(no subject)

[cleolinda]

Okay, so I ran across my old Hague-illustrated hardback copy of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and curled up to reread it. It's a quick read and didn't take long, but I was surprised by how much I'd forgotten about it. I used to sit down with all my Narnia books and all my L.M. Montgomery books and my Louisa May Alcott books each summer and read them all over the course of a couple of weeks. This would usually be late July, for some reason--when I was really deep into the summer and the hours were getting long and drowsy and pleasant. Maybe early August. But I did that mostly when I was in elementary and middle school--I probably haven't read any of the Narnia books in about ten years. I'm not even really sure where the other six are, sadly.

Anyhoo, my point is that this is the first time I've read the book with the movie in mind--and I can still turn the movie visuals off, so to speak; I think Book!Jadis will always have dark hair to me, if only because I saw the awesome '70s animated version so! many! times!. In fact, I think I was reading the book with the cartoon's voices in my head, and I haven't seen that in about 15 years, I don't think. But I have a huge collection of stills at this point--probably just about every image that's been released--and I started noticing things in the book that I remembered from the stills, rather than the other way around. So here's a little photo essay on why I'm excited about how faithful the movie to which I have Thursday midnight tickets eeeeeeeeeee looks. I mean, I'm sure there will be changes and additions and what-not, but it looks like they're being very faithful in spirit:



(All pictures from Narniaweb and Outnow.)

"'It's only just round the corner," said the Faun, 'and there'll be a roaring fire--and toast--and sardines--and cake.' 'If you will take my arm, Daughter of Eve,' said Mr. Tumnus, 'I shall be able to hold the umbrella over both of us.'"

 

"He looked round him again and decided he did not much like this place, and had almost made up his mind to go home, when he heard, very far off in the wood, a sound of bells. He listened and the sound came nearer and nearer and at last there swept into sight a sledge drawn by two reindeer."

"'My poor child,' she said in quite a different voice, 'how cold you look! Come and sit with me here on the sledge and I will put my mantle around you and we will talk."

"'But I don't even know the way back to my own country,' pleaded Edmund.' 'That's easy,' answered the Queen. 'Do you see that lamp? Straight on, beyond that, is the way to the World of Men. And now look the other way--and tell me if you can see two little hills rising above the trees."

 

"'Down at Cair Paravel there are four thrones and it's a saying in Narnia time out of mind that when two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve sit in those four thrones, then it will be the end not only of the White Witch's reign but of her life, and that is why we had to be so cautious as we came along, for if she knew about you four, your lives wouldn't be worth a shake of my whiskers!"

"Just as Mr. Beaver had been repeating the rhyme about Adam's flesh and Adam's bone Edmund had been very quietly turning the door handle..."

"Even though he knew it was only a stone giant and not a live one, Edmund did not like going past it."

"Peter was silent and solemn as he received these gifts for he felt they were a very serious kind of present."

"And once more Peter said nothing, for at that moment a strange noise woke the silence suddenly. It was like a bugle, but richer. 'It is your sister's horn,' said Aslan to Peter in a low voice."

"Then, after a bit, Susan came down from the tree. She and Peter felt pretty shaky when they met and I won't say there wasn't kissing and crying on both sides. But in Narnia no one thinks any the worse of you for that."

"'Rise up, Sir Peter Fenris-Bane. And whatever happens, never forget to wipe your sword."

"Lucy and Susan held their breaths waiting for Aslan's roar and his spring upon his enemies. But it never came."

"'Oh, how can they?' said Lucy, tears streaming down her cheeks. 'The brutes, the brutes!' for now that the first shock was over the shorn face of Aslan looked to her braver, and more beautiful, and more patient than ever. 'The cowards! The cowards!' sobbed Susan. 'Are they still afraid of him, even now?'"

"And now, who has won? Fool, did you think that by all this you would save the human traitor? Now I will kill you instead of him as our pact was and so the Deep Magic will be appeased. But when you are dead what will prevent me from killing him as well? And who will take him out of my hand then? Understand that you have given me Narnia forever, you have lost your own life and you have not saved his. In that knowledge, despair and die."

"And through the Eastern door, which was wide open, came the voices of the mermen and the mermaids swimming close to the castle steps and singing in honour of their new Kings and Queens."

"So these two Kings and two Queens rode a-hunting with horns and hounds in the Western Woods to follow the White Stag."

I don't know why that last part in particular makes me so happy.

Comments

[kauricat.livejournal.com]

Those look awesome! I'm much more excited to see it now.

[crypticidentity.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's awesome. I mean, really, that's cool, how you found the parts in the movie and the match up with the parts in the book. I can't wait for the movie; the books are so amazing.

(...first comment? I doubt it)

[crypticidentity.livejournal.com]

GAH. Almost.

[conejita-diabla.livejournal.com]

"I think Book!Jadis will always have dark hair to me, if only because I saw the awesome '70s animated version so! many! times!"

Jadis was the giant-woman accidentally taken into Narnia by Digory in the Magician's Nephew, right? If that's the one (it's been a while for me, too) the Magician's Nephew had a *very* detailed description of her appearance, which I'm fairly certain included dark hair.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

It really wasn't hard at all--I just picked the best ones. There are so many that match, it's really awesome.

