Summary
Moana – A Sea of Adventures (2016) tells the story of a young woman who embarks on a journey to save her people and along the way meets the demigod Maui. One theory about the film suggests that Moana dies early in the story and the film has a darker tone than expected.
‘Moana – A Sea of Adventure’ (2016): theory says that protagonist was dead all along
Photo: Walt Disney Pictures/Disclosure
‘Moana – A Sea of Adventures’ There is already a sequel announced and planned for this year, but a theory about the first film, from 2016, still haunts many fans of Disney princess films. Is the story darker than imagined and Was Moana dead the whole time?
This is what a theory that disturbs many fans of the character preaches. In the film’s story, Moana is a young girl who goes on a mission to save her people. During her journey, she meets the once-powerful demigod Maui, who guides her on her quest to become a master pathfinder. Together, they sail across the ocean on an incredible journey that touches on maturity and the power of love and friendship. But all of this could have happened with the girl already dead.
Well, at least that’s what a theory circulating on Reddit believes. According to the hypothesis, Moana would have died during the storm that occurs at the beginning of the film, and that is the only reason she is able to see the demigod Maui.
Why could Moana be dead?
According to the theory, Moana drowns during the big storm at the beginning of the film, and all we see after that is her in the afterlife. The hypothesis is reinforced by the fact that she only interacts with gods and mythical creatures throughout most of the rest of the story.
The authors of the theory believe that Moana dies to find Maui, arguing that only then would she have access to the underworld in order to complete her mission.
When dealing with the storm, Moana turns to the ocean for help. After a flash and a bolt of lightning, everything is dark for a while, and the next scene is with Moana on the island of Maui. The theory suggests that this is when Moana enters the underworld.
It is worth noting that several Polynesian and Pacific island mythologies, where the story is set, refer to the world of the dead as a kind of island inhabited by spirits and entities. This is something that corroborates the hypothesis raised.
From then on, Moana no longer sees any other humans, only gods, demigods and mythical creatures. Furthermore, she also talks to her grandmother’s spirit, an interaction that was not possible before the storm.
Under the hypothesis, Maui would be a kind of guardian angel for the girl, in charge of taking her to Te Fiti, a goddess with the power to create life. Another piece of evidence that supports the theory is that, according to Maui himself, a human like Moana should not be able to enter Lalotai, the Kingdom of Monsters, as easily as she does.
The fact that Moana is dead could explain why she didn’t have any difficulties entering the place and didn’t have any injuries or bruises during her adventures.
How does Moana come back to life?
When Te Fiti’s heart is restored, the goddess repairs Moana’s boat so she can complete the journey home.
The theory is that Te Fiti is so happy with the help he receives that he also decides to bring the girl back to life, without her knowing she was dead, so she can return to her island.
At this moment, one detail matters: Maui says that “even the chicken lives”. This may suggest that Te Fiti, in addition to resurrecting Moana, did the same with HeiHei.
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But did he really die?
Although the theory is interesting, it is not supported by everyone. Many scholars and film enthusiasts interpret the moment of the storm differently.
For many, the storm would be a kind of metaphor for Moana’s life, representing the turbulence and expectations facing her, in addition to the excess of emotions and doubts that fall on the girl. The symbolism would represent a crossroads in her own journey of maturity, preparing her for what she would need to face next.
Want to draw your own conclusions? ‘Moana – A Sea of Adventures’ is available on Disney+.
Source: Redação Entre Telas
