Random Pieces of Rainbow

Me rambling about the Goldwater scene and how Edmund experiences backward character “development”.

memento-morrie: ^ THIS. ALL OF IT. Quite aside from the horrible writing of this scene (‘This is exactly what Coriakin was talking about.’ or anything that comes out of Caspian’s mouth or (worst of all) ‘I’m tired of playing second fiddle!’* or Skandar’s awkward and frankly bad acting,** this scene easily represents the worst characterization of the 3 films. Edmund’s character is completely and utterly destroyed and to make things worse there is never a proper reconciliation. This scene in the book is entirely about Caspian being an idiot and needing to be put in his place by an older, wiser, and more mature king. (Who, by the way, does have more power than him, being a king of old and brother of the High King. Another thing about this film that annoys me is that Caspian introduces Edmund as ‘High King of Narnia’ but Edmund IS NOT treated as such. If the filmmakers wanted to do that they should have been consistent with it. However, considering how Caspian treated the Peter, the actual High King, in movie!PC, it probably wouldn’t have made a difference.) Edmund has to do this TWICE in VDT because later on Caspian is ready to swan off to see the end of the word and leave his crew (and his crush) behind without a second thought. He gets so out of hand that freaking ASLAN has to show up and tell him he’s being in idiot. Edmund is the main only character in VDT who doesn’t go through a temptation/redemption scenario, due to the fact that he’s already done so in LWW. Obviously Eustace, Caspian, and even Lucy (perfect little Lucy who actually isn’t so perfect) do things wrong, but Edmund doesn’t fall because he already has. He knows what to stay away from and what not to do. However, we get reminders of Edmund’s treachery twice in VDT. Once on Dragon Island, when Edmund and Eustace talk after Eustace is undragoned (‘…but I was a traitor.’) and also on Ramandu’s Island when we see the Stone Knife and are reminded just how and when and why Aslan died. Edmund’s role in VDT is that of the encourager, the practical thinker, (see Deathwater, when he figures out what the water does first, and also Ramandu’s Island, when he, unlike everyone else, in not ready to go along with R. D. just because she’s pretty.***) and the voice of reason. He’s been through intense character development already, so he can sit back for a bit and let everyone else learn a few lessons. Whereas in movie!VDT, Edmund becomes a self-centered brat. The main 3 things he wants are: 1) to be more important than Caspian/Peter, 2) to be rich, and 3) to be king. Does this sound a bit familiar? Oh, right. Of course. Because those are the EXACT 3 things he wants in LWW. That is not character development. That is character regression. It makes NO sense whatsoever for him to fall back into these temptations because he no doubt strived his entire life to get as far away from them as possible. Edmund is the kind of person who, when finding out that Aslan died for him, would have dedicated his entire life to worth such a sacrifice. (I 100% believe that Edmund did find out BTW. Either Lucy or Peter told him or he figured out for himself, but he knew.) He would NEVER fall into that sort of thinking again because he knows it’s dangerous and he knows it’s not worth it. …so um…yeah…that turned into a bit of an essay. This isn’t even everything I could say about this topic either. (Don’t even get me started on Edmund in Dark Island. And the wave at the World’s End? Ugh. Kill me.) *Seriously? I’m tired of playing second fiddle? That’s the best you could come up with? **I’m willing to give Skandar the benefit of the doubt due to the horrid material he was given this time around, but I honestly don’t think his acting was anything like as good as it could have been. ***Edmund is not supposed to be taken in by her as he is in the movie. He’s supposed to think she’s a Witch. Her apparent possession of the Stone Knife doesn’t help her case.

^^Yeah, all of that too. (emphasis mine)

I was disappointed in both Skandar and Georgie’s acting in VDT movie (Georgie less so) because somehow, they both seem really stiff. It wasn’t, you know, the worst acting I’ve ever seen, but considering how good they both were in PC and LWW, I just had really high expectations and they weren’t lived up to. I got the feeling that the actors were as annoyed at their characterisations as I was.

But while I’m only mildly annoyed with some aspects of Lucy’s journey in VDT (I think they pushed her insecurities too far), I can’t even deal with Edmund. I wanted to die in the theatre at how they butchered his character.

I didn’t like stupid!Peter in PC, either, but I understand it. He had been High King and of course it’s disorientating to be thrown back into England. But Edmund! After having established Edmund in PC, I don’t know WHY we must go through this emo stage in VDT. (Also, this might be because of too much fanfic, but I always thought that Edmund would be, like Lucy, have a lot more implicit trust in Aslan’s decisions more than Peter or Susan.)

Also the whole idea of “I want a kingdom of my own” (*headdesk*) is so profoundly and idiotically ungrateful to Aslan, which is something I don’t think Edmund would ever be. I mean, what happened to Once a king, always a king? What did he think he was king of then, a papier-mache kingdom?

Don’t even talk to me about “Edmund and Lucy, High King and Queen of Narnia.” Thank god I heard that first in a trailer, if I heard that first in the theatre I would probably have screamed.

(via mementomorrie84)