When you were talking about the neck thing (I call everything a ‘thing’, pls don’t take it personally), it just reminded me as well of how in s2ep5 (scene starting at 13:40), when they were doing the suit fitting thing (see, I just can’t stop myself), Wilhelm was trying to free his neck, and it was a sort of lead-up to the speech. Plus, they were talking about the speech and whether Wilhelm had read it/was prepared (so, more lack of vocal-autonomy (idk if that’s an accurate term) for Wilhelm).
Honestly though, slightly random but, I love how cohesive the subtext of Young Royals is, like, I’ve never been so invested and impressed by every single metaphor and bit of subtext before (seriously, my mum is getting tired of hearing about it and it’s gotten to the point where my grandma has flat-out called me boring for talking about it).
I know you know this but all the sniffing is also picking up the pheromones of the other. But the tapping of the fingers on Wilhelm's neck? Brilliant! I wondered about that. I was sure it signaled something but couldn't make out what.
And yes, Wilhelm is often seen fiddling with his too tight tie/shirt, so much so that he pops a button when the tailor is fitting him. It's almost like he's being strangled.
I was impressed with the way the music floated along during the opening scene of season 2 and then became the vacuum cleaner noise. Pulling the dream into reality as Wilhelm woke up. Very cool.
You mentioned the library scene when Wilhelm is trying to reach Simon and Simon says something like " But you must understand that you've hurt me." Exactly. And Wilhelm is mute. I so wanted him to acknowledge the truth of that statement in that moment. Instead he just screws up his face and stays silent.
On another note. I have a question which you are not obligated to answer, of course. There is a camera 'trick' in Red White and Royal Blue which you do not have to bother with, I promise. The two main characters are saying good bye in front of a private jet. The prince (all closeted and everything), after they hug, turns on his heel to get into his limo. The camera swings around as he's turning in a 180 but it is so fast? so vertiginous? it made me feel a bit dizzy. He is feeling a mix of feelings, sad, depressed, etc. But the camera work was in the scene, almost like it was referencing itself... Any thoughts?
Hey, sorry for getting back to you so late. (I have the best possible excuse, though, I was working on the next article like crazy.)
Thank you for your lovely comment.
And yes, absolutely! Wilhelm trying to free his neck is exactly that: a reference to the 'neck' metaphor (read: his voice). The fact that the scene specifically revolves around the speech makes that extra-clear. This isn't just a scene that shows us how trapped he feels in this system (in the way 'corset-fastening scenes' are often presented in period films and shows); this is specifically about his voice (metaphorically: the neck). It's about the fact that these people have made him lie on camera and have taken away his voice...and are now preparing to have him lie some more, lie about how great the system is, putting their words in his mouth again...
(I mean, the fact that, in that scene, they're pretty much sewing him into the 'costume' that they want him in is metaphorically very relevant, as well.)
On a slightly different note, though: 'Young Royals' isn't that unusual when it comes to its subtext. In my experience, the majority of shows are written in the exact same way with the exact same elaborate subtext. It's just that people usually don't notice any of it.
I always imagine being a writer must be an incredibly lonely and frustrating experience: You write something brilliant, and nobody ever notices any of the depth in your story because all people ever pay attention to is the plot. I don't know how they do it, knowing the audience mostly doesn't pick up on what it is that they're doing. It must be very frustrating.
I know you know this but all the sniffing is also picking up the pheromones of the other. But the tapping of the fingers on Wilhelm's neck? Brilliant! I wondered about that. I was sure it signaled something but couldn't make out what.
And yes, Wilhelm is often seen fiddling with his too tight tie/shirt, so much so that he pops a button when the tailor is fitting him. It's almost like he's being strangled.
I was impressed with the way the music floated along during the opening scene of season 2 and then became the vacuum cleaner noise. Pulling the dream into reality as Wilhelm woke up. Very cool.
