This is such a good scene that doesnt get enought attention and praise for how much it describes and fleshes out Red's character. (And even hints to her PTSD altho pretty obvious i would say by now) Im just gonna basically walk you through it because i NEED to talk about this. BADLY.

Right before this shot, Cinderella says "even your daughter knows this is wrong, she can't do it." (sentence her to punishment) But immediately, Red looks up as if that were an insult (despite previously going against her mother at all opportunities). Because despite how much she denies it, she's fallen victim to Bridgette's manipulation she's tried to defy for forever.

I csnt put the entire scene but Cinderella, after that look up Red makes, slowly makes a kind of terrified look, like she's honesyly SHOCKED by how quickly Red just... snaps when faced with the assumption she's too weak to send punishment to someone.

Red here looks to her mother for guidance. Somrthing like a child would do when met with a hard decision e.g. ice cream or candy. When faced with a stressful situation she's in, Instead of trying to make her own decision, to fight back against her mother. She just regresses into a child again and lets her mother's manipulation take the wheel in her brain.

And out of the impulsive stress of it all, and maybe a bit of anger at Ella, she goes ahead and sends Cinderella to be beheaded. BECAUSE she felt attacked and stressed and needed anyone to guide her. Something Red hates the MOST out of anything, is being looked down on, or even doubted. Which is what lead her to try and deflect that or to shove off the way people perceive her as.

Ok sort of random tangent? but this scene here is so heartbreaking like oh my goodness. Poor Chloe she was TERRIFIED her mom was gonna die and that's just horrible ☹️ (PLUS THE SCREAMS? HELLO?) Other way to say, Malia Baker is an amazing actress i love her +Kylie ofc ofc

And after what i would argue is Chloe's screams plus the realization of the situation, Red INSTANTLY regrets her decision. Even SHE is so shocked by what she's done that she can't even make out words. Because the absolute stress of everything is inevitably bringing her down and she doesn't know what to do about it except listen to her mother through it. Basically, when she's stressed and has no where to turn or can barely speak out against her mother, she instead just listens to her... cuz that's all she feels she can do.

And here. Especially here. She realizes she's turning out to be EXACTLY like her mother. (And after this scene, everyone in the crowd says the same thing) Whether or not that is true doesn't matter SHE feels as if she's going down the same path as Queen Bridgette, the same path she's fought years and years to avoid. But no, her trauma beats her down until she no longer can decide for herself what her future is going to be. She's going to live and die Red Hearts

And honestly this scene is perfectly compositioned, say what you want about the movie THIS scene is amazing. And tbh i just wanted to speak out against those people who think "Red would have never done this. She's too rebellious to do this." But do you even understand what trauma is? Clearly not. Because this IS what a victim would do. Having trauma, dealing with trauma, it makes you do things you usually would never do. Not all of course, everyone deals with their trauma differently, or the lack of dealing with it.