There are too many classics by Pixar, and it is to the point where it's impossible to pick a movie being able to represent the company because every Pixar movie is a masterpiece. In fact, the Pixar brand is a classic by itself. Whenever there's news of a new Pixar film, there's no need for second thoughts – just head straight to the cinema.
On Thanksgiving, Pixar served up a Mexican-flavored dish called "Coco." For those who knew nothing about Mexico, it can create a strong resonance with this nation and its people instantly. That's the magic of Pixar – turning the stories of specific cultures into something that resonates with the world.
"Coco" is like peeling an onion. With each layer you peel, you can discover fresher ingredients and even more astonishing secrets. By the time you are done peeling this onion, you'll find that you've unwittingly become quite emotional.

Creativity and Color
"Coco" is, first and foremost, a visually stunning animated masterpiece. In an era of mind-blowing visual effects in movies, it is rare to see such imaginative creativity and rich color palettes that can captivate the audience. This ability, once again, instills awe for Pixar in the hearts of viewers. What's even more remarkable is that all these rich, colorful architectural designs are based on real buildings in the Mexican town of Guanajuato.
In a country like Mexico, known for its love of vibrant colors, it's easy to assume that their approach to life is just as colorful. Their attitude toward death, far more optimistic than many other nations, stands out. In Mexican culture, there's a belief that death signifies not an end but a passage to another realm—a world even more exquisite than our own, where life persists. On the Day of the Dead, these departed loved ones can return to the land of the living and reunite with their living family members. Mexico's open and courageous approach to facing death is unforgettable.
Hence, the traditional elements of the Day of the Dead featured in the animated movie are not a hodgepodge of creative designs; they are real and integral parts of the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration. For instance, the paper cutouts featured at the beginning are commonly hung along streets in Mexico during this festival. The path to the other world, which in the film is represented by a bridge, is indeed a critical element in the Day of the Dead, and the film ingeniously uses the marigold flowers to construct it. The marigold is an essential plant for the Day of the Dead due to its tenacious vitality, and its flowers symbolize health.

Moreover, bread, candles, photos, and skulls are equally essential decorations for the Day of the Dead, and the movie faithfully recreates these elements. The film's creative interpretation of the skulls directly reflects the vibrant atmosphere of the grand Day of the Dead festivities. In the world of the deceased, from the grand set designs to the smallest details, every aspect is imbued with boundless imagination. For instance, when the deceased family members return to the living world, they must go through customs and undergo security checks with the items their living relatives offer them. This humorous touch parallels the process of international travel. Furthermore, in the world of the deceased, each soul has a quirky spirit guide-like creature with a bizarre appearance, all portrayed in fantastic and beautiful colors.
The film is filled with such creative details in many places. In just the first half-hour of the movie, you can find a wealth of creativity. When it comes to making comparisons, there's another movie with a similar concept, "The Book of Life" (2014). This film is also based on the Day of the Dead in Mexico and ventures into the world of the deceased. While the visual styles of the two movies are different, they share a similar concept. Even the protagonists' backgrounds are somewhat similar: in "Coco," the protagonist comes from a family of shoemakers but dreams of music, while in "The Book of Life," the protagonist is from a family of bullfighters with a music dream.
From this perspective, "Coco" and "The Book of Life" provide the audience with different visual impacts and fresh experiences, each catering to different tastes. However, the reason "Coco" outperforms "The Book of Life" in terms of the overall viewing experience and critical acclaim likely lies in its more nuanced storytelling and attention to detail, resulting in a more seamless and natural narrative structure.

