#character: leane sharif

[flo-n-flon]

"We can fight, Leane. As long as we are alive, we can fight."

Massive spoiler for The Shadow Rising.

Probably my favourite chapter of the whole series so far, if only because it was one of the most striking and extreme turns, an absolute game-changer. It was also gloriously prepared by the start of the book. I am so excited for what comes next for them.

#Siuan Sanche #Leane Sharif #wot book spoilers #wot fanart #the wheel of time #the shadow rising #show: the wheel of time #character: siuan sanche #character: leane sharif #mandatory essay about how bloody amazing siuan is #I've already talked in my notes about how raw this feels and how incredibly relatable her anger is #I could write an essay about the way you can sense the panic coming in waves to her mind and then she reins the terror in #and I KNOW it's not a word for word translation of the book #particularly when it comes to their attire but there's no way I'm drawing it like that #or that the show keeps it that way #I've forced myself to draw a background too and shade in hatches #I am so happy #is it messy ? yes but it is finished

[cidnangarlond]

the results are in

#huge fan of the idea of like. being in an rpg and clicking on me and getting just random trivia about chernobyl #*main character walks up to me* *interact* #''did you know that the rbmk 1000 reactors design was inherently flawed and was doomed to fail from the start?'' #''pretty depressing. some are still in use though and have had little issue. we can hope that's the case anyway'' #*interact* ''a special lens was created for omar sharif's entrance in lawrence of arabia. it's a 482mm lens developed by panavision'' #''they still have it too actually. among cinematographers it's known as the david lean lens after the director and hasn't been used since'' #''it's a real beautiful entrance the mirage effect. peter o'toole also got injured a lot during filming but that's a different story.'' #*interact* ''my lust for an actor has led me to places in their cinematography I wouldn't go with a gun'' *leave conversation*

[harrison-abbott]

It was impossible for David Lean to shoot Lawrence of Arabia in Saudi Arabia itself. Whilst some of the desert scenes are shot in Jordan, much of the film is shot in Spain. For the ‘urban’ scenes in the movie, Lean shot within Seville, due to its range of Moorish buildings.

Omar Sharif was originally cast as Lawrence’s guide at the start of the movie (the character is killed by Ali next to the well ^).

Peeter O’Toole did not enjoy filming the movie, due to its countless technical problems on set. He also felt intimidated by the fellow actors who were already worldwide cinema starts, such as Alec Guiness.

Alec Guiness was mistaken by many viewers to be the real King Faisal, because he looked so similar to the real man.

Peter O-Toole, throughout production, received third degree burns, sprained either ankle, tore ligaments in his legs, dislocated his spine, fractured his skull, got bitten by a camel, tore a groin muscle and was twice concussed.

The whole film was shot chronologically, as the script was written in tandem with the shooting.

#lawrence of arabia #movie trivia #david lean #peter o toole

[orlaite]

David Lean after finding out there's this Russian book called Anna Karenina about forbidden love and war and class and where the main character kills herself by train after having an affair but that there's already a movie adaptation of it with Omar Sharif

#my conspiracy theory is that he then did doctor zhivago instead as the next best thing #and this adaptation slaps btw. stream the river of love (1960) by ezz eldin zulficar

[ocd-kenobi]

I’ve seen that you and @predator-padawan have said you both are huge classic movie fans. As I am a big fan of both of your blogs and love and respect your guys’ opinions on SW. I was wondering if as a young (and shy hence the anon) person trying to really get into film if you guys have a list of must watch movies?

Hello!! This is the sweetest most wonderful ask we could ask for. @predator-padawan and I are happy to share some recommendations, but I cannot call anything a "must-watch" simply because I don't know your taste in movies and also because they all have different kinds of upsetting content, which I'll try to mention. I'm also going to keep it in the realm of "classic film for Star Wars fans" because I always have more fun getting into something if it's through the lens of something I'm already interested in!! Also, just to be open about bias, I'm capping "classic" at 1970, I don't know anything about silent film, I only like gay movies, and this list is very English-speaking-heavy; if you're interested in a more international exploration of film history, send a separate ask haha.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) - I'm guessing you've seen me and @predator-padawan and @flashbulb-memory yelling about Brick from this movie/play! Played by Paul Newman, he's THE depiction of gay repression/internalized homophobia in film. It's all absolutely intentional, so this movie is a great exercise in catching SUBTEXT, as opposed to shipping. It all takes place in a very tense and hostile white Southern family household, a "return to hometown" kind of thing. So trigger warnings for families fighting, lots! of yelling, alcoholism, threats of domestic violence, infidelity, and yeah, homophobia. It's a very uncomfortable movie to watch and the payoff is great. My other favorite Tennessee Williams movie adaptation, Suddenly, Last Summer, is even more uncomfortable and tense to watch, but I also recommend if you like this one.

Strangers on a Train (1951) - Hitchcock psychological thriller, based on a book by Patricia Highsmith (who wrote the books Carol and The Talented Mr. Ripley are based on, both gay classics) and adapted to screenplay by Raymond Chandler (my favorite noir writer.) Very tense, very horrible people involved, very psychologically unstable gay character. But god, it's so much fun. Also, the carousel fight scene at the end is one of the best fight scenes ever. Up there with the lightsaber duel on Mustafar lol. It's not Hitchcock's best movie and not even one of his most popular, but it's a good primer in how he does gay characters and subtext in the psychological thriller genre. Plus you get the comfort of knowing at least a gay writer was involved in creating the characters in the first place.

Some Like it Hot (1959) - Everyone should watch this movie, that's all.

Seven Samurai (1954) - I recently rewatched this because of Star Wars, and it really is helpful as a framework for what George Lucas thought was cool and inspiring when he made the original trilogy. Also hugely influential on American cinema (at least indirectly, through the rework The Magnificent Seven, which is also great.) It was fun to watch this film eight a very sharp editing style and see how Lucas tried (it appears to me) to replicate with very odd results.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - Speaking of sharp editing, this is my favorite film on a technical level. It also has one of the most heartbreaking gay romances of all time. (Again, yes, this was intentional subtext, and while Omar Sharif's character is not historically accurate, Lawrence himself was definitely a gay masochist as depicted in the movie.) It's well over three hours long and is about war, English imperialism, and the imperialist origins of the modern Middle East, so be prepared for that. Pretty much all of David Lean's films can be summed up by "English people are so fucked up, isn't it fascinating how fucked up English people are?" Also, you get to see Alec Guinness in brown face, hmm.

Brief Encounter (1945) - My actual favorite movie :) "English people are so fucked up, isn't it fascinating how fucked up English people are?" Also, the forbidden romance of George Lucas's dreams. (It actually is only romantic because the play/screenplay were written by a gay man.)

Singin' in the Rain (1952) - I want to have one proper musical on here, so here it is. I could go on and on for days about Gene Kelly's dancing :)) but I won't. This movie is just cute and hilarious and probably gives you all the background info about classic Hollywood you need. Plus, Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher's mom :))) For extra enjoyment, keep in mind that it's a jukebox musical; the songs were not written for the story, rather the story was worked around the songs.

Red River (1948) - IF you're up for a Western (which I believe is historically important to understanding all American film), start with this gay cinema classic. It's insanely gay. I lose my mind every time we watch it. We've talked about Obikin AUs of it lol. Horrible depictions of Native Americans, which I always use to reflect on what that indicates about the time the movie was made and the history of Hollywood in general. Also very long; I recommend watching with a friend to chat with during long cattle drive scenes.

I'm going to say that Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane (1962) are must-watches if you're at all interested in Hollywood history or women/what Hollywood does to women. Sorry all of my recommendations have murder and psychological torture in them lol.

I just keep thinking of more, so I'm going to stop myself for now. Come back if you've already seen these and want a different list!

@predator-padawan do you have any additions?

#film recs #film bro Star Wars fangirl solidarity #Hitchcock #tennessee williams

[coll2mitts]

#30 Funny Girl (1968)

Funny Girl: How Feminism Killed My Marriage!

It was only coincidence I decided to watch Funny Girl after completing my review of A Star is Born, as it hits several of the same plot points.  I honestly thought the only reason they were strikingly similar to me was because I viewed them back-to-back, but then two videos I watched about the Broadway production noted this as well, so I didn't feel entirely unjustified.  Man with lots of money discovers woman before she becomes a star.  They start a obviously doomed relationship and get married right as the wife's career starts to take off.  The husband struggles with his own vices to the detriment of his wife's career, and ultimately their relationship ends because the husband is too proud and can't handle the fact their spouse makes more money than them.  The end.

