So here is a thing I came across recently which I'm not sure has been discussed on this forum.
One of the concept artists from the Walden Narnia series, Greg Spalenka, posted this video on his YouTube page showing a sequence of Concept Art he created for the "undragoning" scene in Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
In the scene shown in the final movie, Dragon Eustace crash lands on a sandbar, Aslan then appears, scratches his paws in the sand (i.e. he doesn't physically rip the flesh from the dragon's skin) and then the dragon kind of floats up into the air and explodes in a burst of light and energy, transforming him back into Eustace.
In this concept art however, it's a little different. Firstly Eustace crashes down into the ocean and sinks down (I feel there is some sort of Baptismal metaphor here), before sort of being raised up by the sea onto the sandbar (the artist's description on the video clarifies this). Aslan then appears, first in the form of a rising sun, reflected in the dragon's eye, and then shown walking across the water (perhaps a more heavy handed piece of religious symbolism) but then does at least appear to physically sink his claws into the dragon (rather than just scratch the sand) before the dragon explodes in the same burst of energy as before. However, rather than float off and land on some other island as he does in the movie, Eustace's body remains on the sand where the waves then crash over him (the artist says this was again to symbolise rebirth and washing away the old)
I know the final edit of this in the movie wasn't the most popular, so what do people think about this original idea?
Better? Worse? The same?
Topic starter
Posted : May 4, 2022 5:39 pm
It's definitely interesting...I do like that Aslan actually physically tears the scales from Eustace's back. Although the walking on the water bit is rather heavy handed for my taste.
I'm assuming the exploding in a burst of energy was a bit of a compromise (or was it a cop-out?) to avoid showing anything too graphic in terms of the blood and gristle that likely would have remained behind.
It's not how I would adapt the scene personally, but I can't deny the creativity and it's a bit better than the final product we got.
This is the journey
This is the trial
For the hero inside us all
I can hear adventure call
Here we go
Posted : May 4, 2022 5:59 pm
It's a bit more visually interesting. (I wonder if they just changed it for budgetary reasons.) For me, it has the same problem as the final version of it doesn't really look like the dragon skin is being peeled off and we can't really get a good look at how Eustace is reacting to this.
I know the movie wanted a PG rating, and honestly, I wanted one too. (I think that rating gives people who haven't read the book a better idea of its tone and content.) But I also honestly think they could have done more to indicate Eustace's suffering than they did. Actually, they wouldn't have to show anything. We could just hear Eustace roaring in pain and that would be an improvement.
Unless I missed something, the concept art doesn't have Eustace trying to tear the skin off himself at all. While that technically makes it less true to the book, having him scratch himself just before Aslan transforms him didn't really communicate what it was supposed to in the movie. IMO it just looked really random-and that's coming from someone who was very familiar with the book! So maybe it would have been better not to bother with it.
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I know the movie wanted a PG rating, and honestly, I wanted one too. (I think that rating gives people who haven't read the book a better idea of its tone and content.) But I also honestly think they could have done more to indicate Eustace's suffering than they did. Actually, they wouldn't have to show anything. We could just hear Eustace roaring in pain and that would be an improvement.
There was a discussion on the Talking Beasts Podcast about "PG-13 Narnia Movies?" I'm sure we could have a discussion on this thread about what the rating system should be.
The undragonning of Eustace is really hard to do in movies. Both BBC and Walden struggled with it.
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Posted : May 5, 2022 8:48 am
Glenwit liked
If I were doing a movie or TV adaptation, I might have Eustace, as he describes what happens, draw stick figures in the sand with a stick, which would come to life, for the viewers' benefit, and act out the undragoning.
For better or worse-for who knows what may unfold from a chrysalis?-hope was left behind.
-The God Beneath the Sea by Leon Garfield & Edward Blishen check out my new blog!
Posted : May 5, 2022 11:21 am
There was a discussion on the Talking Beasts Podcast about "PG-13 Narnia Movies?" I'm sure we could have a discussion on this thread about what the rating system should be.
I like this idea. The undragoning scene might even make an ideal launching point.
This is the journey
This is the trial
For the hero inside us all
I can hear adventure call
Here we go
Posted : May 5, 2022 2:38 pm
I thought the final cut was a strange choice, but totally understandable given the rating concerns. This unused concept is definitely a little better, though I also must admit the waterwalking does seem a bit much.
What if they just kept the stripping off-camera and showed the empty skin layers being cast aside, and then panned over to reveal Eustace in human form? No need for blood or exposed bones/flesh - at least not much. And it's faithful to the book!
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