Family and Dreams
Pixar's animations are always middle-paced, much like simmering a stew. The taste of a stew that has been simmered for hours is completely different from one cooked in just half an hour. "Coco" is like a long-simmered stew, where the flavors gradually seep from your tongue to your stomach and into your heart, layer by layer. It's impossible not to admire Pixar's craftsmanship.
In addition to the outstanding visual effects, the film delves into profound questions and explores the conflict between reality and dreams. The young protagonist of the movie, Miguel, is born into a family of shoemakers who deeply despise music. However, Miguel has had a deep love for music from a young age. He faces a dilemma between his personal dream of music and his family's shoemaking tradition.
Later, Miguel crosses over into the Land of the Dead, which, in a way, is his journey of self-discovery while pursuing his musical dreams. To return to the world of the living, Miguel needs to receive his departed family's blessing. But initially, Miguel resists this, as his great-great-grandmother had placed a curse on music in their family. In pursuit of his musical dreams, he avoids his family and blessings, chasing his musical aspirations at any cost. This mirrors the actions of his great-great-grandfather, who abandoned his wife and daughter to pursue his musical dreams. However, after experiencing his journey in the Land of the Dead and witnessing the importance of family, Miguel ultimately makes a profound and heartwarming choice. He voices, "Family comes first."

Here, it's not simply about understanding family and dreams as opposites but about whether, in the pursuit of your dreams, you've inadvertently neglected your aging family members as you grow and chase your own ambitions. The film features a heart wrenching scene of nostalgia where Coco's father, when he was younger, played the guitar and sang "Remember Me" to his little daughter Coco. He played and sang just for her. However, he later chose to pursue his dreams elsewhere, leaving his wife and daughter behind. When he attempted to return home and reunite with his family along the way, he discovered that it was too late.
This scene subtly reflects the lives of those who become so engrossed in their dreams and careers that they lose sight of their loved ones and family along the way. When they finally look back, they realize that their children have grown up, and their family members have passed away. The time they should have spent with their family has been entirely dedicated to their own dreams. Is this the result they truly desired?
Apart from highlighting the balance between family and dreams in the lives of adults, the film also offers much to ponder regarding parenting, education, and supporting children's dreams and interests. In Miguel's family, they prohibited him from pursuing music. After Miguel crosses over to the Land of the Dead, his great-great-grandmother imposes a similar ban on music. This leads to Miguel risking the chance of never returning to the living world instead of carrying the music curse back with him.
This is highly reflective of many real-life families today. The upbringing and interests of children from a young age are often strictly regulated with set plans and rules. However, is the authoritarian approach of adults genuinely what children will love and require in the future?

Death and Forgotten
The song "Remember Me" runs through almost the entire film, and it is also the core of the entire movie.
In the Land of the Dead, the departed are not truly lonely. Those who have recently passed away can still find their departed loved ones and reunite to live together in the Land of the Dead. However, if nobody remembers you, pays tribute to you, or keeps you in their thoughts, you will gradually be forgotten. This means you will ultimately face true death, eternal disappearance.
This is where the film truly excels, using “being forgotten” to signify the real death. This emphasizes the connection between the deceased and the loved ones in the world. When Miguel searches for his family members in the Land of the Dead, he doesn't realize that his closest relative has always been right beside him. This implies that in this chaotic and noisy world, your true sanctuary and support are the family members who quietly stand by you.
There's a profoundly moving scene in the film when Coco's mother and Coco's father meet again. Coco's mother still can't forgive him for leaving. However, another family member says something that encapsulates the core of the entire movie: "You may not need to forgive, but you should not be forgotten." Because forgetfulness signifies true death.
It is at this moment that they decide to retrieve Coco's father's photo and reintroduce it among the family members.
The renowned Mexican author and Nobel laureate Octavio Paz had an interpretation of death: "Death is actually the echo of life. It is the opposite of life, yet it complements life." Yes, people will eventually die, and the only way the departed exist in the world is through the thoughts and memories of their loved ones, passed down from generation to generation.

"Coco" takes a young boy's journey from not believing in the Day of the Dead to eventually kneeling in front of his great-great-grandmother and playing "Remember Me." This helps his great-great-grandmother try to remember her past loved ones, including her father. Miguel's journey also begins to change as he understands the importance of family, and it's the film's most beautiful transformation.
Share your thoughts!
Be the first to start the conversation.