![]() On more than one occasion throughout her relationship with Maui, the demigod refers to Moana as a princess - but, each time, she rebuffs his nickname for her and points out that she is the daughter of a chief, not a princess. But, even in the simple aspect of Moana's role as the chief's daughter being similar to that of a princess, the Mouse House's latest offering differentiates itself. That said, in many ways Moana follows Disney tradition: It sticks to a basic story structure (in this case, one modeled after The Hero's Journey), includes an animal sidekick as comedic relief, and features a wise old woman mentor to the female protagonist in Moana's grandmother Tala, among others. Furthermore, the character herself is even positioned as a princess. Moana's lack of love interest for the movie's titular heroine is not only a step forward for Disney, but film in general. ![]() While romantic love can be an important aspect of any coming-of-age movie, if the main character is female, her arc will almost always either be focused on romantic love or include some form of romance storyline - whether the film is animated or not. Of course, the coming-of-age tale included in Moana is one of the standard arcs found across every kind of media through which stories are told. Perhaps not the journey of a hundred miles across the sea, but the journey of finding herself, and solidifying herself in that. And I think that’s something that everyone can relate to. The main theme, I think, of Moana is the journey that she goes on. Speaking to Screen Rant about Moana, star Auli'i Cravalho pinpointed the universal, non-romantic theme of the film: Rather than add in a romance subplot (one that would likely feel out of place in the film), Disney focused on the personal journey Moana takes. It is an unprecedented alteration in the Disney Princess tradition, and a rarity in Hollywood as a whole. Moana is capable of serving as chief of her village without a romantic partner she's capable of journeying across the sea with a demigod, restoring an ancient goddess's heart, and rescuing her village - all without falling in love. Instead, in what is perhaps a more powerful depiction of a dynamic female character, Moana simply presents the protagonist as a capable and fully-formed person without a romantic interest. ![]() Along the way, Moana forms a friendship with Maui and gains an understanding not only of what she's capable of, but who she truly is. But, when a darkness begins to consume her island, Moana goes on a journey to free the demigod Maui, retrieve his magical hook, and restore the heart of the ancient goddess Te Fiti. Rather, the latest Disney movie tells the story of Moana Waialiki, the daughter of a chief who is raised to take over leadership of their village on the Oceanic island of Motunui. However, Moana doesn't feature any sort of romantic arc for the film's titular character. ![]() That said, even Frozen includes a fairytale romance of sorts between Anna and Kristoff, who wind up together in the end. Instead, the true love in the film is the familial bond between Anna and Elsa - established when Elsa saves her sister from the dangerous effects of her magic. Prior to Moana's release this fall, Frozen was perhaps the film to most subvert the Disney Princess tradition since the movie took its archetypal prince character, Hans, and revealed him to be the villain. Mulan does fall in love with Li Shang, and Merida is motivated in Brave by her desire not to be married off to the heir of an allied clan. But while both movie seemed to buck many characteristics of the Disney Princess archetype, they did contain elements of romantic love and marriage. Ariel of The Little Mermaid changes herself (and makes a deal with a sea-witch) to win over Prince Eric Belle's kindness and empathy in Beauty and the Beast changes the Beast back into a prince Jasmine's hand in marriage drives the main plot of Aladdin Pocahontas' story was changed from history to include a romance with John Smith.Ĭertainly, movies such as Mulan and Brave have somewhat broken the Disney mold in giving their heroines more agency - though the latter is a Pixar release and arrived well after the Disney Renaissance. Although the early princesses - Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty (whose name is actually Aurora) - especially embody this archetype, the films of the Disney Renaissance included many of these same tropes.
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