The Epic Romance of Prince Caspain

[ericnovak]

I really enjoyed Ben Barnes' acting- he did a great job portraying Caspian and it seems like he had fewer corny lines than in PC. At least he didn't end up saying, "I'm King Caspian!" to Lilliandil. However, it doesn't seem like he said much of anything to her.

If there was one place where Fox could have brought an epic romance on screen, it would have been Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I wouldn't have necessarily wanted there to be a large romance, but I wouldn't have been against it either.

Obviously Caspian isn't over losing Susan- On returning to Narnia, Lucy asks, "So, did you find a queen yet?" and he basically says, "No, duh. Susan was hotter than anyone I've ever seen." Then we find that he keeps her bow in a prominent place on his desk and has her painted on the inside of the ship doorway (you can see her as he steps into the room). Caspian is obviously still very much in love with her...

...Until Lilliandil appears and Caspian decides that she is definitely the best thing since sliced bread. He doesn't fall in love with her character- she isn't developed enough for that. He just falls in love with her looks because he thinks she is cute. Later in the movie he says, "I hope we meet again!" and we end the epic romance that Fox totally screwed up.

Disney creates a romance that shouldn't have been there, Fox ends the romance that was supposed to be there. Maybe in the Silver Chair, Caspian will get to meet up with Susan again when he comes back to London to beat some bullies. Then we'll have a great romance- forget marrying Lilliandil! *Barf*

[Katana]

First Reply ^^
I mean I was all for Caspian and Susan but now I think Caspian just needs to give it up and get together with Lillandil.

[lysander]

They were definitely setting up something with Caspian/Lilliandil, although yes, there was not as much there as I expected. Some of this should carry over into the next film.

I laughed a bit at the fact that Caspian still wasn't over Susan, whereas she was off flirting with officers in America. Typical.

[Shastafan]

^Definitely, Katana. Although I have nothing against a short "first romance" deal with Susan and Caspian in PC (it's still a bit annoying, though... ), Caspian is meant to be with Lilliandil, just like C.S. Lewis wrote in the book. I'm one for romances, but for Narnia, I only want to see the romances the Lewis created, not the ones that were made up for some unnecessary reason. And besides, I like how Caspian and Lilliandil's brief romance isn't made a big deal of, and then they're married in SC. Awww...

(By the way, I hope I didn't insult any of you Suspians )

[Valiant]

The movie was so short and basically every subplot was underdeveloped that this just seems to be part of a larger problem.

[HighQueenofNarnia]

I thought Suspian should never have happened, and I do have a long list of reasons for that, but it takes too long to type and I'd rather get to Lilliandil anyway.

I don't think they made a big enough deal out of Caspian/Lilliandil. Not just because I knew that they were married (in the books), but because Caspian even admitted that he was attracted to her in the film, but it never turned out. You never see Lilliandil, after she turns into a star, again. It almost felt pointless. It would have made more sense if, before the rowboat and co. go out to that place with the wall of water, Caspian and co. had returned to Ramandu's Island and met Eustace there, thereby meeting Lilliandil again. Caspian promises to return to her, then leaves with the Pevensies, Eustace, and Reep. Then, when Caspian faces his final temptation, he remembers Lilliandil (as well as wanting his father to be proud of him), and that is when he decides to turn back.

I have tried to keep my book-purist-ness out of the above description-- that was what, I think, would have worked best for the movie.

[DamselJillPole]

ericnovak, Sure Disney started a stupid romance that shouldn't have been there, but they did end it as well! It's just that kiss needed to be taken out most of all! I agree as well that Fox should not have added that line with Caspian saying "none could compare with your sister." but it's there so that they could give Suspian fans something to awe at.

I don't agree with how you said he's still in love with her just by the way her bow and horn is displayed in his room. So is Peter's and Lucy's belongings, they are displayed in his room as well. As are many pictures of the Pevensie's instead of Susan. For all we know Lucy could have been on the other side of the door. Perhaps the green mist got to Caspian as well and got him to temp for Susan for all these years! Never know.

I will admit I loved what I saw between Caspian and Lilliandil. They were neutral and natural. That's the way you should start a relationship. Caspian and Susan were obsessive and rushed. That's not how love starts and it's not love to begin with. It's called spontaneous infatuation and not many romances last that way because there could have been problems down the road.

