Cinema Styles: Raya and the Last Dragon promotes unity
Raya and the Last Dragon is the latest release from Walt Disney Animation Studios. It takes place in a land known as Kumandra, a re-imagined Earth once inhabited by humans and dragons alike. Kumadra is inspired by the Southeast Asian countries of Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Laos. The titular Raya is a persistent warrior focused on finding the last living dragon, in the hopes of saving all of humanity from an often-faceless evil force known as The Druun.
The vibrant color palette is immediately striking in this movie. Bright colors abound, and make for a truly beautiful animated movie. The memorable imagery is complimented by a welldeveloped story that possesses unique qualities. The film has a positive message about the importance, and difficulty, of trusting other people, particularly those who have wronged you in the past. This is a deeply relatable and human experience, and Raya and the Last Dragon examines the intricacies inherent in the concept of trust.
Kumandra is comprised of multiple regions, and at the outset of the film, they’re all divided and at war with one another. The name Kumandra is only used when referring to the region as a unified area, and the reunification of the separate sections is one of Raya’s primary objectives in the movie. Kumandra symbolizes harmony, and the film expertly shows trust is imperative for any semblance of peace to exist. Trust is presented as something that needs to be given in order to be received. A world that lacks this reciprocality of trust is disjointed and self-sabotaging.
Film: Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) Directors: Carlos López Estrada (Blindspotting) and Don Hall (Big Hero 6) Cast: Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars), Awkwafina (The Farewell), Gemma Tran (Eternals), Daniel Dae Kim (Lost), Benedict Wong (Doctor Strange), Sandra Oh (Killing Eve) Streaming Platform: Disney+ Rating: PG Runtime: 107 minutes Genres: Animation, Action, Adventure, Comedy
In this way, Raya and the Last Dragon can be seen as an examination of the current times we live in. In regards to certain topics, the people in our society are more divided than they’ve ever been. At times, the name of The United States of America sounds misleading given the amount of division that seems to exist. The concept of “Kumandra” might be impossible to fully achieve, but small steps can be made to bridge the divide.
The proposed unity at the center of this film is reflected through the myriad of cultural influences present in different aspects of its production. Raya’s fighting style is based on an Indonesian martial arts technique known as Pencak Silat, and when she fights with two sticks, it’s based on the Filipino martial art of Kali. Namaari’s fighting style is inspired by the Thai method of Muay Thai. The name Raya means Hibiscus in Malay, and it’s the National Flower of Malaysia.
Raya is a completely original and instantly memorable character. She’s the first Southeast Asian Disney princess, and the first one since Jasmine to not wear a dress or skirt in a film. She’s a princess who doesn’t need saving. She notably has no love interest in the movie, although Raya’s voice actor, Kelly Marie Tran, delivered her lines with the interpretation Raya and Namaari’s relationship was romantic. Disney hasn’t made this official.
Tran does a phenomenal job as the main character in the story. She shows a wide range of emotions, and delivers on the promise she showed when she was first introduced to most audiences in Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi. Her skills are complimented by the always hilarious and huskilyvoiced Awkwafina, here playing the voice of Sisu, the last dragon. The interplay and chemistry between Tran and Awkwafina is immediately evident. Awkwafina improvised many of her lines in the movie, putting her performance in the same category as Robin Williams as the Genie in Aladdin, and David Spade as Kuzco in The Emperor’s New Groove.
Raya and the Last Dragon was made entirely during the COVID-19 pandemic. The end credits indicate “over 400 households came together” to make the movie. The presence of the pandemic hangs over the entire film, as collective grief and suffering is present in this story as well as the present lives of all human beings. This movie bravely invites audiences to sit with the pain while it hints at the possibility of hope in our collective future.
Robert Styles studied Film at UCLA, and worked as an editor and producer on several film, commercial, and music video projects in Los Angeles. He currently teaches the intermediate and advanced Video Production courses in the Multimedia & Technology Academy at Monache High School. His column appears in The Recorder every Tuesday.