You mentioned the library scene when Wilhelm is trying to reach Simon and Simon says something like " But you must understand that you've hurt me." Exactly. And Wilhelm is mute. I so wanted him to acknowledge the truth of that statement in that moment. Instead he just screws up his face and stays silent.
On another note. I have a question which you are not obligated to answer, of course. There is a camera 'trick' in Red White and Royal Blue which you do not have to bother with, I promise. The two main characters are saying good bye in front of a private jet. The prince (all closeted and everything), after they hug, turns on his heel to get into his limo. The camera swings around as he's turning in a 180 but it is so fast? so vertiginous? it made me feel a bit dizzy. He is feeling a mix of feelings, sad, depressed, etc. But the camera work was in the scene, almost like it was referencing itself... Any thoughts?
Sorry for getting back to you so late. I'm currently trying to stick to a very strict writing schedule and it's just eating up a lot of my time.
I have to admit that I've never seen nor read 'Red, White and Royal Blue'. Another commenter was recently asking me something about it too, but I don't know anything about it, so I'd rather not speculate.
A camera drawing attention to itself is, indeed, very unusual, though. Whenever it happens, it's usually a subtle metatextual element (i.e. the camera work referencing itself and thus communicating directly with the audience), but beyond that I can't say anything about the scene because I don't know it.
Anyway, thank you again for your kind words. I had hoped to post the next article today (the thing is completely written and finished), but I have to proofread it one more time and I'm practically falling asleep, so looks like it'll be tomorrow.
I really enjoy these posts, I've learnt so much about cinematography and it had certainly given me an even deeper appreciation of the show! I especially loved the part about focus pull - people have complained about the unfocused shots in s2, and completely failed to understand WHY those scenes were unfocused, or even that it's done on purpose! That it's difficult to do it, haha love that little nugget! Will definitely link and reference this article with some quotes if the argument ever shows up again.
That said, I think you missed the point about the vacuum cleaner.
It doesn't suck the joy out - well it does, but in a very specific way - it ends the fantasy and grounds Wille to reality. A vacuum cleaner operated by a working class woman, whose job is to remove the dirt from the palace. It's a vacuum CLEANER, but in Swedish, literally dirt sucker. Something sucking up the dirt. The working class cleaners metaphorical job is to remove all the dirt created by the secrets and lies behind the facades of the upper class. Eating, or sucking up all the shit, so to speak, pointing out the injustice of the class system.
But here it wakes Wille up from a dream where he arrived at the wrong conclusion. The loudness needed to maintain the facades bothered his ears - meaning it bothered his heart. He just doesn't hear the words from the other side, the same way it takes him nearly all season to finally listen to Simon. Because this is very cleverly foreshadowing that Simon, the working class kid, will metaphorically try to wake Wille up from his dream, over and over.
But Wille wasn't intentionally woken from his dream - the cleaning staff just did her job, played her metaphorical part in upholding the system. Cleverly showing us what will wake Wille up from his false solution to his problem: Simon finally giving in to Wille's want; his face is mirrored as a selfie shot in the wardrobe to show us he's mirroring Wille now, giving him everything Wille thought he wanted, except it's all wrong, that's not who Simon is - I've written about this extensively on tumblr, that Simon loves Wille in spite of who Wille is, while Wille loves Simon because of who Simon is.
The selfie shot part of the scene tells us that what Simon says is not him, not his true self. He's finally agreeing to play by Wille's rules, be a secret, giving up his own integrity, leaving it up to Wille to find a different solution because he's giving up and giving in. Note that it's no longer a mirrored selfie shot when Simon hugs Wille - from that moment it's a normal shot, because his emotions are honest and from his heart. Wille is so relieved that the magnitude of Simon's concession doesn't sink in until he arrives at the point about traditions in the speech and just can't go on speaking words he doesn't mean. Not when he risks Simon becoming like his own father.
