Musings on "Road to El Dorado"...
Oct. 13th, 2000 06:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
I just thought about "The Road to El Dorado" a bit. I was wondering... WHY?
Why did they have to put in the female to screw up the beautiful romance between Miguel and Tulio?
I was always wondering this. It's absolutely obvious that Miguel and Tulio are lovers. They are so much like a couple in every aspect. How they treat each other, are familiar with each other, comfortable around each other. Just think of the many times and ways they touch each other all the time. When Tulio is lifting Miguel and he has his face half buried at the other guy's ass, he doesn't look the slightest uncomfortable with it, doesn't he? And of course, the conversation in the boat when they think they're dying. "... and you made my life rich." Would you say this to your friend? No way! There are these many momentoes between them, when Miguel gets all excited about something and Tulio rolls his eyes, then smiles lovingly and lets him have his way. And think of Miguel's look of heartbreak at Tulio's "Forget about Miguel". And then, all of the songs that are being sung, in the background, giving voice to the character's emotions... the list is endless.
Trying to discuss which of the songs was the one giving away the most that Miguel and Tulio are lovers was rather pointless, because no particular song could be pinpointed. They are all eligible.
Let me point out a few examples:
Without Question
Miguel is "thinking" it while looking around in the village, but in fact he's thinking about Tulio. It becomes clear when he looks up to where he expects Tulio to be standing and just that moment he thinks "I love you, I love you without question, I love you". Why would he think this about a village he's just arrived in anyway? Of course he means Tulio.
"I'd believe in anything were it not for you
Showing me by just existing only this is true
I love you, I love you without question, I love you
The more I want the more I steal
The more I hold the less is real
All worldly things I follow blind
In hope not faith was paid in kind
The line is drawn, the change is made
I come to you, I'm not afraid."
I especially like the last line. I think that's so angsty... It shows that Miguel is afraid to completely give in to his feelings for Tulio. That is quite plausible, taking into account that Tulio is someone who rather suppresses his feelings. Miguel's afraid of rejection.
Next song:
Trust me
These lyrics almost speak for themselves. There are many "gay" signals in there. Most of all "pretty boys" and the like. Think of the Japanese artform of bishounen which goes almost hand in hand with homosexuality. And then there's always room for interpretation of these words. It's about angst again, fear of admitting your feelings, about time you've wasted looking for other love when true love was always waiting near.
Looking back it makes me shiver
Don't be scared to kick the past
Selling lovers down the river
Nothing built for speed will last overnight
All those years of desolation
Pretty boys and damage done
Not the way to find salvation
Looking after number one
Trust me
Try rolling with the flow
Trust me
I've been there don't you know
I'm giving you a chance, so take it
I got all you want, you'll make it
Standing there in front of me, you're naked
You can't hide a thing, you've got no choice
Trust me
To me, this is clearly sexual. "standing there in front of me, you're naked, you can't hide a thing"... but it's also emotional. Showing everything to this one person.
Then next...
My Heart Dances
Obviously a song about breaking up, about fighting with the one you care for. Meaning, Miguel and Tulio's fight about Chel and leaving El Dorado. There is no way of pretending the girl could be meant in any way. I point out "enchanted boy".
I see you in the distance and I see us as we are
So nearly so contented but a careless word too far
I see you in confusion for a once enchanted boy
My heart dances, oh oh, but not for joy
I longed to love you better but I swear I don't know how
You could have been my future but I had to have it now
The things we love completely we are fated to destroy
My heart dances, oh oh, but not for joy
All those lines "longed to love you better", "you could have been my future" point towards a couple that has been together for a long time already. This rules out Chel completely again. I really love the sadness of this song. "My heart dances... but not for joy." *sobs*
Next on my list...
Friends Never Say Goodbye
The song in the background when they're fighting. Tells so much more than just friendship, but love... and betrayal. And hurt.
What is done has been done for the best
Though the mist in my eyes might suggest
Just a little confusion about what I'll lose
But if I started over I know I would choose
The same joy the same sadness each step of the way
That fought me and tought me that friends never say
Never say goodbye
Also this line: "here isn't much I haven't shared with you along the road" tells me a lot more than what meets the eye. This could also have a sexual connotation once again.
And last, but not least...
Someday out of the Blue
Probably the best known song of the whole lot. Not really related to the film's contents, but still in full correspondence with its spirit. It could illustrate the possible outcome of Miguel and Tulio, if they hadn't gotten their acts together again in the end. I like the sadness of this song, but also the hope.
Some day out of the blue
In a crowded street or a deserted square
I'll turn and I'll see you
As if our love were new
Some day we can start again, some day soon
In a way this also reminds me of Brian and Curt from Velvet Goldmine, but that's a whole different story! ^_^.
Now I think I've made a clear point that Miguel and Tulio are a couple. Now, what to do with Chel? Why did Tulio have to fool around with this chick? We had enough evidence of a loving relationship between those two guys with mutual attraction and affection (whether acted upon it or not remains a mystery). But, and that's the main point I'm making, it's not that obvious, if you're an innocent unsuspecting viewer. Thus, no need of "de-gaying" the film. But still they did. Why else should they have inserted this Chel-chick? Their so-called romance is ridiculous and just disturbs the flow of the film. It almost appeared to me as if they, panic-stricken, put her in (as an object of romance) to avoid the voices of indignation that would surely have attacked them otherwise.
