"Legend of Finding the Dragon": Although it is a fairy tale, it has profound meaning and practical significance

Amiya 2022-03-21 09:02:08

#語龙传# (Raya and The Last Dragon)(A) At first, I was hesitant about this film. After all, it was released in the spring. It doesn't look like #frozen# or #Question Ring Travels# is mainly about awarding awards. The big projects in the season and holiday files may have limited strength, but after reading it, I really think it is worth recommending. In addition to being very appealing to Southeast Asian culture and having interesting characters, it's mainly because the theme of the story resonates so much with me. It should be said that it will resonate with many people who lack trust in others and have been betrayed. Although trust is difficult to build, in many cases, if we do not trust and respect each other, we cannot achieve common goals, and ultimately only lead to division and loss.

Growing up, I have admired people who can be trusted and respected by many people. How did they do it? Why does such a person have many friends who can stand up for him/her? But even great people are often betrayed by the villains around them, which is always chilling to think about.

If you often think about these questions, this film will definitely resonate with you. This is actually a fairy tale. Humans and dragons originally lived together, and the dragons protected humans from demons. However, due to distrust between humans, they began to fall apart, and everyone wanted to get the gem that can summon the dragon and take it for themselves. The girl in the film, Raya (voiced by Kelly Marie Chen), was supposed to inherit her father and become the guardian of the gem. Because she trusted a little friend she just met when she was a child, she was betrayed by the other party and lost the gem. The kingdom was attacked, and the father was petrified. After that, she had a hard time trusting others, and she didn't even have a single friend besides her pet beetle.

But to fend off the demons, she has to embark on a journey to find the gem. During this process, I met people from different countries and slowly made many friends. But in order to defeat the demon and summon the dragon again, she had to face the person who betrayed her in the early years again, and even had to trust each other again and fight together.

There are many different forms of "betrayal" and "deception" in the film, which really shows the sinister side of human nature. Maybe before the end, the audience, like the heroine, really can't trust anyone. But sometimes, in order to accomplish our goals, we have to rely on the help of others, which we cannot do on our own. At this time, if the other party is someone you don't trust or like, are you willing to let go of your past, open your heart, and fight side by side with him/her? Most people may not be able to.

The film mirrors reality very well, especially in an increasingly divided America. In fact, the same is true among countries around the world, and many international disputes are also caused by mistrust. However, in order to pursue peaceful development, it is often necessary to take a long-term perspective, put the overall situation first, and let go of personal grievances first. For example, if the United States hopes to defeat the new crown, the confrontation caused by Trump must be eased. People with different beliefs and values ​​must put aside their different opinions at this time, fight the epidemic together, and restore the economy together. And the protagonist in this film is not a girl, she is also the leader of a country and the leader of a war. As a leader, she must have this kind of heart. By the end of the film, the audience might put themselves in their shoes and think: what would you do if you were Raya?

A particularly well-designed scene is near the end, when the two sides are at each other's throats, because Raya's distrust of the opponent is conveyed to the body movements, causing the opponent to "miss" out of fear after seeing it, resulting in serious consequences. On the surface, it was directly caused by what the other party did, but in fact it was caused by Raya's distrust. This is why sometimes in major events, such as a war, it is difficult to tell who started the war and who started the war, because the "starter" may be just for "defense."

Such a Disney animation, after watching it, can not only remind every audience of their personal experience, but also have far-reaching social significance, and can even be used to interpret many disputes in human history. It is almost impossible for anyone to fail to appreciate the themes of "unity and cooperation" and "focusing on the overall situation" after reading it.

And many supporting characters such as dragons, monkeys, and beetles in the film are particularly humorous and cute in this serious-themed story. Basically, every character has a cuteness, making this adventure always full of fun. During this adventure, people can also experience Southeast Asian customs, and it is not limited to countries, but the fusion of cultures of many countries is reflected in food, clothing, scenes, and customs. That's exactly what the film "Mulan" lacks. "Mulan" has been carefully produced since the beginning, for fear of making a mistake in any details, and holding back, and the result is still being scolded for all kinds of incorrectness. "The Legend of the Dragon" is a film without nationality and cultural barriers. It is the epitome of Asian culture, but the story is indeed so universal.

The cast also represents the integration of the strongest Asians, and the voice actors include Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Filipinos. . .

That's why I hate that some people keep assigning all Asian cultures by country, it's essentially a petty behavior and will forever limit artistic creation. This idea of ​​"this is mine too", "that is also mine", "all of them are mine, and none of you want to steal them" is exactly the narrow-mindedness criticized in this film. When focusing on the overall situation, it should be joint and shared, rather than constantly dividing areas.

Actually think about many great stories about people from different backgrounds coming together for the same purpose. Such as the Avengers, such as the Demon Squad. It is precisely because human society is always in constant conflict in real life that art creators are constantly inspired to sing about the seemingly "idealized" team spirit through fictional characters.

At the same time, this film is also a comprehensive demonstration of complex human nature. In the end, you can definitely feel that the demons in the film are not scary at all, but it is the human heart that is really scary.

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Extended Reading

Raya and the Last Dragon quotes

  • Raya: Hold on.

    [Sisu grabs onto Raya. She swings across the pit but stops midway. Turns out Sisu's hind legs were still perched on the edge of the cliff]

    Sisu: Oh, we were doing a jumpy thing? So sorry. My bad. I get it now.

  • Raya: Actually, Sisu, I think we're going to go with your plan.

    Sisu: What? My plan? You're going with my plan?

    Raya: Yeah.

    Sisu: Alright! You're not going to regret this. But we're gonna need a really good gift. What do you think she's into? Cats? Knives? Cats with knives? Knives with cats on them?