Although I don't think the plot is necessarily the reason to watch this movie (the reason is to watch Barbra Streisand be the most Barbra Streisand she can be), it is a fictionalized retelling of the rise of real-life burlesque star Fanny Brice and her relationship with her first husband Nick Arnstein.  From all accounts this leans pretty heavy on the fictionalized, as Nicky was married when he and Fanny began their affair, it took him 6 years to get divorced from his previous wife to marry Fanny, and Fanny eventually divorced him because she was sick of him fucking around on her.  Even though her love life was tumultuous, Fanny's career is what made her special, which is why it's a bit annoying that in the majority of this movie it takes a backseat to her fascination with a useless pretty boy.  Although real-life Fanny's character was a Jewish characture, she helped in revising the criteria of what kinds of women could be famous performers.  Beyond a good body and a pretty face, personality and talent were enough to gain notoriety.  Although let's be real, it's not like Fanny was hideous or anything.

Barbra originated this role on Broadway, and it was tailor made to her talents.  Check out the videos linked from Staged Right for a great summary of how the show was created, how Barbra was cast against the wishes of Fanny's non-fictional daughter, and what a seemingly contentious run the Broadway musical had.  When Columbia bought the rights to the show, it was with the understanding Barbra would reprise the role on film. And oh boy, guys, this is probably one of the best love letters to a leading actress I've ever seen committed to celluloid.

Picture it: New York, 1920s. Fanny Brice, with her name in lights on the Ziegfeld Follies marquis, soberly enters backstage and greets herself in a sound clip I used as a log-in alert on AIM for like 6 years. Giving off "I'm going to retire" energy, Fanny wanders the stage and loiters in the empty theater until her assistant Emma finds her and cryptically asks "This is the day, isn't it?". Fanny confirms, and free of context I have no idea if this woman is making a comeback, or leaving showbusiness, or running away to join the circus. When Emma mentions that Ziegfeld is waiting for her, Fanny disassociates and we're treated to a flashback a few years earlier...

Picture it: New York, 1910s. A young Fanny Brice's neighbors are reading her for filth on her appearance and mocking her for having dreams of singing stardom.

I think this is the only ensemble number that doesn't take place on stage.  Any solo or duet numbers with any character that aren't Fanny, like Eddie, Mrs. Brice, and Nick, have been cut so Barbra is on screen almost 100% of the time.  I was genuinely shocked later on when Omar Sharif started singing because I forgot this was something someone other than Barbra was allowed to do.

Fanny heads to her new gig as a beautiful Arabian lady and is immediately fired for not knowing the routine and hamming it up the entire fucking time. The theater owner Mr. Keeney scolds the director Eddie Ryan for even casting such a goof while Fanny refuses to be dismissed and sings and dances her way around until they're forced to physically escort her out of the theater.

Mid-rant, and after accosting a few children, she breaks back in only to find everyone gone except Eddie, who after hearing her pipes asks why she even considered auditioning for a chorus girl when clearly she's a belter. I giggled uncontrollably when Fanny answered, "If you were looking for a juggler, I'd have been a juggler", cause girl, same. When I was a kid I legitimately auditioned for a part in Harlequin that required juggling skills full-well knowing I couldn't, and when asked to prove I could after the singing portion was acceptable, the ensuing display of athletic prowess cemented the fact I would absolutely not be chosen.

I tried googling this musical and I can't find evidence it ever existed. Maybe it was some public school choir teacher's passion project they only got to see kids perform once a year after a 3 week summer camp? Or maybe I had a fever dream when I was 10 and hallucinated being in it? IDK, help me out here.

Eddie decides to give Fanny a second chance at the chorus after she assures him she can roller skate, even though it was a bold-faced lie. After falling on her ass 20 times, which froths the audience into a frenzy, Eddie allows Fanny to sing a solo. Her unique blend of comedy, talent, and the sudden ability to skate once she's getting sole attention from everyone, wins over Mr. Kenney and Fanny is tentatively offered a permanent position.

"Honey hurry up, hurry up, hurry up..." is Barbra's signature slurry phrasing at its peak.

Fanny's shenanigans also catch the eye of a ridiculously attractive gambler Nicky Arnstein, who successfully hustles Mr. Kenney to hire Fanny for $50 a week, but is unsuccessful in asking Fanny out. She shrugs off his advances after surmising she is well out of his league, but oh my god, how the hell would anyone turn down Omar Sharif? I am not that strong willed.

According to Wikipedia, this is the fourth movie on this list that almost cast Frank Sinatra (previous ones including A Star is Born, The Music Man, and Easter Parade). For as much as y'all know I love Frankie, whoever suggested him over Omar should be well and truly slapped.

Several months later, there's a commotion on Henry street when the Brice's receive a telegram, and once the shock that someone hadn't died worn off, they're left in the wake of Ziegfeld's request for Fanny to come by his theater and audition. She reacts in a completely reasonable way.

Unsurprisingly, she aces the audition, and after fighting with Ziegfeld over how beautiful he thinks she is verses how she thinks she's not, she turns his new finale number from a bizarre ode to seasonal brides into a comedy act about a shotgun wedding in order to deflect anticipated criticism away from her face.

Peek a small cameo from Anne Francis, whose part was cut down so much she tried to get herself removed from the credits altogether. It's fine, instead she'll forever be known as the woman who pranked Dorothy Zbornak by pretending to die while beating her at tennis.

Fanny averts termination even though she deliberately ignored the directions of the director, again, because she's too much of a hit. She rides the high of bossing around Ziegfeld right into the arms of Nicky, who just so happens to be there on her opening night. This time she takes him back to her mother's saloon and he politely allows her friends and family to clean out his pockets at poker even though he's a bit of a professional gambler.

After charming the entire block, Nicky convinces Fanny to follow him to a second location out into the alley so they can be alone, and like, sure, this is a colossally bad idea, but how do you say no to that smile? After establishing both of them are single, Nicky adds more red flags to the parade of them by saying he's been with thousands of women because he likes to feel free and never has definite plans. Fanny reacts to this information by babbling incoherently about how some people kinda like being in relationships and Nicky kisses her to shut her up before riding off into the night.

I would die. Just drop dead right there, thank you and good night, it's been a good life.

Flash forward AN ENTIRE FUCKING YEAR and Fanny randomly runs into Nick again at a train station in Baltimore while the Follies are on their national tour. He invites her to dinner in a private dining room at their hotel, and while she momentarily pretends to be aloof, once inside she does exactly what I would do immediately if left alone in a room with Omar Sharif in 1967.

Fanny asks why Nicky never called on her a year and two weeks ago and he explicitly says he could smell the virgin all over her and didn't think she could hang. When asked what has changed now, he replies, "If you don't, it's time you learned."

So... they bone, and continue to bone the entire week the Follies are in town. Unfortunately after 7 days Nicky's racehorse turned into a pumpkin and he has to leave Fanny behind to board a boat to Europe to scam a bunch of bored dudes out of money since he doesn't have any anymore. Of course Nicky confesses to Fanny he's suddenly in love, so instead of going their separate ways after a brief sexcapade, Fanny abandons the show and makes a big romantic gesture by taking a tugboat to Nicky's waterborne casino to surprise him. Her coworkers try to convince Fanny this is a colossally bad idea and you could anger a million bulls with all the red flags Nicky's waving, but she simply. cannot say no. to that smile. I would make a joke that his dick must be legendary but she wouldn't know any better if it wasn't.

Oh look, another helicopter shot from the 1960s that's a million times better than the one in A Hard Day's Night.

Sidenote: Every time I hear "the sun's a ball of butter" I first cringe because I hate that line, and secondly think of this skit.

This was Barbra's first film role, by the way.  Not that she wasn't well-known at this point - her voice was already acknowledged as one of the greats before she even turned 30.  But she steals the camera in every freaking scene, especially this one when Fanny's clearly making the dumbest mistake ever.  You root for Fanny; you want her to succeed in both life and love because Barbra is so charming.  She won a Best Actress Oscar for this performance, and it's incredibly easy to see why.