Lets say if Susan really did stay in Narnia and Caspian got to see the other side of her that turns her against Aslan, he didn't really like it or the the typical fights every normal relationship will have but would do anything to be with her just because she was beautiful. Sounds very shallow and selfish, just like Rabadash, there's no difference in these men who fall for Susan's beauty. And no I don't consider Caspian/Susan romantic, because their relationship was more underdeveloped than what Caspian/Lilliandil's relationship will become.

Susan could have been the type to not marry early or some what later in her relationship with Caspian. I bet she would have thrown a ball to see if she was compatible with someone else or went behind Caspian's back. I'm not trying to offend any fans of Susan and Suspian, but that's what Susan is, she desires beauty more then Lucy does and she craves the attention (why do you think Lucy didn't enjoy that vision so much from the attention?). Somehow and someway if Susan was in Narnia Caspian and Lilliandil will have gotten together, true love always finds a way.

Like i said it was obviously the green mist that tempted Caspian in the first place. I mean lust is a temptation after all.

The only thing that really bothered me in the film between Caspian and Lilliandil was right after Caspian left and I agree with most of you on this one that Caspian should have mentioned going back to Ramandu island to see Lilliandil again. Us book fans know that he'll go back, and he said "I hope we meet again", but non book fans will not know if she was good or bad unless they go ahead and read the books to find out. They should have shown or had Caspian say something in the film to indicate her existance somehow.

The only thing we can do is make a thread about that and a petiton for more in SC or for an extened edition of VDT with more Caspian/Lilliandil scenes.

[waggawerewolf27]

ericnovak, Sure Disney started a stupid romance that shouldn't have been there, but they did end it as well! It's just that kiss needed to be taken out most of all! I agree as well that Fox should not have added that line with Caspian saying "none could compare with your sister." but it's there so that they could give Suspian fans something to awe at.

No the remark isn't there to keep Suspian fans happy. It is there because Lucy then has something to be jealous of her sister about when she goes to read the Magician's book. Before Lucy gets on board the Dawn Treader we see her mimicking a flirtatious girl saying goodbye to a soldier in Cambridge, and then there was Susan's postcard sent to Lucy and Edmund mentioning her interesting new love interest.

I do agree though with what you say about Caspian/Lilliandil. And I thought their meeting was quite acceptable. When two people have all the rest of their lives to spend with each other, after a lengthy return to Narnia, it doesn't do to be too rushed about these things. Marry in haste, repent at leisure as the saying goes.

[Narnian_Archer]

I was disappointed by the romance in the movie. To me, it seemed clumsy, hurried, and lacked depth. It is very possible to make a realistic, deep, and heartfelt love scene in under three minutes (like Aragorn and Arwen in The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring, for example. They spend about three minutes together, and don't even once say, "I love you", but you just know they feel very deeply for each other.) I think they could have done a much better job.
I guess I'm not looking at Caspian and Susan from a modern-day relationship perspective. I'm not looking at it as something that could happen in our world nowadays. I always looked at it as something magical and otherworldly...realistic, to be sure; deep, touching, but not neutral (again, I draw the parallel to the Lord of the Rings)...that's just me, really...please don't throw something at me for stating this!!
I do agree with DamselJillPole that they should have mentioned something in the end...the movie generally left too many loose ends untied.

[waggawerewolf27]

Narnian_Archer, Aragorn and Arwen were already deeply involved with each other before the Fellowship of the Ring meeting you allude to. In contrast, Lilliandil and Caspian have only just met at Aslan's table.

I agree there should have been a mention about what happened to Caspian afterwards as happens in the book and in the BBC version. Though I didn't really like that hokey BBC wedding scene at the end.

But is Eustace, not the most romantically sensitive sort of person, likely to have known that? Isn't one of the most emotional moments Eustace will have in SC the feeling of shock and dismay that Caspian, his friend, had become a dying old man?

[Narnian_Archer]

waggawerewolf27
That's true.

SHOW SPOILER

I guess I could then allude to Faramier and Eowyn

What I mean is, the scene did seem a little cheeky somehow....could be just me. I didn't see the BBC version. I don't know why I don't like it--so many other people like it...and I don't. Guess I just placed my hopes too high...maybe it's not so very bad as I think...but I still don't like it.

