let the past die

northern water tribe leader: that’s not necessary, no one can survive submerged in the artic ocean for so many minutes

zuko:

Zuko:

Advisors: Princess Azula did perform the astounding feat of infiltrating Ba Sing Se…

Zuko: Huh? Oh, that’s not hard. It’s pretty nice, if you don’t mind the brainwashing, but you can’t get a spicy octopus for love or money. We ate so much jook. *shudders*

Advisors:… you got in too…. interesting.

*

Advisors: The mysterious Water Tribe city at the North Pole

Zuko: It’s a pretty place, if you like ice.  Lots of sealturtles. They have a really nice little sort of sacred grove thing there, too, I kidnapped the Avatar from it once.

Advisors: …. we have some questions….

*

Advisors: We still have not found the Fire Lord’s secret supplier of new weapons - 

Zuko: He’s at the Northern Air Temple. (Realizing they’re all staring at him) Oh, no, I haven’t met him personally, but I have friends who have. He sounds like a very interesting guy.

Advisors: SO MANY QUESTIONS

*

Zuko: (while directing post-war reparation efforts) Oh, and we need to send a lot of people to work on replanting the forest around this obscure village.

Advisors:…. may we ask why?

Zuko: Apparently the local panda spirit is pretty mad about having its forest burned down. 

Advisors, now afraid to ask: ….Yes, Fire Lord. 

*

Zuko: At least he died doing what he loved?

Zuko: “Oh you’re still looking into that?”

Adviser: “He is a wanted criminal in both the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation for espionage, theft, assault and battery, breaking and entering and breaking numerous other local laws and customs.”

Zuko: “Huh when you put it like that it does sound pretty bad.”

Adviser: “My Lord, surly you heard of him and his crimes.”

Zuko: “Of course I heard of him. Its just… I mean considering all the good he did. His heart was in the right place?”

Adviser: “…”

Shivering in the trenches dreaming of cozy hobbit holes, shaking as bombs pockmark a forest and imagining each shallow mud-filled crater contains a new world—that maybe there are still as many beautiful things in the universe as there are bombs—that maybe the world is bigger than this moment and this ugliness and one day this will be a peaceful forest again full of small ponds.

I mean look at these photos of the shell craters in Sanctuary Woods, near Ypres Belgium and tell me it’s not the Wood Between The Worlds:

Frodo is very much haunted by his journey, by the things he faced and the weight he carried to the point of disability, to the point that he had to leave the world as it was to go to the world more perfect just to heal from his PTSD and his wounds. Tolkien lost so many friends, saw so many men broken. How many did he witness choose to go to that next world by their own hand?

And so many other characters, even the big heroes and mighty wizards were not unaffected. We see it in Eowyn come face to face with the harsh realities of war. That there is no glory here, no honor, only horror and blood and death. We see it in Boromir, adrift in the river, broken shield broken horn broken body never to return to his family or his city. We see it in the lament of the elves for a world that once was and will never come again. We see it in the dead marshes, that no man’s land of bloated corpses. We see it in the silmarillion, in broken heros and shattered lands.

I’ve said it before, but LOTR is anti-war. A common refrain in battle after battle after battle in his work is the toll it took, the blood that soaked the earth, the people who never come home. Unnumbered tears, shed for all those who have been lost.

But we also see the peace, the little joys, the reasons for hope, that there is light at the end of that long dark tunnel. Eowyn chooses to heal, not only others but herself. Faramir chooses to heal as well. And Sam, steady Sam, always a memory of what was left behind and what could await them at the end of the shadow.

What proves Aragorn the king is not his deeds in war, his strategy and tactics and prowess in combat; its his hands of healing. His ability to heal the wounds of others and see them through.

Jane Austen does this thing where she uses certain words only for certain characters or in certain novels. Emma uses the word “blunder” more than any other book (it’s a major plot clue) and the word “supernumerary” is only used twice in her entire compendium and both times it’s near Mrs. Norris in Mansfield Park. 

The novel Persuasion uses the word “pierce” exactly twice and both times it’s said by Captain Wentworth:

He stopped. A sudden recollection seemed to occur, and to give him some taste of that emotion which was reddening Anne’s cheeks and fixing her eyes on the ground. After clearing his throat, however, he proceeded thus—

“I confess that I do think there is a disparity, too great a disparity, and in a point no less essential than mind. I regard Louisa Musgrove as a very amiable, sweet-tempered girl, and not deficient in understanding, but Benwick is something more. He is a clever man, a reading man; and I confess, that I do consider his attaching himself to her with some surprise. Had it been the effect of gratitude, had he learnt to love her, because he believed her to be preferring him, it would have been another thing. But I have no reason to suppose it so. It seems, on the contrary, to have been a perfectly spontaneous, untaught feeling on his side, and this surprises me. A man like him, in his situation! with a heart pierced, wounded, almost broken! Fanny Harville was a very superior creature, and his attachment to her was indeed attachment. A man does not recover from such a devotion of the heart to such a woman. He ought not; he does not.” (Ch 20)

And the second:

“I can listen no longer in silence. I must speak to you by such means as are within my reach. You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope…. (Ch 22)

Wentworth cannot understand how Captain Benwick can recover from the wound of losing the love of his life, because Wentworth never has. These two statements are bound by the word “pierce”.

OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD– feel free to add on!

“I made a promise Mr Frodo— a promise! Don’t you leave him Samwise Gamgee. And I don’t mean to. I don’t mean to.”

In general all the scenes where there’s no words/dialogue, and the music and visuals and actor’s performances are allowed to carry the story instead….something that’s impossible to do in a book. The standout moment for me is the moment after the ring is destroyed, Bard-Dur collapses, and it’s portrayed as.relief beyond words.

THE SOUNDTRACK IN GENERAL

The scene in mount doom that’s like “don’t you let go. Don’t let go.”

The hobbits returning home to find everything the same,  and being heartbroken because they’ve changed so much.. I’m not saying it’s better than the book’s plotline where they returned home to find the Scouring of the Shire™, but it’s impactful in a completely different way

The scene where Eowyn hears Theoden’s last words, instead of Merry hearing them like he did in the books. Again, not necessarily “better,” but impactful in a different way

“my brother, my captain….. my king.”

Flm!Boromir in general. He’s a drastically different character than he was in the books, and YMMV on which version you like better, but I’m so glad film!Boromir is here

“No parent should have to bury their child.”

Arwen’s expanded role in general, and the way they we actually got to see her make her choice to stay in Middle Earth

That subplot in the Two Towers where Aragorn tames a wild unruly horse, basically becoming the protagonist of a Horse Girl Movie

THE PACING!!!!!!!!!!!! 

My time has come.

Legolas’ miniature character arc of growing to understand death. Gandalf dies? Just pure shock. He looks like he got punched. Boromir dies? He’s just so. Sad and confused. Like a little kid who doesn’t know what dying is but he knows it’s bad. They think the Hobbits are dead? Legolas bows his head and murmurs a farewell in Elvish, but he still doesn’t seem to comprehend. He thinks Aragorn is dead? He practically shuts down because now he gets it. Battle of the Black Gate, when it looks like Aragorn is about to die? That is the only moment besides Moria when we see Legolas is genuinely afraid.

“Never thought I’d die fighting side by side with an Elf.” “What about side by side with a friend?” “…Aye. I could do that.”

Éomer finding Éowyn after the battle instead of in the middle of it and letting out that gut-wrenching scream.

“They have a Cave-Troll.”

Basically the entire fight sequence in Balin’s tomb, which was much shorter in the book.

That EPIC charge down the mountain at Helm’s Deep. Looks like a freaking Renaissance painting.

Boromir training the Hobbits to fight. It’s just so pure and wholesome.

Actually that whole scene because it’s the one moment—before the crebain show up—that we get to see the Fellowship just being friends without some immediate crisis.

Sam getting to say a proper goodbye to Bill the Pony because I have FEELINGS about that pony, okay?!

Arwen and Aragorn having an essentially telepathic connection. Idk if it’s better than the books, but honestly it’s a good way to expand her character without changing it completely—which is what they were gonna do originally by having her show up at Helm’s Deep to fight.

Aragorn: I’ll do you one better, where are my hobbits?

Éothain: I’ll do you one better, do hobbits even exist?

Éomer, grabbing Gimli: Tell me what your purpose is, or I swear to the Gods, I’m going to stab this little freak.

Legolas, drawing his bow: Let’s do it, you kill my guy, I’ll kill yours. Let’s go!

Éothain: Do it, Éomer. I can take it.

Gamling: No, he can’t take it!

Gimli: He’s right, you can’t.

Éomer: Oh yeah, you don’t wanna tell me what you’re doing? That’s fine, I’ll kill all three of you spies and I’ll beat it out of Sauron myself. Starting with you.

Legolas: Wai- what? Sauron? All right, let me ask you this one time: What Master do you serve?

Éomer: What Master do I serve? Obviously, King Theoden.

Aragorn: …You’re from Rohan.

Éomer: I’m not from Rohan, I’m from Edoras.

Aragorn: Yeah, that’s in Rohan, dipshit. What are you hassling us for?

Legolas: So you’re not with Sauron?

Éomer: With Sauron? No! I’m trying to kill Sauron. He’s destroying my land. Wait, who are you?