To the surprise of everyone (even Fanny), Nick is ecstatic to see her - so ecstatic he only giggles when the porter calls him "Mr. Brice" instead of going on a several-day bender that ends with him crashing Fanny's Oscar acceptance speech.  Of course Fanny plays the "please pick me, I'll never tie you down" card, only to THIRTY SECONDS LATER suggest to Nick that usually when two people love each other, they get married.  Instead of jumping off of the boat and swimming toward the shore, Nick informs Fanny if he can win his huge payday, she'll get a husband.  After much distress on Fanny's part, Nick later returns to the room with a big wad of cash, and they immediately return home to play house for a while.

Fanny went from on the road living like a mouse to being blissfully happy with a husband, a mansion, servants and a baby.  But the other shoe finally starts to drop when Nicky's hot streak turns cold.  While he's losing the house on oil fields that produce no oil, Fanny is headlining in a show, putting Nicky's ego in check.  With a famous wife, his more-frequent losses are being broadcast around both his gambling community and society at large.  When Fanny realizes Nick is drowning after he skips her show's opening night for a poker game, she sets up a scheme where his buddy Tom would approach Nick with a legit job offer running a local casino.  After Tom informs Nick he wouldn't have to pony up start-up cash to make him a partner because his experience conning wealthy gentlemen was valuable enough, Nick smells the deception from a mile away and refuses the position because apparently it's incredibly embarrassing for your wife to network for you.

In an effort to get back on top, Nick decides to participate in an scammy bond scheme, gets caught, and pleads guilty to the crime so it doesn't look like he's stupid enough to agree to something without knowing how fucking illegal it is.  Fanny goes to court to see Nick before they ship him off to prison for a few years, and when he tries to end the relationship by telling Fanny he will never be able to support her, Fanny asks him to reconsider. If Nick feels the same way when he gets out, she won't fight him on the divorce.

The absolute paranoia of a world where women could make more money than their husbands is fucking ridiculous to me.  In both A Star is Born and Funny Girl, the moment the universe takes away the man's ability to monetarily provide for his family he suddenly feels as if he has nothing to contribute.  His masculinity and his ego get in the way of being truly proud of his wife.  The women are both willing to entirely give up their careers to take care of their deadbeat husbands (even asserting in public they should be referred to by their husband's last name), which is baffling on its own, but they've already made the irreversibly irredeemable crime of perusing success, even when their husbands initially encouraged it.  All I learn from these stories is that men want strong women, strong enough where he can brag about them, but not strong enough to overshadow them.  If that starts to happen, the wife needs to intuitively shrink in order to give their husband the chance to catch up.

One thing you can't fault Nicky for is hiding his true nature. He told Fanny exactly who he was when they first met.  He never had a set schedule because he wanted to feel free.  She was Woman and he was Man, and she should be smaller so he can be taller.  He might have cosplayed as a dependable dude for a few years, but ultimately he reverted back to his default.

Flash forward to the beginning of the movie, where we finally discover that Nick had been released from prison and Fanny would find out the state of their relationship before she went on stage.  She warns Ziegfeld that if Nick wants to give it another shot she's going to quit the show, because being a housewife will be the only thing to placate Nick's fragile masculinity.  Thankfully she doesn't need to keep that promise, because when the pair are finally reunited she can tell by his behavior that this dude is about to drop the hammer.  Fanny preemptively ends things, and then goes on stage to sing about her heartbreak.

The end of the movie differs from the musical in a pretty significant way as Fanny belts a lament for the end of her marriage.  Barbra insisted singing the vocals at the end of the song live, and had Omar Sharif recite the line "You are beautiful" to her before each take to make her more emotional. It worked - I cry every time I watch the end of this movie.

"My Man" was a song the real-life Fanny Brice popularized in the Ziegfeld Follies Broadway show, which is the only reason it appears here, ending this depressing story on a weak downbeat that legitimately shocked me when the credits rolled.  In the Funny Girl musical, Fanny goes through a variety of emotions that reprise the songs in the show - bitter and sad, but ultimately victorious with a powerful rendition of "Don't Rain on My Parade."  I can only attribute this change as the beginning of the 1970s bummer parade of weird musicals that make you want to slit your wrists on the way out.

And if this wasn't enough, several years later they filmed a sequel to this, Funny Lady, about Fanny Brice's relationship with her second husband Billy Rose, who was just as shitty of a partner as Nick Arnstein was. Their marriage also ends in divorce, so if you want to watch the same movie as Funny Girl but with a clunkier script just to get 10 minutes of Omar Sharif reprising his role as Nicky being as sleezebaggy as ever, don't bother. It's not worth it.

Funny Girl is a show that will forever be associated with Barbra, to the point where its protagonist Fanny is more of a fictionalized character than a real-life previously-breathing human being. This movie is fairly entertaining, although it clearly reflects the ideals of its time. If you like Barbra, it's a must-see. If not, avoid it at all costs, cause there's nothing else here other than her.

Except a hunky Omar Sharif being stupidly charming. There is also that.

Thanks for reading!  If you’ve enjoyed this post, please consider helping me fund this project by donating to my ko-fi :)

#100 best musical movies of all time rotten tomatoes #unwarranted opinion

[nitrateglow]

Finally saw Lawrence of Arabia

For a long time, not having seen Lawrence of Arabia was the most glaring omission on my film lover card. I recall trying to watch it in high school, but only getting about 2/3rds through it before losing all interest. To be honest, I think I just needed to wait until I was older before I could really wrap my head around it.

Some random thoughts:

O’Toole’s performance is among the best I have ever seen in a movie. We’re talking up there with Falconetti in The Passion of Joan of Arc. This must have been such a challenging character to play-- at once idealistic and ruthless, admirable and abominable. O’Toole balances all that so beautifully.

I really loved all O’Toole’s scenes with Omar Sharif. The two had excellent chemistry and their characters develop in such fascinating ways. Anytime they share the screen, it’s pure cinematic gold. (Also, both of them are handsome as hell, holy heaven...)

I gotta say, I’m jealous of those who have gotten to see this movie in 70mm on the big screen, the way David Lean intended. I was impressed by the gorgeous desert scenes and magnificent compositions on my TV at home, but I can imagine being stunned into reverent silence by them in a theater.

I loved this so much, I’ve actually ordered a blu-ray copy right away. I know this will be a movie to revisit, to study-- I can’t even really put down my thoughts in any coherent, interesting way-- it really was that good, one of the rare classics that surpassed the hype for me.

#thoughts #i predict i'll be going on a david lean kick #i've loved his 40s movies but now i really want to see more of his 60s films

[shade-without-color]

Ok ok ok it has been a while since I actually talked about it, and since I am taking a super short break to redirect myself to another quest (I swear I feel like Michelago carving marble out of a block 😅😅😅), I thought that I will talk about another huge influence for this story, and ramble about the process.

If I learnt something from writing my Inuyasha fanfics, is that is okay to wear your influences in your sleeve, despite it may not be the biggest of tastes- and boy I did.

I'm first and foremost interested in the story, the characters-David Lean

Let me get this straight to you, I am a David Lean simp, from film school thanks to me watching Lawrence of Arabia, which changed my life forever, and when you think David Lean; you think of the character journey as a whole. 

Whenever it is an affair made in a cafe or the arid desserts like T.E Lawrence at uniting the Arabs

I feel so connected to the journey which is unfortunately rarely done well in today’s films

Doctor Zhivago was the first thing that came in my head, when I write this story- because I want to bring that romanticism to that relationship between Midoriko and Kirinmaru, which doomed lovers (in some small sense), met in the wrong circumstances of time- and I really based his personality on Omar Sharif’s acting as the romantic Doctor Zhivago which I made soooo many homages in that story, like opening where a young doctor Zhivago witnessed his mother’s burial, or them being reunited.

I told @serial-doubters-club​ to get her ass to watch it, as it really escaped you on that journey of love and loss.

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That one is homaging to a lovely scene here

Midoriko smiled quietly at that sight of Kirinmaru who slowly recovering his health, sometimes he feel the wince from their lovemaking in the field, and fashioned a crown with the brilliant flowers onto her head. “You know it will be unfitting for me….Kirinmaru….” She forced herself to pull it off from her hair seeing Kirinmaru kissing her bare neck tenderly. “I am a priestess, I have responsibilities in the end, and if I am bold- I could easily cleanse you if you….”