Someone wrote a brilliant, detailed post on tumblr about how and why YR has a Marxist view on queerness and the class system. I think you would catch more such details as the staff and vacuum cleaner metaphors (as well as more of the racism) if you applied that viewpoint to your analyses.
It's up to you ofc, I just love your posts and would love for them to arrive from a less privileged vantagepoint. Revolutions ends monarchies.
Sorry for getting back to you so late. I'm afraid I have a rather exhausting writing schedule at the moment.
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the excursion into focus-pulling, which is indeed an amazing part of cinematography (it also seems to be one of the most stressful jobs on planet Earth).
I'm afraid we will have to agree to disagree about the mirrors there, though. I do not agree with your reading of what that scene means. (I haven't started writing about mirrors as an important storytelling element on this show yet, but this is in no way an unusual or even new technique the show is using there. It's pretty much a case of same old, same old, and you can see it on so many shows. But I can't possibly put all of that into one comment because I don't want to make this comment into a 20-something page-long text, so this will have to wait.)
I do, however, have to say that I take exception to the idea of my close-reading analyses being called 'privileged' or coming from ANY sort of vantage point. I specifically and intentionally DON'T disclose who I am or what ethnic background I have for that very reason: I don't want this whole blog project to descend into a discussion of 'You just said this because of who you are' or 'You just said this because of who you aren't', which seems to be the norm in internet discourses these days. I will therefore politely ask you to refrain from making any allegations like this again because they frankly come across as insulting and rude.
I don't get the vibe that YR has a strong position or thematic focus on 'race". I blievethat queerness, class differences, loss of privacy and autonomy, secrets and betrayl, and the requirent-to-breed prison Wille lives are enough for a show to tackle.
"Wilhelm likes to throw his head back and expose his neck" -- Yes it is EVERWHERE in Young Royals. Now I can't unsee it. I was just rewatching the beautiful scene when Wille escapes the parent day luncheon to facetime with Erik. Erik is gently teasing him about his crush and Wilhelm throws his head back and groans -- not quite able to speak the full truth that he really wants to reveal about his crush to his dear brother.
Yep. Exactly. That's another great example of this. Great catch. Very well spotted.
They really developed the character very thoroughly with the actor by giving his character certain little mannerisms that are more than just typical for the character; they're metaphorically meaningful, as well. It's lovely to see how much thought went into this (and time and effort, too, I suppose.)
I agree. I often wonder if the writer/directors/showrunners actually explained all these metaphors to the actors, or if they just directed them like "Edvin toss back your head all the way with frustration/anxiety at this moment". Also, since this article is about an intimate scene, I remember Edvin saying in an interview that "the intimate scenes were choreographed like a dance". Now I know what that meant. Simon having to place his hand in an exact way on Wille's neck, or lay his ear on Wille's shoulder. For some viewers, this takes away from their imagination that these intimate scenes were spontaneous and these actors have "real" (as in IRL) chemistry. But I, personally, love to get a peek at their craft in action. Such professionals! Thank you again for all the insights and illumination
This is so insightful for usual. The ear....when SImon presses his ear to Wille at the beginning of the Episode 5 intimacy scene.
I am so looking forward to your character focused posts - we appreciate you working so hard on them. Today I was rewatching S1E3 and because of you, the following line had me jumping up and down. Right after the "I thinnk maybe we should forget about that" scene, the next scene is Felice trying (awkwardly) to ride Rousseau, and the lines are perfect, including "I understand it's frustrating by he's anxious....we'll let Rousseau rest a bit and continue next week, OK?" Before TVmicroscope I thought of this as a bit of a throwaway line, just setting the tone....now I had this new perspective. Thank you!
With only six episodes per season, dialogue has to be concise, meaningful, economical for time’s sake, and drive the story forward. No throw away lines allowed. There was a line in S1 E3 that left me puzzled after the first season. No one has discussed this line in any analysis on Tumblr, during YouTube reactions or the following comments below those reactions. It just didn’t seem important to anyone. Maybe everyone had already figured what that line means, but that line has been an unresolved, festering need to know for me for far too long.
