WHAT DOES THE OPENING SCENE SAY ABOUT FEMALE LEAD IN "101 DALMATIANS" (1961)?

“101 Dalmatians” opens on Pongo miserable in his bachelor life, so desperate for a mate that he starts to window shop for girls. One for Roger and, more importantly, one for him. It goes without saying, pets in this world are mirrored reflections of their people in both look and personality. What Roger gets in a lady, so does Pongo. As luck would have it, along comes the lovely pair. In appearance only. What Pongo does not realize until it's too late is that this apparent perfect pair is not so perfect on the inside. They come with a lot of baggage. 

Pongo drags Roger outside to meet them. This is where things get interesting. It’s their first look into the ladies’ conduct and, by extension, their psychology. Whether this afternoon is typical or atypical for them is unknown. Perhaps, Anita was looking for a change in her routine and found the park just as Pongo was looking in their direction. Perhaps, Anita would escape to that park every day with her beloved Dalmatian to get some quiet and read her book. It’s a common act of escapism for victims of toxic people. 

Take a guess from whom Anita is escaping at the quiet park. The need for peace and quiet would explain Anita’s annoyed first impression of Roger and his renegade dog. As eager as Pongo is for a perfect first impression, he fails miserably at it. Anita looks at the pair and sees Roger for who he is: an unkempt slob with an undisciplined dog. Pongo’s playful nature contrasts with Perdita’s blind obedience. They’re very different people with very different parenting techniques. It’s no wonder Anita tries to walk away. 

However, Roger’s selflessness saves the day. He offers her his jacket and handkerchief without question, which appeals to Anita. If she is as well off and stuck up as she initially appears to be, she wouldn’t have a sense of humor about the whole clumsy situation. So, it begs the question. What changed? What about Roger’s simple act of kindness appeals to Anita enough to elope with a man she barely knows?

Knowing the toxic influence in her life and nothing about her family, an argument can be made that she chooses Roger for the same reason she was out for a walk that day. Not exactly husband shopping, but all she wants is a peaceful break from the chaos in her life. Specifically with the chaos of Cruella who proves that she is entitled and lacks any sense of boundaries, while Roger is anything but. He is kind, selfless, creative, hard-working, and chivalrous. His goodness shines to her because of the void in her best friend where goodness should be.

Where Anita sees the goodness, so does her like-minded dalmatian. Perdita comes to deeply love Pongo, but more importantly, she relies on him for protection. Perdita know in her heart of hearts what her peace-keeping human denies. Cruella is a threat to animals. Her cruelty no doubt originates with Anita’s defenseless dog. No doubt, Perdita seeks all much solace in the park as Anita. Only for her, she seeks solace from real danger. Hence, the difference in their reaction to the men. While Anita becomes annoyed, Perdita is intrigued. I’m sure Pongo is a good-looking stud, but she also sees a strong fellow dalmatian who can protect her from the imminent danger in Anita’s old friend. 

What a horrible life to live: to wake up every day wondering if a shameless animal killer would be barging through the door determined to have her skin. Imagine the fear. Imagine the terror. She lives with it every day. Then, along come two kind men. With them comes relief from that fear. While Roger and Pongo are unable to keep her at bay, they are more than capable of sensing the dark cloud hoovering above their wives. Neither one of them is prepared to tolerate it. Pongo does everything in his power to protect his family. More than that. He listens to her. He believes her words. He validates her feelings. He stays by her side while she struggles with her depression.

The time comes for Roger to step in when Cruella barges into their home for a second time. So determined to buy the Dalmatian couple’s newborn children, it’s hard for anyone to deny her motive in the later kidnapping. Roger stands up to her. He tells a narcissist “No”, and it goes as well as any related confrontation with a narcissist. She flies into a rage and makes a very clear threat. “You’ll be sorry… I’ll get even.” 

Narcissistic rage is never easy to endure, which is why Anita is such a well-trained peacekeeper. It’s also why Roger is inclined to retreat during her first visit and stammers while confronting her after the puppies are born. She’s a frightening woman and does not accept defeat well. Especially when she realizes she’s lost control of a lifelong victim. So, she resorts to sneaky, criminal behavior. The puppies are kidnapped, the final fifteen of an extensive collection of fur babies. Given her ruthless determination, she probably succeeds in hunting down every last dalmatian puppy in London.

This film is no mystery in genre. Everyone knows that Cruella is the culprit behind the kidnapping. She’s simply guilty, but how can they prove it without identifying her accomplices? Sadly, in the human world (even today), justice rarely prevails against people with money and power. They remain free to prey on and bully the less fortunate. That’s exactly what happens with Cruella. She is immediately cleared by Scotland Yard after a flimsy investigation. Yet, Roger, Pongo, and Perdita remain suspicious. As well they should.

Alas, the dogs must take matters into their own hands… paws. Pongo, the optimistic and outside-the-box thinker, compliments his wife’s insight and discipline. She sees Cruella’s narcissism and follows her instincts to avoid her. When avoidance is no longer possible and Perdita is on the verge of giving into depression again, Pongo takes charge as the idea-man, and she follows. Together, they rush to save the puppies. Side by side. 

The investigation they conduct in the midst of their rescue leads them down a deep rabbit hole of a downright sociopathic conspiracy. Cruella’s plan to make Dalmatians into a fur coat rings true, but that’s not the scariest part about it. Look carefully enough, and we can see how premeditated her devious plan really is. The puppies describe the stolen fifteen as “the little ones” indicating they are much younger than the other 84. How long had she been collecting? Long before Pongo and Perdita’s puppies are born. Let’s go farther back and say that the plan begins brewing the moment Cruella lays eyes on Perdita. She wants to wear her best friend’s dog.

Pongo’s not the only one who thinks of her as “the most beautiful creature on four legs”. 

Deep down, Perdita knows. She can sense the danger. Dogs are notorious for that sixth sense after all. That’s why she lives her life in fear of the ugly, old hag. Who better to play the hero of the story than a fellow victim? She validates the children. She believes their story because she’s already lived it. It motivates the mother to protect all 99 puppies and lead them home. Refusing to let a single one fall behind. All with Pongo by her side. His validation inspires her validation. If that’s not a partnership, I don’t know what is.

In the end, what seems to be a glaring plot hole or a serious character flaw comes to make a heap of sense. Love at first sight does not exist. However, chivalry, kindness, and friendship do. Above all, escapism is a necessity for a desperate victim to survive narcissistic abuse. However, action is what we need to conquer it. The more people we must support us, the more we are to succeed.