Beating the School Bullies
Posted: Jun 24, 2015 11:27 am
The last time I read through The Silver Chair one of the scenes that I thought would for sure be cut from the film is Jill, Eustace, and Caspian beating the school bullies with the flats of their swords and a riding crop. I thought this partly because the ending is so long that I'm sure at least some parts after the LotGK's death will have to be cut, but more because corporal punishment is frowned upon in our society (as Eustace can attest ). If I had to guess, I think this scene will consist of Aslan roaring and the bullies running away without any beating.
Would this be an important change? It wouldn't ruin the movie for me by any means, but I still think it would be significant.
In my opinion the main theme of The Silver Chair is doing one's duty, even when it's uncomfortable, even when it could mean the death of you. You've just got to "put a bold face on it" and do the right thing. I think that a big reason why the kids, especially Jill who has never been to Narnia before, have a hard time sticking to their duty is because they have essentially been brought up in a place (i.e. Experiment House) that disbelieves in right and wrong and therefore duty. At Experiment House those who torment people weaker than them are not considered bad people but "interesting psychological cases" and blatant bad behaviour is never punished or even acknowledged as being bad.
The ending isn't just Lewis leaving the story on a comedic note, but it bookends the story thematically and affirms the ideas of personal responsibility and justice. I love the scene at the end with the bullies, not because I'm a sadist, but because justice is finally being done.
So what do you think? Will this scene be changed for the movie, will it not be there it all, and is it important?
Would this be an important change? It wouldn't ruin the movie for me by any means, but I still think it would be significant.
In my opinion the main theme of The Silver Chair is doing one's duty, even when it's uncomfortable, even when it could mean the death of you. You've just got to "put a bold face on it" and do the right thing. I think that a big reason why the kids, especially Jill who has never been to Narnia before, have a hard time sticking to their duty is because they have essentially been brought up in a place (i.e. Experiment House) that disbelieves in right and wrong and therefore duty. At Experiment House those who torment people weaker than them are not considered bad people but "interesting psychological cases" and blatant bad behaviour is never punished or even acknowledged as being bad.
The ending isn't just Lewis leaving the story on a comedic note, but it bookends the story thematically and affirms the ideas of personal responsibility and justice. I love the scene at the end with the bullies, not because I'm a sadist, but because justice is finally being done.
So what do you think? Will this scene be changed for the movie, will it not be there it all, and is it important?