Let me share the line. Simon, Rosh, and Ayub are waiting by the picnic table. Their discussion is on what course of action Simon should take to get his money from August. According to the translation Rosh says, “And he just goes on and on, then the teacher adds something for his sake.” Her line seems so random and at the time I didn’t see a connection to either a textual or subtextual level. So, why was it spoken at that moment and by Rosh specifically? Is anyone else quizzical about that line?
After watching S2 a couple of times I thought a light bulb finally went on! I’m not feeling 100% or even 70% positive, but I think that line was foreshadowing Wilhelm’s therapy session in E5. At the start of the session he is agitated and exasperated at himself following his conversation with Kristina. Compared with his unwillingness to talk to Boris, use his voice, in jis first session, his agitated state allows him to be extremely candid. He is overwhelmed with the feeling he of not measuring up to Eric and thinking he constantly disappoints his mother. As viewers, we were surprised by how much he was sharing and how open he was. Boris begins to ask him questions that calm him down. He helps Wilhelm focus on his internal dilemmas that valid emotional outpouring. Wilhelm has “been going on and on” and then MVP Boris, “the teacher adds something he’s forgotten for his sake.” Boris delivers his epic line that is exactly what Wilhelm needed to hear, “You can’t chose who we’re born as, but we can choose how we want to live our lives.” We were all 👏🏻!!
Wilhelm has been working both consciously and unconsciously on finding his hidden voice. As TVM said in the Muse post, “He is working on his magnum opus, so to speak, the thing that’s going to propel the story forward.” He will find the voice true to his Romantic self through his love for Simon and the help of others guiding him with love. Ironically, even those working against him end up helping in a perverted way. Thank you August and Kristina. He has been focused on his anxiety, his grief, his loss of trust, his loss of Simon, and his guilt of not being truthful. Resolving these issues and making his love for Simon his ultimate focus will result in an authentic voice and the change he aspires to achieve.
Before I get too excited about my interpretation I also have to remember what I have learned about context and when dialogue is said in scenes. Was it foreshadowing, recalling,
or some another form of storytelling entirely that I’m not familiar with? I could be way off base, because that line was said right before his confrontation with August. The three friends have just discussed how to solve the money and drug dilemma that he needs to resolve.
Rather than foreshadowing Wilhelm’s therapy scene, was it a callback to Mr. Englund’s statement, “Your calculations are often right, but your answers are wrong.”? Simon has made some very bad decisions that have created the potential for incriminating and legal consequences. After Simon pushes August to the ground, Rosh and Ayub appear shocked and disappointed. Simon’s pent-up frustration and anger are the result of August’s bullying, disregard for his financial situation, and classist attitude. He was just pushed too far. I think he also knows he has landed I his current situation by getting involved with August in the first place. Rosh even tells him he is no better than August before they bike off. Simon is left desolate. Was Rosh acting similar to a teacher/parent in that situation? Or were Rosh and Ayub just saddened by the changes in their friend? I guess she thought Simon would benefit from hearing her assessment. Neither did she recognize his aggressive behavior nor did she condone stealing Micke’s drugs. Maybe her statement was too harsh but was it something he really needed to hear?
Both Wilhelm and Simon use statements to make positive changes in their life. They chose each other and their love. By the end of S2, both had found their authentic voice.
I did I get it right about foreshadowing for Wilhelm and Boris? Or was I right for it being a callback to Simon making bad choices, Mr. Englund’s comment, and then Rosh reading him the riot act? I am still not sure about that one line from S1 E3. Pleeeze share your thought on that line. My dialogue dilemma needs resolution. Did my light bulb go on or am I still in the dark?
PS: Or is it something entirely different and we will learn why it was said in S3?
