#mirabel analysis

[jacarandaaaas]

Mirabel Madrigal: A Character Analysis

Today I’m here to discuss all the attributes that make Mirabel Madrigal such a fantastical and magical character despite not having any magic herself. it’s all in her charm! I truly believe that Mirabel is one of the best protagonists! Shes such an endearing, sensitive, and strong character so I’m here to offer her some appreciation.

Right from the beginning of the story, one of the first things we learn about our protagonist is her mantra “make your family proud”. This phrase is Mirabel's driving motivation for the entire film and from what we can assume, her entire life. Mirabel makes it no secret that she is family orientated and she is full of pride for them, wanting to be like them and live up to the madrigal name. She introduces us to her family in a fun song praising each member. To her they are a “perfect constellation”. They are always her number one priority throughout the story as we see how she supports her sisters and encourages them to be themselves. One moment I feel truly highlights her love for her family is at the climax of the movie, whilst she consistently has shown what lengths she's willing to go to for her family this moment stood out the most to me. After her intense argument with alma casita starts to fall apart, at this moment everyone is yelling at mirabel to get out of the collapsing house but mirabel isnt thinking about herself. She's thinking about her family and getting the candle for them. What really stands out to me is Mirabel was willing to sacrifice her own life for her family, an eerie parallel to what Pedro did for them all those years ago.

Something that we learn about Mirabel immediately is that she's a go-getter, she's determined and persistent. What we also come to realize is that sometimes Mirabel doesn't realize when she's being overly persistent to the point of coming off as pushy to others. Both Julieta and Isabela point out that Mirabel has a tendency to “over do it”. We see how she wants to be useful in any way and she's taken up a variety of hobbies to prove this. Mirabel's incredibly creative doing everything from embroidery and sewing to playing the accordion. It's no secret she's talented but she always feels like she needs to do more. Upon overhearing Alma talking about the cracks Mirabel decides in that moment “I will save the miracle”. Instead of rushing in without a plan Mirabel knows Dolores would have intel due to her gift therefore she would know the most about the magic. It's also important to note that Mirabel decides to save the miracle before she even knows anything about the prophecy, she took it upon herself to do that! At breakfast when trying to get information from Dolores Mirabel decides to try complimenting her into it, showing early on how unintentionally pushy she can be. After breakfast she's no better, Mirabel is so determined to get answers that even when Luisa is working, she's pestering her. Mirabel is so overly focused on her mission that she can’t see Luisa gradually becoming more frustrated. “Luisa will you just tell me what it is!”, she’s frustrated that Luisa isn't giving her any information but she also seems hurt that Luisa doesn't trust her enough to tell her. Showing how Mirabel desperately wants a better relationship with her sisters.

Mirabel is so persistent in getting information about the magic that she causes luisa to snap at her. When climbing Bruno's tower Mirabel perseveres, as she forces herself up an unusually long flight of stairs and is exhausted by the end of it. Yet Mirabel persists because “I need to do this, for you for abuela”. She's so determined in fact to find this vision that she almost dies, twice. Mirabel doesn't care about the risks, she's aware of them but it doesn't deter her. She's willing to look at the situation about Bruno from a different angle than everyone else, questioning “what if you didn't understand what he saw?”. Mirabel's entire verse in “we don't talk about bruno” is just her pressing for the truth, she wants the whole story not just one perspective and she's driven to discover it. We've already established by now that Mirabel's persistence can be dangerous and this holds true once again as she chases Bruno through the walls and almost falls into a chasm, in pursuit of answers. Bruno tries to leave but she still pursues him, no way she's leaving without an answer or multiple answers to her many questions, she also cleverly pieces together here that it was actually Bruno who's been patching the cracks all along.

Pushy Mirabel is back in full force when she gets the idea for Bruno to have another vision to which he’s not enthusiastic about and tells her no. But Mirabel’s no quitter and her sole focus in the moment is her mission, to save the miracle. So when Bruno tells her he doesn't do visions anymore, Mirabel casually replies “but ya could!”, another instance of her being too focused on her goal that she doesn't take into consideration how Bruno would feel about this. She has no bad intentions and like with Luisa earlier Mirabel is unaware how she sounds. She tells Bruno “our family needs help and you need to get outta here” and as she realizes how broken the family truly is, she's more determined than ever to help them. Even when bruno tries to give up during the vision Mirabel encourages him to keep going to find another perspective “something we’re not seeing?” she ends up inspiring Bruno with this viewpoint. Before she goes to confront Isabela Mirabel tells Bruno “after I save the miracle I’m bringing you home” showing how that's now become part of her mission. As Isabela reveals a massive secret Mirabel instead keeps pressing for that hug she assumes will solve all their problems, once again she's so focused on her mission she isn't paying attention to Isabela’s revelation. Mirabel's determination and persistence is admirable but it's also a character flaw for her as we see she often takes it too far unintentionally.

One of Mirabel's most noticeable traits is her optimistic outlook. She's full of energy as she dances through the town singing about her family and whilst we know she's insecure, her enthusiasm towards her family and home is completely genuine. Mirabel is a true extrovert as we see how much she loves interacting with her community and wanting to help in any way she can. We see how she's always trying to see the bright side. Mirabel is optimistic and bright but even she has her limits and can't be optimistic all the time, as her song tells us she's truly not fine. However despite all her pain she still chooses to be optimistic, to be loving and to be hopeful.

Arguably the two scenes I believe emphasize her optimistic nature the most are when she helps Bruno through the vision and the final song of the movie. During the vision Bruno is deflated, he doesn't believe in the idea and Mirabel simply offers him some words of encouragement “you can do this”, she's already showing Bruno that she has faith in him, something Bruno isn't used to. When he fails to see anything other than what was shown in his last vision Mirabel begs him to keep trying, she's always looking for a brightside and she ends up finding it. As for the final scene, when returning from the river Casita is still a pile of rubble in front of them, Mirabel however sees this as an opportunity. To rebuild casita with better, stronger foundations and a chance for the family to build stronger foundations too, “look at this home we need a new foundation”. Mirabel really grows into herself as she leads the rebuilding efforts with her persistence and optimism, inspiring the whole family to view things from a different perspective.

