Love Meme, Day Six

[ladyofleithian]

Day 06 - Best kiss?



First off, I want to apologize for this being kind of late-ish on this one -- let's say that I had my wisdom teeth extracted. Still kind of recovering from that one, though I am getting better.

Anyway, I might as well cover some of my personal favorites:

-Jack kissing Rose and the Doctor both goodbye before his first death in "Parting of the Ways". It's just a genuinely touching moment, and just plain beautiful, showing Jack's love for the both of them.





-The Ninth Doctor kissing Rose. Not only is it a beautifully shot and scored scene -- and definitely a "heck yes" moment for everyone who was rooting for the both of them -- but it's a beautiful ending for the Doctor: going out with an act of self-sacrifice and love.



-Anakin and Padme kissing before going to their (presumed) deaths in the Geonosis arena. Natalie Portman's performance in that scene is beautiful, in my opinion, and the music is gorgeous because...well, John Williams is the man. He really is. And it's really made better, IMHO, in the novelization by R.A. Salvatore, just because the quote about "my love is a puzzle" is a lovely, poetic quote, and definitely sums up Padme's worries and fears and hopes perfectly.



-Probably a bit of an unconventional one, but Aragorn kissing Boromir on the forehead as the latter dies. Boromir's death scene is already one of the most heartbreaking scenes in film history (I mean, his death in the book definitely was heartbreaking, especially Aragorn's reaction to it, but it seemed a bit too sudden, sort of like Tolkien pulled back too much, if that makes any sense. In the movie, they really play up the emotional content and Boromir's guilt over what he nearly did, his utter terror at Merry and Pippin being kidnapped, and his fear of failing, and Aragorn's compassion for him -- it's pretty clear that even after what he's heard from Frodo, Aragorn understands and forgives him) but the kiss on the forehead was genuinely lovely, and moving.



I am definitely more of an Aragorn/Arwen girl, but I am considering Aragorn/Boromir (Phillipa Boyens even compared them to lovers in the Extended Edition commentary during their argument on the banks of Anduin, and I'm pretty certain the shippers went "I knew it!" the moment that this popped up. Hell, even TV Tropes counts Boromir as a sort of Type B Tsundere towards Aragorn, as he mostly seems to have his more irritable moments around Aragorn, at least before he softens a bit. Even his argument with Aragorn on the banks of Anduin seems to be a mixture of "The race of Men isn't as weak and awful as you think they are" and a bit of "You're so much better than you think you are and you just can't see it." *) as a pairing. It's definitely interesting, at least, and the groundwork's there. Boromir starting to warm up to Aragorn in Lothlorien (and it helps that he's likely starting to see that Aragorn's a genuinely nice person) and including him in coming along to Minas Tirith (he says, after all, "our paths will lead us there", not "my" but "our". He really does want Aragorn to come with him), Aragorn's gentleness towards him, begging on Anduin for Aragorn to see the good in the race of Men, and of course, the death scene. The groundwork's definitely there, even if it is rather subtle.

-Revan and Bastila's kiss in the crew quarters (either version, and I say either version because there is actually a mod that allows you to romance Bastila as a female, which I think is actually awesome just because...well, I kind of prefer Revan/Bastila over Revan/Carth. Don't get me wrong; Revan/Carth definitely has some really beautiful moments, but there is something about Revan/Bastila that really kind of clicks with me). For starters, I really like the build-up towards the romance, from Revan ribbing her (and yes, I'll admit that some of Bastila's reactions are really cute, especially her reaction to Revan pointing out her -- very frequent, honestly -- Accidental Innuendoes. Yeah, I know it sounds weird to say, but I guess I like the whole idea, being a socially awkward young woman myself, of a female character having an Adorkable streak, and in both the male PC version and the modded female version, Bastila is incredibly Adorkable when she gets flustered. And it makes sense she'd be occasionally very innuendo-blind, considering her upbringing in the Order) to Bastila admitting that she's come to depend on Revan to the conversation in the crew quarters prior to the kiss -- including some really beautiful voice acting from Jennifer Hale. I'm not just saying that because Jennifer Hale has an absolutely gorgeous voice when voicing Bastila (something about her voice is very soothing at times) but because her delivery of "You really mean it, don't you" is very poignant. And it's clear that she really does love Revan, but her own worries (about falling, about failing the mission, about failing them both, because that's another thing about Bastila -- she's very perfectionist. She's a complex character, Bastila; she isn't just a Satellite Love Interest, but a young woman with her own flaws, fears, hopes, beliefs...and a bit of a female version of the Obi-Wan -- prior to Kreia's genderflipped Palpatine role if with more of a complicated slant -- which is also cool considering how many male mentors are out there and what a good change to have a woman, and a multifaceted woman, playing the Obi-Wan or Gandalf role. Nothing against the Gandalf types, but it's definitely nice to shake things up a bit. Variety is the spice of fiction as well as life, after all!) are holding her back. Then the kiss itself.



