Walt Disney Studios’ most
recent release into the “Disney princess” subgenre of their fairy tale animated
movies, Moana, effectively and
powerfully motivates and, ideally, teaches the audience a valuable lesson about
xenophobia and ethnocentrism. The movie revolves around a young woman, Moana,
who is the daughter of her island’s chief. As the soon-to-be chief of Motonui,
her island, Moana is constantly being trained and taught how to effectively
rule as a chieftain. The lack of romantic male figure or potential “prince
charming” trope sets this movie apart from previous Disney installments, in
that this story encourages the independence of women. Without a male to lead
Moana, she stays alone; she does so efficiently. As the story progresses, Moana
sets out to right the wrongs of a demi-god named Maui. This divine male,
although powerful and intimidating, is utterly hopeless. The eventual quest is
ultimately completed due to Moana’s fierce and instructive leadership, further
proving a woman’s ability to stand and live independently of men.
Before she can begin the aforementioned quest,
however, Moana must escape her island. In a classic Disney fashion, Moana
yearns to follow her heart, and, after much singing with incredible lyrics from
Linn Manuel-Miranda, Moana escapes the xenophobic and ethnocentric tendencies
of her father, the chief. Perhaps this obvious disdain of ethnocentrism in
favor of exploring the world is meant as a knock against the recent rise of
right-winged nationalism within the world political spectrum? If so, the movie
does a decent job of condemning those thoughts. The end of the movie sees
Moana’s father embracing life outside of the island and accepting the larger
world around him.
Once Moana does leave the island, she escorts Maui to
their ultimate destination. Again, she serves to be the support the male needs,
as opposed to the traditional Disney formula of the male supporting the female.
As the plot finds resolution through different takes on the Polynesian pantheon
and interactions with ancestors and spirits, the audience is moved, in part due
to an excellent musical score, through the powerful message of the film. This
movie, in traditional Disney fashion, supports the idea of following one’s
heart and pursuing their goals and dreams, but Moana seems to take it deeper
than this. The film appears to promote the idea that, when people conquer their
fears, as Moana and her father ultimately do, they can achieve that which they
never believed to be possible. Essentially the message is the same, but to some
degree, the way in which they present it is much more powerful and moving.
Although the film does move and teach in ways that previous films do not, the
story itself does have some weaknesses. The execution of the plot and the
transition between scenes can, at times, be either too slow, or so fast that
they appear forced or choppily done. These criticism, however, are small
compared to the strengths given.
Moana, a
modern, more exotic take on the “Disney princess” trope, effectively promotes a
worldview wherein woman are independent and valued beyond their marriagability,
and encourages people to push past their unnecessary prejudices and see the
world for what it is. These two promotions, when coupled with the overarching
thesis of overcoming baseless fears in an effort to achieve greatness, help
cement and solidify Moana as a modern
fairy tale that is redefining the role of women and adventure that Disney films
have promoted for decades.
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