Credible Credits
Year: 2013
Director: Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee
Starring: Idina Menzel
Music/Lyrics: Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez
Synopsis: After Queen Elsa's icy powers are revealed, she flees into the mountains and begins to explore just what she is capable of.
Synopsis: After Queen Elsa's icy powers are revealed, she flees into the mountains and begins to explore just what she is capable of.
Review
Nope. I'm not one bit ashamed to admit that I saw Frozen for the third time today. I still think it has some flaws, but I love it anyway. And I just really wanted to see it one more time on the big screen.
As the post's title suggests, this is only a review of one particular segment. I actually had many of the following thoughts related to "Let It Go" a few weeks ago. So I thought I'd put my film school knowledge to use and share.
It truly is a powerful segment, as the outstanding visuals and soaring music forward both the story and Elsa's character development. I've read the equivalent section of the novelization (What? It's a good story.) and it isn't nearly as awe-inspiring or revealing.
The segment is about liberation. Elsa starts out feeling isolated and like a failure for having accidentally revealed her powers. For years she has abided by her parent's well-intentioned counsel to "conceal it; don't feel it." But now her secret is out. And with it comes a sense of exhilarating relief. She no longer has to keep this enormous secret. She no longer has to live in fear of discovery. And though she is alone, she thinks she no longer has to fear hurting Anna or anyone else.
At long last, Elsa lets go of her fears and the constraints she has lived under (symbolized at that point by her remaining glove and cloak which both blow away in the wind). Instead, she embraces the incredible power she was born with. As soon as she relinquishes her fears and embraces who she is, the snowstorm around her stops and the night becomes crystal clear.
It is very appropriate and telling that almost the first thing Elsa does as she embraces her powers is to build Olaf. She has never forgotten the lopsided little snowman (who likes warm hugs) she and Anna once built as children. Olaf in a way becomes a living reminder of not only the sisters' bond, but also of Elsa's inherent goodness.
As Elsa is liberated (or rather liberates herself) from her fears and the constraints on her powers, she also undergoes a transformation. Timid steps become an excited run. Her confidence grows along with her ice palace. And lastly she transforms herself, freeing her hair and changing her gown to become a crystalline, shimmering complement to her powers.
But there is an undercurrent to the segment. It took a few viewings before I picked up on it. For almost the entire sequence, Elsa is moving from right to left across the screen. Because we are a left to right reading society, right to left is often considered the "wrong" direction, or it implies moving backward. (In The Hobbit, for example, the characters are almost always moving from left to right on their journey.) So having Elsa move from right to left is a subtle, subconscious commentary within the film. Yes, she is excited and feels free. Yes, she is becoming empowered and confident. She genuinely feels like she is on the right path. And certainly her motivation of protecting Anna and Arendelle from herself is well-intentioned. But ultimately, she is going the wrong way.
The audience has already begun to know what Elsa doesn't: that Arendelle is in a deep freeze. Elsa may think she can be free from her past, but she will ultimately have to face not only her past but all her fears in order for everything to be set right. Running away to be alone isn't the answer. And I love that the sequence subtly shows that.
As the post's title suggests, this is only a review of one particular segment. I actually had many of the following thoughts related to "Let It Go" a few weeks ago. So I thought I'd put my film school knowledge to use and share.
It truly is a powerful segment, as the outstanding visuals and soaring music forward both the story and Elsa's character development. I've read the equivalent section of the novelization (What? It's a good story.) and it isn't nearly as awe-inspiring or revealing.
The segment is about liberation. Elsa starts out feeling isolated and like a failure for having accidentally revealed her powers. For years she has abided by her parent's well-intentioned counsel to "conceal it; don't feel it." But now her secret is out. And with it comes a sense of exhilarating relief. She no longer has to keep this enormous secret. She no longer has to live in fear of discovery. And though she is alone, she thinks she no longer has to fear hurting Anna or anyone else.
At long last, Elsa lets go of her fears and the constraints she has lived under (symbolized at that point by her remaining glove and cloak which both blow away in the wind). Instead, she embraces the incredible power she was born with. As soon as she relinquishes her fears and embraces who she is, the snowstorm around her stops and the night becomes crystal clear.
It is very appropriate and telling that almost the first thing Elsa does as she embraces her powers is to build Olaf. She has never forgotten the lopsided little snowman (who likes warm hugs) she and Anna once built as children. Olaf in a way becomes a living reminder of not only the sisters' bond, but also of Elsa's inherent goodness.
As Elsa is liberated (or rather liberates herself) from her fears and the constraints on her powers, she also undergoes a transformation. Timid steps become an excited run. Her confidence grows along with her ice palace. And lastly she transforms herself, freeing her hair and changing her gown to become a crystalline, shimmering complement to her powers.
But there is an undercurrent to the segment. It took a few viewings before I picked up on it. For almost the entire sequence, Elsa is moving from right to left across the screen. Because we are a left to right reading society, right to left is often considered the "wrong" direction, or it implies moving backward. (In The Hobbit, for example, the characters are almost always moving from left to right on their journey.) So having Elsa move from right to left is a subtle, subconscious commentary within the film. Yes, she is excited and feels free. Yes, she is becoming empowered and confident. She genuinely feels like she is on the right path. And certainly her motivation of protecting Anna and Arendelle from herself is well-intentioned. But ultimately, she is going the wrong way.
The audience has already begun to know what Elsa doesn't: that Arendelle is in a deep freeze. Elsa may think she can be free from her past, but she will ultimately have to face not only her past but all her fears in order for everything to be set right. Running away to be alone isn't the answer. And I love that the sequence subtly shows that.
Quotable Quotes
- "A kingdom of isolation ... and it looks like I'm the queen."
- "My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around."
- "Let the storm rage on! The cold never bothered me anyway."
ISFS
No comments:
Post a Comment