By McKenna Florez
Entertainment Editor
“Rapunzel let down your hair!” This is a line I am sure you have heard at least once in your life. Whether it be blasting in your childhood living room every night before bed, or just at your friend’s eighth birthday party, the movie Tangled most likely showed up somewhere in your life.
Disney’s animated musical Tangled is a beautiful retelling of the original fairy tale “Rapunzel” written by the Brothers Grimm in 1812. This movie immediately took off, earning $48.8 million in its first three-day weekend in November 2010. This was a time in which CGI production was improving rapidly, and the producers of Tangled took their time to ensure that they made a film they could be proud of for decades to come. There was a six-year production timeline in which they developed revolutionary CGI technology for this animation, specifically for the difficult task of Rapunzel’s famously long, golden, and magical hair.
Retellings of this tale have occurred repeatedly for years now, but they cannot compare to Disney’s outstanding, soulful adaptation. Not only did they bring the characters to life in a phenomenal way, but they were able to make a connection to the entire world through their art and gorgeous storytelling.
The producers’ dedication to their masterpiece shows how this movie can also be set apart from other Disney animations, which average 3 to 5 years of production. While this is still a very long time, the production behind Rapunzel’s character must be credited with their success in maintaining her long hair without glitching throughout the whole movie.
Even if you haven’t seen Tangled before, it is certain that you have heard the song “I See the Light” sung by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, in their animated forms as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider. This song was made famous from the beautiful scene in a rowboat, as the two watch the lanterns which Rapunzel had dreamt of seeing her entire life. The audience can feel the emotion and romance that fills the air through the screen as if they were in the boat themselves.
The factors ofTangled’s success and cultural impact were all major deciding factors in the adoption of the Homecoming dance theme “Under the Lanterns.” This theme is directly correlated to the lantern scene, where the song “I See the Light” is performed. The BASIS Shavano Student Council wanted to encompass the feeling that this scene provokes from its audience. They believe that Homecoming should be about friendship — for some, romance — and just the overall feeling of joy in gathering. This theme for the dance allowed for beautiful decorations which brought the BASIS Shavano gym to life and set the scene of golden lanterns lighting up the night sky. It allowed them to illustrate what is arguably the most beautiful scene from any Disney movie ever made on what is meant to be one of the most special nights in a high school student’s life.
Hopefully you enjoyed dancing beneath the lanterns, on the magical night that shall be impossible to forget.