Disney’s Encanto and Representation
(En Espanol) Disney’s long-anticipated movie Encanto was released in theaters in November of 2021 and it gained even more traction after being released on Disney’s Plus. The film received a lot of positive feedback because of its diversity in characters, fun music and storylines, and rich culture. The story follows the Madrigal family, who have magical powers and live in rural Colombia. Throughout the movie, conflict arises and it’s up to Mirabel Madrigal, the only Madrigal kid with no magic, or gift, to save the miracle. Otherwise known as the encanto.
One of our student reporters, Dania, wrote her thoughts and opinions on the representation throughout the film from her own Latina perspective.
Photo created with Disney’s original poster for the movie Encanto. It depicts all the family members and the variety of appearances that come from Latinx origins. Image created using Canva.
To preface, this piece will contain minor spoilers to the film, including the analysis of family dynamics, references to scenes in the film, and references to the struggles the family faces. I also would like to disclaim that while I do identify as Latina, I am not from Colombia.
Right off the bat, Encanto has beautiful animation, colors, and characters. Not only that, but in the families in the film, there is a great variation of color- from being Afro-Latino, to being tan, to being pale. Disney has encapsulated the one thing about Latino’s- that we all come in different shades. In my family alone, we have around 10-20 different color variations.
These may seem like small details, but coming from someone who saw most Disney princesses as white while growing up, it’s amazing how many people I could connect my own family to. I especially want to bring attention to the character of Isabella Madrigal. Isabella is Mirabel, the main character's, oldest sister, and she is seen as graceful, beautiful, and perfect.
I find it refreshing to see a darker skin-toned character represented as the most beautiful. Today in Latin America, there is still quite a bit of colorism, and Disney portraying Isabella as the beautiful one in the family can really make a difference. I know that it can make the days of little kids to see themselves as perfect the way they are.
And now on to music! The music in Encanto was composed by Lin Manuel Miranda and Germaine Franco, who is the first Latina to ever join the music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In addition to that, they had many other artists contribute, such as Carlos Vives, a famous Colombian singer; Sebastian Yatra, another famous Colombian pop singer; and even Maluma, a Colombian singer, who voiced a character in Disney’s Encanto.
Lin Manuel Miranda worked hard to create amazing songs like “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and “Colombia, mi Encanto” which is sung by Carlos Vives in his signature vallenato genre. Even the song “Dos Oruguitas” sung by Sebastian Yata is a tearjerker with beautiful lyricism. It is sung in Spanish making it even more inclusive and touching. From the Latin rhythms to the dancing, it’s amazing to see songs I hear often being played on the big screen.
When it comes to family dynamics in Encanto, the Madrigal family is Matriarchal, which is common in many Latin families. Each member plays a role based on their gifts and it has to be a role that is helpful. One of the ongoing analyses circulating around Encanto online is the generational trauma that was kickstarted by Abuela Alma and the (spoiler alert!) death of Abuelo Pedro. Based on the actions and the time period of the movie, it’s pretty safe to say that the trauma was started because of the Thousand Day war in Colombia.
The Thousand Day war was started because of the inequality and justice faced towards coffee plantation workers. It was considered a civil war between the Liberals and the Conservatives and was a devastating war with 60,000 to 130,000 deaths. It drove many rural villagers to flee since they were in the middle of guerrilla warfare. During this time, many people were misplaced, lost, or sent to war. To this day, many people remain displaced, which can bring unsaid trauma for generations.
In the Familia Madrigal’s case, Abuela Alma faced a terrible tragedy in losing her husband, which left her alone to lead a village and take care of newborn triplets. This trauma can be passed down for generations unintentionally. The concept of generational trauma was realized by the children of Holocaust survivors and is defined as the passing on of trauma in small nuanced ways.
Here in Encanto, the trauma is the idea that everyone has to be perfect. Abuela Alma saw the powers that they received as something she had to protect, and the only way to do so was to use the gifts for good. Abuela Alma became protective of the powers and when Mirabel didn’t get one, she unintentionally pushed her aside since she didn’t help the miracle. It also led to a divide between the sisters as well as between Alma and Mirabel.
Luisa Madrigal is also an interesting character due to her overworking and in her song, “Surface Pressure,” she expresses the hardships of having to handle everything that her family couldn’t. She talks about the stresses of being an older child, and since her gift is super strength, she couldn’t see herself as anything besides her gift. Her song was one that hit hard to many elder sisters, myself included, and even helped explain other aspects of intergenerational trauma. Additionally, Isabella Madrigal, who had the gift of growing plants, was seen as perfect because she pushed aside her wants and desires for her family.
There are many little details that made Encanto an amazing and beautiful experience for many different families. From the artwork, the outfits, the colors, the songs, and the characters, it has become a favorite of mine. The way it mentioned difficult topics in a child-friendly way is beautiful. If you have not seen this movie, I highly recommend it, due to the sheer beauty of the storytelling.