An underrated trait for Mirabel is her humor. No seriously she's hilarious! humor is shown continuously to be one of her coping mechanisms along with her optimism. Whilst she is funny Mirabel is also incredibly snarky particularly towards her older sister Isabela, she can come off as slightly judgemental at times, very teenage of her. Her jealousy peeks through during the opening song, but towards the end of it when she runs into Mariano she not so subtly disses Isabela (as Isabela is walking by) “between you and me she's kinda a primadonna”. Unlike the better disguised insults at the beginning mirabel is not even trying to hide her disdain towards isabela this time. This continues directly after the song as she goes back to casita, Isabela gracefully descends on her vines and Mirabel’s expression is hilariously unimpressed. When Isabela notices her she tells her to stop trying so hard, we see Mirabel actually seems upset by that comment but as soon as Isabela looks back at her she masks that sadness as she bites back “actually Isa this is called helping and i'm not in the way you are”. We also see her mock Isabela as previously mentioned, unable to hide her disdain towards her. Mirabel's humor as a coping mechanism is emphasized when she's climbing Bruno's tower, giving us a half assed reprise of “the family madrigal” and of course one of her most iconic lines “BRUNO YOUR ROOM IS THE WORST!!”. Mirabel is also incredibly petty, my favorite example of this is not only her rolling her eyes during Isabela’s solo verse of “we don't talk about bruno” but also how Isabela tells her during that “hey sis I want not a sound out of you” and Mirabel who was silent until this point starts singing immediately out of spite.

She's also slightly judgemental when she first encounters resident wall man Bruno Madrigal. She's weirded out by him and her face does not hide this, “how long have you been back here?” with that concerned tone also didn't help her case. Although in this case who could blame her for that reaction? It's not everyday you find your estranged uncle in the walls of your house. Mirabel is not thrilled when the vision reveals she has to hug Isabela, so much so that she begins ranting about how she hates her and gives us a line nothing short of pure gold. “She's the one with flowers coming outta her-'' Bruno had to remind her to keep it pg! Even when mirabel is meant to apologize to Isa she can’t resist making a snarky comment about her older sister “I’m sorry that your life is soooo great!” this ends up spawning an argument between the two in which Mirabel unceremoniously yells out “some of us have bigger problems YOU SELFISH ENTITLED PRINCESS!” which is quite a humorous moment but also really shows Mirabel’s jealousy towards Isabela. As Isabela admits a very huge secret Mirabel’s reaction is one of complete sarcasm “that is a very serious confession” despite empathy being Mirabel’s strongest trait somehow her hatred for isabela overpowers it.

Mirabel as a person is incredibly selfless, this is both good and bad in her case. Whilst caring about others so much is admirable like how mentioned previously Mirabel can go too far, putting her life on the line multiple times! In one movie! One of the first examples of her selflessness is shown during Antonios gift ceremony. Antonio is incredibly nervous and calls out to her saying “I need you”, it's already a hard night for mirabel in general as people have been reminding her “last gift ceremony was a bummer”. However despite already finding it hard she knows Antonio needs her and she walks him to his door taking a deep breath, pushing through her own traumatic memories to support her favorite cousin. This scene is incredibly admirable to me as it takes a lot of courage to force yourself to relive the worst night of your life for the sake of supporting someone else. Here it's an example of mirabels selflessness being a positive trait and not a dangerous one.

Hey you know what's a great combination with being selfless? Being reckless!! Unfortunately for mirabel we can also add stubborn to the mix. Which makes for an ultra combination of self sacrificing nature and putting her life in danger! Brunos room is a scene that truly highlights these traits, especially recklessness. Mirabel throws herself across a giant chasm using rope from the fencing around her and whilst her resourcefulness is impressive it's still incredibly risky. Which ties into her selflessness! Mirabel has very little regard for her own safety and is willing to die in that vision cave if it means she helps the family. Almost suffocating to death in sand just while trying to get the vision shards. Mirabel also throws herself across a chasm twice, the second time isn't as dangerous but initially it looks very dangerous. Mirabel knows it's dangerous and still recklessly persists. Once again revealing how little regard she has for her own safety.

Arguably the biggest case of Mirabel's selflessness is when she tries to save the candle as the house is crumbling around her. This was also her most reckless act of the whole movie as she ignores everyone yelling at her to save herself, she covers the candle and not her head when the debris is crashing down on her. Really highlighting just how little she cares about what happened to her in that moment, valuing a candle over her own life. As selfless as Mirabel is, there are also times she like anyone else, can be selfish. Mirabel herself is aware of this as she says to herself, “for you, for abuela… maybe a little for me” she sounds almost embarrassed by the fact part of her motivation for saving the miracle is proving herself, even if it's only a tiny part. Other moments she can come off as selfish is when she's pestering Luisa about the magic and being dismissive, as well as when she dismisses Isabelas revelation in favor of getting a miracle saving hug. Whilst technically Mirabel isn't being selfish here as she's doing everything for saving the miracle, to others she seems selfish. Another trait Mirabel has is stubbornness and this is really highlighted when Isabela is around. Possibly Mirabel's most stubborn moment of the entire movie, is when Isabela asks her to apologize. Even though Mirabel knows that doing this will help her save the miracle she can't bring herself to give a sincere apology.

