“Rainbow” is literally the unofficial “Dora the Explorer” meeting “The Wizard of Oz” in a colorful and fantastical tale with undertones of darkness that send a chill down our spine in their moments. In this era of the oversaturation of content online, movies like this prove that there is still new ground to be touched in cinema. A while back, we had heard something along the lines of “telling a story has become more important than telling a good story.” Thankfully, “Rainbow” is a good story that justifies its visuals and makes us believe in the fantasy it attempts to create. Let’s see how this unfolds on screen.
Spoilers Ahead
Dora’s Search For Her Mother
Dora is a regular teenager who lives with her dad and occasionally runs errands for him. During one such errand, she overhears the woman at the store talking about how she looks exactly like her mother. That night, she asks her dad about her mother and calls out his lie about never having seen her again when in fact, he had met her a few years ago when she had come to ask him for some money. Diego refuses to tell her more, and Dora runs out of the house angrily, with her dog Toto, just as a storm is starting. Somehow, she finds herself at the Weizeg’s house, who are one of the richest families around. Over there, she hears two women arguing. Coco wants Mirabel to unplug Arturo’s life support so that they can inherit his money and lead their lives, but Mirabel is against it. They spot Dora, and she tells them that she is looking for her mother, Pilar. Mirabel steps forward and tells Dora that Pilar was her daughter, which makes her Dora’s grandmother. Dora is taken downstairs by a girl and given some silver shoes. Meanwhile, Coco and Mirabel’s argument intensifies, with Coco threatening to shoot herself. In an attempt to stop that, Dora holds her gun, but the gun misfires and shoots an already dead Arturo in the face. Right at that moment, the lawyers arrive, and Coco pushes the entire blame on Dora.
Dora runs away yet again and spends the night at a bus stop. The next day, she finds a man chained up in a garage. His name is Muneco. Dora frees him, and they set out together to find her mother. On their way, they run into Mr. Bubalu. He is another rich man but is extremely depressed and contemplating suicide. Dora talks him out of it, and the three of them leave together. That night, they stop for dinner at another place, where they run into the last member of their party. He is attacked by his brother as he is a queer man, and they all take off in Mr. Bubalu’s car. They land at a gambling place, where Dora gets the next clue about her mother’s whereabouts. The group spends that night in a motel where they really open up to each other. At least Mr. Bubalu and Dora do. The former talks about his depression to Muneco, and Dora talks about her discovery of her sexuality.
The next morning, they see on the news that Dora is suspected of killing Arturo Weizeg and that the police are looking for her. The group escapes but is eventually caught, and Dora is arrested. However, she is freed as Mirabel has submitted the security footage, which proves that the whole thing was an accident. As it turns out, Mirabel is the daughter of Arturo, as he had been having non-consensual relations with her mother. Mirabel knew about it but had turned a blind eye because generational trauma in a patriarchal world had convinced her that this was normal. When Coco came to know about Pilar’s pregnancy, she lost her temper and started hitting her belly. This is why everyone thought that Dora had been born dead. But they later came to know that she was alive.
When Arturo dies, Coco reveals that she herself is pregnant. But she miscarries soon enough due to her advanced age. A fight between her and Mirabel causes her to ask the latter to leave. But she has her own plans in place. She runs a DNA test and proves Dora’s parentage. She and her granddaughter are the sole owners of the property. Coco is dejected and pleads with Mirabel to take care of her. The latter relents, and they seemingly get back together.
‘Rainbow’ Ending Explained: Does Dora Finally Find Her Mother?
Now, Dora knows the reality behind her mother’s actions and has a choice to make: that of embracing this new world or of going back to her old one. There is a party thrown in her honor to introduce her to everyone. Coco tries to pull one last trick and poisons Dora’s drink. But during the toast, Dora refuses to drink it and leaves the party with her dog, Toto. The party resumes, and as a twist in the tale, Mirabel has poisoned Coco’s drink. The latter realizes it too late and falls into the pool, dead. But people think that it is a gesture inviting everyone to jump in, and soon enough, it turns into a pool party.
When Dora is making her way out, she meets the lion again, but just like before, he is harmless. When people at the party see him, chaos ensues, and they all leave. Dora makes her way to a restaurant where she sees that the server is named Pilar. Dora recognizes her mother but doesn’t reveal her identity. She was told earlier by her dad that her mother did not want to be a part of her life, and Dora had replied that she wanted to hear it from her. But now, knowing everything she does, she understands the reason behind her mother’s actions. Dora leaves the dinner and texts her father that she is coming back home. There is a happy ending for Mr. Bubalu and Muneco as well, as they form a surrogate family with each other and Ingrid.
Final Thoughts: What Works For The Film ‘Rainbow’?
Good shoes take you to good places, and you are lucky if you are born feet first. Both of them come true in this movie. It is surprisingly engaging, and the best part was definitely the relationship between Coco and Mirabel. There was a darkness to it that was very expertly brought out by the writing and acting. The film was definitely visually stunning, and despite its incorporation of the elements of fantasy, the issues addressed are done so with the right amount of gravitas. Spain has mastered the art of giving a unique twist to its stories, and it is fast becoming our favorite country to turn to for out-of-the-box content. We recommend “Rainbow” as a compulsory watch, and kudos to the makers for coming up with something like this.
“Rainbow” is a 2022 Drama film directed by Paco León.
