I have seen a number of e-mails and articles talking about the relationship between Elsa and Anna, the princesses in Disney's latest princess movie, "Frozen". Their relationship as well as the relationship between Sven and Christoph as well as Prince Hans' lack of genuine interest in either princess is seen by some as a drastic departure from the classic boy meets girl portrayal of true love. Others call it a direct assault on it and open support for a homosexual agenda. I don't know who those people areas I have never met them. I also know nothing about Disney's motives or business or social strategies. With that in mind I would call this a perspective from one who between the parties has no agenda in either camp and so, all things being equal, I want to express what I felt in watching the movie.
First I want to talk about each of the characters in isolation:
Anna, the younger of the princesses is a sister who as a child, loves her sister who is not only a playmate but one who she looks up to as a source of good. She gravitates to Elsa and even after her memory of Elsa's magical abilities is wiped from her memory, her love remains. She is confused by her isolation from the family and being very young gives her sister the benefit of the doubt. They are both well loved as they grow though they don't cross paths. Bitterness is not part of their existence and so the love persists in hopes of a day where they can be rejoined. She is otherwise a normal, somewhat scatterbrained young woman.
Elsa, is much like her sister except being older feels a sense of responsibility for Anna in not only keeping her happy but protecting her from injury. It is a good motive and when they play at night using her powers, her reticence isn't out of blatant disregard for what she is sure her parents would not approve, but she is torn between the rules, protecting her sister, and sharing what she saw as a loving use of her powers -- making her sister happy. She injures Anna and though the damage is minimal, she decides protecting her sister and family is more important to her so she sacrifices their relationship for the sake of that protection. She grows up alone, more isolated than anyone in that entire castle. As sad as I was to see Anna grow up, shut out by her sister, tome it was even sadder to see Elsa virtually imprisoned by her own powers, locked away and shut away so that everyone else's life can be normal. it is truly heartbreaking indeed.
Christoph and Sven. At points it seems these two share a brain. They are truly a fun pair to watch while many masculine stereotypes are stretched to the breaking point we can't forget that this is a fictional story and as fiction, some won't be realistic. Being a working man, he like a lot of young men in reality, was focused on his work and "paying off the car" per se. It never said what happened to his family that we see him with in the beginning of the film, nor does it say whether or not he had any ongoing relationships with any relatives or friends. He does not seem to be acquainted with any of the people we see in the film other than the rock trolls so it is likely he himself is from elsewhere and like a lot of merchants is here in the kingdom on business. It being business, his focus is not and has not been on love or romance at all. As far as Sven, he is a metaphor for a best pal. I really just saw a big, loving, slobbery dog cast in a different role. That is called creativity.
Prince Hans is the most complex construct in the whole film. Honestly until his treachery became apparent, I could not see where his character was going. It was obvious to me early on that Anna and Christoph were going to be together by the end but Hans was an enigma. We get an inkling when he mentions he is the last of thirteen brothers. Like the youngest in any crowd he always gets the scraps and though he covers the resentment well, he seems to have just determined to get what he wants elsewhere. That is not a bad motivation, he just went about it wrong. As a prince, he was still eligible to be a king somewhere in the European tradition. By this point he seemed to go to the kingdom determined to do anything to gain the kingdom. In his own way he had become an Ebenezer Scrooge, not loving anyone really. He wanted money, power, and a kingdom of his own. If he was willing to put a face on to enchant the heart of a princess, so let it be. Therein lies his corruption. Still a man, and still one who would do good. Just all for the wrong reasons.
The dynamics of the relationships between the characters changes but the cores of each of their lives remain the same. Queen Elsa, now, is more imprisoned in her own heart than ever. Not incapable of love, but just too afraid to let anyone get close because, if too close they could be hurt. She is still sacrificing her life for the sake of others. Anna and Prince Hans do have compatible personalities as they do connect, however falsely on Hans' part. That cannot be easily faked. They do connect but his heart is after something else. Christoph and Sven are a boy and his dog as explained before. Christoph and Anna initially don't connect but later on as their challenges and difficulties draw them together, they do begin to connect. His need for companionship is filled by her awkward way of relating to people. Her need to find someone who clicks with her is filled by an unexpected source. Not exactly a knight in shining armor, he does still come to save her with what little he has. it proves to be enough.
Ultimately the relationship under attack by others is Anna and Elsa's. A story that does not end in a wedding cannot be a natural one and is therefore suspect in the minds of many. Those who attack such a story don't realize what they are seeing. They are not seeing the story of how Anna and Christoph fall in love and get married. The ingredients for such a story appear late in this one but are not realized in this one. That does not mean they won't either. In fact just before the final scene, Anna presents Christoph with a sled and a kiss does happen. A kiss of true love. Not over an altar, but the beginning of love, not the climax of it. It promises the possibility of the future for them.
Elsa, is in mortal danger from Prince Hans, something Anna does not realize until the storm subsides and Anna sees she has a choice to make. Run and embrace Christoph for whom she is final realizing her love, or use her last remaining strength to save her sister's life. A hug or the ultimate sacrifice. I think she chose well. in the bible it says that greater love hath no one, but that he layeth down his life for his friends. (paraphrased) She loved her sister, and she could not bear to see her sister killed. She had wanted to save her sister from her imprisonment since she was a child and she had only recently learned what Elsa was a prisoner of. She would rather have her sister than a normal life and now she would rather give her life for her sister. That is pure love and there is nothing homosexual about it.
