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vuelie-frost · 3 months
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After months of desperation, doubt, and burnout...
I just got a job offer!
For a position I really really wanted!
With an amazing salary!
I'll be moving to Maryland in January!
"Into the Unknown" is about to dominate my Spotify.
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vuelie-frost · 4 months
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Apparently I live under a rock because I JUST learned that Frozen 3 is going to be split into two movies! What!!! Someone on the team (Jen herself?) mentioned the core concept of Elsa's powers growing. I wonder if they're going to touch on the original idea of Elsa as a villain character, perhaps her abilities outpacing her capacity to be responsible for them. I would LOVE to see Elsa mess up. At this point, her character flaws are usually palatable and easily forgivable. I'd love to see her actively make terrible decisions, get selfish, screw things up, try to control things she can't. Nothing out of character, just to push the boundaries. Let my girl get messy. Anyway, that's my prediction. I get so nervous with consecutive sequels because I never want the magic of the original media to get lost. I'm bracing myself for anything. Also if they give her a love interest, I will throw myself into a lake.
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vuelie-frost · 4 months
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10 years since my favorite movie came out!!
Frozen changed my life and that's not an exaggeration.
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Happy 10 Years of Frozen!
November 27, 2013
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vuelie-frost · 5 months
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I love this scene so much because Anna's looking into the castle where her whole family is and she's so visibly happy that they're all together and well and safe.
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Frozen II (2019)
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vuelie-frost · 5 months
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Visual development for Frozen II by Annette Marnat
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vuelie-frost · 5 months
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My interpretation is that the Fifth Spirit is the name for a force of nature, some universal concept that works through incarnate forms. Right now Elsa & Anna are the dual Fifth Spirit, but there will be others after they pass on. Whereas Snow Queen is Elsa's title because it differentiates her from the Queen of Arendelle (Anna.) It's a little confusing regarding what those roles mean in a practical sense, and I wish we had more in-movie clarity. F3 might or might not confirm this, but that's just how I understand it (could be wrong though of course!)
If Elsa is the fifth spirit then why her official title is now the snow queen? Doesn't quite make sense. Not to mention it complicates F3 even further. She can't be called both since it will confuse the viewers.
Jennifer Lee says that her intention was for both Elsa and Anna to be the Fifth Spirit. Elsa makes this pretty clear when she tells Anna, "Well, actually, a bridge has two sides. And mother had two daughters. We did this together." Elsa is The Snow Queen. Anna is the Queen of Arendelle. Together, they are The Fifth Spirit.
However, she doesn't have Elsa doesn't say it directly because she wanted fans to come to their own conclusion. Jennifer Lee has always had this mindset of letting fans have a bit of freedom with the narrative. Maybe she thought that some fans wouldn't want this for Anna because she was always described as an underdog with only love as a power. Directly giving her a special "Fifth Spirit" title might negate this aspect of her character for some fans.
In terms of the title showing up in F3, I don't think "The Fifth Spirit" will actually show up again. It hasn't really shown up in side content or any other meta (at least, from what I can remember, I could be wrong). Elsa has always been referred to as The Snow Queen in most side content. Why? Probably because of Jennifer Lee's comments. The intention is that both Anna and Elsa are the Fifth Spirit. If they bring this up in F3, and call them both this, then it gets rid of that narrative freedom.
Of course, they could just say "f@ck narrative freedom" and give them both the title in the next film. I would be all for that. I'm honestly tired of people denying that Anna is the Fifth Spirit because the narrative supposedly didn't spoon feed it to the audience. As if Anna's actions and Elsa's words are not enough to tell you that they both are the Fifth Spirit.
Like come on people. The film establishes that Elsa's powers were a gift because of Iduna's sacrifice. It describes that the Fifth Spirit is a bridge. Elsa says that Iduna had two daughters and that a bridge has two sides. 2 + 2 = 4. Or better yet, Elsa + Anna = Fifth Spirit. Can you tell that I'm salty about this? Haha.