I think something that is less talked about than it should be is Mirabel's guilt and tendency to blame herself. A scene that I feel truly highlights her guilt is when Bruno tells her that he left to protect her. Mirabels responds to this saying “you left to protect me?” and she almost sounds in disbelief at this realization. The look on her face here is also one of deep concern, whilst she appreciates that he would sacrifice so much for it also reinforces a thought that had always been on her mind. That she was the cause of all this, that Bruno left due to her own failure, whilst we know this is untrue I strongly feel Mirabel believes this. After all, Bruno did disappear the same night as her gift ceremony. She feels guilty that Bruno left because of her even if he tells her it was for good reason.

A smaller example of Mirabels tendency to blame herself is when she tells Bruno “I ruined her proposal”, whilst mirabel had part in ruining it she was also trying to prevent disaster and ultimately she played the smallest role in ruining Isas night, yet Mirabel still believes it was entirely her fault. The biggest moment for Mirabel's guilt is right after Casita falls, the candle goes out after Mirabel almost gives her life to save it. Believing it's entirely her fault she runs off when nobody is watching.

Mirabel's rock bottom moment is when she's by the river crying, feeling like she's ruined everything and doesn’t know what to do other than to let out all of her bottled emotions. It's important to note that whilst there’s many points she comes close to crying, this is the only time we actually see her let the tears fall. When Alma discovers her Mirabel's reaction is to apologize, “I'm sorry I didn't wanna hurt us, I just wanted to be something I'm not”, again placing all of the blame on herself when the entire family is at fault for casitas collapse. I find this reaction interesting as during the climax Mirabel blames Alma in her anger but when her attempts to save the miracle fail she believes it’s her and her only to blame. This is also incredibly sad as it just shows how riddled by insecurity Mirabel is.

Throughout this story Mirabel is a person ruled by her insecurities, she lacks self esteem and confidence in general. However she's great at faking it and a prime example of this is the opening song, “the family madrigal”. A fun, upbeat tune but the entire song happens because of Mirabel's insecurity. As the children are asking her questions about her gift Mirabel responds with “I can't just talk about myself” and deflects into talking about her family instead. Her love for her family is entirely genuine but she puts on a facade to hide her own insecurities from everyone else, overcompensating to make up for what she lacks. Hidden in the lyrics of the song are her real feelings of worthlessness and jealousy, this especially shows in lines that refer to her two older sisters. When telling the kids about Isabela she sings “grows a flower the town goes wild'', there's a clear sarcastic tone to her voice. This instantly introduces us to Mirabel's envy of her oldest sister and the strained relationship between the two. Her envy is strongest when she sings “she's the perfect golden child” with such longing, illustrating how she actually seems to admire her sister as well as resent her. When she's describing both sisters she sings “the beauty and the brawn do no wrong” implying that she unlike them does do wrong. As the kids pester her more and more her insecurities only grow stronger and she's desperately trying to avoid the question, “I never meant this to get autobiographical”. She stays true to her word and successfully avoids talking about herself for the entire song. At the end she's so desperate to get out of the situation and hide the fact she has no gift that she sings “my family's amazing and i'm in my family so”, trying to convince herself more than anyone else that she's amazing by association.

There's little instances where her insecurity comes out such as when Osvaldo points out multiple times how un-special she is, he turns away for a brief moment and mirabel's painfully strained smile drops before she slips back into her act effortlessly. She also tries to act like this insecurity doesn’t affect her, a great example is when Alma tells her to step aside and nods in response but her expression is pained. Mirabel is hiding her problems from everyone else, even lying to herself. We see just how deep her insecurities go as Alma only tells her to step aside from the decorations but Mirabel interprets this as to stay away for the whole night, so when the whole family is out in the crowd she hides behind the curtain. When Alma tells Antonio that he got “a gift just as special as you” it forces Mirabel to remember when those very same words were said to her, and her smile fades away, her insecurities coming out. Most obviously, her insecurities are on full display during her solo number, “waiting on a miracle”, if you’re interested in more about that song I have a waiting on a miracle analysis !

The song starts with Mirabel pushing down her feelings as usual telling herself she's fine and she shouldn't be upset because the night isn't about her. In the song Mirabel refers to her pain as “unspoken” and “invisible”, displaying how she's not only been lying to everyone around her feelings but also to herself. When Mirabel tries to explain the cracks, Julieta doesn't seem to believe her and Mirabel believes it's because she “might not be super strong like Luisa or effortlessly perfect like senorita perfecta Isabela”. Whilst she's coming from a place of envy she's also speaking from insecurity here, believing that the only reason she isn't being taken seriously is because of her lack of a gift. When Julieta still doesn't believe her Mirabel appears to be hurt by this refusing to open up to her mother. Until she meets Bruno, Mirabel has actively been repressing all her insecurities and focusing solely on her mission. However when she realizes how similar she and Bruno really are, she's comfortable enough to fully open up about her insecurities for the first time. She admits her greatest fear and gets emotional about it, proving just how repressed those feelings are. When it's revealed in the vision she has to hug Isabela Mirabel starts ranting about how Isa hates her and seems like she has no faith in herself that she's able to do this.

One moment that truly highlights her insecurity is when Alma blames her for everything and she finally admits in front of the family that she feels she will “never be good enough for you”. A sharp contrast to Mirabel's denial at the beginning of the movie. In this moment, Mirabel has the courage to stand up not only for herself but for the entire family. Whilst we seen in previous scenes she can defend herself “I’m not doing anything! It’s Bruno’s vision”, here she fully commits to calling alma out in front of everyone. Whilst it’s painful for Mirabel to do, we see her come to the realization that this conversation is necessary. “He loves this family, I love this family we all LOVE this family!”. After this argument Mirabel is heartbroken and so insecure to the point of running to risk her own life just to prove something, anything to her abuela. Her character arc comes full circle at the ending of “all of you” when she looks at the doorknob and finally acknowledges herself for who she is, no longer a person controlled by her insecurities but one who's willing to challenge them.