[Kate]

I was actually quite pleased with their relationship. It was very true to the book. While it was clear that Caspian liked how Liliandil looked, it's also true that in the few moments of their meeting, Caspian got to see Liliandil as not just beautiful, but also wise, confident, and powerful. It does seem odd that they turned a non-romance into a fully fledged romance in PC and that in comparison, Caspian's relationship with Lilliandil looks like nothing, but if we consider Caspiandil on it's own, it was very tasteful.

What should not have happened was the allusion to the fact that Caspian has not managed to get over a girl he had a flirtation with after 3 years. Come on now.

[Fledge]

I actually didn't loathe the interaction between Caspian and Lil. I especially like how Caspian said "I hope we'll meet again."

A scene with Caspian and Lil would have been perfect for something at the end of the credits.

[joy93]

I agree with Damsel that I dont think he is still in love with Susan. If you would even call it love. I mean he had all of the Pevensies things there, and the painting....... he could have had Peter painted on the wall for all we know. It was just for effect. To remind the viewers of Peter and Susan( beacuse they were not main characters). Plus he probably would have never said anything about Susan if Lucy had not brought it up.

As for Lilliandil and Caspian I really liked Ben as King Caspian and Laura as Lilliandil. I really was happy to hear him say"I hope we meet again." I just wish they would have shown him going back to the island to get the lords and marry her.I think they could have added more depth to that. I mean it left you hanging!!!!! What happens to Caspian and the crew??????? Do they go back to Narnia?????? Or does Caspian just spend his whole life on Aslans Country?????? You dont know. When the movie ended I was like "Wait what about Caspian?" It was like he wants to see her again but does he???? YOU DONT KNOW!!!! That really bothered me,but............I still am happy that at least they showed him having interest in her. Hopefully when they make SC it will fill the gap.

[DestrierDragon]

I admit I was a bit disappointed with what happened on screen, mostly because I felt like ericnovak , that in the last movie we had to sit through an exaggerated romance that did not exist, while now where Hollywood is actually allowed to add it in, they hardly give it a few lines. I absolutely did not want something dramatic and childish, but a little more interest and a little more character development of Lilliandil I would have liked to see, rather than a quick scene with Caspian staring at her and the "i hope we meet again"
Part of the problem for me was though Caspian seemed right, Lilliandill, for me at least, was not AT ALL, other than maybe in looks, Ramandu's Daughter. In the book she came across as worthy of awe, but in the movie, she didn't seem worthy of awe at all, except for her looks, which bothered me. She seemed in the book to be both young an old, and very wise, a similar aura to one of the elves in lord of the rings. That was not the kind of person portrayed, who seemed your ordinary girl. ("if it is a distraction for you, i can change form.." ) Another reason I wanted more scenes with her, to prove to me they got her right.
AND I missed the ending and conclusion, in the movie we have no idea that Lilliandill was a big reason for NOT going to Aslan's country, or that he goes back to her. Really hope for extended scene!!
Also would have liked to hear the Sleepy Beauty line from Caspian fit in there, I thought that was really sweet in the book!

[ericnovak]

Sure Disney started a stupid romance that shouldn't have been there, but they did end it as well! It's just that kiss needed to be taken out most of all! I agree as well that Fox should not have added that line with Caspian saying "none could compare with your sister." but it's there so that they could give Suspian fans something to awe at.

Actually Disney didn't end it- the book ended it. Susan simply left Narnia and wasn't allowed to come back. End of story, almost end of the romance until we find that Caspian is still in love.

I don't agree with how you said he's still in love with her just by the way her bow and horn is displayed in his room. So is Peter's and Lucy's belongings, they are displayed in his room as well.

It's not just her bow on display or her picture painted on the wall, it's the compilation of that with his statement, "None could compare with your sister." Lucy's gift was in a closed cupboard, as was Peter's gift and Edmund's torch. Perhaps the green mist DID get to Caspian and caused this awful romance/attraction to begin with. What a load of crock since the green mist shouldn't have ever existed.

I will admit I loved what I saw between Caspian and Lilliandil.

I enjoyed the scenes with Lilliandil as well, I just wanted there to be more depth for her character and for us to see something develop. But as Valiant said, every plot was underdeveloped.

Basically I come from the purist camp. Stick to the book and if it kills the normal, "movie" then so be it. Just stay true to the story and everything will work out fine. Obviously VODT fails at this massively.