Black Widow, Loki, What Winning Looks Like

[wolven7]

If you've seen The Avengers, go read this, The Carnival of The Random: Black Widow, Whedon and that WORD

If you've NOT Seen it, let me just say: SO MANY FUCKING SPOILERS FOR THE AVENGERS. Well, really just the one. But! IF you've seen it? Read this. Read it right now, because it encapsulates EVERYTHING I felt, when I watched this scene.

You read it? Good. Because I just keep reading this deconstruction, and loving how very fucking right it is.

This ​entire​ scene I was like, "Come on, Natasha wouldn't do this. She wouldn't let Loki get to her, like this." And it's the masterful nature of the piece that we can believe it, not just because she'd be distraught about Clint, but because we've been trained to see otherwise capable women become needlessly distraught over men. So I freaked out a little, watching her turn away and shake, as Loki just lays into her, and I'm thinking to the movie gods, "don't do this to this character..."

But...

But then her shoulders dropped and she turned around, and she was composed and contained and perfect. In that moment, in our theater, the ENTIRE THEATER cheered. It was like we all had the same thoughts, were all holding our collective breath, disbelieving that this was happening to this woman we'd seen so utterly destroy--physically and mentally--so many people (men) before now.

And we all released that breath as a jubilant roar when we saw that she had beaten Loki, too.

This movie is perfect.

Comments

[jonathankorman.livejournal.com]

Exactly.

I know a number of people who have been thrown by that line, and I wonder how they could be so obtuse. What, they think Joss used an Elizabethan insult by accident because he got sloppy?

After setting up the parallel to Silence of the Lambs so strongly that I was afraid Nick Fury was going to start saying “do not touch the glass, do not approach the glass, if he attempts you pass you anything do not accept it” of course Whedon is going to subvert our expectations about that scene. Of course he's playing the audience into misreading the scene. Of course his calling our attention to the sexist tropes that we expect to see.

In that moment I half expected Widow to go all Lion In Winter on Loki.

I found out the way your mind works and the kind of man you are. I know your plans and expectations. You've burbled every bit of strategy you've got. I know exactly what you will do and exactly what you won't, and I've told you exactly nothing. To these aged eyes, boy, that's what winning looks like.

The only thing better would have been if Thor had stepped out from behind a tapestry and exclaimed, “I'm going to go tell father!”

[wolven.livejournal.com]

You know, I must have seen The Lion In Winter at some point, but I honestly don't remember it. And if I haven't seen it, then.. my use of that phrase is really weird...

The only thing better would have been if Thor had stepped out from behind a tapestry and exclaimed, “I'm going to go tell father!”

HAH! Yes!

[jonathankorman.livejournal.com]

It's Jed Bartlett's favorite film.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

That I Do remember ;)

[smokierings.livejournal.com]

Talk to me. I could get it in your hands relatively quickly.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Sweet.

[blindwebster.livejournal.com]

I, too, experienced high levels of jubilance. I knew I could count on Whedon to do two things: 1. Give the Black Widow power and agency, and 2. Kill someone I really, really liked just to make all the other characters sad. (Optional sadface here.)

[wolven.livejournal.com]

I still hold out hope that I don't have to pull the sadface :\

[blindwebster.livejournal.com]

Me too. This is the first time I've wanted a character to be brought back to life for some totally bullshit reason.

[opalblack.livejournal.com]

OMG AWESOME!

[wolven.livejournal.com]

I KNOW!!