When I first saw Chang’e, the moon goddess of Chinese mythical folklores, depicted as a singing diva in the trailer for Netflix’s Over the Moon, I cringed. I expected another disastrous western interpretation of Chinese culture like Disney’s live-action adaptation of Mulan. I had no idea it would blow my mind—in a good way—and make me laugh, gasp and even tear up a little.
Over the Moon is an animated musical film that tells the story of Fei Fei, a 14-year-old Chinese girl who lost her mom at age 10. Her dad is getting remarried and she grapples with the belief that he has forgotten his love for her mother.
The story takes place while Fei Fei’s family are preparing for the Moon Festival, which is a traditional East and Southeast Asian holiday, almost like a Chinese Thanksgiving. It is held on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar. As one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture, it is the time of the year for family and friends to come together, have a big dinner and give one another blessings.
To prove to her dad that true love lasts forever and stop him from getting remarried, Fei Fei decides to build a rocket to the moon to find Chang’e and prove that she is real.
A modern take
Chang’e is the moon goddess who according to legend, is waiting for her true love, Houyi, after taking an immortality pill and ascending to the moon.
Chang’e in Over the Moon is a modern-day interpretation of this mythical character, rendering her almost an original character with the traditional folklore of her mythological namesake as her backstory.
I fell in love with Chang’e’s first song in the movie, Ultraluminary, almost right away. It is performed by Chang’e’s voice actor Phillipa Soo—who is best known for originating Eliza Hamilton in the Broadway musical Hamilton.
The song is not only quite catchy but also reveals how Chang’e built Lunaria, her city on the moon.
The moon was a desert land of darkness when she first arrived. She gathered her tears and enchanted them with a magic potion, turning them into Lunarians to build up a radiant city of light. The song shows both sides of Chang’e: lonely and vulnerable, but also motivated and powerful.
Chang’e’s performance is also an absolute visual treat with astonishing animation, from her dress—designed by Guo Pei, the genius behind Rihanna’s trailing yellow gown at the 2015 Met Gala—to her dance moves, which were choreographed by k-pop group Blackpink’s choreographer, Kyle Hanagami.
Chang’e is the symbol of the Moon Festival. I grew up hearing her sad story: she ascends to the moon without her love, Houyi, and spends eternity at the cold, quiet moon palace with Jade Rabbit, the rabbit that lives on the moon, as her only company.
However, Chang’e and the moon palace in Over the Moon are nothing like the legend I’m familiar with. Chang’e first appears in the movie as the pop star of Lunaria. She’s fierce, short-tempered, even a little sassy. But she acts this way for a reason: she is desperate to see Houyi again.
The film interpretation of Chang’e makes it easier for the western audience to understand her story, without destroying the beauty in her character. The legend I grew up hearing always ends with Chang’e ascending to the moon, and no one knows what happened to her since.
It was fascinating for me to see the production team let their imagination run wild to present Chang’e and her city on the moon in the 21st century, presumably thousands of years after she ascended to the moon.
While the production team keeps Chang’e’s story as true as possible to the original legend with a touch of their own creativity and originality, they did an impressive amount of research into Chinese culture to make every little detail authentic.
The first thing I noticed is how well-constructed Fei Fei’s hometown is. Based on its architecture and the small rivers running throughout the town, I can immediately tell it is set in Jiang Nan, a geographic area immediately south of the Yangtze River.
The residents’ daily lives are also accurately depicted. Details like square dancing, lanterns for the Moon Festival, the big round dinner table, and the tradition of the whole family crowding the kitchen to cook together for the occasion are so authentic, I felt homesick watching.
Another thing I found impressive was the Chinese script featured in the movie—they actually make sense! Fei Fei’s notes on the wall, the store signs, and the posters in Fei Fei’s classroom are all written in fluent, simplified Chinese and make the setting of the story even more authentic.
A story of love and grief
Over the Moon is a story about grief. Both Chang’e and Fei Fei shut themselves in and refuse to move on after losing their loved ones.
At the end of the film, a touching tribute to Audrey Wells, the movie’s screenwriter who passed away from cancer in October 2018 during production, is featured. Personally, I see Over the Moon as a love letter from Wells to her daughter and husband. This is made especially clear when Chang’e sings during the climax of the movie: “If you give love, you will never lose love—it only grows.”
Overall, Over the Moon does an incredible job with cultural representation. I’m delighted to see it introducing traditional Chinese culture to an international audience through a warm-hearted and family-friendly story, particularly when the Asian community is so often silenced or white washed in the western media. I can’t wait to see more movies like this in theatres and on major streaming services in the future.
Feature image from IMDb.