And to give credit to the cap and the mod where it's due, Swfan28 made it on Nexus Mods: http://www.nexusmods.com/kotor/mods/581/?. You're very very welcome.

And for a bonus, a cap from The Romancing Of Bastila (and a link because the modder who made it is possibly an angel):



Not only is it a genuinely sweet scene, but it actually provides some good repercussions for later in the plot, and good character development. Stuff like Bastila expressing regret and worry over the kiss (and for good reason), and later, the love that she and Revan share being used against Revan when Saul Karath tortures her (honestly, considering how he tortures either Bastila or Carth depending on who Revan's been romancing, I think he mostly wants to make Revan suffer, for whatever reason), Bastila being captured trying to save Revan, Bastila nearly tempting Revan over when she promises (if you've been playing the romance thing through, of course; I admit I didn't get to that line but I think it might be there?) to be his/her lover and apprentice (assuming, again, that you're using the mod that allows you to romance Bastila as a female PC) and later, the PC using the love that they share to win Bastila back. It's better than in the vanilla female PC game because even if they didn't go the romance route, they could have gone the close relationship route (or a bit of payback, sort of like, "You believed in me. You rescued me. Now it's my turn." **) but instead, where the male PC version is full of warmth and heat and enough light to fill the Star Forge, the vanilla female PC game just feels very detached and cold. (Although fanfic has tried to fix that) It would be nice to get that same warmth, somehow, from the male PC version to the female PC version.

But yeah, honestly? That whole scene with Bastila in the crew quarters -- sweet scene, wonderful voice acting from Jennifer Hale (because Jennifer Hale kicks ass), great character development, great relationship development, and an ultimately incredibly moving payoff.

-Revan and Carth's kiss on the beach. Well, the restored kiss thanks to some very talented modder:



(This was basically the best pic I could actually get of the mod in action. The mod itself is here: http://www.cjt0202.net/carth_romance.php)

While I absolutely adore Revan/Bastila, Revan/Carth is also a very lovely pairing, and this bit on the beach definitely proves it, what with the two of them just kind of dropping everything after Revan's ordeal on the Temple Summit and kissing. Also crosses over into hilarious with Mission complaining about the two of them needing to get a room and HK-47 saying that he doesn't understand "organic meatbags".