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vuelie-frost · 5 months
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I think what I like best about Frozen is that it's deceptive in its simplicity. It's a kid's movie so there are villain arcs, funny side characters, compelling protagonists, magic, love conquering all, the importance of family, etc. Themes that are easily digestible. But then you look closely and realize it's also about fearing parts of your core identity, social expectations vs authenticity, battling a desire for safety with a desire for adventure, the complexity of belonging to multiple places simultaneously, restoring broken relationships, vulnerability, grief, emotional intimacy, and more. I'm under no impression the creators were always intentional with these themes (their target market is literally children, they weren't trying to write the equivalent of Les Miserables here.) But the plot and character analysis can go SO deep even before we hit headcanon territory.
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vuelie-frost · 5 months
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vuelie-frost · 5 months
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Frozen II’s creative team traveled to Norway, Finland and Iceland for design ideas, and studied everything from haute couture runway shows and 1940s fashion to traditional Norwegian satchels and photos of “anything that feels crystalline,” Brittney Lee, visual development artist, added. “We try to be as thorough with detail as possible, down to the direction of the embroidery thread.”
“Elsa always has been floor-length everything, so with her iconic capes and long trains, her shape line is a very large, elegant triangle,” Lee said. “When we lose that length, it starts to not feel like her anymore.”
FROZEN (2013) FROZEN FEVER (2015) OLAF’S FROZEN ADVENTURE (2017) FROZEN II (2019)
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vuelie-frost · 5 months
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hello again!
It's been awhile!
There's a TikTok trend right now of "Show Yourself" in different languages, and it brought me right back to the discourse about this movie. Frozen is always in the back of my mind, but I haven't listened to the soundtrack or thought deeply about it in awhile.
So on the way to work today I listened to Show Yourself in full and, predictably, got teary.
I think the beauty of this movie that can only be seen in hindsight is that the theme (per one of the producers, maybe Jen herself) is love in the midst of change. It's been four (!!!) years since Frozen II and we've had that time to sit with the motifs and themes. WE change too.
I relate to Frozen II differently now; maybe even more. When it came out, I was a fan but it didn't hold a candle to the original (to be sure, the original is still my favorite movie.) But at this place in my life- turning 30, auditing my career and relationships, fearing the future, barreling into it anyway- Show Yourself and Into The Unknown become a deeper testimony of risk and payoff.
Admittedly even when the sequel was announced, I didn't like that the point of the sequel was finding out Elsa's "purpose." Because I reject the idea that diversity or difference needs a deeper meaning; sometimes things just are, and they don't need answers. Trying to explain everything can cheapen the impact, especially when magic is involved.
But!
While Elsa was given answers and we might not (or there might be no answers to receive,) that doesn't mean our existence is without meaning. You don't have to be religious to believe that the organic production of the universe led to YOU. And you matter. Neil DeGrasse Tyson once said that it's a miracle any of us exist. So many things can go wrong. But we're here and we matter. You are the one you've been waiting for.
Anyway, I'm sure I'm talking to a nonexistent audience and these are lukewarm takes at best, but I have more peace with Frozen II now that time has passed. I remember the hubbub about Elsa living in the forest and now it just... doesn't seem like a big deal. Of course people can live apart and still love each other. Maybe we spent so much time focusing on that plot point that we missed the bigger picture of love in the midst of change and how we're all enough as we are.
And Elsa remains the queen of my heart 👑
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vuelie-frost · 2 years
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strike for love and strike for fear
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vuelie-frost · 2 years
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frozen 2 entering ahtohallen
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vuelie-frost · 2 years
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oh NO healing her inner child... telling her it’s gonna be okay... i’ll be over here, loudly crying
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@0_April_4 on Twitter
https://twitter.com/0_april_4/status/1299719035609726977?s=21
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vuelie-frost · 3 years
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ANIMATION:
Frozen
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vuelie-frost · 3 years
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“Show Yourself” color keys by Brittney Lee
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vuelie-frost · 3 years
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Frozen 2: A Year Later
Frozen 2 came out one year ago today!