“What…my king….” Kirinmaru gave a cheeky smirk, glancing over an abandoned shack “Do you wish to tend these wounds of mine…”

Midoriko nodded quietly, this time allowing him to lead towards a beautiful pasture, where the flowers seems to sway back and forth, showing that her powers are at its peak.

“Yes….”

Quietly they lifted the straw curtain, which Midoriko tiptoed to Kirinmaru’s height, and enveloped him with a passionate kiss. Her nails digging to his back, minding his wounds on his chest and hands. And him, being breathless over that beauty. “Are you planning to heal me, or to please me my flower…” Kirinmaru spoke breathlessly, seeing the mischief in her eyes. “What would the villagers think of us…”

Midoriko did not reply, for she wanted to breathe into his sweet aroma that is his, carding her fingers into his hair.

In that moment, Kirinmaru squeezed her clothed breast,feeling her hot breath under his neck as he twisted her soft nipple , never looking at the sun shining violently amidst the door.

Little did the lovers know that Kitsu went for their strolls- to hear a sensual scream at the distance and the flowers growing wild at the field.

That is strange?

Kitsu bit her tongue to glance over them at a window, Kirinmaru found himself wrapped in that comforting numbness in his body, tracing his fingers unto that scar between her breasts and her curves. “You are mad….how shall I be healed…” Midoriko’s face, also flushed from their lovemaking, lean gently upon his shoulder. “A human conquering a daiyoukai like me…gods….what would everyone think my king…..”

Midoriko mumbled to him. “I do not know….but…I have to live with the consequences…” allowing his hand to caress her wet curls.

“Will your wife find you…”

Kirinmaru stared at the spider making its web at the corner. “I do not think so, but I learnt my lesson not to tease you, you are too….passionate for me, I thought I would catch up to you with the lovemaking, but instead…” staring at the field vivid in colour. “You make something beautiful….that I am glad to….”

Before long- Kitsu stared at Kirinmaru and Midoriko undressed, which Midoriko covered her breasts with her hands. “Wait…I can…I can….” She bit her lip in frustration. “I knew I should have watched, our beloved Nishi, is the rumoured king of the beasts, is he hungry for my friend’s beating heart….”

“Wait….” Midoriko make a quick sign to push away Kitsu. “..I…I…can…he….is…hurt…I…I….”

Kitsu did not bother to hear her pleas, quickly she swung her naked friend from Kirinmaru’s arms and doused powder- using a spare mask to cover her face. “Then we should leave him dead….” Before long, Kirinmaru drifted off to a deep sleep- seems that Mahiruma’s spell of hiding his daiyoukai aura is wearing off- gazing at the flowers dying at that sight, returning to its barrens, which he mummer these words to his heart.

I am sorry, at least if i die, you're the last thing I'll see…you….

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

For my journey, it seems clear is about positive masculinity and femininity alongside its negative side, like for Kirinmaru (I nicknamed him Disney Princess Kirinmaru, though initially it was Doctor Zhivago LOL), he is learning how to navigate himself with a soft heart not destined for such cruelty (I indeed pour a lot of myself in him, in fact his dialogue is *chef’s kiss*, and for Midoriko is to embrace the sexuality of a woman, to not be hardened amidst sexism. 

It is also feminist as I am going to have a huge chapter about dealing with the perception of periods, hence the break as I want it to be soooo good 😩😩😩😩😩 Here is that idea, that Kirinmaru could smell her menstrual blood and the baby, which is very metal.

┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊

Mahiruma gave a shit-eating grin to Kirinmaru. “You must have done something to hurt her in this period of time, daiyoukai, you are enthralled by her heart that you fear it will go away…” shrugging his shoulders in disdain. “I do not know about you, but it is a risky moment to hide your true nature, let alone to drown in your feelings for her…” Before they could finish that conversation, Kirinmaru heard a soft cry of a newborn babe. That smell of the babe seems so sweet, and another came in.

Midoriko.

Kirinmaru felt at ease with the aroma of pine and ash alongside her blood.

“A child is born and may I not hear your pain again” Mahiruma pursed his lips a little. “Do be delicate to the priestess, her heart is volatile and it is best not to consume it…” He found himself sitting at the bottom of the tree, to see Midoriko coming out from the hut, her gaze exhausted from the long labour and breathless from managing the pains.

“Where are you, idiot….”

“Huh?” Kirinmaru continuously stared at Midoriko’s face, her face writhed in pain, and yet…

Gods…

She is brave….and so beautiful….even if she bleeds.

Her feet wobbled over that arduous task, Kirinmaru quickly grabbed her arms, hearing the slow thumps of her heartbeat “Nishi….if you want to support me, can you get some sticky rice and beans… first thing in the morning…..” Midoriko’s brows furrowed over his helplessness. “Pray for the child’s health that evening…I have a feeling…” Kirinmaru tried to comb through her dampened locks, however, she bit her bottom lip in frustration, recalling the girlish giggles of the village ladies when he grabbed every Dango and stuff it into his mouth in childlike glee. “No…before she…I need to attend the mother….”

“Oi!!! Mii-chan!!’

Kitsu stomped her feet in frustation. “Is Mother and baby well?”

Midoriko smiled happily, though she squint her eyes in pain. “The mother is strong and so is the child…perhaps it was the gods’ good fortune that we could help Kitsu-chan” Fighting his senses on the sweet aroma of Midoriko’s bleeding proves so exhausting to him that Kirinmaru replied indifferently to her.

“The gods….” Kirinmaru constantly stared at that tree, swearing that it could be the residence of the god, forcing himself to grip Midoriko’s arms. “They indeed look kindly on us mortals…”

…was it Mahiruma?

He seems upset with me.

Did he care about his people at all, with its pleas and cries?

Kitsu raised an eyebrow, forcing Kirinmaru to pass Midoriko in her arms. “So far, for a day of relaxation…Nishi and Midoriko”, nudging him from his daydream of meeting a sexless god Mahiruma. “You two seem to bring each other closer, too close for my comfort…..

Kitsu took out a small brown sugar cube and pop it into Midoriko’s mouth, allowing its sweet liquid to dissolve in her mouth “Oh Nishi do not indulge in Mii-chan’s anger…you looking so dreamy to the local girls…someday it will not do you any favours…” Kirinmaru ducked his head in shame, keeping quiet during their walk to the hut. Calmly Kitsu laid Midoriko on the floor, which she grumbled to Kitsu. “We should stay behind to check on mother and baby…and…”  glaring at Kirinmaru coldly over that evening.

“Worry about that in the morning, you are bleeding Midoriko…” Kitsu gently tucked her in, using her hands to knead over her bloated stomach. “You have an eventful night, and rest would be sufficient…”

“Hey brooding one…” Kitsu cheekily grinned at Kirinmaru, cooing Midoriko by giving massages on her body. “Fetch us some water…preferably warm from the nearby spring…and let us women be…”

“Oh…”

Kitsu frowned at Kirinmaru’s baseless reaction. “Oh….look I think you will be scandalized, Nishi if I strip her naked in front of you…” That statement caused him to bolt away from the scene, hurt by hearing Midoriko groaning in agony in the hut,

That smell of her blood when not hurt by mortal man or demon, what strength Midoriko must carry to bear children, and yet she brought life to the world, like that barren field.

That image would forever be burned in his mind.

Of a woman, he loved, that she is strong.

Stronger than anyone he knew.

Kitsu grumbled to Midoriko, stripping away her yukuta to reveal her nubile body, though her curls are caked in blood “Nishi….I swear if it was not for my intervention, he would quickly run to the nearest healer by now…” She scratched her head “Mii-chan, be careful with him…I am not sure about his affections…”

┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊┊ ⋆ ┊ . ┊ ┊

Like honestly I cannot wait to share with you what is next to come, as it will be amazing

#fanfic: I want you #writing #writers on tumblr #writers on ao3 #inuyasha #Kirinmaru x Midoriko #Midokirin #kirinmaru #Midoriko inuyasha #Midoriko #doctor zhivago #David Lean #wip stuff #god this story is gonna consume me

[lizyork8509]

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

Winner of 5 Oscars, directed by David Lean. It stars Julie Christie & Omar Sharif. It’s a sprawling romantic epic set during the Russian Revolution. It has the amazing Oscar-winning score by Maurice Jarre which features the iconic Lara’s Theme.

I’ve never actually seen this film so decided to finally watch it. Maybe it’s been overhyped over the years but I really didn’t love it. Technically, the film is gorgeous - art direction, costumes, cinematography- all top notch. But I just could not warm to the story or the characters.