Empathy & emotional intelligence are what I believe to be Mirabel's biggest strengths as a character. They’re often traits I see people try to argue make her weak, but I heavily disagree, I believe these traits are what make Mirabel such a resilient character. One of my favorite scenes in the whole movie is one where Mirabel's empathy truly shines, when she finds Antonio under her bed. This scene happening so early in the movie yet being so intimate and gentle instantly made me love Mirabel as a character. Her demeanor in this scene is so warm and loving. She knows Antonio is nervous about turning out like her yet she pushes her own feelings aside to support him, “you're gonna open that door and it's gonna be the coolest ever I know it”. This also showcases another strong trait of Mirabels, her emotional intelligence. She's able to gauge that Antonio is scared and needs comfort and she's willing to offer that to him. Antonio is still doubtful, questioning if it doesn't work and once again Mirabel reassures him, referring to the scenario as “impossible”. It's a very cute scene that sets up Mirabel and Antonios relationship. Mirabel's empathy shines here as there were many moments she could have made this about herself but she chooses not to. Other instances of Mirabel's recurring empathy are when she hugs Luisa offering her comfort ,some of her interactions with Bruno as well as when she empathizes with Isabela during their song. During “what else can I do”, Mirabel is able to admit she was wrong about her sister saying she barely knew her but Isa “changed” her mind, realizing that she finally understands Isabelas perspective.

A key scene for me that demonstrates both Mirabel's empathy and emotional intelligence is the “dos oruguitas” scene. After Alma shares her tragic past with Mirabel, despite Mirabel being upset, her reaction to Alma's story is an empathetic one. She tells her abuela “I can finally see” showcasing how similar to isabela, Mirabel finally sees her grandmother's perspective. Her emotional intelligence shines here as upon realizing the truth behind Alma's actions, she changes the words she spat so venomously during their argument. Stating that they were saved because of Alma and given a miracle because of her, she also tells her abuela that “nothing could ever be broken that we can't fix together” highlighting Mirabel’s growth and emotional maturity over the course of the film. Once again, as mentioned in the scene with Antonio, Mirabel had every opportunity to make this moment about her own suffering but she instead acknowledges Alma's feelings and offers her a chance to rebuild their relationship. Perhaps even the chance for forgiveness in the future.

These traits display for me what makes Mirabel such a well rounded and memorable character. Despite her flaws I adore how mirabel has always had her family's best interest at heart. She learns and grows a lot throughout this story and to me her flaws are what make her more interesting to follow and her flaws dont take away from her many positive traits. She's not a perfect protagonist, she's just a good person trying to help her family any way she can. She’s unapologetically loving and empathetic and willing to do anything for her family. To quote Stephanie Beatriz herself: “ I think one of the greatest things about this story is that she dares herself to go on that journey. I think that is so special because its telling an audience many of them impressionable young people, that by daring yourself to believe in yourself, you could possibly become the hero of your own story.”

#encanto #encanto disney #disneys encanto #mirabel madrigal #mirabel encanto #disney’s encanto #encanto analysis #mirabel analysis #encanto discussion #encanto character analysis #encanto mirabel #mirabel appreciation

[naoko-world]

Why it's important Mirabel doesn't have a gift.

I often see people wondering about Mirabel's gift, what happened for her not to have one, saying she could have a gift but the family hasn't figured it out, or recently: "It could be nice for her to have a gift in the sequel". Yes, it could be fun to imagine her gift... but canonically it would be the worst idea ever to include in a sequel! Because her not having a gift is incredibly important and I'm here to say why.

Mirabel starts the movie by basically seeing her family as gods. During the first song, Mirabel is glorifying her family, saying how great they are and how the community couldn’t work without them and their gifts! She even praises Abuela for being at the origin of the miracle, and Félix and Agustín for marrying into the family, even if none of them have gifts.

Then, she’s looking for saving the miracle and to do so she needed to talk to her family and see them for who they are. I mean, Luisa wouldn’t have advised her to look for Bruno’s vision if Mirabel didn’t listen to her talk about how pressured and unhappy she was. It was the first step; the second was discovering about Bruno and his reputation she apparently wasn’t aware of. Since she didn't give up to discover the truth, she’ll ultimately discover his reputation is false and he was actually hiding in the wall for 10 years for her sake. The third step was to reconcile with Isabela and discover that she wasn’t in love with Mariano. More importantly, she discovers when listening to Isabela she was under pressure too, pressured to be perfect while she wasn’t. 

Eventually, she even learnt that Abuela didn’t tell her about the origin of their town and how desperate she actually felt seeing her husband die. Because Mirabel listened.

However, she could do that because she doesn't have the same status as the other Madrigals. Because she doesn't have a gift and owes nothing to Abuela like the others who are under her orders because they gained gifts and advantages against becoming the town's caretakers. They needed to have someone who doesn't have any of theses, like Mirabel. If she was given a gift, she would lose that status and wouldn't be able to defend them even for events that could come later.

By the way, Mirabel isn't incapable either! She doesn't have a gift, but she's incredibly skilled!

Because Mirabel can dance, sing, and  play accordion like a goddess, she's cute, smart, and determined enough not to give up to discover the truth when the miracle is in danger. We can even see that at the end of the movie when Casita is collapsing and she's the one running to go save the candle with Isabela and Camilo, who both fail where she succeeds because they count too much on their gifts while she communicate with Casita to ask for help. She's capable and caring!

Eh! At some point I would probably have given up when she continues.

This is why she does not need to have a gift! Because she needs to have a different status than them, and she's very capable enough without it. What would she make of a gift anyway?