When you were talking about the neck thing (I call everything a ‘thing’, pls don’t take it personally), it just reminded me as well of how in s2ep5 (scene starting at 13:40), when they were doing the suit fitting thing (see, I just can’t stop myself), Wilhelm was trying to free his neck, and it was a sort of lead-up to the speech. Plus, they were talking about the speech and whether Wilhelm had read it/was prepared (so, more lack of vocal-autonomy (idk if that’s an accurate term) for Wilhelm).
Honestly though, slightly random but, I love how cohesive the subtext of Young Royals is, like, I’ve never been so invested and impressed by every single metaphor and bit of subtext before (seriously, my mum is getting tired of hearing about it and it’s gotten to the point where my grandma has flat-out called me boring for talking about it).
Once again, a fascinating review.
I know you know this but all the sniffing is also picking up the pheromones of the other. But the tapping of the fingers on Wilhelm's neck? Brilliant! I wondered about that. I was sure it signaled something but couldn't make out what.
And yes, Wilhelm is often seen fiddling with his too tight tie/shirt, so much so that he pops a button when the tailor is fitting him. It's almost like he's being strangled.
I was impressed with the way the music floated along during the opening scene of season 2 and then became the vacuum cleaner noise. Pulling the dream into reality as Wilhelm woke up. Very cool.
You mentioned the library scene when Wilhelm is trying to reach Simon and Simon says something like " But you must understand that you've hurt me." Exactly. And Wilhelm is mute. I so wanted him to acknowledge the truth of that statement in that moment. Instead he just screws up his face and stays silent.
On another note. I have a question which you are not obligated to answer, of course. There is a camera 'trick' in Red White and Royal Blue which you do not have to bother with, I promise. The two main characters are saying good bye in front of a private jet. The prince (all closeted and everything), after they hug, turns on his heel to get into his limo. The camera swings around as he's turning in a 180 but it is so fast? so vertiginous? it made me feel a bit dizzy. He is feeling a mix of feelings, sad, depressed, etc. But the camera work was in the scene, almost like it was referencing itself... Any thoughts?
Devotedly yours.
Hey, sorry for getting back to you so late. (I have the best possible excuse, though, I was working on the next article like crazy.)
Thank you for your lovely comment.
And yes, absolutely! Wilhelm trying to free his neck is exactly that: a reference to the 'neck' metaphor (read: his voice). The fact that the scene specifically revolves around the speech makes that extra-clear. This isn't just a scene that shows us how trapped he feels in this system (in the way 'corset-fastening scenes' are often presented in period films and shows); this is specifically about his voice (metaphorically: the neck). It's about the fact that these people have made him lie on camera and have taken away his voice...and are now preparing to have him lie some more, lie about how great the system is, putting their words in his mouth again...
(I mean, the fact that, in that scene, they're pretty much sewing him into the 'costume' that they want him in is metaphorically very relevant, as well.)
On a slightly different note, though: 'Young Royals' isn't that unusual when it comes to its subtext. In my experience, the majority of shows are written in the exact same way with the exact same elaborate subtext. It's just that people usually don't notice any of it.
I always imagine being a writer must be an incredibly lonely and frustrating experience: You write something brilliant, and nobody ever notices any of the depth in your story because all people ever pay attention to is the plot. I don't know how they do it, knowing the audience mostly doesn't pick up on what it is that they're doing. It must be very frustrating.
Once again, a fascinating review.
I know you know this but all the sniffing is also picking up the pheromones of the other. But the tapping of the fingers on Wilhelm's neck? Brilliant! I wondered about that. I was sure it signaled something but couldn't make out what.
And yes, Wilhelm is often seen fiddling with his too tight tie/shirt, so much so that he pops a button when the tailor is fitting him. It's almost like he's being strangled.
I was impressed with the way the music floated along during the opening scene of season 2 and then became the vacuum cleaner noise. Pulling the dream into reality as Wilhelm woke up. Very cool.
