Having Patience Is Always Beneficial: Patience is the key to happiness, they say, and nearly the entire film embodies that belief. For example, Moana must find enough patience to learn how to sail, patience in Maui ( Dwayne Johnson ) who doesn't trust her at first, and patience throughout her entire journey.
It's okay to change, and it's okay if part of you stays the same. The overarching message of Moana is, truly, that the worst thing to happen to you doesn't have to define you.
The theory is that there is a barrier between the spiritual, mystical world and the real world, with Maui's island located in the former. In order for Moana to get there (and return the relic stolen from the goddess Te Fiti) she has to die, too.
This movie might inspire children to learn more about Polynesian myths and culture. Additionally, Moana the character is a good role model for girls as she shows leadership skills, strength and independence. Moana isn't suitable for children under the age of 8 years.
At its core, Moana is about a young girl discovering the story of her ancestors and embracing her heritage as an explorer. In many ways, the movie answers the question “Where is Moana from?” by showing Moana all the ways her heritage makes her the person she is.
MOANA Live Action - Official Trailer (2024) Zendaya, Dwayne Johnson | Disney+
What does the ocean symbolize in Moana?
1 - "Let her come to me": Moana commands the ocean to make a way for her and Te Kā to meet. The ocean – and indeed water imagery more broadly – has long held connotative meanings of calm and peace, amid holding wider the symbolic meaning of life itself (see Stokowski, 2009).
Te Fiti, a powerful and benevolent deity in Polynesian mythology, possessed a heart that symbolized the power of creation. According to legend, Te Fiti used her heart to weave the islands of the Pacific Ocean, filling the world with life and beauty.
Moana struggles throughout the film with this central question “Who Am I?” This is a question many of us ask ourselves and when we are distant from the answer, it can fill us with anxiety.
The depiction of Maui the demigod, who helps Moana on her journey, is a heroic figure found throughout much of Polynesia credited with performing a range of feats for the good of humankind. Traditionally, Maui has been depicted as a lithe teenager on the verge of manhood.
The Heart of Te Fiti May Have Been Keeping Tala Alive
Considering the ocean chose Moana when she was a child, someone needed to keep the precious Heart safe. A popular fan theory explains that with the Heart in her possession, Gramma Tala was granted a little more time to live and guide Moana on her quest.
Notice the koru (spiral) symbol intimated in the sand that Moana stands on - a portal perhaps - representing new life, growth, adventure and return. This scene is ripe with symbolism and metaphor - the call to adventure, Moana as the chosen one, the start of a personal journey to paradise, an…
It is the image of women's mysteries, or of journeying to the deep secrets hidden within the self and the world. Pink conch shells are actually a symbol of the woman's sex organs, emphasizing that good-girl Moana will not be tempted by sex but only by the heart.
Native peoples of the Pacific resumed voyaging again a thousand years later. Clements and Musker set the film at that point in time, about two thousand years ago, on a fictional island in the central Pacific Ocean, which drew inspiration from elements of the real-life island nations of Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga.
Moana isn't the first princess not to have a love interest. Princess Merida from Brave also didn't have one. The story was all about her not wanting go through with an arranged marriage and her relationship with her mother, and that movie was AMAZING.
In Hawaiian mythos, Pele is credited with the creation of the Hawaiian islands, so it fits that she would also be Te Fiti, Disney-fied for a broader audience. After all, Pele is less a green, loving goddess, and more a goddess known for power and an even more powerful jealousy.
Moana heads out to sea despite her father's warnings to never cross the protective reef. Moana struggles to learn sailing and getting past her home reef. This is foreshadowing to her learning the path of wayfinding. Once Moana proves success in her travels, her people begin traveling once again.
A millennium later, Moana, daughter of Motunui's chief Tui, is chosen by the ocean to return the heart to Te Fiti. However, Tui arrives and takes Moana away, causing her to lose the heart. Tui and Moana's mother, Sina, try to keep her away from the ocean to prepare her for ascension as the island's chief.
Why didn t the ocean take the heart back to Te Fiti?
Why didn't the ocean just take the heart back to Te Fiti itself? Because the ocean doesn't know where Te Fiti is. That island, the source of creation, can only be found by a god. It needs Maui to be there in order to find the island to even get the heart back.
Te Fiti's heart, a small pounamu stone, possessed the power to create life and raise islands. But it also attracted monsters who tried to steal it for its creative power. It was stolen by the demigod Maui, who planned to give it to humanity as a gift. After he stole it, the island was enveloped in darkness.
Moana tattoos are more than just ink on skin; they are a reflection of the rich cultural heritage of the Maui people. They represent a sense of belonging and pride, connecting individuals to their roots and allowing them to carry their history with them wherever they go.
5) In the film's novelization, Moana's age is given as 16. This makes her the only Disney princess to be voiced by an actress younger than herself. Moana was released on Cravalho's 16th birthday.
The Conch has been used in celebrations since ancient times and still carries sacred meaning in Hawaiian culture today. During the era of Kings, The Kahu would blow the conch to announce the arrival on island of a royal canoe or at the begin of any significant ceremony.
