Aravis and Aslan's Right Paw

[GlimGlum]

I am currently rereading The Horse and His Boy and just finished chapter 10
titled: "The Hermit of the Southern March".

In this chapter, Aravis on Hwin and Shasta on Bree end up fleeing towards the enclosure of the Hermit of the Southern March. Aslan is chasing them and catches up to Aravis. He reaches up with his right paw with "all the terrible claws extended". The claws tear into Aravis' shoulders and her back ends up covered with blood.

This event is very important to the character of Aravis. I would be OK with show- ing the clawing from the front and the audience would see Aravis' reaction to the pain. As for the result of that, they could show the other characters reacting as they see the blood. But I think they should show the blood seeping or already seeped through her clothing. But then the rating could then go up to a PG-13.

How should this scene be handled in the movie version of The Horse and His Boy?
This one scene, I believe, can keep the rating at PG or up it to PG-13 (USA system).

Your thoughts on this are appreciated.

[Lion's Emblem]

I would absolutely hope that this scene would be included in a film version. I could see it being editied as: we see Aslan lunge forward, claws fully extended, there's a sound... (how would you describe the sound effect for torn flesh?), we see Aravis cry out in pain- even fall forward against Hwin's back as they try to escape (all of this would be very quick cuts to be up with the pace of the urgency in the scene), Shasta turns back and we see the scene as he does, Shasta then turns back to Bree and shouts that they have to turn around to help, Bree seems not to hear him, so Shasta jumps off his back and runs into the fray.

The showing of blood is a very touchy subject for a "family" film. My thought is, if a lion reaches its claws out to take a swipe at you, it seems that two and two together clearly equals some amount of blood shed. The point can come across in a PG rating without being glorified (when you get hurt, there will be blood, simple as that, but it doesn't need to become a blood bath). In that sense, there could probably be a quick cut of Aslan's claws going across Aravis' back - so quick in fact that we only see the red claw marks and bits of slashed clothing (similar to the arena sequence in STAR WARS: Attack of the Clones where Padme gets attacked by the Nexu (I think that's the name of that creature). Obviously, not exactly the same, but the general idea of the layout). And, if we see Aravis healing at the hermit's, what's a little injury to deter the audience about Aravis' fate?

[fantasia]

I've seen several PG movies where you see blood as the result of an injury, but not the actual wound. Both LWW and PC had characters where you see blood on their faces. The big one for me is Beauty and the Beast where the Beast gets stabbed. Even though it's animated, that was pretty rough and he sure is bleeding.

I think in this case, all you would need to show is Aslan rearing up, hearing Aravis scream and then filming from the point of view of Shasta who looks back realizing that Hwin and Aravis are in trouble. You wouldn't even need to show a shot of Aravis's bloody back until she's safely with the Hermit. I think you could do that pretty easily and still maintain a PG rating.

[MountainFireflower]

I've seen several PG movies where you see blood as the result of an injury, but not the actual wound.

That's true. There's also Tangled, where Flynn gets stabbed by Mother Gothel and we see blood as a result of that. That shot was very quick, but showed enough blood for us to get the idea that Flynn was very injured. (Not sure if there's anyone who hasn't seen Tangled by this time, but I figured I'd put it in spoilers just in case.

Also, like FK mentioned, we saw several intense things in LWW. Tumnus got hit on the face with the White Witch's staff, which didn't draw blood, but was still fairly hard to watch. Same with Edmund, who got fatally wounded (he was stabbed, if I remember correctly, it's been awhile ).

It doesn't have to show a lot of blood and gore for us to get the point that Aravis is wounded. We'd draw the conclusion based on the circumstances—after all, having a lion's claws ripped across your back isn't exactly commonplace.

Narnia has almost always managed to test the boundaries by showing things realistically while still keeping a PG rating. They're very creative and tactful with that sort of thing, which is something I appreciate. Hopefully, The Horse and His Boy will be no different.

[Varnafinde]

I think in this case, all you would need to show is Aslan rearing up, hearing Aravis scream and then filming from the point of view of Shasta who looks back realizing that Hwin and Aravis are in trouble. You wouldn't even need to show a shot of Aravis's bloody back until she's safely with the Hermit.

It's true that we saw some blood in LWW, but in many cases it was more like this - we saw swords being swung, and could deduce that there must be a cut, but we didn't always see that cut. And there was no revelling in blood and gore.