It’s supposed to be this big epic love story between Lara & Yuri but they’re not even together enough to be in love. I hate how he just skips to town to sleep with Lara when his pregnant wife, Tonya, is hiding in a small cottage in the middle of nowhere with their family. We don’t even see the basis for this grand love affair accept that Lara is drop dead gorgeous.

Omar & Julie are fine with not much chemistry between each other. Did not like Alec Guinness here as the narrator. It’s not necessarily his fault - the script is very clunky when it comes to his character. Not a fan of Rod Steiger AT ALL so to see him play a villain creeped me out. Tom Courtney got an Oscar nom for playing Lara’s revolutionary husband and like most of the characters, he disappears halfway through the film.

Overall, visually stunning but not much else. It could have been edited down at least half an hour. The train scene alone feels like it takes days & days & days.

#doctor zhivago #omar sharif #julie christie #david lean #epic #mgm studios #oscar winner

[ao3feed-lanaeve]

An Angel In Tar Valon

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/z51Qg9D by wlwsedai (aoof3) AU: Moiraine is an angel who was always intrigued by humans. Siuan is a doctor who never believed until she met an angel. A choice must be made between celestial duty and earthly love. Words: 1856, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: The Wheel of Time (TV), Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/F Characters: Siuan Sanche, Moiraine Damodred, Leane Sharif, Nynaeve al'Meara, Lan Mandragoran, Alanna Mosvani, Kerene Nagashi, Liandrin Guirale, Moiraine Sedai Relationships: Moiraine Damodred/Siuan Sanche, Nynaeve al'Meara/Lan Mandragoran Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, city of angels au, angel!moiraine, Falling In Love, moiraine is an angel, siuan is a human, follows the movie's line of events But with a happy ending, First Kiss, based on the movie "City of Angels.", Forbidden Love read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/z51Qg9D

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #lanaeve #wot #wheel of time #lan mandragoran #nynaeve al'meara

[cannoli-reader]

My Notes from Watching the Wheel of Time Show, season 1, episode 6

Originally posted on 12/10/2021. Possible spoilers for any or all WoT novels.

I skipped watching this when I went to Prime Video for that purpose, because an episode of "The Expanse" had dropped. This might have been the first time since 1992 that I have ever prioritized other media over new WoT content.

1:30 - Is this a Belter in the world of WoT? The hammock and hut suggest poverty, but those are some fancy tattoos for a child.

1:48 - Li’l Siuan is from a primitive fishing tribe, rather than an urban dock district

2:31 - Okay, that looked like a city in the background, so maybe their hut is in the Fingers of the Dragon. Probably not an important distinction, but it’s a thing about Tear that the High Lords exercise tight control over the area, and would not likely allow people to settle in the Fingers, for no other reason than to prevent anyone getting an navigational advantage over their own pilots.

3:15 - “A wise woman knows the breaking point of her line,” is a very interesting comment, given that’s a lesson that Book-Siuan utterly failed to learn her entire life.

4:14 - Always with the tragic backstories.

5:20 - I guess this is a cheap way of having her sent to the Tower, without having to hire an actor to play the authority figure or a group of extras to play a mob who compel her departure.

8:27 - Liandrin’s actual braids make an appearance!

8:41 - I can’t but notice they have yellow-washed the canonically Arabic, Leane Sharif, and at best are subbing in the background character with a hijab and no lines.

9:45 - I wonder if those are Accepted uniforms, or if this is supposed to be some sort of female guard force.

11:33 - This is a good way, I guess, of expositing the Tower’s grasp on the world is slipping, and they even found a natural way for someone like Logain to demonstrate that knowledge, without compromising too much the concept of proprietary channeling information or Tower secrets. And the fact that outsiders generally don’t make much, if any, distinction between Ajahs is already undermined by their propensity for color-coded garb.

11:36 - I wondered in the trailer why Leane looked so pissed. That explains it.

11:59 - “I am not so easily fooled” says Siuan, commenting on Logain’s factual statement (I assume it is; why bring it up otherwise, unless you’re looking to shit on the books just because). Do they realize this is not making her actually smart?

Also, that silly wing thing on the front of her ridiculous dress looks like it might be the Amyrlin’s stole.

12:35 - Logain is to be kept captive until he “lose(s him)self entirely to the madness”. Gentling stops you from going mad. That’s the justification for doing it, as opposed to just killing them on sight.

14:00 - Not for nothing, but Liandrin has a point. That it is what she wanted to do anyway does not change that fact.

14:09 - Siuan’s reference to the rules of engagement doesn’t make much sense here either, since killing is on the list and Liandrin has already pointed out that they managed not to resort to the last extreme. This just looks like a bureaucrat passing judgment on actions taken in the exigencies of combat. And considering we spent a whole episode on the tragic response to the consequences of Logain’s breaking free, we really should be considering Logain lucky to be alive.

But having the normally smooth and cool Liandrin’s voice breaking and sounding stressed and panicky seems like the show is trying to say she’s wrong and Siuan is this supreme font of wisdom and fair-mindedness

17:00 - Liandrin is really coming across as speaking truth to power, even if she is being portrayed as a troublemaker.

18:58 - My general motto with regard to the Tower ITB is Voltaire’s ecrasez l’infame. Siuan’s tirade suggests the show version won’t be much better despite the girl-power vibes I get from everything else about it.

21:20 - The subtitles call the innkeeper in Tar Valon “Basel Gill”. A character defined in the book by his devotion to the Queen of Andor and his loyalty to friends, including charity to a couple of friends of friends, has been repurposed as a Tar Valon innkeeper who charges high prices to the same kids Book-Gill took in and fed for the sake of a mutual friend.

21:53 - “It’s nice to see you, too” snarks the guy who has done nothing to make contact with Rand and Mat for a whole episode while he was preoccupied by personal bullshit instead of the candidates for savior of the world.

22:00 - I suspect Barney Harris is being replaced, because his moans of sickness sound more like there should be another person in the bed with him.

23:30 - So much better done ITB. No reason I can see for the changes, aside from Moiraine being the clear authorial favorite. They give her the lightning reflexes to stop Mat’s attack, and made Rand an encumbrance who distracted Lan from being the one to catch Mat.

25:16 - So Mat has to be watched lest he touch the dagger again, says Moiraine, after leaving the room to the person who followed her out. Even if the dagger is on Lan’s person, they still left it in the room with Mat, and we can’t really say this version of Lan is as good as a safe for holding objects secure, given how differently he has been portrayed from the Book version.

25:36 - Moiraine would absolutely say something like this. The problem is, the show seems to be on her side, when ITB (and on the show) she has given them little reason to trust her. How are the Two Rivers people supposed to trust she would not have treated Mat as an impediment to her mission and offed him like the ferry?

26:45 - Okay, Maigan’s agreeing with me about Siuan, but on the other hand, she’s also denouncing a Green for speaking on behalf of a Red, just because they had fought together and she believed the Red to be in the right. So it’s a crazy whacky world, when Aes Sedai display integrity? Sisters choosing the truth over factional rivalries is the equivalent of dogs and cats living together?

27:15 - One of the pseudo-feminists’ greatest whines criticisms about the book series is the frequency of nudity. Now, we are not subjected to descriptions of the women’s bodies, and it is seldom in a sexual context or with gratuitous sexual connotations for ordinary nudity, but, fair enough. Women get undressed a lot. But on a TV show, with a female writer and director, where actual human beings have to get undressed and partially display their bodies in context that encourages the viewer to see them as naked, we get an inserted bathhouse scene (not to mention an inserted sex scene and a prior bathing scene with similar display of female bodies, in the pilot), where women are striking poses & lit so as to draw attention to their uncovered skin. ‘Rules for thee and not for me’ feminism.

28:33 - Okay, why is she keeping their survival a secret? That’s pointless even for Book Moiraine.

29:05 - Please don’t give us more melting scenes for these rings.

29:15 - That angle, for a second, made the crease of Perrin’s shoulder look like Egwene’s buttcrack.

29:22 - How did they get Perrin here if the damage is so bad?

29:57 - They are doing a good job of keeping the camera on Egwene’s right profile and the other side in shadow to conceal Madeline Madden’s nosewart.

31:00 - Moiraine is leaving the kids alone, in two separate establishments, with no trustworthy supervision.

