Shrek and Donkey Crossing the Bridge: Companions that Push you to be Better (Shrek Film Analysis)
Is the scene where Shrek and Donkey crosses the bridge just another scene? Or does it have a deeper message about companions that challenge and pull each other forward?
In the acclaimed 2001 movie “Shrek”, there are many memorable scenes that teach the audience many lessons about people, life, and the world they inhabit. However, one famous scene that almost never comes to mind is the bridge scene, where our two protagonists, Shrek and Donkey, must cross the bridge in order to face the dragon and rescue the princess. To perform this daring feat, they must enter the castle that is surrounded by lava, and the only way to get to the castle is by crossing, as what Donkey points out, “a rickety bridge over a boiling lake of lava”.
In this pivotal scene, we get insight on the dynamic between Shrek and Donkey. We will see how Shrek and Donkey crossing the bridge is a metaphor and example of someone that cares deeply for their companion, and shows that compassion by pushing their companion to be better. The details are nuanced, and the lesson can be difficult to notice at first viewing, so it really does take multiple viewings and a good understanding of the story and each character to fully appreciate the message.
Shrek here is encouraging Donkey to face his fear and to cross the bridge. So let us break down what happens…
When the duo arrive at the castle, they are both stunned at the challenge they must face to rescue Princess Fiona from the dragon: a castle surrounded by lava. However, Shrek demonstrates courage despite this formidable challenge, and even expresses humor to lighten the mood and to raise his own spirits and the spirits of his trusty companion. He remarks:
Shrek: “Sure it’s big enough, but look at the location (laughs)”
However, Donkey seems to be hesitant. Despite Shrek’s confident and calm demeanor, Donkey fearfully expresses his discomfort with the statement:
Donkey: “I’m just a little uncomfortable about being on a rickety bridge over a boiling lake of lava!”
Here, Donkey is clearly taking on the role of the companion that is afraid, or even outright refuses, to face their fears. The castle represents here a goal, an ideal, what Donkey could potentially be. It is symbolic of growth, and if Donkey can just make it to the other side of the bridge, Donkey would be someone that conquered his limitations and become someone more than he is now. The castle is where the treasure is found, metaphorically speaking, where the brave warrior returns to to become a king. It is a place where one’s personal legend is made.
The bridge is a representation of the journey he must take in order to become better. Notice the precarious position of the bridge: it is unstable, worn down, and over a boiling lake of lava. A misstep would mean death. This means that the crossing, or the journey to be better, will be difficult, filled with fear. Why? Crossing the bridge means facing yourself in all your insufficiencies. Nothing is more terrifying than facing yourself, and Donkey knows this. That is why he would rather play it safe, stay the same, and wait for Shrek on the safe side of the bridge.
However, Shrek encourages Donkey with the words:
Shrek: “Come on, Donkey, I’m right here beside you, okay? For… emotional support. We’ll just tackle this thing together one little baby step at a time”.
It is clear that Shrek here has taken on the role as the strong companion. The role model to aspire after. The ideal to become. Not only is he a courageous entity that encounters the shadows, but he is also a very good friend in this instance. Shrek is willing and ready to cross the bridge, enter the castle and face the dragon, but he decides that rather than experiencing the self-actualizing power of accomplishing the goal by himself, he encourages Donkey to follow his lead. He does not want Donkey to remain a victim of his fears, but rather to venture with him and to become better.
Shrek here is judgemental in the positive sense, and the judgement he passes on Donkey is that Donkey is capable of more than he knows, and he wants Donkey to see what he sees. He judges Donkey correctly as one that is capable of being more than he is, but just needs a little encourages and motivation to propel him forward. Shrek is judgemental in the way that one’s ideal self judges them, but he is also empathetic and understanding.
Notice that Shrek is patient, and that he offers his willing support in Donkey crossing the bridge. He does not shout and demand of Donkey to throw himself into the fire and face death, neither does he condemn or express disgust at Donkey for what could be perceived as cowardice. Shrek knows the great trial Donkey is facing, but stands by him anyways so they could face it together.