#encanto #encanto analysis #mirabel analysis #mirabel essay #essay #analysis #encanto essay #why Mirabel doesn't need a gift #mirabel madrigal #abuela alma madrigal #bruno madrigal #luisa madrigal #isabela madrigal #my analysis

[yellowcry]

I've seen people saying that Mirabel has a bit greening skirt as a reference to her similarity with Bruno

But, honestly

Julieta has way more teal clothes. And I think Mirabel's color referring to her mom

#encanto #mirabel madrigal #julieta madrigal #bruno madrigal #encanto analysis

[sapphireshorelines]

intimacy across the table—a thread

Four Adventures of Reinette and Mirabelle / Frances Ha / In The Mood For Love / Pulp Fiction / Modern Times / Nayak / Before Sunrise / Paterson / Kapurush / Hiroshima Mon Amour

#cinema parallels #four adventures of reinette and mirabelle #frances ha #in the mood for love #pulp fiction #modern times #nayak #before sunrise #paterson #kapurush #hiroshima mon amour #world cinema #film analysis #film journal #parallels #film blog

[themattress]

Why are these Disney heroines "adorkable"?

Rapunzel (Tangled): Because she was raised in isolation her entire life. She doesn't have a clue about the outside world or social graces or other people besides her "mother" in general. But she's extremely eager to learn and eager to please, not to mention is a pent-up ball of energy waiting to run wild, which leads to her adorkability. It makes perfect narrative sense.

Anna (Frozen): While not as badly as Rapunzel, she was also raised in isolation for much of her life, largely having to rely on the books in her castle library to teach her about the world and things such as proper etiquette, life skills and romance. But real life is not a book, so when she actually has to do these things, she often flounders due to her nervousness, excitement or inexperience, which leads to her adorkability. It makes perfect narrative sense.

Moana (Moana): From early in her life, she was raised under a very strict set of rules and instilled with a strong sense of responsibility, which is at odds with her instinctive desire to break these rules and her fears that she isn't up to the challenge her responsibilities pose. All of this pent-up stress she carries within her will often cause her to explode with emotion at the slightest provocation, which leads to her adorkability. It makes perfect narrative sense.

Mirabel (Encanto): As a young child, she failed to receive a special gift and room the same way the rest of her family did. Now feeling like the failure of the family, Mirabel's coping mechanism became trying to make herself as extravagant and quirky as possible. She's an incredibly "Try Hard" person, which leads to her adorkability. It makes perfect narrative sense.

Asha (Wish): Um.....well, she.....yeah, I got nothing. There is no narrative justification here.

Disney doesn't have an Adorkable Problem. Just an Asha Problem.

#Disney #Female Characters #Tangled #Rapunzel #Frozen #Anna #Moana #Encanto #Mirabel Madrigal #Wish #Asha #Analysis #Comparison #Bad Writing #Anti-Wish #Anti-Asha

[phoenixlionme]

Encanto: Madrigal Family Relationship Analysis Part 25 - Mirabel and Felix

Not much is now about this uncle-niece duo but I think one scene in particular sheds light on their relationship: Their talk right before the WDTAB song - When Mirabel is curious about Bruno and his gift, Felix comes in (dramatically) to tell her, even explaining to Pepa that it's best for Mirabel to know. In that short moment, Felix listens to and honestly gives his youngest advice the answer she's seeking (even if said answer is vague and not entirely accurate). But, we see that Felix is genuinely taking Mirabel's concerns seriously; that shows how much he respects and loves Mirabel. Then, when the house is collapsing, Felix can be heard shouting for Mirabel to get out and he's then shown looking for her when she goes missing; both times indicating that Felix has a strong, paternal protective side for his niece. On the other hand, Mirabel has nothing but respect and love for her uncle; if you were to ask her the best description of him, she would say without hesitation, "The definition of cool uncle!" And I also think she and Felix (with Agustin) formed their own special "non gift" trio (as seen in a deleted scene), mainly because they wanted to help Mirabel not feel bad about not having a gift.

#disney #encanto #mirabel madrigal #felix madrigal #madrigal family #fam analysis #my posts #madrigal family relationship analysis #favfams

[inamindfarfaraway]

Isabela Madrigal, Heights and Vine Symbolism

Before “What Else Can I Do?”, Isabela is repeatedly positioned higher than Mirabel. She appears on the landing when they’re preparing the birthday party in a dramatic entrance and later rolls her eyes at Mirabel’s claims of the cracks from up there too, while Mirabel is on the ground floor both times. During the argument she drags Mirabel flat on the floor and stands tall over her. Heck, her bed is even on a raised platform with stairs leading up to it.

This shows the imbalances between them of others and especially Alma’s regard, their privilege and implicitly inherent worth. Everyone looks up to Isabela… and she looks down her nose at Mirabel. We sympathize more with Mirabel in these scenes, her feeling to herself and us not just a helpless victim of her sister’s pride, but more reasonable and, well, down-to-earth.

Flowering vine swings in particular symbolize this idea. Her bed, as seen there, is attached to vines strong enough to lift and swing it. Based on how she lowers it when Mirabel first enters her room, I infer that she pulls it up into the enclosing curtains (said by the creative team to represent how she feels trapped) to retreat even further from the world when she’s upset, hiding her messy, ‘bad’ negative emotions out of anyone’s sight and earshot. Besides the bed being a big swing, she’s suspended from vines in the “Did somebody say flowers?” moment; in “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” complete with a spotlight, her vision seemingly the only desirable one foretelling her happiness and prosperity; and in promotional art designed to effectively present her pre-story character, suggesting it’s in-universe something she does often and is known for. Her trademark as “Señorita Perfecta Isabela”.

