A couple of tra-la-las
I quite liked the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, although I have to admit to a certain bias in favour of any film featuring Tilda Swinton - particularly Tilda Swinton riding in a chariot, wearing chain mail and a lion's mane (spoiler, sorry), brandishing two large swords and glaring, always glaring
Sorry, I seem to have drifted off for a moment there. Anyway, it looks like a fair bet that they'll plough on with the rest of the series, and I for one am looking forward to the Last Battle. Who could forget that climactic scene in the Narnia beyond Narnia which was also England beyond England, that land beyond all lands which contained all lands and held within it the bright promise of everything that is true and good in human experience...
"One thing yet puzzleth me but a tad," said Prince Vivien. "In the tales of old we hear of two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve, and yet here you are and there's like three of you total? I mean, hell-o? If ye take my drift, good lords and lady."
Lucy sighed. "Yes, we told Queen Susan that we were going to jump through our magic mirror into the wonderful land of Narnia and have lots of jolly adventures, but she just said something about having a banging headache from last night and could we all go away. Actually, she didn't say 'go away', she said -"
"That's about the size of it," Edmund cut in. "Susan doesn't care about Narnia these days - all she does seem to care about is nylons and lipstick and mascara and eye shadow and foundation and that red powder that you really have to rub in - rouge, that's right - and there's this lip gloss she wears sometimes, you know, and she's got all these different colours of nail polish, there's one that's almost clear but when it catches the light it's got all these sparkly bits... She's a sight too interested in all that nonsense, if you ask me."
Peter nodded. "That, and getting bonked silly by that boyfriend of hers - and no, Lu, I don't think it's fair to say 'which one', she's told me she only ever has one on the go at a time. Still, the fact remains that she's foregone the chance to have lots of jolly adventures in the wonderful land of Narnia in exchange for nothing more than the sordid pleasures of the teenage meat market. She always was a sight too keen on growing up, if you ask me."
Lady Polly frowned. "There's growing up and growing up - look at me, I haven't had a good night out in sixty years, but you don't see me complaining! No, if you ask me Susan's one of these modern girls who just want to get to the silliest, most irresponsible, most frivolous, most sexually active and most pleasurable stage of life as quickly as possible - and stay there as long as possible. Why, at this very moment poor old Susan's probably staggering in after a wild night out, she's probably got roaring drunk and danced till she was ready to drop, and now she's probably going to summon her last dwindling reserves of energy for a wild session with some young stud. And tomorrow night she'll probably do it all over again."
"Poor old Susan," said Lord Digory. "When you think, she could have been here with us. In this... place."
"Is this... is this Heaven?" said Lucy in a small voice.
"Well, we are dead," said Lord Digory, "if that's what you mean."
"I thought so," said Lucy happily.
The silence was broken by a sigh from Prince Vivien.
"Poor old Queen Susan. To think that she's missing out on all this."
"Yes," said Peter. "Poor old Susan."
Sorry, I seem to have drifted off for a moment there. Anyway, it looks like a fair bet that they'll plough on with the rest of the series, and I for one am looking forward to the Last Battle. Who could forget that climactic scene in the Narnia beyond Narnia which was also England beyond England, that land beyond all lands which contained all lands and held within it the bright promise of everything that is true and good in human experience...
"One thing yet puzzleth me but a tad," said Prince Vivien. "In the tales of old we hear of two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve, and yet here you are and there's like three of you total? I mean, hell-o? If ye take my drift, good lords and lady."
Lucy sighed. "Yes, we told Queen Susan that we were going to jump through our magic mirror into the wonderful land of Narnia and have lots of jolly adventures, but she just said something about having a banging headache from last night and could we all go away. Actually, she didn't say 'go away', she said -"
"That's about the size of it," Edmund cut in. "Susan doesn't care about Narnia these days - all she does seem to care about is nylons and lipstick and mascara and eye shadow and foundation and that red powder that you really have to rub in - rouge, that's right - and there's this lip gloss she wears sometimes, you know, and she's got all these different colours of nail polish, there's one that's almost clear but when it catches the light it's got all these sparkly bits... She's a sight too interested in all that nonsense, if you ask me."
Peter nodded. "That, and getting bonked silly by that boyfriend of hers - and no, Lu, I don't think it's fair to say 'which one', she's told me she only ever has one on the go at a time. Still, the fact remains that she's foregone the chance to have lots of jolly adventures in the wonderful land of Narnia in exchange for nothing more than the sordid pleasures of the teenage meat market. She always was a sight too keen on growing up, if you ask me."
Lady Polly frowned. "There's growing up and growing up - look at me, I haven't had a good night out in sixty years, but you don't see me complaining! No, if you ask me Susan's one of these modern girls who just want to get to the silliest, most irresponsible, most frivolous, most sexually active and most pleasurable stage of life as quickly as possible - and stay there as long as possible. Why, at this very moment poor old Susan's probably staggering in after a wild night out, she's probably got roaring drunk and danced till she was ready to drop, and now she's probably going to summon her last dwindling reserves of energy for a wild session with some young stud. And tomorrow night she'll probably do it all over again."
"Poor old Susan," said Lord Digory. "When you think, she could have been here with us. In this... place."
"Is this... is this Heaven?" said Lucy in a small voice.
"Well, we are dead," said Lord Digory, "if that's what you mean."
"I thought so," said Lucy happily.
The silence was broken by a sigh from Prince Vivien.
"Poor old Queen Susan. To think that she's missing out on all this."
"Yes," said Peter. "Poor old Susan."
posted by Phil at 9:07 pm
1 Comments:
I'm of the 'never work with children or animals' school of views on the sub-'Lord of the Rings' film adaptation of crazy religious toff's childrens' books, although Tilda Swinton was as good as you can be with that script. Having just said 'The Untouchables' was good though, I realise my credibility is hardly sky high.
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