Moana
If I go, there’s just no telling how far I’ll go.
In 1989, Disney released The Little Mermaid, following Ariel, a girl who, to King Triton's dismay, longed to leave the safety of the sea and explore life on land. 27 years later, Moana premiered, following the Polynesian daughter of chief Tui, who wanted nothing more than to leave life on land and explore the ocean. In many ways, the films feel like they parallel each other down to their disapproving fathers, whom the main characters inevitably disobey. In both cases, one character is longing for worlds unknown, while the other is fearing worlds unknown and the potential danger that comes with leaving our comfort zones.
Like Ariel, Moana is an adventurous character who can't turn off the calling in her heart, telling her she needs to leave her island of Motunui to see what else is out there. She finally gets the opportunity when she's chosen to return Te Fiti's heart to her in order to heal the island of blight. Moana came in the post-Frozen success era when Disney strayed from the love stories that once defined their brand and moved toward stories of female heroes who longed for other forms of fulfillment.
Moana was a massive success, and just recently, in celebration of 100 years of Disney, Epcot at Disneyworld opened a new Moana attraction called Journey of Water. The walkthrough attraction features interactive water features, a giant replica of Moana's goddess of nature, Te Fiti, and a large pond that Te Fiti watches over. The emphasis on water in the attraction makes perfect sense, as the ocean is not only a large part of the plot of Moana but also acts as a character itself, guiding Moana on her journey to save Motunui and find herself.
The Ocean
Moana has been a favorite among those who love the ocean because, at its core, the Disney film is a story about the power and mystery of the ocean. According to the National Geographic Society, more than 80% of the ocean hasn't been mapped, explored, or seen by humans. This justifies why Moana's father, Tui, is so against her going out to sea. Another reason is he had his own terrifying adventure when he was younger, and he doesn't want the same to happen to Moana. However, Tui soon learns he doesn't have a choice but to set his daughter free, as the ocean is the one who chose Moana to return Te Fiti's heart to her.
“In the beginning, there was only ocean,”-Tala, Moana.
In real life, the ocean is as intriguing as it is to Moana in the film. I love going to the beach, standing by the shore, and looking out at the horizon because it looks so big and powerful, but simultaneously, I always feel a connection to it, and it makes me feel bigger, more powerful, and free. I find the ocean so fascinating because it's just water, but it seems to have a mind of its own, and it's one of the few things humans have not been able to conquer. It reminds me of scenarios like Titanic, where these wealthy investors thought they could sail a ship through the ocean at lightning speed, ignoring the field of icebergs just to make a headline. They thought the ship was unsinkable, but once again, the ocean proved its power. Now, Titanic lies at the bottom of the ocean, where it will never escape the sea.
In Moana, she and her grandmother have a connection to the ocean that the other people on the island don't seem to have. While chief Tui fears the ocean, Moana's grandmother Tala dances with it. Tala even has a manta ray tattoo on her back, which she shows off as she dances with the manta rays in the water. When she passes away, she comes back as a manta ray and guides Moana through the sea.
“The past shouldn't be feared, for it guides our future,” -Moana, Moana.
The difference between Moana and Tala and those who fear or try to conquer the ocean is that the Moana characters have a deep appreciation and respect for it. To them, the ocean is like a god, but not something they worship, something they are deeply connected with, almost as if they are one with the sea. In one scene, Moana tries to sail the ocean before she's ready, and she nearly dies. She's knocked over by the waves, and as she gets pulled down to the bottom of the ocean, her foot gets stuck in a piece of coral. Luckily, she's able to break free, but the experience seems to humble Moana. It doesn't stop her from sailing the ocean later in the film, but it reminds her that she still has so much to learn.
One day, I'll Know How Far I'll Go
"How Far I'll Go" is my favorite song from the entire Moana soundtrack. Like the Disney princesses that came before her, Moana gets her "Want Song" with "How Far I'll Go," and like the other films, this is her opportunity to sing about what she's longing for despite everyone who is trying to hold her back. The song was written by Lin Manuel Miranda, who has become something of a modern-day Howard Ashman for Disney. While he's best known for Broadway's Hamilton, he's done a lot of work with Disney, including penning the song every parent is tired of hearing, "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from Disney's 2021 film Encanto.
“If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me, one day I’ll know how far I’ll go,”- “How Far I’ll Go,” Moana.
Moana's "I Want" song chronicles her desire to go out and explore the sea and the responsibility she feels to stay on the island. In the second verse, Moana sings about everyone else on the island seeming happy there and that maybe she could force herself to be happy there, too. However, she soon remembers how much she longs to sail away and questions if there's something wrong with her. My favorite lyric from the song is, "It seems like it's calling out to me, so come find me." It gives me chills every time and takes me back to the Disneyworld Happily Ever After fireworks when this line plays as scenes from Moana are projected onto the castle in Magic Kingdom.
I also love that Moana includes a "How Far I'll Go Reprise" when Moana is finally allowed to go out to sea in order to save the island. She once again mentions this calling she feels, except this time, she releases her inhibitions and allows herself to set sail on her adventure. Later, Moana sings "I Am Moana," which calls back to "How Far I'll Go" once again. Moana sings, "It calls me" before a big revelation, "the call isn't out there at all. It's inside me." I love the way the lyrics parallel each other as Moana realizes nothing has ever been outside of her. Everything she needed was within her the whole time.
The Culture of Moana
Moana has received a lot of praise for its representation of Polynesian culture. When Moana meets the demigod Maui, his body is covered in tattoos that are based on real Polynesian culture tattoos. Also, Te Fiti, the goddess of nature, when lying down and appearing as a mountain, shares a striking resemblance to the real island of Tahiti. There's also a lot of Polynesian mythology sprinkled throughout Moana.
In Moana, Maui is the trickster demigod who stole Te Fiti's heart to give humanity the power of creation. He was then attacked by the Te Kā, a volcanic demon, who is later revealed to be Te Fiti. However, in real life, there are various tellings of the myths of Maui in Polynesian culture. Some things he's been excused of are stealing fire from the underworld for humans to use and capturing the sun to lengthen the days. He is also credited with creating Hawaii by using his magic hook to pull the islands up from under the ocean. However, the Disney film put a comical twist on the hero and even made it easier to sympathize with him for what he did to Te Fiti by creating a story in which he was abandoned by his parents as a child.
“Sometimes our strengths lie beneath the surface … Far beneath, in some cases,”-Moana, Moana.
At the end of Moana, she's able to return Te Fiti's heart to her, curing the island, and when she returns home a hero, everyone is enthusiastic about returning to sea and no longer being stranded on land out of fear. With Te Fiti back in her natural form, it is once again safe to be in the ocean. In typical Disney fashion, Moana has her happily ever after and is no longer constrained by her parents' rules.