I like your suggestion here. See the situation that creates her bloody back, but not include the blood in the covering of the actual situation. Then a quick glimpse of her bloody back as the Hermit starts treating it.

[GlimGlum]

It doesn't have to show a lot of blood and gore for us to get the point that Aravis is wounded. We'd draw the conclusion based on the circumstances—after all, having a lion's claws ripped across your back isn't exactly commonplace.

It will be interesting to see which way they go when HHB is made. I think that the 3 previous posters have made a good case for a PG version. One thing for sure, whether PG or PG-13, it will be an "ouch" moment.

[Narnian_Archer]

I definitely think the scene should not be looked over or ignored. It is a colossaly important point in the movie, the climax of Aravis' character, in fact, and should at any cost be included in a film version. However, I don't think it's necessary to make a gory, detailed, zoom-in camera view of drops of blood pouring out of open wounds in Aravis smooth, olive back. That sounds a little...well, gory! Aslan does make ten claw marks on her back with his claws, but He does not dig into her flesh seeking for blood. He is mimicing the lashes of a whip. Ten lashes is not enough to roughly tear pieces of flesh off of the back - the results would be ten thin stripes across her back that would bleed slightly, but not profusely. Here's a version I think might work -

A chase scene with Shasta and Aravis riding furiously - a wide angle shot of them riding, with Shasta gaining ground, zoom into the two of them from the front, with Shasta taking the lead, side shot of him taking the lead, zoom into Shasta for a few minutes, shoot to the side to see him turn his head, shot of Aravis and Hwin riding desperately, shot of the lion from the front, shot from the side with Aslan leaping up, shot from above (possibly from a helicopter) of him on Aravis' back, close up of Aravis fighting to get him off her back and Aslan making two heavy blows to her back (two strokes + five claws = 10 stripes) with his paws (from the front, like GlimGlum suggested, so we could not only see Aravis's reaction but also so that we don't have to show bloody details), then checking himself (this could be in slow motion) and jumping off her back. Then show Aravis riding into the gate zoom into Shasta's scared face, and then possibly make the viewig blurry as he staggers to the ground (blurry because his vision is blurred from fatigue), and through the blurriness we see someone leading Aravis away (the hermit). Through the blurs, it culd be possible to see a little blood dripping onto the ground, or a few drops going down Aravis's back. I don't think, however, that it's necessary to make a big scene where we see Aravis swooning with thick, sticky bloody patches seeping through the clothing on her back, because these are not deep wounds where the blood would seep through clothing, flowing uncontrollably. There may be slight red marks, but not something very graphic, as these are lashes, not wounds.

Of course, it is possibly that the Calormens had hooks on their whips which would tear out bits of flesh, like the Romans, in which case rhe bloos would flow quite freely, but I think it unlikely that these would be used on a high-standing servant in a noble household, because those kind of servants/slaves were valuable. Oftentimes they were educated, they were dressed well, well-fed, and cared for because their job was to be presentable to their mistresses as companions, helpers, etc. Usually the hooks were used for slaves of the lowest class. That's the way I see it.

[Varnafinde]

Aslan does make ten claw marks on her back with his claws, but He does not dig into her flesh seeking for blood. He is mimicing the lashes of a whip. Ten lashes is not enough to roughly tear pieces of flesh off of the back - the results would be ten thin stripes across her back that would bleed slightly, but not profusely.

That's a very good point.

There is blood, perhaps more than just slight bleeding:

Hwin, stumbling and nearly fainting, was just entering the gate: Aravis still kept her seat but her back was covered with blood.

But when Aravis wakes up from her faint, she seems not to be very much hurt.

"My back is very sore, father," said Aravis, "but there is nothing else wrong with me."
[...]
"Now, my daughter, you may sleep when you wish," said the Hermit. "For your wounds are washed and dressed and though they smart they are no more serious than if they had been the cuts of a whip. It must have been a very strange lion; for instead-of catching you out of the saddle and getting his teeth into you, he has only drawn his claws across your back. Ten scratches: sore, but not deep or dangerous."

The point of it is not to make her back a bloody mess, but as you say, to imitate the lashes, and I agree that such lashes would not be from whips with hooks.