This demonstrates her skill, strength and precision with her gift, and does a lot to serve her perfect image - and Mirabel’s perception that she’s spoiled and has had everything handed to her. It’s an efficient method of transportation that no ordinary person could use. A glamorous, elevated vehicle reserved for a specific individual and allowing them to sit connotes privilege and superiority, like litters. Her being seated, the vines descending from somewhere unseen rather than us watching her grow them from scratch, their smooth, fluid movement and her not visibly exerting herself in the slightest make her command look totally effortless. It’s easy to forget that she’s controlling the vines at all instead of getting (more) cosmic help. And look at her gorgeous hair and dress as they swish and flow with the elegant motion! Look at the flowers she didn’t need to add, but did, because all that she touches is beautiful to behold! Lovely Isabela, an angel deigning to visit Earth from the heavens. Perfect Isabela, too good to take the stairs like a normal person. What a vain fucking showoff.

In the early part of “WECID” when Mirabel isn’t actively listening to her, she uses vines again. Yet it feels different. She sits on another swing to travel to the location of the verse where she explicitly describes the monotony, oppressiveness and exhaustion of always growing the same perfect flowers and always keeping up a shallow facade. “I grow rows and rows of roses/Fleur de mayo, by the mile/I make perfect, practiced poses”. Oh. It does take effort. It takes energy and time and thought, enough to leave her drained of enthusiasm for life itself. She’s been silently giving her whole self away all these years. Furthering the revelation that using her gift, at least in this way, is actually taxing, she then manipulates the vines to swing her bed not ‘effortlessly’ through her magic but with her arms and weight like a normal person. The movement is a defiant, forceful pull, as if straining against restraints or seizing her personal autonomy. The only time we’ve seen force anything like that from her before is…

emphatically ripping a flower off her own vine while ranting about how the arranged proposal she was going to accept, her ultimate sacrifice in the name of her family, has been ruined.

Now we realize: to Mirabel, the vines’ symbolism is that Isabela is better than her. To Isabela, they’re puppet strings. She doesn’t look in control of them because she isn’t in control of her life, merely a pretty doll Alma moves around, pressured to be passively pulled wherever the supposed needs of “the family” demand. A precarious position that she must constantly work to keep her balance in, lest she irrevocably, unforgivably fall from grace. She literally uses vines as a barrier between her and Mirabel. To try to remove the ‘imperfection’ of Mirabel from her room. They are tools of restriction, division and imposing your will on someone else.

But during “What Else Can I Do?” she thinks of ascension and heights positively. She wants to “climb”, to “rise” right “through the roof, to the skies”, and reflects this by rising on a growing palm tree and going up to the roof, jumping and riding plants higher than she’s ever been before. What changes?

Instead of hanging, she’s standing on her own two feet. On the foundations of her family home and plants she constructs for herself. When she does swing from vines, like when leaping off the roof and later racing to save the candle, she grips them unsupported Tarzan-style, which feels much more active and independent. She even rides on thicker, sturdier moving vines! She initially leaves Mirabel behind to climb after her, Isabela caught up in the rush of discovering and experimenting with freedom of expression and Mirabel still seeing her as a means to the end of protecting the miracle and family (hey, like Alma does… it’s as if they’re foils or something!). But by the bridge they’re both on top of the palm tree.

They’re both on top of the palm tree because Isabela helps Mirabel up. She wants to share her real self with her, for her to be part of this. This is the first moment when she directly addresses Mirabel and asks for her opinion: doesn’t she want freedom and authenticity too? Mirabel is inspired to really listen to her sister, reevaluate her assumptions about her and process the new side of her she’s seeing. Her conclusion - “All I know are the blossoms you grow/But it’s awesome to see how you rise” - is that she likes, loves, even admires the true Isabela and wants to understand and see more of her, no doubt wishing that they’d had this conversation sooner. She chooses to embrace and support her. Isabela sinks to her knees and Mirabel in response sits down next to her, so even their standing height difference is eliminated.

They finally see eye to eye. They rise together.

After that, they stay on the same level throughout the rest of the movie.

The toxic imbalances of power, autonomy and perceived value are gone. They’re equals and respect each other accordingly. At the end of the song, Isabela lets herself fall into a cushioning pile of her new, vibrant flowers, safe in the knowledge that she can catch herself.

#you know what that is? growth #literally #of a lot of plants #I’m sorry i couldn’t resist #isabela madrigal #i love her #if i cannot find in-depth analysis of her i will create it #curse tumblr’s ten-image limit #i wanted to add images for all the scenes #maybe this would have worked better as a video essay #mirabel madrigal #encanto #disney encanto #madrigal family #familia madrigal

[heckinggno]

(NOTE: just to be clear I'm not bashing any of the three characters I mentioned. I just found it interesting how she's been pushed away from the family members that she has a lot in common with.)

Isn't it crazy how Mirabel is connected Alma, Bruno, and Pedro? All three of key figures in the Madrigal family plotwise?

Mirabel has Alma's loyalty and love for the family, which emboldens her to have the courage to make hard decisions that no one might agree with, and yet this trait that she shares with Alma is—ironically enough—what drove them further apart from one another throughout the length of the movie.

Like Bruno, she's treated as the black sheep of the family due to her lack of gift. This shared connection of being the "dirty secret" of the family causes Bruno to go into hiding for her safety, but despite his best intentions, him hiding away is actually what makes Mirabel's situation worse in the long run because he disappears on top of everything else that was going on with her.

And with Pedro, she is referred to as his "gift" to the family, their one last miracle from their savior. They share the same courage that urges them to protect the family, but it is this same courage that causes Pedro to lose his life.

What I'm trying to say here is, despite having so much in common with these people, they almost always end up leaving her behind. And while it's true that Pedro's death isn't directly connected to her, Alma feared the implications of Mirabel's giftlessness because it could be a sign that the Miracle is fading—that the thing that gave Pedro's death meaning would one day disappear. In the end, this causes her to isolate Mirabel from the family due to her strange lack of connection to the Candle, which Alma connects back to Pedro.

