The Inspiration Behind Luca

By Sierra Tan, Edited by Myint Myat Theingi & Geethi Tarra, Layout by Leesha Pilla, Art by Evelyn Chen, & Blogged by Taruni Manam

Pixar is well-known for its fantastical imagery and animation, which effectively transports viewers into breathtaking worlds and scenery. Its latest animated film, Luca, does exactly that, bringing the beauty of Italy to audiences around the world.

Luca is a coming-of-age film, set in a picturesque, seaside town on the Italian Riviera in the late 1950s or early 1960s. The reason for this choice of time period was the fact that the director, Enrico Casarosa, drew upon his childhood as an inspiration for the summer story.

The story of Luca revolves around the main character, Luca Paguro, and his newfound best friend, Alberto Scorfano, as they experience an incredible summer “above the surface” - a new experience, as they are both sea monsters. Alberto, having more experience on land, leads Luca through the dazzling summer filled with gelato and sensational scooter rides. However, will they be able to keep their underwater identities a secret?

Casarosa has stated that the film is a celebration of friendship and acceptance. As mentioned before, the director’s inspiration for Luca was his own childhood - including his best friend of the same name, whom he met at the age of eleven or twelve. Casarosa mentioned that Alberto (in real life) was a troublemaker & a passionate person, whereas he himself was more timid & sheltered.

Casarosa said that Alberto helped him get out of his comfort zone, “and pushed [him] off many cliffs, metaphorically and not”. This brings out a key theme of the film, which is to learn from past and current relationships. Friendships are such an important part of life, in which you can teach, learn, and just live life with one another, which is just so special. Casarosa confessed that these sort of deep friendships are what’s truly at the heart of the film, where you’re helping each other figure out who you truly are.

The sea monsters in the film were inspired by old Italian myths & folklore. “We were both ‘outsiders’, so it felt right to use sea monsters to express the idea that we felt a little different,” Casarosa told Disney. Producer Andrea Warren agrees with the monsters being used as metaphors for “being different”: “We always liked the idea that the metaphor of being a sea monster can apply to so many different things. There is a theme of openness… confronting the idea that there's more to sea monsters than they realized,” she said. Casarosa agreed, and hoped that the sea monsters could be a metaphor for anyone who feels “odd” or “different” - and having to accept oneself first, seeing from another perspective, just like how Luca and Alberto change their perspectives towards being sea monsters, after seeing their situations through one set of lens for their whole lives.

Some have interpreted the movie as a symbol of LGBTQ+ closeting, where Luca and Alberto have to hide their true selves from the public in order to be accepted. Parallels have also been pointed out between Luca and Call Me By Your Name, an LGBTQ+ coming-of-age film, directed by Luca Guadagnino. However, Casarosa has admitted that this was merely a coincidence, and that the relationship between Luca and Alberto was completely platonic. “[Guadagnino]’s such a talent but it truly goes without saying that we really willfully went for a pre-pubescent story,” he stated. Nonetheless, he still said that the film was open to any interpretation.

Luca is a beautiful celebration of childhood friendship and platonic love. It was released on June 18, 2021 on Disney+ - feel free to watch it and be transported into a world of gelato, Vespa scooters, and sea monsters.

References:

Hunt, R. (2021, July 3). When Does the ‘Luca’ Movie Take Place? Some Viewers Didn’t Realize It’s Not This Century. Showbiz Cheatsheet. Retrieved July 20, 2021, from https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/when-does-the-luca-movie-take-place-some-viewers-didnt-realize-its-not-this-century.html/

Jefferson, C. (2021, April 28). Exploring Friendship, Acceptance, and Overcoming Fear in Pixar's Luca. Disney. Retrieved July 20, 2021, from https://news.disney.com/luca-first-look

Nemiroff, P. (2021, February 25). What Do Pixar Sea Monsters Look Like? 'Luca' Director Enrico Casarosa Explains. Collider. Retrieved July 20, 2021, from https://collider.com/luca-sea-monsters-explained-enrico-casarosa/

Polowy, K. (2021, February 25). Pixar's 'Luca' debuts trailer: Director says coming-of-age adventure influenced by Miyazaki, Fellini and 'Stand by Me'. Yahoo! Entertainment. Retrieved July 20, 2021, from https://sports.yahoo.com/luca-trailer-pixar-coming-of-age-miyazaki-fellini-stand-by-me-call-me-by-your-name-143451999.html?

Saunders, T. (2021, June 22). How the Director of Disney's 'Luca' Captured the Spirit of the Italian Riviera - and Why He Thinks You Should Visit. Travel Leisure. Retrieved July 20, 2021, from https://www.travelandleisure.com/culture-design/tv-movies/disney-luca-director-enrico-casarosa-interview

By Evelyn Chen