I went into At World's End knowing what was coming. Being the obsessed Norrington fangirl the 2nd movie turned me into last summer, I'd read the leaked script. So I pretty much suspected that Jack Davenport wasn't going to make it out of this trilogy alive. The only way he could have would have been if, as the man hopelessly in love with a woman who didn't love him back, he had cut out his heart and put it in Davy's chest. And I pretty much also knew that there was no way in hell a supporting character like Norrington was gonna get that gig, because those sort of endings go to the Big Guns (as well they should. Otehrwise, the story wouldn't have worked, adn the good fo the story comes first). That said, I was very happy with the fact that Will did, because it elevated his and Elizabeth's love story from "typical Disney fairytale" to "Goddam EPIC" and it made his character (who has annoyed me in the first two films for being bland) really resonate because they both paid a price for their actions, and accepted that price willingly.
This story has always been Elizabeth's story, from the very first shot to the coda of Elizabeth waiting on the beach with her son for Will's day off. So I don't mind at all, because the films were consistent, and the theme of this last film was "be true to yourself" and secondely, " hold out for someone to love you for exactly who you are, not who they want you to be." That applied to Norrington, oddly enough, just as much to Calypso and Elizabeth. Unlike Davy and Calypso, Norrington had loved Elizabeth for who she was.
James Norrington knew from the moment he let Elizabeth go in the first film that he was compromising himself for love (and unrequited love at that), but he was also being true to who he was--an honourble man. And he was an honourble man who deserved better, but at the same time, the films were very generous about keeping him in the picture (which I chalk up to Ted & Terry really pushing for more of teh character, and Gore wanting to give it to them becasue everyone loevs Jack Davenport, as well they should, be dammit HE IS JACK DAVENPORT and YOU WILL LOVE HIM.) and giving him a genuine character arc. it may be nto much screentime, and it may often be in visual short-hand rather than great detail. But it has always felt true and been complex and Jack Davenport brought so much to his scnees, that I am emotionalyl satisfied by his ending.
Even if I keep muttering "killed by wacky demented Bootstrap? Seriously? Dammit..." because it seemed that whole plot thread was only there to up the ante for Will in the finale reel and was a crappy way to go, skewed by a wacky senial starfish on legs. But I was happy that we saw him face off against Davy at the end. I was bummed they cut the scenes where Norrington and Davy both railed against being nothing mroe than Beckett's lapdogs, but I was still happy with the fact that he clearly chose and side, and died the way he'd live: for honour and love.
So am I upset our boy dies? Yes and no. Unlike Wash in Serenity whose death felt gratuitous and merely there for shock value, Norrington's death fit, even if I wasn't happy he didn't get a happily-ever-after (which really no-one got except Barbossa) I was happy he got redemption and a proper ending.
And mostly importantly for me (cos I am a sucker for unrequited love) got to snog the girl at long last. It's not about Elizabeth so much as it is about HIM, and I'm fine and dandy with that.
Plus, hey--there's no law that says Calypso couldn't bring him back if she were properly bribed.
I'm just saying.
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taraljc) wrote,