At this point, Mirabel has already been disconnected to three key figures in her family from childhood. If Encanto had been a different genre, Mirabel would've been a character doomed by the narrative 😔

#encanto #character analysis #mirabel madrigal #i love her a normal amount #but i cant stop thinking about the implications of her every interaction with these characters #(except for pedro) #like??? all of the baggage that they carried has been passed down to her #she was the one who had to bear the brunt of their trauma and grief #she didnt even stand a chance from the beginning #im firm in my belief that her story wouldve ended in tragedy if this wasnt a kids movie #cause her place in the narrative practically solidified when she didnt get a gift #what could a little girl do against all that? :((

[kodokugumon]

Played all of sasasap last night. The perfect ending is fucked. I love it

#my posts #sasasaap spoilers #so like......hearing the noise of mirabelle's body hitting the floor over and over again before knowing that's what was happening #and then siffrin revealing that she's dead and hasn't breathed in a while but the king is still slamming her against the ground. #and then finding out that was what happened when they faced off during the king the first time. the king just tortured them one by one. #I'm sure you can do some analysis about how siffrin starting to see his friends as characters and not as people is like a defense mechanism #from seeing their friends die over. and over. again and being tortured. but I am still in awe at that scene #anyways I can still fix isat king. I can also fix sasasap king. I believe in myself #tagging this as #isat spoilers #just in case..

[artist-issues]

Just saw a couple video essays on Lilo & Stitch where self-acceptance is mentioned. And like. There is NO “self acceptance” in Lilo & Stitch. 

If there were, there would be no reason for this ☝️ 

The whole entire POINT of Lilo & Stitch is that who Stitch is is BAD. His very nature is evil. He is made to, and finds joy in, destruction. It is NOT  TRUE that he has to learn to accept himself. Aladdin has to learn to accept himself. Mirabel has to learn to accept herself. Freakin Mei from Turning Red has to learn to accept herself. Stitch is not like them. Stitch’s character arc is to learn to REJECT himself so that he can be made new. It’s part of what makes Lilo & Stitch BETTER than Aladdin, Encanto, and Turning Red. 

Because it’s an EASY message to tell everybody to accept themselves. Everyone already wants to hear that they’re loved and okay the way they are. It is a much HARDER thing to make a movie about love that is unconditional AND active enough to call you out when you’re wrong. If there’s no such thing as being wrong, there’s no need for grace or forgiveness, two of the most powerful indicators of real love. It’s a much harder thing to make a movie that says, “no, you know what, sometimes you’re just WRONG and BAD and you need someone from the outside to FIX YOU. YES, you do. You are NOT okay the way you are; and that doesn’t mean you’re beyond hope.”

Furthermore, literally no character in Lilo & Stitch has to learn self-acceptance. If Nani and Lilo accepted themselves as they were at the start of the movie, they’d be fighting and screaming at each other as a plot point by the end. If Nani accepted herself at the beginning of the film, she’d be saying, “‘yup, arrest that little alien, he’s mutated and he wrecks my house and makes my life harder.”  If Jumba accepted himself the way he was at the beginning, or even near the climax, of the film, he wouldn’t have let Stitch rescue Lilo. He’d be tearing him apart for the trouble Stitch caused him, and then he’d be fleeing the Galactic Alliance to cause more mischief himself.  Heck, even if PLEAKLEY had accepted himself, he wouldn’t be saying “does he really have to go?” to the Grand Councilwoman. He’d be saying, “‘yes, remove this creature from Earth’s habitat, it is destructive to the planet’s delicate ecosystem.”

Lilo & Stitch is not about self-acceptance. It is about self-denial. It is not about self-help. It is about not being able to help yourself. Needing saving. Do not make Lilo & Stitch into some twisted banner for our stupid, nonsensical modern values. 

#Lilo & stitch #lilo and stitch #stitch #lilo #meta #disney meta #disney analysis #essay #character analysis #experiment 626 #writing #lilo and stitch writing #aladdin #encanto #mirabel #turning red #self-acceptance #themes #symbolism #animation

[jacarandaaaas]

sometimes I feel bad for talking about mirabel so much then I remember how she used to be so ignored in the fandom people didn’t even know she was the main character

#encanto #encanto disney #disneys encanto #mirabel madrigal #mirabel encanto #people thought bruno was the mc like omfg #I still consider mirabel underrated compared to other madrigals and Disney protags in general actually #we know well the company doesn’t like her😭 #anyways I’ll always be a mirabel defender like that’s my daughter #she deserves more!! #I have to edit that analysis and it’s almost ready #mirabel my beloved #disney’s encanto

[naoko-world]

This scene! Julieta's face! It summarizes perfectly her opinion on Mirabel!

First Mirabel impresses her! Here she's even whistling before Mirabel carrying a heavy box!

There I can totally imagine her thinking "My daughter is amazing"! Though she's probably musing on how Mirabel do a lot to be recognized by the family, especially Abuela.

Then we can see she's worried about Mirabel ! She doesn't want her to do too much, she'd like Mirabel to not forget to take care of herself! Especially since she's the only one to not be pressured to work. Julieta probably would like to see at least one of her daughters living a happy life.

It continues later too, when Julieta is reminding Mirabel that, if she ever wants to talk, she can come to her. She's even leaning toward her as way to show more intimacy, as if she's whispering to her. But Mirabel doesn't listen because she's too focused on proving herself.

One day I'll totally write an analysis on how Mirabel has good parents! I just wanted to share that cause I noticed it when watching again today.