You mentioned the library scene when Wilhelm is trying to reach Simon and Simon says something like " But you must understand that you've hurt me." Exactly. And Wilhelm is mute. I so wanted him to acknowledge the truth of that statement in that moment. Instead he just screws up his face and stays silent.
On another note. I have a question which you are not obligated to answer, of course. There is a camera 'trick' in Red White and Royal Blue which you do not have to bother with, I promise. The two main characters are saying good bye in front of a private jet. The prince (all closeted and everything), after they hug, turns on his heel to get into his limo. The camera swings around as he's turning in a 180 but it is so fast? so vertiginous? it made me feel a bit dizzy. He is feeling a mix of feelings, sad, depressed, etc. But the camera work was in the scene, almost like it was referencing itself... Any thoughts?
Devotedly yours.
sorry for the double post.
No worries.
Sorry for getting back to you so late. I'm currently trying to stick to a very strict writing schedule and it's just eating up a lot of my time.
I have to admit that I've never seen nor read 'Red, White and Royal Blue'. Another commenter was recently asking me something about it too, but I don't know anything about it, so I'd rather not speculate.
A camera drawing attention to itself is, indeed, very unusual, though. Whenever it happens, it's usually a subtle metatextual element (i.e. the camera work referencing itself and thus communicating directly with the audience), but beyond that I can't say anything about the scene because I don't know it.
Anyway, thank you again for your kind words. I had hoped to post the next article today (the thing is completely written and finished), but I have to proofread it one more time and I'm practically falling asleep, so looks like it'll be tomorrow.
I really enjoy these posts, I've learnt so much about cinematography and it had certainly given me an even deeper appreciation of the show! I especially loved the part about focus pull - people have complained about the unfocused shots in s2, and completely failed to understand WHY those scenes were unfocused, or even that it's done on purpose! That it's difficult to do it, haha love that little nugget! Will definitely link and reference this article with some quotes if the argument ever shows up again.
That said, I think you missed the point about the vacuum cleaner.
It doesn't suck the joy out - well it does, but in a very specific way - it ends the fantasy and grounds Wille to reality. A vacuum cleaner operated by a working class woman, whose job is to remove the dirt from the palace. It's a vacuum CLEANER, but in Swedish, literally dirt sucker. Something sucking up the dirt. The working class cleaners metaphorical job is to remove all the dirt created by the secrets and lies behind the facades of the upper class. Eating, or sucking up all the shit, so to speak, pointing out the injustice of the class system.
But here it wakes Wille up from a dream where he arrived at the wrong conclusion. The loudness needed to maintain the facades bothered his ears - meaning it bothered his heart. He just doesn't hear the words from the other side, the same way it takes him nearly all season to finally listen to Simon. Because this is very cleverly foreshadowing that Simon, the working class kid, will metaphorically try to wake Wille up from his dream, over and over.
But Wille wasn't intentionally woken from his dream - the cleaning staff just did her job, played her metaphorical part in upholding the system. Cleverly showing us what will wake Wille up from his false solution to his problem: Simon finally giving in to Wille's want; his face is mirrored as a selfie shot in the wardrobe to show us he's mirroring Wille now, giving him everything Wille thought he wanted, except it's all wrong, that's not who Simon is - I've written about this extensively on tumblr, that Simon loves Wille in spite of who Wille is, while Wille loves Simon because of who Simon is.
The selfie shot part of the scene tells us that what Simon says is not him, not his true self. He's finally agreeing to play by Wille's rules, be a secret, giving up his own integrity, leaving it up to Wille to find a different solution because he's giving up and giving in. Note that it's no longer a mirrored selfie shot when Simon hugs Wille - from that moment it's a normal shot, because his emotions are honest and from his heart. Wille is so relieved that the magnitude of Simon's concession doesn't sink in until he arrives at the point about traditions in the speech and just can't go on speaking words he doesn't mean. Not when he risks Simon becoming like his own father.