-This is something I don't think would get referenced very often (even when Wolves of the Calla is talked about in The Dark Tower this scene is kind of glossed over, and it sucks), but a flashback in Wolves of the Calla when Father Callahan's talking with Roland and company about his time at the soup kitchen/homeless shelter and his falling for one of the founders of the shelter, and one instance of an interaction with the man (Lupe Delgado) where Lupe kisses him on the cheek. It's a small scene, but the way King describes it, it's very effective, especially with Callahan in the present still kind of feeling (I'm recounting from memory) the brush of stubble from Lupe against his cheek. And earlier, stuff like Callahan actually blushing (and honestly? The fact that the former priest, who's basically been put through the wringer, from his alcoholism to his humiliation at the hands of Barlow ** and a lot more, is kind of blushing when he's recounting his old love, is just plain sweet. I remember just feeling really genuinely sort of "awwww" at that moment. The fact that Lupe, and another friend of Callahan's, Rowan McGruder, were there when Callahan needed them most, definitely helps. I mean, sometimes you just need someone, and that's okay) and saying at one point, "God, he was beautiful! Beautiful!" was really well-done. It's one of those instances in King's writing where he handles the matter of how love and how it feels (another example is Susan Delgado, and no, she and Lupe aren't related; the surname's really just a coincidence) extremely well -- just that sort of feeling of newness. It's one of those pairings that, even though it ends heartbreakingly (and I wish it didn't have to be that way, honestly), really sums up the difference between unhealthy love (as I discussed with Remus and Tonks earlier, and I know King wouldn't like the comparison but that's my opinion, at least) and healthy love -- unhealthy love really just kind of drags you down, it destroys you, it sends you into depression, and healthy love...healthy love is incredibly sweet, and healing, and beautiful. Like Jolee says in Knights of the Old Republic, "passion can lead to rage and fear and can be controlled, but love itself will save you, not condemn you." (Yeah, readers of this post...Jolee Bindo dropped the fucking mic)

-Aragorn and Arwen. There's their kiss in the garden, which is incredibly moving and beautiful, their kiss in a flashback Aragorn has in The Two Towers, and their reunited kiss just because of the sheer joy in it. Liv Tyler and Viggo Mortensen play off one another well and really bring to life a ship that I've adored since I was a middle schooler who first read it in the Appendices, actually.













Also...gah, that last one. <3 I mean, look at that smile. That's just...amazing. It's like the epitome of Earn Your Happy (Romantic) Ending right then and there.

-Belle and the now-transformed Beast (prince, actually) kissing. I know some people complained about the Beast turning back into a prince, how they preferred the Beast (and I can kind of see why; the Beast is a pretty awesome character, and interesting), but ah well -- it's still a very moving scene, it really is. And the kiss after Belle's "It is you" -- well, it really is the topper to a really awesome scene.



Seriously, one of my favorite Disney scenes of all time.

-Han and Leia's kiss in Empire Strikes Back. There's Han's unexpected -- at this point considering how he's mostly been dedicated to sort of ribbing Leia -- gentleness towards Leia when she asks him to stop calling her "Your Worship", there's the "you like me because I'm a scoundrel" part, and there's also the whole feeling that Irvin Kershner really allows to flow through like the both of them are nervous and excited at the same time -- and it helps that Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher do a wonderful job giving off that sort of vibe.





Honestly, the best I can say about that scene is...well, the chemistry is strong with these two. And then it gets hilarious when C-3PO decides to add "moment-killer" to his list of many skills. Han's absolute scorn and fury towards him is perfect, and C-3PO's utter obliviousness makes it even better. XD

And then of course there's the pre-Han-freezing kiss that the both of them share, which is actually very moving.



I mean, Han's about to be taken to Jabba the Hutt, Leia has no idea if she's ever going to see him again, and well... "I love you", "I know" really says it all. It's made even better by the fact that Han doesn't say it in a sort of cocky voice or anything, but really sort of gentle, a bit sad -- he already knows that Leia's in love with him. And the way he says it, he might as well have been saying "I love you" back (which was the original plan before Harrison Ford ad-libbed, because...Harrison Ford is one of many acting gods, yes he is. :3) before going to his freezing. The thing is, even in the Original Trilogy, Han definitely had a gentle side, a kind side. He mostly needed some prompting from both Luke and Leia for it to come out. And from Chewie, of course, because it's obvious that Chewie basically guilt-tripped him to coming back to Yavin. And it's clear that he is very, very, very into Leia. He really is. And the kisses they share in ROTJ are wonderful as well, but there's something about the ESB moments that are...spectacular.

So yeah...those are my personal favorite kisses in fiction.



