This is beautiful. The below two screenshots are taken from an anime series, Yukimura's Vinland Saga season 1, which without getting too deep into the story, is about the conflict between the English, the Danish, the Welsh and everyone in between. My purpose is to quickly and concisely articulate the captured artistic comparison of the two moments. Obviously, one would appreciate this more if watched the series.
Screenshot 1: The Death of Thors.
Very early into the show, the likely assumed main protagonist dies nobly. Shown to be the most capable warrior from the start and reaffirmed to be the most capable to the end of the season, the death of Thors resonates throughout the series. His assassins lead by Askeladd, had to use deceit to 'win', shown through the arrows. Thors' son, Thorfinn in the screenshot is miniature, as he kneels and pulls at his slain father's stature and clothes. This single shot captures more; the regret, the true depth of love and respect Thorfinn sincerely has for his father.
Thor's posture conveys a beautiful balance between surrendering and nobility. These words come off paradoxical but is captured clearer visually. His upright posture and gaze upwards portrays fearlessness, made even more powerful through the larger-than-Thorfinn sized, multiple, 360 degree encompassing arrows piercing through his body. The motif of "a true warrior does not need a sword," is reiterated as we see him without a weapon, without evident armour and no fists, as he 'surrenders' to the attacker's cowardly plot.
Beyond, we see him stand by his values as he leaves a very difficult yet crucial lesson about the reality of warfare to his grieving son.
Screenshot 2: The Death of Askeladd.
As the season progresses, we begin to turbulently both connect and disconnect with Thorfinn as he grows from a boy to a young adult. Ironically, the show is positioned to view Askeladd, Thors' murderer more favourably. Our viewer's journey hinges on both Askeladd and Thorfinn as a joint package, both must exist, whether they like it or not, for the show to go on. A quick study between the two screenshots capture a lot of continuity and change within the show and the human condition beyond.
The above screenshot captures Askeladd's last breath as the grown Thorfinn tries to pull him 'back up to life', demanding he delivers the finishing blow to Askeladd to seal his heart and soul's thirst for revenge. Both screenshots show clear salience stylistically as the colour schemes, the white background and the 'spotlight' effect for a viewer to easily tie the two moments together. This opportunity to compare the two, highlights the key parts of our journey with Vinland Saga literally; Thors gets slain, Thorfinn grows up and Askeladd is also dead.
The visual sentiment however, manifests a lot more. Despite the similarity in style, the two screenshots command a lot of raw emotion and the animalistic, raw nature of humankind. The duo in the first screenshot and the duo in the second screenshot both feature Thorfinn, a young, vulnerable child to a grown, seemingly invulnerable barbarian. The angle change from the side-on view in the first screenshot to the viewer-head-on view in the second leaves a very direct and powerful statement to the realm of Vinland Saga as well as the viewers. Here, actions speak far louder than words as we see no faces, only partial silhouettes of Thorfinn grabbing Askeladd. One may be able to appreciate that a passerby glancing at this screenshot with no contextual understanding, may assume Thorfinn is grieving over Askeladd. Perhaps this is intentional as Thorfinn subconsciously has become reliant and dependent on Askeladd, much like a father figure, despite consciously hating him for murdering his own father, Thors.
Further, screenshot 1's Thors' upright, noble stature is contrasted by Askeladd's slumped posture, conveying a difference in power. While both bodies feature blood, affirming that humans are indeed mortal, Thors' arrow struck body with no held weapons versus Askeladd's visually unpenetrated body add to the viewer's felt 'gap' between impressions for the two slain characters. As for Thorfinn's posture in both screenshots, one who has watched the show may appreciate how he has been far more reactive in nature than proactive, as he sees the death of the two most influential characters in the show, without being able to do much about it.
Both screenshots ultimately remind the observant and not so observant viewers, that sometimes ambiguity capture a lot more than blatantly obvious statements. Meaning is co-created and the show has done a remarkable job with these two moments.
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