Sinister Subtleties in a Song

While it is meant to be like a typical Disney romantic duet between the princess and her love interest, “Love Is An Open Door” is very different from others due to it having a strong percussion beat with a touch of silliness regarding what Anna and Hans say and how they act.

“Love Is An Open Door” is used well in showing the film’s motif of doors, through figurative and literal uses. After being shut inside the castle and shut out by Elsa for so many years, Anna sees her supposed romance with Hans as another door – a door to a new life of happiness and being with others, something that has been denied to her for so long. Whenever she sings, she mentions how she and Hans seem to match up so well, which makes her believe that they are truly meant to be.

However, the song is also considered to be the villain’s musical number, too, because it gives subtle hints to Hans’s true nature and motives. These examples include:

When Hans sings, “I’ve been searching my whole life to find my own place,” he gestures towards Arendelle. This line and gesture represent his desire to conquer Arendelle.

This line and gesture represent his desire to conquer Arendelle. “But with you, I’ve found my place” means the same as the above statement, in which Hans has found his own kingdom to rule through meeting Anna and getting to know her as the princess.

Any time he sings “Love is an open door,” it refers to how he is pretending to love Anna in order to use her as his “door” to gain access to Arendelle’s throne.

Before Anna says “Sandwiches!”, Hans was obviously going to say the phrase correctly. But when she changes it, he says, “That’s what I was gonna say!” This indicates that he’s only pretending to agree with her, hinting at his false love for Anna. Even though it happens fast, he does have a quick moment of being bewildered (see this post).

The “mental synchronization” line shows Anna and Hans dancing robotically. This represents how Hans is pretending to be someone he isn’t in order to make Anna think that he loves her when he really doesn’t.

“You and I” has Hans saying “you” with Anna finishing with “and I,” which both refer to her. This may be another hint at Hans using Anna in his scheme.

This may be another hint at Hans using Anna in his scheme. “Say goodbye to the pain of the past” and “We don’t have to feel it anymore” seem to represent how Hans is using his scheme to rid himself of the ignorance and humiliation he suffered from his older brothers, especially since his scheme will allow him to become king, something that he wouldn’t have in his own kingdom.

And yet, Anna never catches these clues. Throughout the whole song, Hans puts on an act by pretending to be the kind of dream prince Anna wants. Everything he says and does is false…and it’s why Anna falls for him. She thinks singing the “romantic” duet with Hans is part of why she believes they have true love, especially when they sing lines simultaneously. And of course, she also considers marriage the purest form of love, so when Hans proposes at the very end of their duet, it’s why she says yes.