31:42 - ITB Moiraine does not think of the Two Rivers folk as friends, no matter how benevolent her actions, because she knows she might have to do something horrible to them for the greater good. She never even indicates any care for, or affection toward, them in her stream of consciousness. Show-Moiraine, whose treatment and behavior toward them has been considerably less benevolent and friendly, on a mere month’s acquaintance, most of it spent apart from all but Nynaeve, has even less reason to use that term.

32:04 - Okay, Lan’s going to stand watch, but over whom? They are in two different places and neither group knows the other is alive.

32:16 - She’s leaving them unattended to get laid?! I am just assuming. As I may have said previously, the sector of the fandom toward whom this show appears to be pandering tends to ship Moiraine and Siuan, so that's how I take the "give her my love." Only now the shippers are going to whine that we are deprived of the implied poly relationship with Lan and presumably Siuan's warder, too.

33:12 - Oh, so they have Traveling. What’s the nonsense limitation they are going to claim for why they have not used whatever this is for something more important than secret-sexy-times meetings?

33:24 - I bet Siuan’s dad could have afforded a second rowboat for the price of all those tattoos. Edit: 'kay, she got some as an adult.

34:05 - And now celibacy is a thing for the Amyrlin? And Moiraine’s “when have we ever followed the rules” in this context is not about going around petty restrictions or thinking outside the box or doing what must be done, so much as “rules don’t apply to us, because we’re all we care about.” While I might not agree with a rule of celibacy in this case, the point is generally to demonstrate the priority one places on the institution that requires it. So being Amyrlin is important, but Siuan & Moiraine hold themselves and their feelings more important. Which is super hypocritical considering the level of supremacy she is declaring in the Hall.

36:20 - Okay, the Dragon’s soul being split up is dumb, because it makes them all partial people. A soul IS a person. Bodies are just like clothes. This is the reality, even if you don’t believe in souls and use the word merely to mean the essential component of a person or concept or object. So, best case scenario, what they are saying is that the most important thing about the Dragon is his power and status. What he is, not who he is. And never mind that’s 180 degrees in opposition to the message of the books, for every character.

And if they are not actually doing this, and there is only the one Dragon Reborn, this is a stupid diversionary speculation.

36:33 - “You think I’ve forgotten that?” Moiraine asks in response to Siuan’s admonition that they will be stilled if anyone else discovers what they are up to. Um, yeah, Moiraine. It looks very much like you forgot that, since your immediately prior line of dialogue was suggesting that you tell lots of people what they are up to, and create the conditions for that to happen!

Moiraine: We should tell lots of people Siuan: If anyone finds out, we will be punished. Moiraine: Did you think I had forgotten that? Me: Well, since you don't seem to remember your own immediately previous statement, that's a fair guess.

36:37 - Is it weird that their post-coital garments are different than what they were wearing to bed before Moiraine came to Siuan’s room? Especially since Moiraine is wearing something more revealing than what she had on when she approached her sexual partner?

38:50 - Sacrificing a bunch of people for a stupid plan to beat the Dark One through a loophole is pretty in-character for Siuan.

39:41 - Why does Liandrin keep describing things wrong? “Nursed back to health” is not remotely an accurate way to describe Healing.

40:02 - I don’t know what’s dumber in this fan-fiction adaptational change: the Reds doing horrible things to men suspected of fooling around with their Ajah sisters, and the implication that the Red Ajah has explicit anti-male policies (nearly every non-Darkfriend PoV Red ITB has male sexual partners), or Moiraine overlooking a Darkfriend meeting place by underestimating Liandrin. Or worst of all, the Reds would not do anything to a mere trysting partner, therefore Liandrin’s association with him is a serious crime (such as treason or Darkfriend stuff) and Moiraine is in sole possession of this knowledge of Liandrin, but is letting it go unreported for blackmail purposes.

40:18 - Loial’s shoes are clearly just to make him look taller. With little success.

40:45 - Moiraine is as giddy as a YouTube fan reviewer at her encounter with Loial. Why?

41:22 - Nosewart! Fitting it gets a moment in the spotlight as the show is doing a bit of metatextual snarking. It’s not clever to bring that sort of thing up without a good answer, because it just looks like you are mocking the work you needed to crib from in order to get a job yourself. See, no one would pay for a show entirely from the mind of the Coffee Fetcher for the Good Seasons of Game of Thrones, so Rafe needs a best-selling fantasy novel series to get that level of attention. It’s not clever of him to use his show to criticize much more successful writers.

And the obvious answer to the issue of the throne and office holding the same name is that the point is the woman is subsumed into the office, that in her official capacity she is acting as the institution, not the person. Furthermore, it’s only confusing to morons, as a person and an inanimate object will almost never be discussed in the same practical context. Telling a servant to clean the Amyrlin Seat is unlikely to result in a feather duster being applied to Siuan, and describing the actions or policies of the Amyrlin Seat are unlikely to cause one to confusedly assume the chair has become animate. Unless nosewarts are a symptom of some sort of brain disease.

41:30 - One unfortunate consequence of the loss of royalty and whatnot is that people keep trying to make up stories of it without having any idea how it works. The Amyrlin Seat would not request an audience with a peasant girl still in her fake-Scottish skirt. All they had to do was copy the book dialogue where people receive a summons to an audience with the Amyrlin, not a request for an audience. And if the point of the change is to show the Tower as somehow egalitarian, the entire rest of the episode has epically failed in that regard.

41:40 - Nosewart.

41:40 - Also, Nynaeve’s question of Lan is really really dumb. I’ll just write it off as an honest attempt to show Nynaeve’s attitude of constantly questioning and refusing to be dictated to and charitably just assume the writers are simply incompetent to execute that depiction through dialogue.

41:57 - Is it possible for TV women to describe their actions without humble-bragging?

42:08 - Stating that Siuan waits for only one woman, when the Amyrlin is, by her own words, the highest ranking person in the world, just invites speculation as to whom she waits for, and how Moiraine is so certain of that fact. For someone keeping so many pointless secrets, Moiraine sucks at intrigue.

42:48 - A het man demanding that the two attractive young women come closer would be seen as creepy. So why not the equally gynosexual Siuan?

42:45 - Nynaeve does not bow. Actually, ITB, Nynaeve would make a half-hearted effort but get it wrong, because she could not care less about crap like that. But this is okay.

43:02 - If that was an allusion to Egwene’s nosewart, it was extremely rude, Siuan! And stop trying to steal my joke across the fourth wall!

43:16 - Egwene visibly deflating when Siuan names Nynaeve is the best thing ever to appear on a screen!

43:20 - And they immediately ruin it with Nynaeve’s stupid response. How is that even an insult, let alone a burn? Nynaeve would not expect people to be impressed with her strength, but she would also not mock the Tower for being weak, because she cares about the person, not their strength. Her “comeback” demonstrates exactly the reverse.

43:54 - Nynaeve does not use bad words! Not “ass” in the real world or “smoke” in WoT! And she’s not deliberately rude. She thinks “Go away, we don’t want your help” is being polite, but she doesn’t try to offend people for shits and giggles, especially powerful people who could make trouble for her or her companions.

44:53 - Egwene silently turning to go in support of a friend from back home, especially turning away from a person of power who is tacitly offering power or the chance to effect significant events, is even more OoC than the Nynaeve & Siuan stuff.

45:03 - In my headcanon, that reaction shot of Moiraine, as Siuan saying “The Wheel does not care…” is her biting back the comment that the Wheel can’t care anymore than it can want.

45:42 - Nosewart! It’s like she’s leading with it!

45:46 - Egwene: “…what do we need to do?” Siuan: glances at Moiraine Me: I hope she’s not proposing a foursome.

46:03 - Please, not another ring-melting, please.

46:30 - Last episode, Moiraine said Tar Valon and/or the Tower is not her home. So what’s with the waterworks, especially when her imminent sentencing in the Hall has been prearranged? If Siuan is the great love of her life it hurts so much to leave, instead of a Friends With Benefits deal, why’d she say that last episode?

47:28 - More than ¾ of the way through 1/8 of the season and we’ve got nothing from this episode except a sex scene. It makes me extremely suspicious of the intent in the slow, lingering close-up shot of Moiraine kissing the Amyrlin’s ring.