"The scratches on your back, tear for tear, throb for throb, blood for blood, were equal to the stripes laid on the back of your stepmother's slave because of the drugged sleep you cast upon her. You needed to know what it felt like."

(Quotes from HHB, my emphasis.)

I guess there could be a scene where the hermit comments on her back while he treats it - if his little speech from the book is too long, he could just exclaim, "Why, this looks exactly like the lashes of a whip!"

And later Aslan's explanation should be included or at least referred to in some way.

[Narnian_Badger]

It would all but kill Aravis's character arc if they chose to remove this scene--it would also damage Aslan's character. As N_Archer and Varna have pointed out, Lewis is pretty clear about these not being deep, long, gashes, but mostly superficial scratches (which, I'm guessing, would not even scar). The best way to handle it seems like a shot from the front with Aslan leaping on to Aravis and Hwin (with claws extended?). The actual injury wouldn't have to be shown until it's cleaned off, and it would be poetic justice (if possible, hard to tell without seeing how the rest of the script/camera work was going) if the scratches could be in the exact same spot/width apart as the maid's were. Maybe a distinct way two of them could overlap? Anyway, this would remove the need for explaining the link through dialogue, if done properly.

[Lady Rosalia]

I agree that that scene is crucial to Aravis' character, and also think that it is at least as crucial to Shasta/Cor's character. To remove it would remove much development, and also leave significant plot holes.
Personally, I think that it could be done thoroughly and yet tastefully (I hesitate to use that word, as how can that sort of thing be tasteful?) However, no injured skin would need to be shown.
It could show Aslan's paw extended, show Shasta dismounting (falling?) and running while hearing the sound of tearing cloth and Aravis scream. Shasta yells to The Lion, and then He goes away. Show the Hermit in the doorway, and one glimpse of the bloodstains on Aravis' clothing as she is helped off the horse and led away. Then inside, I think it could be handled sort of like in Ever After when

SHOW SPOILER

Jaccqueline is tending to Danielle after she was whipped. It is pretty clear what Jaccqueline is doing, but yet no injury is shown

The Hermit's speech would suffice to explain, as well as Aravis waking up and trying to roll over. Combine that with a brief scene showing the maid while Aravis tells her story early in the movie, then Aslan talking with Aravis in the Hermit's enclosure.
I think that would be obvious, yet not too intense. Still a "wince" moment, but yet I think sometimes those are necessary in books - and in film if done well. Sorry for the ramble!
Edited: When I mentioned bloodstains, I meant pretty light ones. I agree with previous posters that there would probably have been little blood. However, I picture her wearing thin, silk-like clothing. From having done a hand-sewing project recently with that fabric, I know how it picks up blood from a pricked-finger. It was only a drop of blood, but within seconds the fabric picked it up and really spread the stain. To make it a little more rating-friendly though, her dress could be patterned so that the stains would be less obvious, showing mostly the tears.

[Ithilwen]

That's a scene that definitely needs to be included, and not at all toned down just for a PG rating.

Kids see PG-13 movies all the time. Almost everyone my age when I was a kid had gone to see LOTR when it came out in theaters. I think when filmmakers start paying too much attention to the rating, the film ends up being more childish than meaningful. Themes take priority over rating and "suggestive content". And that part expresses one of the story's most important themes.


~Riella

[7chronicles]

@Ithilwen:

I couldn't agree more, or have said it better!
I think they should show how painful it was, including the blood.
I could see them doing a far away view, sort of like the Pauline Baynes Illustration:


I would be all for a PG-13 rating for all the Narnia movies, because in parts like this I think it needs to be shown and not worked around simply for a rating.
It is to important to the character and the story.

[De_De]

To tell you the truth, when my brother read that scene to me, I imagined ten long, quite wide streaks of blood. But then my brother read it very emphaticaly so it made an impression on me. Later when I re-read that part again I realised that it might not have been that bad. Like Narnian_Archer said, Aslan wasn't in a bloodthirsty rage, he was just teaching Aravis her lesson.
Although it does seem a bit gruesome to make a scene where you actually see Aslan's claws scratching Aravis. Maybe I'm conservative, but I just imagined it and it made me wince. I like the idea where the camera is on her face and you see Aslan in the backround jumping and the claws adn she winces in pain. And then the camera switches and we see ten long tears in her clothing with a little bit of blood dripping down.