I went to the movies by myself on the evening of November 21, indulged in a large popcorn, and watched my favorite characters flood my heart all over again.
I realize the discourse has slowed down on here- and maybe indefinitely, as I suspect there aren't any more Frozen movies in our future (though crossing some fingers for some shorts!) I myself have been pretty sporadic in my time on Tumblr. I exist in this fandom via ebbs and flows of my hyperfixations (hello, ADHD.)
The Ending
The point of contention that had the most uproar last year. 
I’ve mostly remained positive about the ending. There are small details that still nag at me, but overall I don’t have an issue with it. (I’ve written about this a lot before, so I’ll try not to repeat myself.) 
Regardless, after a year to mull over, I have a little more sympathy for people who reject the ending. We’ve all had shows/franchises that ended poorly to us (glances at HIMYM.) It can feel like actual betrayal when the familiarity we fostered over the years feels breached or violated. I think a year ago I felt very defensive of the ending- and I still defend it- but I have a little more space to allow people to doubt. I know it’s hard. 
Sequels are super fragile, because you’re reentering a space where an established audience is going to be presented with new information. Sequels as a whole RARELY live up to the original. I think even now I still prefer the first Frozen for its poignancy at the time.  Jen has said the theme of the sequel was “love in the midst of change” (while Frozen was “love in the midst of fear.”) These are big, powerful motifs that are destined to challenge our presumptions. Revolting against the changes in Frozen 2 is almost a meta experience, because the empathy we feel is the exact tension the characters feel in the movie. 
I’ve thought a lot about Elsa’s place in the ending, and while cognitively I easily accepted her path (and upon deep reflection realized this is what I wanted for her,) there was a tiny bug in my ear that resisted. Like I said, I’ve been pretty positive about the ending and do think it was the right path for her, but for the sake of honesty I’ll readily admit I wasn’t teary-eyed at the final shot of her running toward Ahtohallan.
Again, I think it’s just the challenge to my presumption that she would live in Arendelle forever. This isn’t a movie problem, this is a me problem. It doesn’t mean it was the wrong decision. “Love in the midst of change.” If Elsa has changed, can I still love her? Has she truly changed? 
Similarly, Anna becoming queen felt right to me immediately, but it still challenged my preconceived notion of the younger sister trope. We assumed she’d always be the fun, relatable foil to Elsa’s stately rank. Anna being elevated this way is exciting for her as a character, but it tests our perception of her.
Again, I love love LOVE Anna being queen. It makes perfect sense. And it’s still never easy to have your assumptions challenged. Those two concepts can coexist.
Elsa
I think after a lot of reflection, the plot point that made me the most skeptical was her giving up queenhood. For someone who relates deeply to her story and characterization, having her as queen gave me hope. If she, despite all her particular flaws, can be a beloved, competent leader figure... maybe there’s hope for me. 
Elsa is an excellent queen. She readily (albeit nervously) accepted the role, since she was prepped for it from birth. She’s a dignified and respected political leader. Her people love her. She’s kind, compassionate, and has a strong sense of justice. Elsa is a good queen.
But that's not the same as Elsa liking being queen.
Now before I make too many assumptions, I’m not saying she hates being queen (I actually think the opposite.) Per her personality, I think she likes caring for people. She enjoys making sure her country is safe and protected. She’s eager to continue the esteemed legacy of her parents. Everything she does is with poise, grace, and gratitude. She probably hoped she had a few more years (or decades) before assuming the rank, but she never shows evidence of resenting the position. This is important.
Since this was her destiny, I’m pretty sure she never even considered doing something else with her life. Which is why the first call from the spirits is so unsettling to her. She thinks her life is set in stone, and suddenly some outside spirit is beckoning her toward adventure. This has to be terrifying.