Donkey does not feel belittled or judged harshly, and because of Shrek’s reassurance, he says “okay, that makes me feel so much better”.
Shrek reaffirms his belief in Donkey, and guides Donkey across the bridge with the words:
Shrek: “Just keep moving. And don’t look down”
Shrek’s advice is interesting, in that he tells Donkey to just keep moving on the path he has chosen to walk without looking down. Here, the lake of lava is symbolic of the dangers of the outside world if Donkey either fails to reach the bridge or if he strays from the path that fate has laid before him. However, rather than Donkey being told to be mindful of the dangers around him on his journey, Shrek tells him to not look down, but to stay focused on the other side of the bridge.
That is exactly what a high quality companion will do. They would encourage their fellow companion to be aware of the dangers in their surroundings and the chaos that rages in the background of their lives, but they would not let their companion be distracted and engulfed by the chaos. In this instance, Shrek is telling Donkey to have an awareness of his fear of facing his lesser self, but to not be overcome and paralyzed by fear because of the dangers Donkey will face.
Shrek does not want Donkey to halt his movement across the bridge because of the lake of lava below, as he knows that halting in the middle of the bridge would mean that Donkey’s fears have won. Staying in the middle of the bridge for too long would also mean dehydration or hyperthermia due to their proximity to the lake of lava and the toxic fumes that emit from the depths. Quite literally, freezing in the middle of the bridge means certain death, which is true. It is true literally and metaphorically. Stagnation in life will mean the death of one’s soul.
So Shrek leads a fearful Donkey across the bridge, which has alot of metaphorical implications on human-to-human dynamics. It suggests that companions that push others to be more than they are lead by example. They set the example they want the others to follow. In this instance, Shrek is not dragging Donkey across the bridge, but rather patiently leading him across.
This is a more effective way of pushing and inspiring your companions to be better. If you try and force people to change for the better, you will encounter resistance. If Shrek grabbed donkey by the tail and dragged him across the bridge, Donkey would do everything to claw his way to the safe side of the bridge. If Shrek physically carried Donkey across, either Donkey would kick and scream for Shrek to release him so Donkey can squirm backwards on the bridge, or Donkey would feel resentful at two people: At Shrek for stunting his growth and babying him through his life test, or at himself for succumbing to fear.
At this point of the crossing, we must give Shrek and Donkey credit where credit is due. Credit to Shrek for not imposing his ideals on Donkey and being with him as they crossed the bridge and as Donkey faces the unknown for the sake of self-growth, and credit to Donkey for his willingness to fight the fear within his heart and choose courage for himself, knowing that the prize for his efforts is just across the bridge.
In fact, to make sure he himself stays on the straight and narrow path, so to speak, Donkey continuously mutters to himself anxiously:
Donkey: “Don’t look down. Don’t look down. Keep on moving, don’t look down”.
Throughout the crossing, Donkey is fearful, but he does not give into fear. He is not focused on the dangers below the bridge in the lake of lava, but is focused on the goal. All is going according to plan until Donkey steps on a poorly fixed plank on the bridge, which falls to the bottom of the lake. This gives a clear glimpse of the danger that awaits should Donkey stumble and fall off the bridge, as Donkey remarks “Shrek! I’m looking down!”
As can be expected, Donkey’s confidence is shaken briefly as he looks down from the bridge, before being broken completely. So halfway across the bridge, and Donkey realizes completely the forces he is fighting against.
This is very analogous to the journey of people on the road to self-actualization, where they strive to reach and manifest their ideal self. This is seen many times in people who have fallen on hard times, whether by bad luck or by their own transgressions. Or in people that have been living lives lesser than they are, and have been living a life of self-denial and suppression of potential.
