Throughout the course, I have discovered that I love the Disney movies that I do because of the music. The music really makes a film for me. That's one of the reasons why I am so excited for Moana.
This article captured my attention. It essentially details the process of writing the score for Moana. It goes as far back as the music for The Little Mermaid, which was written by successful Broadway composers Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. I believe this is when the music in Disney films really came alive. The songs were no longer slow and dreamy, but actually were lively and continued the plot, like a Broadway musical. The makers of Moana are trying to recreate this renaissance of Disney music by hiring the hottest composer on Broadway, Lin-Manual Miranda. *screams*
Miranda knew there was a challenge in portraying Polynesian culture in a respectful and honest way, and he did not back down. I was impressed to read that the filmmakers did so much research, meeting with academics as well as villagers. One Samoan musician commented, "Put it this way: my ancestors would be happy with this movie."
Isn't that just simply incredible?! Will Moana finally be the Disney movie that portrays cultures of the world in an honest light? As a person who does not know much about the Polynesian Islands, I am excited to learn about them through the film. Although I am sure that the movie will face some degree of criticism, I hope it will be lessened by the fact that the creative team cared so deeply about getting this story right.
I highly recommend listening to this song from the film. It's awesome!
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