The albatross is merely there as an easter egg for book fans. It's significance is never explained in the movie and it doesn't appear to do anything except fly across the screen. It's pretty apparent that in the film version of VDT, the 7 swords are what destroys the Dark Island, not Aslan.

The first time I watched it, I was extremely happy and loved it. I still do.

Upon seeing it for a second and third time, however, it does seem rather rushed. I wanted just a *little* bit of pause before it came soaring in - more of a mark of Lucy's faith, rather than a magical answer to prayer or something.

I must admit that it was somewhat strange that the significance of the albatross was never explained, but hey, it was there! I almost rose up out of my seat and wanted to shout something like, "Yes! The Albatross!" Instead, I just "whispered" it to my friends instead

MinotaurforAslan, yes, the seven swords do destroy the Dark Island, but they're merely just an aid in doing so. The character's willingness to gather the swords, and Eustace willingly placing the last sword on Aslan's Table (through Aslan's help after undragoning him and sending him there) is what really destroys the Dark Island. Remember the line that (I believe) Caspian said, when he sees that the sea serpent is only really just green mist? "We can beat this!" And so they did. I see your point of view on it though; it's different from the book, although I think the way they did it in the movie was quite well thought out

I felt that Lucy's prayer was horribly mushed in the movie. Sure, I'm glad they kept it. But it was in an emotional lull - between the green zooming mist attacks and the appearance of the Sea Serpent - if I remember right! But for sure it was during a quite moment. The Albatross seemed pointless. And there was no answering whisper "Courage, dear heart."

The albatross is merely there as an easter egg for book fans. It's significance is never explained in the movie and it doesn't appear to do anything except fly across the screen. It's pretty apparent that in the film version of VDT, the 7 swords are what destroys the Dark Island, not Aslan.

There was a strange scene earlier in VDT where Eustace is seated ondeck, catching up with his journal. You see him apparently talking to an albatross or some sort of sea bird. Tavros and someone else starts commenting that Eustace can't possibly be having a conversation with a bird because birds don't talk.

In VDT the book, Lucy was the only one who could hear the albatross saying 'courage dear heart'. Did the albatross make any noise?

The bird Eustace talks to is just a seagull.
The film doesn't identify the bird flying high in the beam of light in the sky, but it clearly does relate to Lucy's whispered prayer, even though the shot is very brief.
The albatross doesn't speak, doesn't come near enough for Lucy to hear it, but this is still the point where things start to get better.

I don't see it as an Easter Egg (surely those are only in DVDs?) but as an ambiguous point where the book fans would understand something differently from most others.

I think BBC got the albatross scene right and Walden did not. In the BBC version, everyone was being tormented by their own personal nightmares, people were falling to the floor in fear. Lucy cries out to Aslan, quite desperately in their moment of need as it was in the book. The albatross appears and although it's only cartoon animation and not very convincing, I always get a shiver from Aslan's gentle response, "Courage, dear heart". It's beautiful.

Walden's albatross moment is an afterthought. Lucy asks for help (but so quickly you could miss it) and the shot with the albatross is given no chance to resonate. And there was no emotional response from me whatsoever which was a shame. That was always a highlight for me both in the book and in the BBC.

I read about this scene in (i think) the Movie Storybook beforehand, and it seemed like a really nice moment - that in their darkest hour in the battle with the Dark Island, when it looked that all hope was lost, that Lucy would drop to her knees, send a heartfelt prayer to Aslan, and just when it looked liked there would be no victory, that the Albatross would appear in a ray of light and lead them to salvation.

What happened in the movie however was simply Lucy saying a couple of lines, an Albatross appearing, and that was it. There didn't seem to be any sort of emotional build-up to the moment, and there sure wasn't any direct resolution of the moment. Just Pray, Albatross, Done.

It would be interesting to see what non-book fans thought of this moment, because i knew exactly what was supposed to be going on, and i was still left confused by the moment. Would non-book fans have been more confused by it, or would the whole thing just have gone straight over their head without them even noticing?

It didn't make much sense in the movie. Her prayer was there but I had always thought she going to fall to her knees and pray,''Aslan, please help us now.'' This felt sorta rushed and the Albatross didn't say the words,''Courage, Dearheart.''
I thought why even have the Albatross if you don't do it right?

The albatross doesn't speak, doesn't come near enough for Lucy to hear it, but this is still the point where things start to get better.

No, things don't get better because the Sea Serpent attacks shortly after.

That's too bad that that part isn't given more emphasis. It has stayed with me more than any other aspect of any of the Narnia books I've read.

Oh well... it's still in the books! Though I wish they had put it in the movie too.

The first time I saw it, I did not understand the albatross. But the second time, I noticed that after the albatross comes, Eustace gets undragoned? I figure that's what help Aslan did. He took Eustace to Aslan's table.

Now, I know, I know. That's not in the book. And it would have been sweeter to have Aslan's line to Lucy. I'm just pointing out that they did have Aslan do something.

The albatross is merely there as an easter egg for book fans. It's significance is never explained in the movie and it doesn't appear to do anything except fly across the screen. It's pretty apparent that in the film version of VDT, the 7 swords are what destroys the Dark Island, not Aslan.

Yeah, I wish the Aslan line to Lucy had been in the movie. As it is, it does seem like the 7 swords is what saved the day. However, the first Lord- forgot his name- found explains that Aslan gives them the sword for the protection of Narnia. So it seems, Aslan "planted" the swords knowing this day would come. So in the end, it was He who saved them. I know, this isn't in the book- and shouldn't have been in the movie- but as it is, I think it's a good way to look at it.

The issue here is that the story was so morphed, that the albatross didn't make any sense at all. In the book, when Lucy prays for help, the albatross guides them out of the dark island. In the movie, as others said, the albatross comes and things get worse. Once again undermining the fact that Aslan is sovereign and pointing back to the main characters as the saviors of Narnia.