48:09 - Siuan is saying a lot of stuff everyone in the room should know already. And if this is a sacred object, why use it so casually? If she is already bound to speak only the truth, why not simply make her promise to do what she’s told? If that Oath was not binding on her, why bother with another go-round?

I’m not even going to bother with the colossal deviation from the books of using the Oath Rod for an ordinary punishment.

49:38 - Why is her ear gilded?

And what is the point of all these compliments? Not the time or place, especially if the whole point of her sentencing is to conceal their relationship and collusion from everyone, especially the Hall. Siuan’s fall is going to literally be Moiraine’s fault, with this pointless shipper-fan-service dialogue.

53:06 - Are Moiraine’s tears blinding her to the giant samurai hiding behind the hill?

53:50 - Ordinary Shienarans call Loial “Builder” out of respect for his people having built their lost city. Moiraine calls him Loial and treats him like a kid because A. he is and B. it keeps him in line. And IIRC, it was made very clear ITB why he is called that. I feel like a WoT Novice will be expecting him to finish whatever that structure is behind Moiraine.

54:02 - Why are Perrin & Egwene accompanying Loial with whom they are onscreen for the first time? Why is the group not together, instead traveling so far apart Moiraine cannot see the different elements of the group across this wide stretch of clear ground?

54:09 - Why is Perrin smiling? What or how does Perrin feel about anything, when he has had no dialogue in this episode, and before it, was last seen lurching out of the Children's camp?

54:27 - Rand & Egwene’s reaction suggests they have not actually been in contact offscreen this whole time, so again, why is Loial with her and not him?

55:09 - Even if the horses can’t go into the Ways, you could take the luggage off, in case you need it, or at the least, take off their tack. That’s not a good way to leave horses unattended.

55:16 - Is there a point to changing it so horses can’t survive the Ways, besides saving on the horse budget?

56:21 - The fandom defense of Moiraine’s secrecy, that she could not trust the Two Rivers folk is exceedingly stupid and not in keeping with her other actions and behavior toward them. Having her claim that she was keeping secrets because she could not trust them, but now has come to know them after a month+ apart (and being unconscious before and throughout Shadar Logoth) is even dumber.

57:07 - Egwene would never for a moment entertain the idea that the Dragon is anyone but her. And in the face of her own apotheosis, she would not have much thought to spare for the fates or cost of others. Not necessarily out of malice, just considerations of power, status and advancement take up a disproportionate share of her attention.

57:26 - Loial’s expression is like “Um, have I just agreed to help a psychopath plug the Bore with teenage bodies?”

57:50 - If you need to channel to use the Ways, isn’t that largely defeating their point in the story?

58:24 - Why did we need three different reaction shots of people who can’t see what Moiraine is doing?

58:49 - “It’s too late to turn back. Whatever happens is beyond our control…” Does that include the choice to turn back? Because that kind of feels like a dumb answer to the half-facetious question about changing one’s mind.

59:02 - “The Wheel Weaves as the Wheel Wills” says the person who pedantically denied any such agency to the Wheel a few episodes ago.

1:00:10 - Can’t wait to see how this latest “improvement” is going to play out. It’s funny because just the other day, a browser feed had an article saying how the show has improved on the books by not keeping the cast separated for so long.

#wot on prime #season 1 #timestamp annotations #books vs show

[artistic-lightcycle]

RPG Character studys. Here you see characters who are featured in both rpgs of mine. 1 is the first one and 2 the second one.

Arnie has a (al-Hashimi) behind his name because he's married to Faisal in the first rpg. I also thought about giving Majid a surname in the second version cause he's married to Lawrence sister Florence and more or less got adopted as a child by Ali's parents.

#lawrence of arabia art #lawrence of arabia #t.e. lawrence #character study #peter o'toole #omar sharif #faisal #David Lean inspired versions #arnie lawrence #ali ibn el kharisch #majid #sarah lawrence #sketch

[tibo30]

Siuan and Leane trying to survive after being stilled:

#poor siuan #SHE HAD ENOUGH #i like leane’s character arch #siuan sanche #leane sharif #the wheel of time #the fires of heaven #tibo wot babbling

[sparklyeevee]

So I have a thing about like, the notion that powerful female characters in WoT end up dead, dethroned, or depowered by the end of the series. 'Cause that does happen to a lot of the women in WoT, but a) it happens to a lot of the everyone in WoT and b) there are I think more powerful women than powerful men in the series, and I'm not sure the statistics bear out that this affects them more. Since there are Too Many characters in WoT, we're gonna restrict ourselves for the time being to non-villains with more than 5 perspective sections in the books, and who can channel, hold a noble title or high military rank, or have another extraordinary ability. Needless to say, this will involve substantial spoilers for the series, so like, fair warning. We will be sorting characters first by gender and then by whether they are Dead, Dethroned, or Depowered or Doing Just Fine. Loss of Ta'veren status will not, for these purposes, constitute depowering.

Women

Dead, Dethroned, or Depowered

Moiraine Damodred

Siuan Sanche

Egwene al'Vere

Verin Mathwin

Morgase Trakand

Doing Just Fine

Nynaeve al'Meara

Min Farshaw

Elayne Trakand

Faile Bashere

Aviendha

Cadsuane Melaidhrin

Fortuona Paendrag

Pevara Tazanovni

Men

Dead, Dethroned, or Depowered

Rand al'Thor

Geoffram Bornhald

Pedron Niall

Gareth Bryne

Gawyn Trakand

Galad Damodred (debatable)

Doing Just Fine

Lan Mandragoran

Perrin Aybara

Thom Merillin

Mat Cauthon (technically died twice, but he's fine now)

Rodel Ituralde

Androl Genhald

Talmanes

Logain Ablar (debatable)

Four women who seem like they ought to be on this list because of how much they're around, but actually have fewer than 5 perspectives. Mercifully, they balance out

Leane Sharif (DDD)

Birgitte Silverbow (DDD)

Berelain sur Paendrag Paeron (DJF)

Sorilea (DJF)

So, 13 women (not counting the honorable mentions), 5 DDD, 8 DJF. That's 38.46%. 14 men, 6 DDD, 8 DJF, or 42.86%. The difference is less drastic than I expected, but I feel pretty comfortable saying that this does not constitute a trend towards killing and depowering the women of WoT. Logain is debatable because he spends much of the series "brought low" in the kind of way people talk about happening to the female characters, but he ended up on the DJF list because he's fine at the end. Galad is debatable because while he lost his hand and his good looks, he's still got his rank. I put him on the DDD list because if it had happened to Berelain instead, there's no question which list she would be on..

#wheel of time #wot #wheel of time book spoilers #wot book spoilers

[rationalnerd62]

The Wheel of Time Screentime, Season 1

Can you believe that S1E8 of The Wheel of Time came out more than three weeks ago? It seems like yesterday and forever ago, so I guess I am feeling The Longing.

Since I still cannot watch, or read, or listen to, or talk about anything that isn’t directly related to WoT, I guess I can spend a bit more time doing some math and sharing the results with you.

Disclaimers:

I am looking at screentime, which is just a number among others that can be used to talk about something (in our case, a TV show). It can provide some interesting information, but it should not be used, for example, to prove the irrefutable quality of a plotline. A minor character can have a significant screentime in a given episode for being in the background of major scenes (*cough* Leane Sharif in Ep6 *cough*). Similarly, a major character getting more screentime than another doesn’t enforce that they also have more development (and I will come back to that later on).

I computed those screentimes, and I am far from perfect. Mistakes and approximations can exist. While doing that Season 1 breakdown, I still found some minor mistakes on earlier episodes. Moreover, not everyone working on this would compute screentime the same way. While I aimed for consistency during my work, other people may come up with different numbers, and this would be perfectly fine.

If you have missed the breakdowns for the different episodes, links are below. I am also linking the speaking time breakdowns, made by @far-dareis-me.

WoT Screentime: e1 | e2 | e3 | e1-3 | e4 | e5 | e6 | e7 | e8

WoT Speaking Time: e1-3 | e4 | e5 | e6 | e7 | e8

Also, for a quick reminder, I will mostly be talking about two types of screentime:

Total screentime: it includes whenever a character is present in a scene (either physically or through voiceover), no matter its state of consciousness (so, conscious, asleep, unconscious, or even dead).

“In-scene” screentime: it includes whenever a character is physically present in a scene and conscious.

Now that the serious talk is done, please expand below for a bunch of (hopefully) fancy charts!