But I think that’s the first time she starts doubting her place in the world since the events of the first movie. We knew she felt unfit to be queen in Frozen. Now she knows she’s fit for the job, but is this even where she wants to be? Has she even asked herself that question before? 
Elsa’s grappling with personal agency is super interesting to me. She’s always toed the line between fate and personal choice. It was her fate to be coronated, but she ran away to the mountains. It was her fate to be queen, but she chose to follow the call of Ahtohallan. 
(You can argue about whether being the Snow Queen is really her choice or not- I think it is. She’d never let herself be tempted away from Anna against her will. She’s too smart for that. If anything, it means Elsa now fully trusts Anna and doesn’t feel a compulsion to shield her from every crack in the pavement.)
It’s possible to hold two homes in your heart at once. Family of origin stays with us for our entire lives, whether positively or negatively. But at some point we’re called beyond our origins. It’s always partly our choice, partly necessity. 
As an aside- Anna experiences the same arc in a different way. She probably had some training should the need for her to assume the throne ever happened, so she’s not unprepared... but she probably assumed she’d be a princess forever. Her own future is altered when she’s made queen. Even though her location is still Arendelle, she still experiences a lot of similar personal growth.
And because it bears repeating: the sisters are always close. They are not severed. Saying “they’re separated” betrays the nuance of their story. 
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I also wonder how much of our tension with Elsa’s ending is just a challenge to our victimization of her. We adore this character because she struggles so much. We want to take care of her. We want her next to Anna at all times because that’s her other half. We almost want them to be codependent.
So Elsa living with the Northuldra forces us to reckon with the fact that Elsa no longer needs our (or Anna’s) protection. She’s autonomous. And from what I can see, she’s happy. 
At some point, we have to trust the character (and creators) above our own headcanons. I enjoy this fandom a lot, but the cool thing about fiction is that you can accept and reject plots as much as you want. There are no rules on how to love Frozen. 
You can reject the sequel. 
You can love every minute of it. 
You can write fan fiction. 
You can reject fan fiction. 
You can disagree with the writers. 
You can appreciate the writers. 
There’s no “right” way to do it, and if you need to suspend some disbelief to make peace, that’s your right and privilege.
All that said, there is merit to the sadness of having a platonic relationship part geographically. It’s a shame that friendships/siblinghoods are subject to more turbulent futures, where neither are committed to living in the same place. I have a whole personal philosophy on this that I’ll spare you guys from (this post is long enough!) Maybe this is why I’m more sympathetic these days to the people who mourn the ending. 
But maybe we’ve mistaken proximity for intimacy. Maybe we don’t have a great understanding of non-romantic relationships and how they function in a world, whether Earth or Arendelle, where geography is conflated with closeness. 
Knowing everything we know about Elsa and Anna... I think the ending cements their sisterhood, instead of invalidating it. They are finally free and happy enough to follow their fates without the compulsion to stick close together. They’ve moved from looking eye-to-eye to standing shoulder-to-shoulder. 
They’re both protectors of their home, from Arendelle to the Ahtohallan.
They’re both ends of the bridge between the physical and metaphysical.
They’re both challenged to reevaluate their goals and values.
Elsa is released to embracing the the ice that runs in her veins, free to be a force of nature protecting Arendelle and the Northuldra from spiritual discord.
Anna is esteemed to the role of queen, and with new understanding of her heritage & the magic involved, can protect Arendelle with all her fiery love and passion.
They’re two sides of the same coin. They’re guards on either end of the kingdom. We need both of them in these places. 
That’s how I’ve made peace with the ending. If you’re still struggling, I hope you can too. 
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I have an Elsa Pop Funko looking at me from my desk right now, reminding me to be fearless and love freely. Thank you Jen Lee and Chris Buck for making this story. My life has been changed by it. 
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vuelie-frost · 3 years
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There’s so much I’ve longed to say… 
You’re the magic one. 
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