So, what did they do? Did they try to keep the gayness away with her and indeed intended Miguel and Tulio to be gay, but chickened out? If this is true... it makes me very sad. Because... what can I say? It would have been beautiful. So free of issues and anything. They're just there. Nobody would have bothered, nobody would have known. It would have been "Don't ask, don't tell". So why, why, why???
The answer is simple: Chel was a decoy. For the average bigot mind that would have cried "EVIL FAGS!!!!" otherwise. Chel gives a good excuse for them to ignore these bits. It is my belief that the characters of Tulio was sketched out to be bisexual. A friend pointed out that Tulio's attraction to Chel is nothing but physical. And it's true. He resists her long enough and it never really goes deep. Her mistake was to misread and/or ignore the signs of Tulio being taken already.
Chel is a cool character. She is funny, fearless and cynical. I don't want to hate or condemn her. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have had any cool women (or any women at all, for that matter) in the movie. In the end, I thought, she had stepped back from Tulio. She realized that she would never be able to get between Miguel and Tulio, so she resigned and got used to the idea of the three of them staying together. She did however try to get her hands on Tulio alone first! Tsk, tsk, tsk...
Tulio and Miguel's problem is that they've gotten too used to each other to really appreciate each other's presence. They never really thought they could not have each other anymore. Friends never say good bye. Especially Tulio. He never thinks about what he has in Miguel. He usually gets annoyed at him or thinks he's silly, but secretly he is happy that he's there and smiles about his antics. He loves Miguel, but he would never admit it. And Miguel? He's too timid to make a move. Maybe they even shared physical love already, but to them in was never clear how fragile their relationship could be, because they just took it for granted. Then Chel bursts into their little world and Tulio gets distracted for a moment. But this was necessary, because then they both realize how much they love each other.
Tulio doesn't want to leave Miguel behind, but Miguel can't stay with them without having things set straight. He is too proud and still too timid to make a move. But then when he sees his love's life in danger, he doesn't think twice and gives up everything he wanted, just to save him. This makes Tulio realize, too, what he had, has and needs: Miguel. They leave together again and Chel too sees that she can only be their friend...
I really love "Road to El Dorado"...
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Date: 2000-10-13 01:55 pm (UTC)oops, sorry!
Date: 2000-10-13 02:02 pm (UTC)I didn't really expect people to read this, so I didn't specify any more precisely. "Road to El Dorado" is a magnificent animation flick by Dreamworks, thus NOT Disney. Very, very nice though ^_^. You should really see it ^_~.
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Date: 2007-06-12 09:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-12 09:55 pm (UTC)Ehem, anyway. I suppose it's a mixture of animation movies (for children as target group no less) tending to have a rather tiny fanfiction base to begin with and then the general trend I have noticed that fanwriters inexplicably seem to be drawn less towards canon m/m couples! It's like the overrepresentation of "text" in expense of the subtext doesn't quite spark as much. Sad that...
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Date: 2007-06-12 11:51 pm (UTC)Great icon, by the way.
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Date: 2007-06-12 11:57 pm (UTC)I just actually spent half an hour looking at your deviantart gallery until I got sidetracked by that scary picture you had as favorite and now I'm too scared to sleep! ;_;
Randomly, also funny this entry shows up for that kind of search... LOL.
Eeeeeh, your icon rocks too! Poor Wilsy...
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Date: 2007-06-13 12:34 am (UTC)I got sidetracked by that scary picture you had as favorite. . .
OH, THAT ONE. Sorry! I looked at that for the first time in a dark room with no one in the house. Thanks for looking at my gallery.
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Date: 2007-06-13 12:56 am (UTC)Don't be sorry! It was very amusing and I've managed to pass the scare onto everyone who was online at the time! X3
Do you have any other galleries that I can look at? I quite like your style and I know how limiting DA can be with what they accept as entry.
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Date: 2007-06-13 03:42 pm (UTC)The only other place I post art would be my lj. Hey, I even drew Cpt. Jack hitting on Col. John Sheppard (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y184/Ukrazy1231/Fanart/sgatorchwood.jpg) for this kuh-razy meme I did.
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Date: 2007-06-13 07:58 pm (UTC)Hahaha that drawing is awesome. That sure looks like Jack. Of course that makes me wish even more you'd go ahead and check out TW so we can expect lots of drawings from you *very selfish*.
Do you post more art in your LJ than on DA? If so I might just have to friend you to get access to the above PG-13 stuff... *coughs* >.>
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Date: 2007-06-13 09:19 pm (UTC)Of course that makes me wish even more you'd go ahead and check out TW so we can expect lots of drawings from you *very selfish*.
Haha. No, I have a few friends that wouldn't mind seeing TW fanart from me. Lord knows that I try to get my friend
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Date: 2007-06-13 09:38 pm (UTC)I wouldn't mind seeing some RtED fics... I remember seeing some at the very beginning... many aeons ago, but those probably aren't even around anymore. There was a Yahoo!Group too. Dunno if it still exists. You must always remember, RtED is a fandom that started *before* LJ. Ye-heees such times existed! *g*
Anyway, I'm sold. Adding you now *g*.