#encanto #mirabel madrigal #julieta madrigal #encanto screenshots #quick analysis #my analysis #encanto analysis #analysis

[yellowcry]

Let's talk about how different Madrigals are holding cups. (I promise, you desperately need this information)

Mirabel and Agústin(?) are really the same. Holding the cup with three fingers while others are clenched. But Mirabel's fingers pressed to her palm while Agustin's are hung a bit free

Luisa is the only one who picks up the cup from the upper part instead of a handle. Uses thumb and middle fingers

Felix uses thumb and index fingers. But his free fingers aren't closed. He also seems to take the cup in much more elegant/aristocratic way (And I also thought that it was Isabela

#yes i just analysed how they are holding cups #why not #encanto #mirabel madrigal #luisa madrigal #agustin madrigal #not sure if it's him tho #encanto analysis #felix madrigal

[allthingsencanto]

Maturing is realizing that the Madrigal family are all good people, they just lost sight of what was important over time because they were all so focused on their own struggles and desperately keeping their magic afloat that they ended up hurting each other and either not being there for one another, or not recognizing the other’s hardships. They’re a family who loves one another, but they’re broken due to the generational trauma. Certain characters hid their true feelings, certain characters weren’t there for others, certain characters kept their mouth shut and didn’t intervene, certain characters didn’t see or understand others. They were told how important this miracle is practically all their lives and how they can’t take it for granted that they eventually forgot about what was most important to them in the beginning, their love for each other. The Madrigals being a broken and flawed family but a family filled with good people who still care about one another deep down are statements that should coexist. 🕯❤️

#encanto #jared bush #walt disney animation studios #disney’s encanto #walt disney #disney animation #bryan howard #family madrigal #mirabel madrigal #isabela madrigal #alma madrigal #encanto movie #pepa madrigal #bruno madrigal #dolores madrigal #camilo madrigal #julieta madrigal #encanto disney #charise castro smith #encanto analysis #encanto take #agustín madrigal #antonio madrigal #felix madrigal #luisa madrigal #encanto themes #pedro madrigal #madrigal #la familia madrigal

[glitternightingale]

Shower Thoughts

Bruno's Stone Hand: Your Future Awaits

I've been thinking about this statue and trying to get into Bruno's head in case he decided to put it up, and it didn't just appear as a result of Casita's magical rooms. What was the motivation behind it? How long has it been there? And most importantly, what does it mean?

Meaning 1: "Climb all those stairs to get a vision from me."

The most on-the-nose interpretation is that this was simply meant to be a signpost to his Vision Cave for the villagers or other visitors. I can imagine it was set up when there were already a decent number of stairs in Bruno's room. At least, it would make the most sense at that point in time.

Meaning 2: "The way to Heaven/God in Christianity."

So, I saw some gravestones with a similar engraving: a hand with its forefinger pointing up to indicate the deceased's soul has risen to Heaven.

This was a prevalent symbol in the Victorian era (1837 - 1901). Of course, this concept doesn't have to apply to 19XX's Colombia, but it's an interesting thought, especially when one considers the heavy Catholic themes in Encanto and, perhaps, that Bruno might be a little old-fashioned/traditional in one way or another.

Also, most references of these headstone images I found feature the right hand as the "correct" hand for this symbol, regardless of if it's shown from the front or back. Bruno's possible left-handedness shown throughout the movie and his rock statue subverts this theme. He is different, and he is "wrong" in the eyes of the villagers.

Meaning 3: "Now listen up, the Prophet is speaking."

Bruno's expressive hand gestures often come into play when he tries to share his thoughts with other characters (Mirabel and Alma, for example.) I imagine their intention has changed from "Please, listen to me." to "May I just… please… say some–– Okay, never mind." over the course of his life.

#encanto #encanto meta #encanto analysis #shower thoughts #my meta #bruno madrigal #encanto bruno #la familia madrigal #madrigal family #mirabel madrigal #alma madrigal #bruno's room #encanto details

[phoenixlionme]

Encanto: Madrigal Family Relationship Analysis Part 23 - Bruno and Mirabel

They were one of my favorite dynamics from the movie. Both have such a deep, intimate, understanding, and loving bond; plus, they are an uncle and niece, which is rare to see in most forms of media. The seflless acts they perform for each other is mutual and constant - Bruno exiled himself to protect Mirabel from possible ostracizing; Mirabel stating that Bruno doesn't cause bad visions and that "family wierdos" like them get a bad rep; Bruno telling Mirabel she's what their family needs (something Mirabel most likely wanted to hear); Mirabel defending Bruno from Alma's harsh accusations; Bruno running on horseback to protect Mirabel again from Alma's supposed anger. They have hardly interacted prior to the movie (with Jared Bush confirming that Bruno began alienating from the family before the time Mirabel was 5) and yet quickly form a healthy and collaborative bond speaks volumes to their profound kinship. And for some extra trivia, in the Japanese version of the movie, Mirabel referred to Bruno as "Bruno-oniichan" (an affectionate term younger siblings use to refer to their older brother); this means that Mirabel (at least in the Japanese version), thinks of Bruno as more of a brother than an uncle. In fact, their whole relationship is more like a brother-sister than an uncle-niece. They each give each other the validation and respect they don't often receive from their family and community, especially before the movie's conclusion. And they are symbolically tied to one - Bruno's green eyes is similar to Mirabel's green glasses and both bare a strong resemblance to each other (and deceased patriarch Pedro). And as for the strong resemblance part, I have a headcanon, that if anyone outside the village were to meet the duo, they automatically assume their father and daughter. And that adds another headcanon of mine: While Mirabel does have a loving and affectionate bond with Agustin, I think a part of her also views Bruno as another father figure. Similarly, while Bruno loves all his nieces and nephews equally, I think a part of him views Mirabel as more of a daughter. I can also see them being the type of best friends who constantly trade sarcastic quips and banter (with a dark sense of humor), basically having their own language. They are a true team and duo of loyal friends, who just GET each other.

#disney #encanto #fav #bruno madrigal #mirabel madrigal #madrigal family #fam analysis #fam appreciation #madrigal family relationship analysis #my posts #favfams