Multicultural films are very popular at the moment, with amazing movies like Black Panther and Wonder Woman dominating the box office this year and last. They offer diversity that isn’t commonly seen in movies to date, while also just being great movies overall. One of the most recent multicultural movies is Coco: a film made by Pixar about Miguel, a twelve year old music enthusiast, and his journey through the Land of the Dead during Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. He is joined by a bright and charming cast of characters of skeletons, animals, and even crazy, exotic animals called alebrijes. Coco is multicultural due to its many references and ties to Mexican culture, through the setting, characters, and plot of the movie.
Characters …show more content…
This influences the story, characters, and helps the movie commemorate Spanish culture all at the same time. The holiday has many traditions, most of which are shown in Coco. One of these is making ofrendas (offerings) to the dead in the form of an altar, which are made to remember the dead and give them offerings for the afterlife. In the film, Miguel, the twelve year old protagonist of the story, and his family have their own ofrenda, with pictures of his family, candles, and more. Another custom on the holiday is spreading cempasuchiles, or Mexican marigolds, on the ground, which guide souls back to their families. They are spread on the ground in Coco, and are shown as a bridge from the Land of the Dead to the Land of the Living. Dia de los Muertos most prominent symbol is the calavera, or skull, which also makes its way into the film. People in the Land of the Living sported calavera makeup, Miguel did to blend in in the Land of the Dead, and Pixar’s skeletons drew inspiration from the calavera makeup and sugar skulls. In the overworld, the surroundings display culture from Mexico and Dia de los Muertos as well. In the opening scenes of Coco, papel picado, or specially cut paper made to show specific patterns, is strung along a string; the different visuals tell the story of Miguel’s family. The special paper can be used for many things in real life, including weddings, parties, and Dia de los Muertos. Pixar’s film has several scenes taking place in a colorfully decorated graveyard, covered in cempasuchiles and candles. This is a graveside vigil, where the deceased are honored at their gravestones, and is a normal tradition during the Day of the Dead. Cempasuchiles are again used in the Land of the Living, where they can be seen being spread by children on the street, at graveyard, and ofrendas. The counterpart to the overworld, the Land of the
Characters …show more content…
This influences the story, characters, and helps the movie commemorate Spanish culture all at the same time. The holiday has many traditions, most of which are shown in Coco. One of these is making ofrendas (offerings) to the dead in the form of an altar, which are made to remember the dead and give them offerings for the afterlife. In the film, Miguel, the twelve year old protagonist of the story, and his family have their own ofrenda, with pictures of his family, candles, and more. Another custom on the holiday is spreading cempasuchiles, or Mexican marigolds, on the ground, which guide souls back to their families. They are spread on the ground in Coco, and are shown as a bridge from the Land of the Dead to the Land of the Living. Dia de los Muertos most prominent symbol is the calavera, or skull, which also makes its way into the film. People in the Land of the Living sported calavera makeup, Miguel did to blend in in the Land of the Dead, and Pixar’s skeletons drew inspiration from the calavera makeup and sugar skulls. In the overworld, the surroundings display culture from Mexico and Dia de los Muertos as well. In the opening scenes of Coco, papel picado, or specially cut paper made to show specific patterns, is strung along a string; the different visuals tell the story of Miguel’s family. The special paper can be used for many things in real life, including weddings, parties, and Dia de los Muertos. Pixar’s film has several scenes taking place in a colorfully decorated graveyard, covered in cempasuchiles and candles. This is a graveside vigil, where the deceased are honored at their gravestones, and is a normal tradition during the Day of the Dead. Cempasuchiles are again used in the Land of the Living, where they can be seen being spread by children on the street, at graveyard, and ofrendas. The counterpart to the overworld, the Land of the