Jared Bush has revealed one the sentient Encanto house, Casita, powered by a magical candle that also gifts each member of the family some remarkable abilities. One such member, Bruno, voiced by John Leguizamo, was shunned from the family after his ability to see visions of the future caused misfortunes in the village. The family's negative view of Bruno contributed greatly to the deterioration of his mental health, made even more shattering by new information given by director Jared Bush.
In a Bruno's hatred for his gift all the more poignant, especially after knowing that Bruno had hidden himself away inside the walls of Casita for a decade, watching his family from the outside yet always stopping himself from getting involved.
Bruno’s Mental Health Was Much Worse Than Everyone Realized
Bruno's self-loathing goes beyond just wanting to ostracize himself from his family, but also wanting his gift to be torn away by any means necessary, interestingly in direct opposition to Stephanie Beatriz' Mirabel, who wants nothing more than to be given her own gift. Bruno's gift allowed him to see the future, but it seemed that the information he would tell others about his visions would only cause hardship for those around him and consequently to their rejection of him, detailed in the hit musical number, "We Don't Talk About Bruno." When Mirabel journeys into Bruno's cold and empty room in Casita, she discovers that Bruno has been secretly living in Casita since his disappearance, as well as coming across a statue of Bruno with the eyes etched away. The reveal that Bruno did this to himself proves his utter hatred for his gift, wanting to scratch out his own eyes to stop the visions and save his family's pain.
Bruno’s Tragic Story Goes Far Beyond His Visions
Bruno's internal conflict is shown in various ways throughout Encanto, especially in his superstitious personality and the wasteland-like state of his room. This is also shown with the seemingly-sentient rats that seem to accompany him. While the rats provide some comic relief in one of the most difficult moments of the film, they also provide another in-depth look into Bruno's mental state in Encanto, as Jared Bush also revealed that the rats were trained to do everything they do by Bruno himself. Bruno resigned himself to a life of isolation, not by choice, but by what he thought was a necessity, with the rats providing proof that he still yearned for connection and friendship.
Moments featuring the investigation of Bruno's choices help to make Encanto such a surprisingly powerful film. It's usual for Disney projects to carry a deeper meaning than they let on, but they are rarely so moving and emotional. Despite dealing with hardship and personal torture, Bruno and the rest of the Madrigal family found their happy ending by the end of Encanto, realizing that they don't need to rely on their gifts to be special, their connection is what makes them unique.
