Luca disney gay

Lastly, on the point of fluidity is another lesson Luca learns, albeit smaller than his dominant character arc. But some will. 2021.

His mother quickly interjects and ends the discussion, firmly iterating that the surface and transformation are forbidden.

This system of othering is undoubtedly allegorical for the experience of the marginalized in the real world, and it is particularly resonant for the LGBTQ+ community.

And this is not the only example, either.

“Visualizing Love/Loss” — Luca’s Tower Scene As A Queer Romantic Breakup

Returning to Tangled treats viewers with a reference to Flynn Rider climbing Rapunzel’s stone tower as Luca climbs Alberto’s tower (without the help of magical hair, no less!) to apologize to him.

Luca. Not to mention Giulia's position as an ally and defender of the boys at several points in the film.

Casarosa went on to say that he and the team on the film hoped that many types of outsiders, or people who are different, could find something in Luca. In his interview with Screen Rant, Casarosa said:

"We thought a lot about having to "show your sea monster" as embracing your own difference, and as a metaphor for anything...

The water, however, refuses to break, preventing Luca from fully emerging.

As Luca becomes more comfortable on land in human form and begins to form aspirations like becoming a student at Giulia’s school, he displays a subtle near rejection of his sea monster identity. Still, Luca does everything short of outright saying so to indicate that the young sea monsters are in love.

While some may argue this is an unfair cop-out, in reality, the gay subtext is a sign of trust.

This love story is unconventional for a variety of reasons, not least of which is the fact that the movie refuses to confirm it as explicitly romantic. With overbearing parents and a confining home environment, Luca struggles with meekness and an inability to trust in himself and his capacity for independence. Pixar’s Luca (2021; Enrico Casarosa) features not only two queer characters but a queer story as well and is the rightful “first” of Disney’s foray into LGBTQ+ representation.

When the first trailer and synopsis were released for Luca, many reacted with joy that the movie could be showing the lauded studio's first LGBTQ people in lead roles, exploring coming out for a young audience the way it has explored many other serious topics.

Giulia herself is skeptical of their existence until Alberto reveals the truth.

And he seems to know how to find the good ones.”

Casarosa, Enrico. As harpoons whiz by, Alberto’s voice cracks, and his eyes glisten with tears at the realization of Luca’s betrayal before he numbly retreats to the water and turns his back on Luca. ↩︎

Jenkins, Eugenia Zuroski.

It is the representation that the queer community deserves and desperately needs more of.

Footnotes

1. Jagose, Annamarie.

   Of course, this lesson can extend well beyond the gay experience, but it is particularly reminiscent of triumphing over internalized homophobia, something Luca is only able to do because of Alberto.

   The film is populated with plenty of similar examples, but perhaps the most powerful and unmistakable one comes from Luca’s grandmother at the end.

   Through the water, Luca sees a blurry image of a fishing boat, which the audience will later recognize as Alberto, confidently gazing into the distance. This is a major emotional and plot beat in the story, and the film treats it with the same gravity as betrayal in any other Disney romance.

   Again, one needn’t look hard to find more examples of these visual depictions of romance (look no further than the last five minutes); Luca and Alberto’s romance is depicted in even more subtle yet provocative ways.

   “Actions Speak Louder Than Words” — How Themes & Character Development Build A Romance

   Luca‘s central themes and character arcs are inextricably tied to the relationship between Luca and Alberto, signifying a weight and emotional depth usually, or at least often, reserved for romance.

   Freedom lies at the core of the film and its characters, and the complexities of what it truly means are explored through the characters.

   After all, the two boys have to keep their true identities a secret from the world for fear of facing judgment and potential harm. At the film’s climax, as Rapunzel’s love interest Flynn Rider lies dying in his lover’s arms, he dramatically whispers,

   “You were my new dream.”

   Casarosa, Enrico.

   ↩︎

2. Poletti, J. Mario Meili: on queer wholeness – I blog God. – Medium. Luca.