How is this? On the path to the betterment of one’s soul, very often people, much like Donkey here, are moving in the right direction before they see the very real dangers ahead on their journey. This causes them to give into fear and turn back to what they know and is comfortable with. In the world, this usually happens through intense emotional, mental, or physical turmoil.
Donkey, experiencing the pain of intense fear, is completely psyched out and wishes to get off the bridge on the so-called safe side. Donkey here has reached his breaking point, or so he thinks. He genuinely believes he cannot go any further. Shrek, however, disagrees, and firmly believes Donkey has more left to give. The exchange in the middle of the bridge goes like the following:
Donkey: “Oh God, I can’t do this. Just let me off right now, please!”
Shrek: “But you’re already halfway.”
Donkey: “Yeah, but I know THAT half is safe”
A good companion, one that is strong, fervent, purposeful, and compassionate, will be able to see the forest from the trees. They will be able to recognize when their companions still has more fuel left in the tank to use. When their companions still have left of their potential to reach. When a fear, insecurity or insufficiency in their companions can be overcome with faith, courage and persistence.
This mindset, the determined fearless mindset, compels Shrek to remind Donkey that they are already halfway across the bridge. They have already accomplished so much through their union. Shrek knows that Donkey’s fear can be overcome with a focused effort on the finish line if Donkey would just complete the course.
However, Donkey clearly does not see how close he is to accomplishing his mission. All he sees is the danger around him and the pain he has endured, and the even worse pain he will suffer if he fails. He remembers the safe side of the bridge, which is a representation of his former self. Of the life he used to know. Of the mental prison he used to be caged in. To him, his destitution of power and character, symbolically brought to life through the safe side of the bridge, is his comfort zone. A world without pain of which he was the king. It was a world with no pain because there was no growth, no evolution. Only death, for as the saying goes, you either ‘evolve or die’.
Donkey encapsulates his desire to return to his base comforts of his lower self by indicating his desire to abandon the goal and flee to the safe side of the bridge. However, Shrek isn’t having ANY of that. Shrek tells Donkey:
Shrek: “Okay fine, I don’t have time for this! You go back!”
Here, Shrek is very relatable to real-life companions. Think about it: have you ever had a friend or a sibling that has no direction and no ambitions, just meandering through the world, not taking life seriously enough? Surely that would frustrate you to no end. You feel weighed down and held back. You are doing everything to build them up, to instill in them some form of self-belief and self worth, to show them that they can bring value to the world. Yet they choose mediocrity.
Or worse, what if they are friends that are on a self-destructive path? What if, despite your best efforts, they refuse to change and refuse to traverse the path of enlightenment, to face their own inner chaos and heal their suffering. You would want to disentangle yourself, wouldn’t you? Why disentangle? Because if you don’t, they will take you down with them. If they can’t grow to be more, neither can you.
Shrek refuses for that to happen, which is why he expresses his disappointment and tells Donkey that he is willing to leave Donkey on the other side of the bridge while he pursues his own personal glory. He will not let Donkey and his exhibition of cowardice hold him back from facing his destiny: to conquer the dragon and save the princess.
However, something interesting happens during this time of their bridge crossing. Shrek, who clearly cannot tolerate Donkey’s weakness, states that he is willing to leave Donkey behind as he moves forward. However, at the same time, Shrek blocks Donkey’s path to the safe side of the bridge. Shrek inches forward as Donkey tries in vain to squeeze around Shrek to get to the other side. The safe side.
It could be argued that Shrek’s deep care and concern for Donkey is strong enough to compel him to keep trying to encourage Donkey to complete the crossing. How often have we seen this kind of behaviour in the friendships around us? How often have we seen members of our immediate families take self-destructive paths, and we out of great love, do everything we can to stop them in their tracks before they do permanent damage to themselves?