Someone wrote a brilliant, detailed post on tumblr about how and why YR has a Marxist view on queerness and the class system. I think you would catch more such details as the staff and vacuum cleaner metaphors (as well as more of the racism) if you applied that viewpoint to your analyses.
It's up to you ofc, I just love your posts and would love for them to arrive from a less privileged vantagepoint. Revolutions ends monarchies.
Sorry for getting back to you so late. I'm afraid I have a rather exhausting writing schedule at the moment.
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the excursion into focus-pulling, which is indeed an amazing part of cinematography (it also seems to be one of the most stressful jobs on planet Earth).
I'm afraid we will have to agree to disagree about the mirrors there, though. I do not agree with your reading of what that scene means. (I haven't started writing about mirrors as an important storytelling element on this show yet, but this is in no way an unusual or even new technique the show is using there. It's pretty much a case of same old, same old, and you can see it on so many shows. But I can't possibly put all of that into one comment because I don't want to make this comment into a 20-something page-long text, so this will have to wait.)
I do, however, have to say that I take exception to the idea of my close-reading analyses being called 'privileged' or coming from ANY sort of vantage point. I specifically and intentionally DON'T disclose who I am or what ethnic background I have for that very reason: I don't want this whole blog project to descend into a discussion of 'You just said this because of who you are' or 'You just said this because of who you aren't', which seems to be the norm in internet discourses these days. I will therefore politely ask you to refrain from making any allegations like this again because they frankly come across as insulting and rude.
I don't get the vibe that YR has a strong position or thematic focus on 'race". I blievethat queerness, class differences, loss of privacy and autonomy, secrets and betrayl, and the requirent-to-breed prison Wille lives are enough for a show to tackle.
"Wilhelm likes to throw his head back and expose his neck" -- Yes it is EVERWHERE in Young Royals. Now I can't unsee it. I was just rewatching the beautiful scene when Wille escapes the parent day luncheon to facetime with Erik. Erik is gently teasing him about his crush and Wilhelm throws his head back and groans -- not quite able to speak the full truth that he really wants to reveal about his crush to his dear brother.
Yep. Exactly. That's another great example of this. Great catch. Very well spotted.
They really developed the character very thoroughly with the actor by giving his character certain little mannerisms that are more than just typical for the character; they're metaphorically meaningful, as well. It's lovely to see how much thought went into this (and time and effort, too, I suppose.)
I agree. I often wonder if the writer/directors/showrunners actually explained all these metaphors to the actors, or if they just directed them like "Edvin toss back your head all the way with frustration/anxiety at this moment". Also, since this article is about an intimate scene, I remember Edvin saying in an interview that "the intimate scenes were choreographed like a dance". Now I know what that meant. Simon having to place his hand in an exact way on Wille's neck, or lay his ear on Wille's shoulder. For some viewers, this takes away from their imagination that these intimate scenes were spontaneous and these actors have "real" (as in IRL) chemistry. But I, personally, love to get a peek at their craft in action. Such professionals! Thank you again for all the insights and illumination
You know, horses like to toss their heads back too... :)
This is so insightful for usual. The ear....when SImon presses his ear to Wille at the beginning of the Episode 5 intimacy scene.
I am so looking forward to your character focused posts - we appreciate you working so hard on them. Today I was rewatching S1E3 and because of you, the following line had me jumping up and down. Right after the "I thinnk maybe we should forget about that" scene, the next scene is Felice trying (awkwardly) to ride Rousseau, and the lines are perfect, including "I understand it's frustrating by he's anxious....we'll let Rousseau rest a bit and continue next week, OK?" Before TVmicroscope I thought of this as a bit of a throwaway line, just setting the tone....now I had this new perspective. Thank you!
With only six episodes per season, dialogue has to be concise, meaningful, economical for time’s sake, and drive the story forward. No throw away lines allowed. There was a line in S1 E3 that left me puzzled after the first season. No one has discussed this line in any analysis on Tumblr, during YouTube reactions or the following comments below those reactions. It just didn’t seem important to anyone. Maybe everyone had already figured what that line means, but that line has been an unresolved, festering need to know for me for far too long.