* Mostly because Aragorn's self-esteem in the movies is good as in the toilet, honestly.  And on a sidenote, Boromir is just...gah. In the beginning he rubbed me the wrong way, but then as the movie progressed, I really did start to like him. No, love him actually, from his sparring sessions with Merry and Pippin to him rescuing Frodo from the Watcher in the Water to comforting Gimli twice (there's outside Moria, of course, but there's also a small thing that TV Tropes pointed out where he puts a hand on Gimli's shoulder while the latter is just inconsolable over Balin's death) to pleading with Aragorn to give the Hobbits a moment when they're still in shock over Gandalf's death to being pretty much the only one (in the Extended Edition) to comfort Frodo after Gandalf's death and basically not treat him like a freak (like Haldir was doing in that scene) and a lot more. He's a generally very flawed, but loving character, and where the book kind of made my middle school self come away with kind of mixed feelings about Boromir, the movie...goddamn did the movie make me love him. He's not just a bastard; he really is a multifaceted, genuinely loving character whose desire to please his father (it's made clear that Faramir being used as the scapegoat -- to use a psychology term -- really got to Faramir and Boromir both, as it's clear that Boromir practically cherishes his little brother and the feeling's mutual, but I don't know if many people talk about how being viewed as the golden child/family hero -- another psychology term and I think it definitely sums up how Denethor treats Boromir -- really drove Boromir to a mental breakdown. It really wasn't just the Ring that made him snap, I know that much. It was his father as well) really sabotaged him in the end.

** Because I think Bastila...well, it was really the Council who tinkered with Revan's head, I think, and Bastila was forced into keeping the secret even though she really did want to tell Revan the truth. I can imagine she wouldn't really be happy doing it, but she'd do it because she thought it was necessary. It's still an awful thing to do to anyone, but I think the blame really lies more with the Council, not her. That's my take on it, at least. (Feel free to disagree) That and her initial rescue of Revan was obviously born out of good intentions -- it wasn't just the Code and the matter of the Jedi holding all life sacred, even that of a Sith Lord (which is one hell of a contrast to later stuff, such as Legacy of the Force, where it's pretty clear that the main cast doesn't think that way, including said Sith Lord's own parents. Which really hurts me -- I mean, what was so inherently worthless about Caedus from the authors' point of view that even his own parents didn't give a damn about him? As I said in my Final Frontier review, fuck the Just World Fallacy), but definitely her inherent belief that Revan could be saved, and was worth saving. And because honestly? I think she's just a genuinely good person. Flawed, insecure, having the occasional side of anger issues, but genuinely a good person.

*** Which I still hate Barlow for. I mean, Callahan's basically barred from his own church for something that was done to him, and it's not fair in the slightest.




Day 07 - The most heartbreaking scene?
Day 08 - The pairing with the most baggage?
Day 09 - The most believable relationship?
Day 10 - The least believable relationship?
Day 11 - Your dream pairing?
Day 12 - Who had the best wedding?
Day 13 - Your favorite television pairing?
Day 14 - What is your favorite book pairing?
Day 15 - What is your favorite real life pairing?
Day 16 - What is the absolute worst pairing?
Day 17 - A pairing you thought would never work out, but did?
Day 18 - What is the cutest pairing?
Day 19 - A pairing you’ve rooted for since the beginning?
Day 20 - The 'can't stand the sexual tension anymore' pairing?
Day 21 - A pairing you like and no one else understands why?
Day 22 - A pairing you hate and no one else understands why?
Day 23 - A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out great?
Day 24 - A crazy love triangle/quadrilateral that worked out badly?
Day 25 - A pairing that was/would-be adorable, but could never work out?
Day 26 - A pairing that you hated and ended up loving?
Day 27 - A pairing that you loved and ended up hating?
Day 28 - A pairing that you will never understand?
Day 29 - What ship had the best proposal?
Day 30 - Your favorite ship forever and ever and ever!

Comments

[lady-leia-solo.livejournal.com]

I've never gotten a chance to read the novelization of AOTC, but that quote you posted is lovely! I just realized that I have an omnibus ebook of the prequels on my Kindle. I need to get it to it. I've read some of ROTS in hardback form and it's so quotable!

[ladyhadhafang.livejournal.com]

Oh, you should definitely give it a shot! And yeah, that quote is lovely, one of my personal favorites. :)

And you have an omnibus ebook of the prequels on your Kindle? That's really neat! Seriously. And yes, ROTS the novelization -- it's a masterpiece, it really is. :3