A stolen princess and her magical gift. A witch hidden in plain sight. An unlikely alliance turned romance. To a four year old me, Tangled was the best movie ever, with the best princess and story ever. The classic tale of Tangled, at least Disney’s version, is known across the world.
For eighteen years, Rapunzel was kept away in a tower in complete isolation. All she dreamed of was to go out of her tower and explore the world, which wasn’t possible — until a thief on the run showed up in her tower. From that point, Rapunzel ventures out to discover who she is and what the world has to offer with the help of the thief. The witch tries to find the two of them and almost tears them apart, but she’s defeated in the end, with Rapunzel as the found princess alongside her beloved thief turned hero.
However, in my eyes, Tangled was much deeper than that, the real reasons for my obsession with the movie throughout my childhood being rooted in the storytelling and beauty of it all. Rapunzel’s fearlessness to venture away from all she had known and fierce determination to explore the world was inspiring, admirable, and made her a strong, independent, lovable lead, especially to a four year old. Her ability to be a good person before anything, like her experiences in a tavern, giving her thief a chance, being kind when most wouldn’t be, and risking her life for others made her a princess, not the fact that she was born one. She was my idol, even if she was a fictional one.
Throughout Tangled, I laughed at jokes, sang along with the characters, and cried when Flynn almost died. One movie changed it all for me, even if I didn’t realize it yet. I watched the movie at least two times a week for years on end throughout my childhood. The movie was a constant in my life.
Tangled showed me a world of beautifully crafted storytelling, meticulously put together by thousands of people who direct, compose, act, write, draw, and dedicate themselves to putting out something so amazing that evokes real emotions. Their impactful storytelling makes people cry, laugh, scream, or rethink their lives and the world around them. Stories have always been a constant source of inspiration and part of me, all because of a movie about a lost princess.
Loving storytelling is the reason I read, write, draw, and listen to music, and I wouldn’t be who I am today without it. I want to be able to do something to evoke powerful emotions and tell meaningful stories. Thirteen years ago, a younger me watched Tangled for the first time, and her life was changed forever.
