The analysis shows that Moana is portrayed as a character who possesses both masculine and feminine traits; the masculine traits, however, are more dominant that the feminine ones. This indicates that the film tends to go against gender stereotyping by portraying a complexity of traits within the main character.
intriguing films, such as Snow White, Aladdin, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Tangled, Disney Princess movies portray stereotypical representation of gender roles through the denigration of the female image, targeting and ruining the perception of youth today.
The central Dramatic Argument of Moana revolves around the two Elements of Free and Control, with Moana taking on Free and Maui assuming the polar opposite motivation of Control.
She is breaking her family's expectations and following what she feels is right. Moana is a fierce independent woman and an example of the cultural feminist perspective. She is showing the world that she can be an independent strong woman who is capable of writing her own story without the help of a man.
Critics have noted that this depiction of Maui "perpetuates offensive images of Polynesians as overweight." As my Native Hawaiian friend Trisha Kehaulani Watson-Sproat says, “Our men are better, more beautiful, stronger and more confident.
The Roles of Leading Female Characters in ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘Moana’
Is there anything inappropriate in Moana?
Moana isn't suitable for children under the age of 8 years. We recommend parental guidance for children aged up to 10 years because of the movie's violent and scary scenes. The main messages from this movie are to follow your dreams and be true to yourself.
On December 20, Netflix removed Moana to make room for a new lineup of films for Christmas and New Year's Eve. While Moana is no longer available on Netflix, you are still able to enjoy the movie over the holidays. Amazon Prime offers Moana for purchase, and iTunes offers both a rental and a purchase option.
Pocahontas is sometimes forgotten amidst the newer Disney characters, but she was one of the first female leads to fight for what she believes is right. Reddit users have brought up the important role she played in maintaining peace in her tribe.
The main focus of spiritual devotion in Moana is the islanders, and particularly Moana's, faith in Te Fiti. This island goddess is the highest being, and even another god, Maui bows to her. This strengthens the fact that life revolves around nature, and faith in nature roots the spirit.
“Moana actually died in the storm at the beginning of the movie. Maui is her guardian angel, who was tasked to take her to 'Te Fiti', which stands for heaven in the movie. “The whole movie was about her journey to the afterlife.”
Disney suffered an early embarrassment when it decided to sell costumes of Maui, which featured brown shirts and long pants with full-body tattoos. Disney put the costumes in stores in time for Halloween, but quickly pulled them after critics compared them to blackface.
Moana disagrees with Maui's views, telling him that the gods saw someone worthy of being saved the day his parents abandoned him. And although they granted him the fish hook, Maui became a hero because of his own selflessness and bravery, not because of the gods.
Belle from Beauty and the Beast is also another sexism example. The movie portrays Belle as being stuck in an abusive relationship. Instead of leaving the beast, Belle gives up being with her family to live in isolation being yelled, only hoping for the beast to change into a nicer and better person.
Strange World, which was released on November 23, 2022, features Ethan Clade, who is the first gay lead character in a Disney animated film. Ethan Clade is voiced by gay comedian Jaboukie Young-White.
In sum, girls and women were still less likely than boys and men to be the lead/co lead across the 100 top performing fictional films in 2022. This gap only widened, when we considered women protagonists 45 years of age or older. Discrimination in top films is not limited to gender, however.
In fact, “moana” is the Polynesian word for ocean, emphasizing her destiny as a voyager. The sea is the source of all life and thus a feminine power, with Moana cast as goddess in training. As for the heart, green is the color of immaturity and growth, the fertility and health of the land.
Knowing Moana had to save the island from destruction, Tala gave Moana the Heart of Te Fiti so she could give it back to the ocean. Tala knew the only thing keeping her alive for so long was the Heart of Te Fiti and without it, she would perish.
Maui (/maʊwiː/) is a fictional character from the animated film Moana. Created by directors Ron Clements and John Musker and voiced by Dwayne Johnson, Maui is loosely based on Māui from Hawaiian mythology.
Ariel appears as an adult in Return to the Sea and gives birth to a daughter named Melody, becoming the first, and currently, only, Disney princess to become a mother.
Disney retitled Moana in different countries, with most European countries using Vaiana. This change was reflected in the movie too, as Moana's name was changed to Vaiana due to copyright issues.
Earlier drafts of Moana actually did feature Pua setting out on the adventure but screenwriter Jared Bush (Zootopia) felt it would be more stressful if Moana's best friend and source of comfort didn't come along. This made her journey more powerful when she succeeded.
The reasons behind the change of name are not completely clear, but a tweet from Disney España gives an important clue: 'Moana' is registered as a trademark in Spain, and in a number of other European countries, hence the change to Vaiana in Europe.