Anna, and Hans have a budding romance in the end. Prince Hans is heading home for the biggest brother-given time out he'll ever get. Sven is Sven, the slobbering dog, Olaf, who has been the comic relief and an outgrowth of Anna and Elsa in one package. He is the understanding for each other that the sisters lacked in themselves. Elsa has finally discovered what true control of her powers mean and how she can balance the cold with the warm. She hasn't had time to fall in love with anyone yet. She and Anna have some healing to do after so many years apart. Let time do the healing and let love take its course for Anna and Christoph as well as Elsa.
First I want to talk about each of the characters in isolation:
Anna, the younger of the princesses is a sister who as a child, loves her sister who is not only a playmate but one who she looks up to as a source of good. She gravitates to Elsa and even after her memory of Elsa's magical abilities is wiped from her memory, her love remains. She is confused by her isolation from the family and being very young gives her sister the benefit of the doubt. They are both well loved as they grow though they don't cross paths. Bitterness is not part of their existence and so the love persists in hopes of a day where they can be rejoined. She is otherwise a normal, somewhat scatterbrained young woman.
Elsa, is much like her sister except being older feels a sense of responsibility for Anna in not only keeping her happy but protecting her from injury. It is a good motive and when they play at night using her powers, her reticence isn't out of blatant disregard for what she is sure her parents would not approve, but she is torn between the rules, protecting her sister, and sharing what she saw as a loving use of her powers -- making her sister happy. She injures Anna and though the damage is minimal, she decides protecting her sister and family is more important to her so she sacrifices their relationship for the sake of that protection. She grows up alone, more isolated than anyone in that entire castle. As sad as I was to see Anna grow up, shut out by her sister, tome it was even sadder to see Elsa virtually imprisoned by her own powers, locked away and shut away so that everyone else's life can be normal. it is truly heartbreaking indeed.
Christoph and Sven. At points it seems these two share a brain. They are truly a fun pair to watch while many masculine stereotypes are stretched to the breaking point we can't forget that this is a fictional story and as fiction, some won't be realistic. Being a working man, he like a lot of young men in reality, was focused on his work and "paying off the car" per se. It never said what happened to his family that we see him with in the beginning of the film, nor does it say whether or not he had any ongoing relationships with any relatives or friends. He does not seem to be acquainted with any of the people we see in the film other than the rock trolls so it is likely he himself is from elsewhere and like a lot of merchants is here in the kingdom on business. It being business, his focus is not and has not been on love or romance at all. As far as Sven, he is a metaphor for a best pal. I really just saw a big, loving, slobbery dog cast in a different role. That is called creativity.
Prince Hans is the most complex construct in the whole film. Honestly until his treachery became apparent, I could not see where his character was going. It was obvious to me early on that Anna and Christoph were going to be together by the end but Hans was an enigma. We get an inkling when he mentions he is the last of thirteen brothers. Like the youngest in any crowd he always gets the scraps and though he covers the resentment well, he seems to have just determined to get what he wants elsewhere. That is not a bad motivation, he just went about it wrong. As a prince, he was still eligible to be a king somewhere in the European tradition. By this point he seemed to go to the kingdom determined to do anything to gain the kingdom. In his own way he had become an Ebenezer Scrooge, not loving anyone really. He wanted money, power, and a kingdom of his own. If he was willing to put a face on to enchant the heart of a princess, so let it be. Therein lies his corruption. Still a man, and still one who would do good. Just all for the wrong reasons.
The dynamics of the relationships between the characters changes but the cores of each of their lives remain the same. Queen Elsa, now, is more imprisoned in her own heart than ever. Not incapable of love, but just too afraid to let anyone get close because, if too close they could be hurt. She is still sacrificing her life for the sake of others. Anna and Prince Hans do have compatible personalities as they do connect, however falsely on Hans' part. That cannot be easily faked. They do connect but his heart is after something else. Christoph and Sven are a boy and his dog as explained before. Christoph and Anna initially don't connect but later on as their challenges and difficulties draw them together, they do begin to connect. His need for companionship is filled by her awkward way of relating to people. Her need to find someone who clicks with her is filled by an unexpected source. Not exactly a knight in shining armor, he does still come to save her with what little he has. it proves to be enough.
Ultimately the relationship under attack by others is Anna and Elsa's. A story that does not end in a wedding cannot be a natural one and is therefore suspect in the minds of many. Those who attack such a story don't realize what they are seeing. They are not seeing the story of how Anna and Christoph fall in love and get married. The ingredients for such a story appear late in this one but are not realized in this one. That does not mean they won't either. In fact just before the final scene, Anna presents Christoph with a sled and a kiss does happen. A kiss of true love. Not over an altar, but the beginning of love, not the climax of it. It promises the possibility of the future for them.
Elsa, is in mortal danger from Prince Hans, something Anna does not realize until the storm subsides and Anna sees she has a choice to make. Run and embrace Christoph for whom she is final realizing her love, or use her last remaining strength to save her sister's life. A hug or the ultimate sacrifice. I think she chose well. in the bible it says that greater love hath no one, but that he layeth down his life for his friends. (paraphrased) She loved her sister, and she could not bear to see her sister killed. She had wanted to save her sister from her imprisonment since she was a child and she had only recently learned what Elsa was a prisoner of. She would rather have her sister than a normal life and now she would rather give her life for her sister. That is pure love and there is nothing homosexual about it.
Anna, and Hans have a budding romance in the end. Prince Hans is heading home for the biggest brother-given time out he'll ever get. Sven is Sven, the slobbering dog, Olaf, who has been the comic relief and an outgrowth of Anna and Elsa in one package. He is the understanding for each other that the sisters lacked in themselves. Elsa has finally discovered what true control of her powers mean and how she can balance the cold with the warm. She hasn't had time to fall in love with anyone yet. She and Anna have some healing to do after so many years apart. Let time do the healing and let love take its course for Anna and Christoph as well as Elsa.