Then, just when we thought Shrek has pulled all the stops, he does the seemingly unthinkable: He swings the bridge! Over a “boiling lake of lava” as per Donkey says. If you were part of the audience watching this scene, you would interpret Shrek’s actions humorously cruel. In this way, metaphorically, Shrek is blatantly FORCING Donkey to cross the bridge, face death as represented by the fire-breathing dragon, and fulfil his destiny. Shrek is literally dragging Donkey from the depths of his own personal, fearful hell to the sublime gates of heavenly self-actualization.
Shrek: *swings bridge*
Donkey: “No! Don’t do that!”
Shrek: “Oh I’m sorry, do what? Oh” *swings bridge again* “this?”
Donkey: “Yes, THAT!”
Shrek: “Yes? Yes, do it? Okay” *continues to swing bridge*
Shrek is one of those friends that refuses to give up on their friends that are traversing the wrong path in life. Shrek knows that Donkey needs to complete the crossing, not just for him reaching his full potential, but for actually surviving! Many times, such friends are not like Shrek. If they see their companions following the wide and easy path to destruction, and they try unsuccessfully to turn their wayward companions from death many times, they would give up and leave their friends to their doom. Not Shrek. He will not tolerate Donkey’s insufficiency, or rather, he will not tolerate Donkey’s tolerance in his own insufficiencies. Shrek will not allow Donkey to die the painful, unforgiving death that comes of being less that his best.
Donkey, at this point, backs even faster to his side of the bridge. The side of the bridge that holds his destiny. He is terrified of what Shrek is doing. He is fearful, not just of death, but of facing his fears, his inadequacies, his years and years of living as less than what he could be. Isn’t that so accurate and relevant in our time, with our friends? What is more terrifying than facing the side of yourself that was born out of the depths of hell? What is more terrifying than confronting your insufficiencies and weakness?
In despair, fearful for his life, we see that Donkey is shedding his past self through this process. He is letting go of his weakness, albeit with his judgemental but compassionate companion forcing it out of him. Donkey, on his heels, retreating backwards (ironically) towards his destiny, towards the creation of his legend, cries in terror, pain, and despair:
Donkey: “I’m gonna die! I’m gonna die! Shrek, I’m gonna die!”
Then suddenly, Donkey feels the hard stone underneath his hooves. The bridge, the lake of lava, and the completed journey, even though short, lay before him. Donkey breathe a sigh of relief: he was on the other side of the bridge.
Now, what would Donkey feel in this moment towards Shrek? If it is not immense gratitude, then he has not learned a fundamental lesson about companions: The best companions will hold you accountable to your highest ideal, and will fight tooth and nail to make sure you do not sink to your lowest self. Shrek has demonstrated two important components of a good companion: judgement and compassion.
This is something all must understand: appreciate the friends that will judge you, rebuke you, and correct you when you stray away from the straight, narrow and good path. Of course, that friend must rebuke with care, softness and tact. It is not effective to rebuke and correct with harshness and condemnation.
For those that wish to be good companions to those that are running away from the heaven of purposeful and courageous living, be sure to correct your friends and admonish them with loving words. Be strong in your higher values and judge your friends strongly but not harshly. Show your compassion to your friends by doing what you must to lead them back away from the road to hell back to the stairway to heaven.
Shrek, proud of what Donkey has accomplished, proud that Donkey conquered his spiritual demons, proud that despite it being a small and perhaps insignificant first step, Donkey has continued on his journey to manifest the highest good. Proud that Donkey is still, despite his trepidation and insecurity, striving to be better with each small increment, Shrek simply says, with pride and encouragement:
Shrek: “That’ll do, Donkey. That’ll do”
Then Shrek and Donkey, now empowered and full of renewed confidence from his encounter with the darkness of his soul, from his brush with the primal fear of death, courageously moves forth to face the dragon of chaos, the dark, guardian of the castle, the beast preventing the rescue of the beautiful princess. They move forward towards perfection of the soul, towards the heavenly kingdom within, towards their personal legends, towards their destiny.
Such is the metaphor represented by Shrek and Donkey as they cross the bridge, as companions that push you to be better.