Let me share the line. Simon, Rosh, and Ayub are waiting by the picnic table. Their discussion is on what course of action Simon should take to get his money from August. According to the translation Rosh says, “And he just goes on and on, then the teacher adds something for his sake.” Her line seems so random and at the time I didn’t see a connection to either a textual or subtextual level. So, why was it spoken at that moment and by Rosh specifically? Is anyone else quizzical about that line?
After watching S2 a couple of times I thought a light bulb finally went on! I’m not feeling 100% or even 70% positive, but I think that line was foreshadowing Wilhelm’s therapy session in E5. At the start of the session he is agitated and exasperated at himself following his conversation with Kristina. Compared with his unwillingness to talk to Boris, use his voice, in jis first session, his agitated state allows him to be extremely candid. He is overwhelmed with the feeling he of not measuring up to Eric and thinking he constantly disappoints his mother. As viewers, we were surprised by how much he was sharing and how open he was. Boris begins to ask him questions that calm him down. He helps Wilhelm focus on his internal dilemmas that valid emotional outpouring. Wilhelm has “been going on and on” and then MVP Boris, “the teacher adds something he’s forgotten for his sake.” Boris delivers his epic line that is exactly what Wilhelm needed to hear, “You can’t chose who we’re born as, but we can choose how we want to live our lives.” We were all 👏🏻!!
Wilhelm has been working both consciously and unconsciously on finding his hidden voice. As TVM said in the Muse post, “He is working on his magnum opus, so to speak, the thing that’s going to propel the story forward.” He will find the voice true to his Romantic self through his love for Simon and the help of others guiding him with love. Ironically, even those working against him end up helping in a perverted way. Thank you August and Kristina. He has been focused on his anxiety, his grief, his loss of trust, his loss of Simon, and his guilt of not being truthful. Resolving these issues and making his love for Simon his ultimate focus will result in an authentic voice and the change he aspires to achieve.
Before I get too excited about my interpretation I also have to remember what I have learned about context and when dialogue is said in scenes. Was it foreshadowing, recalling,
or some another form of storytelling entirely that I’m not familiar with? I could be way off base, because that line was said right before his confrontation with August. The three friends have just discussed how to solve the money and drug dilemma that he needs to resolve.
Rather than foreshadowing Wilhelm’s therapy scene, was it a callback to Mr. Englund’s statement, “Your calculations are often right, but your answers are wrong.”? Simon has made some very bad decisions that have created the potential for incriminating and legal consequences. After Simon pushes August to the ground, Rosh and Ayub appear shocked and disappointed. Simon’s pent-up frustration and anger are the result of August’s bullying, disregard for his financial situation, and classist attitude. He was just pushed too far. I think he also knows he has landed I his current situation by getting involved with August in the first place. Rosh even tells him he is no better than August before they bike off. Simon is left desolate. Was Rosh acting similar to a teacher/parent in that situation? Or were Rosh and Ayub just saddened by the changes in their friend? I guess she thought Simon would benefit from hearing her assessment. Neither did she recognize his aggressive behavior nor did she condone stealing Micke’s drugs. Maybe her statement was too harsh but was it something he really needed to hear?
Both Wilhelm and Simon use statements to make positive changes in their life. They chose each other and their love. By the end of S2, both had found their authentic voice.
I did I get it right about foreshadowing for Wilhelm and Boris? Or was I right for it being a callback to Simon making bad choices, Mr. Englund’s comment, and then Rosh reading him the riot act? I am still not sure about that one line from S1 E3. Pleeeze share your thought on that line. My dialogue dilemma needs resolution. Did my light bulb go on or am I still in the dark?
PS: Or is it something entirely different and we will learn why it was said in S3?