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Originally Posted by Lalaith
. . . a lot of the acting was interesting and even subversive. I´m particularly talking about James McElvoy and Tilda Swinton. Swinton´s White Witch was no caricature villainess, at times she verged dangerously close to provoking admiration and even sympathy. (I wonder what her real life children made of her creepy maternal act...) McElvoy created a more complicated Tumnus than the cuddly faun of the books and I liked his performance very much.
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Lalaith, I think you are quite correct to see a subversive depiction of the maternal influence there; this would be quite in keeping with Swinton's acting history. As I watched Peter, I found myself thinking of how the teenage boy must dissociate himself from the mother image in order to grow up. And I agree about McElvoy. He shares in the credit for making Narnia so successful, for it is his character which gives not only Lucy but us entry to it.
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Originally Posted by Lalaith
A couple of things about both films: I wish I could force any modern film director making a film set or written in the 1940 and 50s, to watch Brief Encounter ten times before he starts the cameras rolling. There was a better attempt to recreate the "stiff upper lip" in this film than in LotR, but there is still too much 21st century emotional incontinence going on. This is especially important in Narnia - a wild and natural country which liberates the Pevensie children from their 1940s uncomfortable and rigid clothes, food, manners and behaviour. Too much was made of the war, not enough of the rigidity.
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What a fascinating expression, "emotional incontinence"! One of the most difficult things for adolescents to develope is, I think, a sense of historical perspective and an understanding that in the past behaviour and social decorum had different expectations. But your reading of how the children are liberated from the wartime limitations is very interesting. Makes me think of Tolkien starting his legendarium in response to his own wartime experiences.
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Originally Posted by Lal
I was reminded more of cybergoth hairstyles; look this up on google and you'll see what I mean.
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Ah ha! Yet I suppose my main point remains. Why must the villainess have dreadlocks, of whatever cultural style? Merely to suggest her rebellion against the right order of things? Or is that part of her attractiveness, that she is unusual?
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Originally Posted by Lal
I think that's why Tolkien's world is so satisfying. There is no jumping off point, as it's all there from the first page and there is no need to suspend my rational mind. Likewise Gormenghast.
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Exactly. Why should fantasy and imagination be regarded solely as children's play?