NaClhv

Theology, philosophy, math, science, and random other things
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

A quick update on my trip to Svalbard

If the movie "Frozen II" takes place in fantasy Norway, then Svalbard would be the location of Ahtohallan. Glaciers are rivers of ice, and I never understood that as much as I did when I took this picture:

The Dividing Moment

The frozen blizzard was standing still in the air, allowing Anna to glance back at Kristoff one last time. But she quickly turned around, for her mind was already made up. Elsa was her sister! She was in danger! She had to go to her! Anna felt the icy curse on her heart starting to burst out. Her limbs were becoming rigid and numb. She knew she was in imminent danger of freezing completely. But none of it mattered. The choice to protect Elsa wasn't really hers to make; her heart had made the choice for her a long time ago - perhaps when their parents died, or perhaps back in their childhood.

Probably the last Frozen II post - this time a meme:

For real though, as I explain in these posts:A systematic mythology of the "Frozen" universeThe Gospel according to Frozen II (or, why Elsa is Jesus) You may next want to read: A systematic mythology of the "Frozen" universeThe Gospel according to Frozen II (or, why Elsa is Jesus)Another post, from the table of contents

The Gospel according to Frozen II (or, why Elsa is Jesus)

At that deepest level - at the very heart of the movie - is the Christ-figure of the story. This is the character we really need to understand to grasp the true essence of the film. For everything about Frozen II - its whole world and plot - is built from the ground up with a singular purpose, to place this Christ-figure character at the very center of the story.

A systematic mythology of the "Frozen" universe

There is a being of great power "behind" or "within" Ahtohallan - someone who possesses an incredible degree of consciousness, intellect, and agency, has clear moral priorities and goals, and is responsible for most of the key plot events in the movie. In other words, "Ahtohallan" is not just a place. It - or the being behind it - is something more like "God".

The Gospel according to Disney's "Frozen"

"Frozen" is the story of perfect love casting out fear. [...] It's true that its makers didn't sit down and say "hey, let's tell the story of the Christian Gospel". They merely told the truth that underlies the whole universe, like all art is supposed to do. But in doing so - in expressing this truth well - they managed to tell the one and only story in the whole universe. So "Frozen" is in fact a Christian movie - in the sense that all good movies are. After all, there is only one story in the universe.
2014-02-03

Elsa's facial expressions during "Let It Go", in Disney's "Frozen"

My obsession with "Frozen" and "Let It Go" continues. Elsa has fascinating facial expressions during "Let It Go", and this post will explore the meaning of those expressions. Some of her expressions are difficult to catch because they're complicated and they change so quickly, but I believe I have a good, insightful collection of her expressions below. I hope you see many things that you didn't notice before.

An analysis of "Let It Go" in Disney's "Frozen"

But while all this is true as far as that goes, stopping the analysis there misses the great depth and subtlety of the song. Yes, the song is about empowerment, but there is also tragedy, anger, bitterness, and self-deception in it, in even greater measure. It doesn't mark Elsa's claiming of her identity or her apotheosis - instead, by the end of the song, she is in severe danger of losing herself.
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