PotC: Brief Norrington Musing and a Fan Art Rec

[bimo]

selenak wrote an interesting essay called The Insignificant Other, in which she analyzes the role and frequent abuse of the romantic rival as a plot device "solely inserted to heighten the angst between the movie's/show's leading couple, and inevitably [ending] up either revealed as evil or dismissed as unworthy [...]."

Hand in hand with various examples of popular stereotypes, a whole range of unworthy competitors who disqualify themselves by being either evil, boring, or somewhat insane, goes the implicit blueprint for characters who, despite being set up as rivals, have escaped from that particular fate.


When Selena writes:

"Male variations of The Insignificant Other usually aren't evil, unless they are Prince Humperdinck in The Princess Bride, and The Princess Bride is such a lovely homage and send up that it's impossible to mind. No, instead male variations are dismissed as "safe", "boring", not worthy of the heroine's affection as opposed to the exciting, dangerous hero."


this not only summarizes existing cliches, but in my opinion also serves as a good explanation of what makes a character like James Norrington from the movie PotC: Curse of the Black Pearl so very outstanding. Norrington works, and in fact has managed to draw a considerable fan following of his own (including yours truly *g*), because he comes across as someone with a life of his own, who, under different circumstances and in a different constellation of characters, would have easily made a very fine romantic hero. He's three-dimensional, equipped with an exciting profession, and possesses weaknesses as well as strengths. The amount of insecurity and concern he is showing clearly marks him as a caring human being, worthy of being loved in return; if not by his romantic interest Elizabeth Swann then by somebody else.

A fact, which even the creative powers behind PotC must admit in the end by letting Jack Sparrow tease poor Norrington with the words "I was rooting for you."


So far for the theory, now for the fan art *g*

sinningia has drawn an awesome portrait of DMC Norrington, which conveys a whole range emotions due to its wonderfully "windswept" and rather expressionist style. Go and see for yourself!