not too obvious, but with his pasty grey skin, bald head, his [[FatBastard corpulent physique]] and the fact he bathes in black mud, the Baron is likened to a hippo or an elephant.

** ''Film/Godzilla2014'': Ford Brody has a minor association with Godzilla: They both have the same goal (Killing the [=MUTOs=]). During a lull in the final battle, both lock eyes, with Godzilla curiously examining Ford and Ford visibly awestruck in return. Ford's [[spoiler: explosive distraction saves Godzilla's life from the MUTO pair, and Godzilla later returns the favor, saving Ford's life from the angry female MUTO as a possible case of AndroclesLion]]. After the end of the battle, [[spoiler: they fall unconscious and collapse at the same time]]. It's also implied that [[spoiler: the kaiju skeleton in the cave at the beginning could have belonged to a parent, sibling, mate, or other familial relative of Godzilla, and therefore there's another parallel- if it's true, then both Ford and Godzilla have lost family to the [=MUTOs=].]]

* In the 2016 ''Film/TheGreatWall'', each of the five main groups of warriors protecting the titular wall are coded by the animals on their helmets and ornaments. The horse-riding cavalry are represented by a purple stag. The archers perched at the top are represented by a red bird. The artillery group handling the cannons and heavy-lifting are represented by a golden tiger. The elite female troops who spear their enemies from above are represented by a blue crane. And the main military force guarding the walls are represented by a grey bear.

** ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'': Raul Silva compares himself and Bond being betrayed by the [=MI6=] and targeting each other; to rats who forced into a barrel, resorted to cannibalism, and even when released still choose to eat nothing but their own kind. Bond notes on this after he knifes Sliva [[ConvenientlyTimedAttackFromBehind in the back]].
--> '''Bond''': Last rat standing Mr Sliva...

*** Oberhauser/[[spoiler:Ernst Stavro Blofeld]] chose [[TentacledTerror an octopus]] as the titular NebulousEvilOrganization's logo, symbolizing its omnipresence and behind-the-scenes reach to tilt geopolitical events to its favor and TakeOverTheWorld.
* Rabbits of course in ''Film/JojoRabbit''. Jojo gains his derisive nickname at the Hitler Youth camp when he doesn't go through with killing the rabbit. Imaginary Hitler gives him a pep talk about the nickname by invoking the rabbit's "mighty" traits (being hard working tricksters who survive the harshness of the wild by outwitting stronger animals). Its also ironic since Jojo immediately injures his leg in a grenade incident, slowing him down considerably. It quickly becomes clear that the name reflects the animal's innocent and peaceful nature as Jojo becomes increasingly disillusioned with Nazi propaganda.

** UsefulNotes/NapoleonBonaparte had a pet eagle as a child, and is represented by eagles throughout the film (his RealLife [[TheEmperor imperial]] symbol as well).

** Both Amleth and his father are both associated with canines. Aurvandil likens himself to battle dog when he returns to his hall and greets Amleth and Gudrun. Right behind him comes Fjolnir with two hounds on leashes. The rite of passage Amleth endures involves him and Aurvandil acting like feral dogs while being tested by Heimer to prove their humanity. The pre-raid ritual Amleth takes part in with the Beserkers similarly involves them channeling their ferocity while wearing wolf pelts. A small black dog acts as Amleth's guide throughout his entire quest.
** The beheading of a horse is shown to represent the end of the mourning process for vikings and Fjolnir's declaration of revenge after [[spoiler: Thorir's funeral and later at the base of the volcano where Fjolnir brings the corpses of Gudrun and Gunnar before the final battle]].
* Count Orlok, of the 1920's vampire film ''Film/{{Nosferatu}}'' has a subtle plague rat motif as his base. His [[LooksLikeOrlok famous appearance]] combines [[FangsAreEvil needle-like incisors reminiscent of a rat's front teeth]], BaldOfEvil, elongated pointy ears, CreepyLongFingers, and a set of facial features (pinched cheeks, long pointy nose) that make one think "rat". He seems to summon a SwarmOfRats wherever he goes and the effects of his feeding are mistaken as some kind of plague.

* ''Film/{{Psycho}}'' also has a bird motif, associating Norman Bates' female victims with the birds he stuffs. He comments that Marion Crane (note the surname), from Phoenix, Arizona, eats like a bird shortly before killing her. In the finale we learn that he has preserved the corpse of his mother with his taxidermy skills. There are many, many different references to the bird motif throughout the film. Try to find them all!

* The Jigsaw Killer and his accomplices from ''Franchise/{{Saw}}'' tend to be associated with pigs. The first killer was a believer in the EasternZodiac and his unborn son would have been born on the Year of the Pig. He instead twists this imagery to symbolize a decaying world, abducting people using [[MalevolentMaskedMen disturbing pig masks]] and designing a [[DeathTrap trap]] in which rotten pig carcasses are ground up above a man. Similarly, in ''Film/Spiral2021'', the Spiral Killer's taunting use of the imagery (including a [[PerversePuppet monstrous-looking pig marionette]] in place of Jigsaw's traditional "Billy" puppet) is in line with the metaphor for the [[DirtyCop corrupt police officers]] he [[CopKiller targets]] being "pigs".

* From ''Film/SherlockHolmes2009'', a crow is always seen whenever Lord Blackwood is about to kill someone. So at the end, [[spoiler: when Lord Blackwood [[KarmicDeath really does die for real]], it flies away. The crow turns out to be nothing more than a normal crow.]]

* Jafar, the villain of ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'', was actually given a snake motif: his hat and robes resemble the hood and body of a cobra, he has vaguely serpentine eyes, teeth resembling a venomous snake's fangs, a constant tendency to flick out his tongue while speaking, he always carries a cobra-headed staff with him all the time, and at the end of the film, [[OneWingedAngel he even]] [[ScaledUp turns into one.]]

* ''Film/{{Napoleon}}'':
** Napoleon had a pet eagle as a child, and is represented by eagles throughout the film.
** Robespierre is introduced sitting beneath a statue of a vulture. No points for subtlety there.

* ''Film/Dune2021'': Not too obvious, but with his pasty grey skin, bald head and the fact he bathes in black mud, the Baron is likened to a hippo or an elephant.

*** Emma Russell: Mothra, [[spoiler: Ghidorah]].