[honorh.livejournal.com]

*Squee!* I've got midnight-opening tickets for myself and my sis, too, and I'm so very excited! Thanks for the visual aids--I can't wait!

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Someone was saying the other day that she had red hair, but I can't remember and I can't find the book. But yeah, that's where Jadis comes from, which is why I maintain to this day that you should read LWW first and THEN read MN five books later, for that OMG! moment when there's that notice at Tumnus's house that says, "...her Imperial Majesty Jadis, Queen of Narnia," etc.

[kosher-jenny.livejournal.com]

Eeeee! This movie is going to be amazing! Even if I won't get to see it opening weekend because of finals. WOE.

[theatre-angel.livejournal.com]

I need to re-read all these old childhood classics. I used to love the Narnia series when I was little, and I distinctly remember peering into my wardrobe at every possible opportunity, in the hopes of seeing a lamppost in the distance. I have a huge hardcover copy with colored photos somewhere around the house...I'll go looking for it tonight.

(Friday. Friday. Eee eee eee.)

[newsong.livejournal.com]

I'm attempting to get opening night tickets, too.

[kvschwartz.livejournal.com]

I don't think I have anyone to see it with, and I pretty much never go to movies alone.

Also ... I tend not to see movies unless rottentomatoes.com says I really should, so I am going to wait to see their verdict. *waits for people to throw stones*

[ladyvoldything.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure that she had dark hair according to the actual text, but the most common edition of MN has a PMSy-looking Jadis staring at you with bony hands and very red hair.

[penelopeblack.livejournal.com]

I think Book!Jadis will always have dark hair to me, if only because I saw the awesome '70s animated version so! many! times!.

Oh, I loved that version so much when I was little. So much. I should try and get hold of it before I see this one. Thanks for posting these stills and stuff. I haven't really got excited about this movie until recently, so it's nice to have them all together like this. ;)

[sunhawkaerie.livejournal.com]

(er, long time reader, first time poster :) )

I think I'll wait til Monday or Tuesday and see a matinee show - I heartily dislike movie theatre audiences. But that just means I can go out and buy the whole series tomorrow and them this weekend!

[may-child.livejournal.com]

Great job! The movie looks wonderful.

[drpeprfan.livejournal.com]

*attempts to calm down* I have midnight showing tickets as well (tomorrow! Eeep!). I loved how you matched the book with the screencaps, I just finished rereading the series (Jewel=one kick arse unicorn) and had forgotten how much I loved them.

You should definitely watch the BBC version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, it's amusing. Jadis has dark hair, and I like the way she was portrayed, even though the filming is super cheesy, they have some creatures drawn in as animation, and the beavers are people in giant beaver suits, haha. The animatronic Aslan is ever so amusing as well. They did Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader (my favorite out of all of them), and The Silver Chair, too. I have them recorded off of PBS from years ago.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Oh, there's tons more, though. Click the Outnow link for some really good ones.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

I think that's why I've started really liking midnight audiences--you get people who are old enough to behave themselves, but still really, really want to be there.

[princessstarr.livejournal.com]

Eeee Narnia (attempting to see it on Saturday, due to various reasons). I squealed when I saw the Beavers scene for the first time.

And yeah, I do the dark haired Jadis as well. Although, I think the one cover of The Magician's Nephew had her as a redhead...

The stills are fantastic, and keeping my mind very pleased as I waste away on my paper.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Oh, I remember watching those on Christmas Eve back in the day. I don't know that I saw more than LWW and Prince Caspian, though.

[drpeprfan.livejournal.com]

I watched them recently and had to keep from laughing, because they're that cheesy. I love them though. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader was paired with Prince Caspian, so you might have seen it (oh, the Dufflepuds crack me up, and I hope they find someone just as annoying to be Eustace). The Eustace dragon part is one of my favorites, people use that excerpt all the time. I have the Silver Chair one on VHS, I don't think I've watched it yet though.

I thought they could have picked someone better to be Lucy though, she was supposed to be cute. The new Lucy's tons better, at least it seems that way.

[mysticowl.livejournal.com]

Hey, in the book, isn't Lucy blonde? I don't have my book anymore, so can't look it up.

You know, I had the biggest crush on Edmund. Yes, Edmund, not Peter. I went for the misunderstood anti-hero back then. ok, not just back then...

[foresthouse.livejournal.com]

I think you and I did the same ritual summer-reading. Except I also read the "Black Cauldron" series regularly - they were great too!

I re-read the Chronicles about a month ago and have been very excited at seeing how close to the book they seem to be sticking. :)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Having just read it, I don't think it specifies what any of the kids look like until the end, at which point Queen Lucy the Valiant "was always gay and golden-haired" (and Susan has "black hair that fell almost to her feet"), and I think you can see her in the back of that last pic I posted, with dark blonde hair. Little Lucy is still so young that it's possible her hair could get lighter as she gets older, I guess.

[dramedy.livejournal.com]

If you really like them, Best Buy has all of them on DVD for about 50$. We used to have them on VHS somewhere, my mom bought them from the PBS catalog.