"Frozen" (2013) is a film primarily about isolation and the freedom that comes with embracing the wide breadth of human emotion. It's about loneliness, it's about connection, and it's about self-love against circumstances that force self-hate. It is an extremely important and cathartic message for many, especially those (like me) that can relate to a little piece of each character, each of whom deals with their own flavor of loneliness and self-expression.
Though Hans is not the primary focus of the film and is the villain, he is still extremely important in the grand scheme of the plot and motifs. He exemplifies the worst outcome of emotional isolation. He is a "mirror" of Anna and Elsa (which one he is more reminiscent of is up to interpretation, but he reflects both of them significantly), providing a fascinating glimpse into the idea that not every family is loving, not everyone has somewhere to turn eventually, and not everyone chooses to get better.

Set the Scene

Hans Westergaard is the 13th prince of the Southern Isles, a small island kingdom near Arendelle. Growing up with 12 older brothers and his parents, the tyrannical king and absent queen, his childhood was exceptionally lonely and harsh. In a family that values power above all, Hans was, by default, a pariah. He was never destined to rule, and spent all his childhood proving his very existence. His unlucky 13th rank already put him at a disadvantage, and he did anything -- absolutely anything, nothing off limits -- he could to please the people who were supposed to love him but never would. Instead of turning against his family, he internalized these ideas about power and that it should be pursued at all costs. When he heard about the tragedy that befell Arendelle's king and queen, he saw an opportunity to seize the power he dreamed of, and finally have a chance to escape the endless abuse at his family's hands. Over the next 3 years, he kept his father's favor to be a representative of the Southern Isles at the coronation of Arendelle's new queen -- which would take place once she came of age -- committing crimes of varying severity on the king's behalf. The experience, even more pointedly than his entire life's suffering, hardened him into the criminal he would become.

Play the Part

There's a Future for You