After removing the recaps, title sequences and ending credits, the first season of The Wheel of Time ran for about 7h13m13s, or an average of 54m09s per episode. We encountered 55 named characters, which shared 23h06m40s of total screentime and 22h05m54s of in-scene screentime.

General Distribution

The total screentime distribution per character was as followed:

With 2h52m29s of total screentime (12.4% of the s1 total screentime), Moiraine came up first, with Rand closely following her with 2h41m39s (11.7%). The rest of our main cast followed, with Egwene (2h21m23s, 10.2%), Lan (2h01m57s, 8.8%), Perrin (1h55m50s, 8.4%), Nynaeve (1h45m25s, 7.6%) and Mat (1h32m40s, 6.7%).

We can compare those total screentime to the show length/duration:

Overall, this means Moiraine was on our screen (or in voiceover) 39.8% of the time, Rand 37.3%, Egwene 32.6%, Lan 28.2%, Perrin 26.7%, Nynaeve 24.3% and Mat 21.4%. We obviously have a large gap with secondary characters, with Liandrin and Siuan being on our screen respectively 8.1% and 7.2% of the time.

The ordering switches a bit when considering in-scene screentime:

Moiraine now falls behind Rand, as she spent 17m13s either on voiceover, asleep, unconscious (13m13s!) or dead in Rand’s dream. This represents about 10% of her total screentime, this girl really needs a break.

Main Cast Details

We can also look at our main cast screentime in more details:

Some of the differences in screentime between main characters can be explained by looking at their breakdown per episode.

There’s a few things to note from this chart:

Nynaeve’s lower screentime is obviously explained by her absence at the end of Ep1 and in Ep2. While her screentime was pretty decent in following episodes, it was hard for her to catch up on the 25+ minutes of (mostly group) screentime others got in Ep2.

Before being written out at the end of Ep6, Mat had a very decent screentime. In a world without Covid and with the original Ep7/Ep8 scripts, Mat probably would have gotten a screentime similar to Lan or Perrin (if not higher). Alas, it is what it is. Barney, I hope you’re doing good, and I will miss your Mat!

Rand had the top total screentime up to Ep5. It’s only during the very gay Ep6 that Moiraine got to take the lead.

We can look at the similar in-scene screentime chart:

Here, Moiraine lost quite a bit of time in Ep2 and Ep3 due to her being unconscious. She still took the lead in Ep6, but Rand managed to catch up on her with Ep8.

Gender Distribution.

Similar charts can be made regarding the gender distribution of screentime.

Overall, men had 1h15m58s more total screentime than women, and 1h33m more in-scene screentime than women. While men were more asleep than women, women had 3.5 times more unconscious time than men, and almost twice their dead time.

Again, we can look at the breakdown per episodes:

Women had about 3h less in-scene screentime than men by the end of episode 5. Ep6 helped a lot in reducing the gender screentime gap, but it was not enough to close it, and the following two episodes slightly increased that difference further more.

Where I count named characters

I’ve often heard critics of screentime breakdowns related to bias induced by group scenes: a character may have significant screentime due to being a member of a group, while being under-developed. While the following section cannot fully solve this issue, it may gives us hints of characters seemingly more impacted by this problem.

But first, let’s look at the first season as a whole. When considering the 7h13m13s duration of the show, how much of it was spent on scene with no named characters or k number of named characters?

The maximum number of named characters in a scene was 13, which happened at the end of Ep1, as our EF4 left behind their family to follow an Aes Sedai and her Warder. The maximum numbers of named characters for all S1 episodes were as followed:

Ep1: 13 named characters, 13 in-scene named characters.

Ep2: 8 named characters, 8 in-scene named characters.

Ep3: 10 named characters, 10 in-scene named characters.

Ep4: 10 named characters, 9 in-scene named characters.

Ep5: 9 named characters, 9 in-scene named characters.

Ep6: 8 named characters, 8 in-scene named characters.

Ep7: 11 named characters, 11 in-scene named characters.

Ep8: 5 named characters, 5 in-scene named characters.

If the difference between named characters is a bit confusing, we can look at the ending scene of Ep4, in which we had 9 in-scene (i.e. conscious and present) named characters (Logain, Liandrin, Moiraine, Alanna, Stepin, Lan, Nynaeve, Ihvon, Maksim) and 1 dead named characters (Kerene), bringing our total to 10.

Overall, both the total and in-scene distribution revealed that a significant amount of time was spent on scenes with a small number of named characters. 45% of the time, only two in-scene named characters were on our screen. More than 75% of the time was spent on scenes with 4 or less named characters (whether we are looking at in-scene or total time).

Again, we can look at this breakdown per episodes:

In know, those charts are not significantly different, but people asked for charts, and I find them aesthetically pleasing. You can play spot the differences with them. Some I have found: dead Leila and unconscious Tam in Ep1, unconscious Moiraine in Ep2/Ep3, dead Kerene in Ep4/Ep5, dead Stepin in Ep5, sleeping Siuan and Perrin in Ep6, dead dreamed-Moiraine and frozen (which I considered unconscious) dreamed-Egwene in Ep8.

Those charts do give us some interesting data regarding the length of each episodes. Ep1/Ep8 were the shortest, while Ep4/Ep6 were the longest. IMO, Ep6′s length was increased to take into account Barney’s departure, and Ep8′s length may have been reduced because of cost and time constraints following Covid. Maybe Ep1 got cut short because of all those exec-notes Rafe received? Who knows. I’ve seen many non-readers commenting that the first episode was a bit too slow, which is hilarious as readers thought it too fast, but this may have resulted in execs asking Rafe to cut some Two Rivers pre-battle scenes short. *crossing fingers for some deleted scenes*.

Also, someone on Twitter asked me whether Covid had impacted the number of characters per scene in Ep7/Ep8. Overall, there’s not a clear trend. Ep7 does have quite a lot of bigger group scenes, and the smaller number of named characters per scene in Ep8 makes sense on a plot point of view. Covid definitely affected the set (see that CGI battle against Trollocs and Fades), but maybe not in term of named characters.

Last but not least... What about our main characters?

I only looked at in-scene time for this, mostly because that’s the time were characters actually matter. While this is not always true, the more a character is in smaller-sized scenes, the more opportunities for development they get. The big exception to this is Moiraine: even when many people surrounds her, she tends to be in the center of our attention. The Weep for Manetheren scene is a nice example of it.

Some fun things to note:

Can you notice Moiraine’s big jump for the scenes with 6 named in-scene characters? The Hall scene at the beginning of Ep6 probably plays a role in it.

Perrin and Egwene have a jump for scenes with 5 named in-scene characters. It may reflect their scenes with the Tuatha’an.

Rand is the top character for solo scenes and duo scenes. He had 10min more duo scenes than Moiraine, and 27min more than Egwene. While it’s okay to be disappointed by his development in the show, especially for those who love book tEotW Rand, it’s factually wrong to say he had no more development than, say, Stepin or another recurring/secondary character (which is an exaggeration I’ve been told quite a few times).

Talking about underdeveloped characters, Perrin had less duo scenes than Mat, who was absent for two episodes. Hopefully the Hunt in the next season will give him more growth opportunities... If you remember my mention of a major character getting more screentime than another but being less developed at the beginning of this post, Perrin is who I was referring to (again, IMO). He technically had more screentime than Nynaeve, but with a larger proportion on group scenes, for which our quiet man happily stayed in the background. I don’t blame the show writers for that, though: introspective characters are tough to adapt.

Aaaand that was my last chart! At least, for now. I may end up doing a shorter post on each of our main characters, because this last part leads to a new question: who has been spending time with who?

As always, here’s a link to most of those numbers. If there’s something missing that you would like to know about, you can message me about it, either here or on Twitter (RationalNerd there).

#the wheel of time #wot screentime #moiraine damodred #al'lan mandragoran #rand al'thor #egwene al'vere #nynaeve al'meara #perrin aybara #mat cauthon #wot stats

[here-be-dragons-and-hyperspace]

Leane Sharif is one of my favorite minor characters, her "bimbofication" was so fun to read. Any other Leane simps here? ☺️

Cannot wait for episode six to see Jennifer Cheon Garcia as Leane. She's so fucking beautiful.

#wheel of time #the wheel of time #wot on prime #wot show #wheel of time show #wot #leane #leane sharif #keeper #Keeper of Chronicles #jennifer cheon garcia