Something I will never understand
Jul. 6th, 2007 04:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
serafina20I will never understand it when people say that the character of James Norrington changed from the first movie to the last. I don't see the character assassination from the first to the second movie.
In the first movie, Norrington was a man committed to honor, the law, and doing the right thing. At the end of the movie, he had to figure out a way reconcile the idea that he was bound by duty to see Jack hanged and the fact he really didn't want to.
Now, I don't know why he went into the hurricane after Jack. The only way I can get that is A. he thought he could handle it, but it was worse than anticipated or B. he meant to stay on the outskirts, but got knocked off course and it was worse than expected.
However, the fact he resigned after it was, to me, perfectly in character. He realized that he'd done the stupidest, most dishornorable thing he could have done. He was a man who tried to put others over himself, but had chosen himself over others in a moment of hubris. What else was he to do but show that he was cognizant of his dishonor and strip himself of his rank leave the one thing that made his life have purpose?
So, yes, he'd hit rock bottom by the beginning of DMC. This is not out of character. For a man as passionate and driven as James, it makes sense that he would A. be completely destroyed by it and B. try to find an outlet. Now, it was wrong that he blamed Jack for it, and I hated that because what I love about him is that he tends to take responsibility for his actions, but he was drunk, depressed, so I'll cut him some slack.
When he took the heart and the letter of marque at the end of the movie, that was not out of character. That was someone who doesn't know Beckett, who probably didn't know the whole story of how Will and Elizabeth got there, seeing an opportunity to reclaim honor. Beckett represented the Law and Britain. James wants nothing more than to serve the Law and Britain. He steals from a pirate (not the law) something he knows the Law wants very badly and assumes he must want it for the right reasons. Not being stupid, he wants a reward, but he obviously didn't expect to become Admiral.
In AWE, he's obviously having second thoughts. He's annoyed when Beckett calls him into the cabin, he can't think Davy Jones's methods are that great (he's a fair man, and Davy Jones has an advantage) and he seems disillusioned. I think he may have had some plot that was cut out, because in that scene, Beckett says something and they focus tight on James's eyes widening, and then exchanging a look with the Governor. And then... nothing. But, even so, he's clearly not happy with Beckett and all to willing to disobey him when he has cause.
I watch the movies, and I see the same character all the way through. So, like I said, I will never understand those who cry about how the character was ruined. Was I sad he was killed? Yes. That pissed me off. But that doesn't mean the core of the character was gone.
Took Brycee for a drive earlier. I'm definitely going to need to drug her. Two meows, and I let her out of her cage. If she'd just sit in the back, it'd be fine, but she had to be in my lap. So. Yeah.
In the first movie, Norrington was a man committed to honor, the law, and doing the right thing. At the end of the movie, he had to figure out a way reconcile the idea that he was bound by duty to see Jack hanged and the fact he really didn't want to.
Now, I don't know why he went into the hurricane after Jack. The only way I can get that is A. he thought he could handle it, but it was worse than anticipated or B. he meant to stay on the outskirts, but got knocked off course and it was worse than expected.
However, the fact he resigned after it was, to me, perfectly in character. He realized that he'd done the stupidest, most dishornorable thing he could have done. He was a man who tried to put others over himself, but had chosen himself over others in a moment of hubris. What else was he to do but show that he was cognizant of his dishonor and strip himself of his rank leave the one thing that made his life have purpose?
So, yes, he'd hit rock bottom by the beginning of DMC. This is not out of character. For a man as passionate and driven as James, it makes sense that he would A. be completely destroyed by it and B. try to find an outlet. Now, it was wrong that he blamed Jack for it, and I hated that because what I love about him is that he tends to take responsibility for his actions, but he was drunk, depressed, so I'll cut him some slack.
When he took the heart and the letter of marque at the end of the movie, that was not out of character. That was someone who doesn't know Beckett, who probably didn't know the whole story of how Will and Elizabeth got there, seeing an opportunity to reclaim honor. Beckett represented the Law and Britain. James wants nothing more than to serve the Law and Britain. He steals from a pirate (not the law) something he knows the Law wants very badly and assumes he must want it for the right reasons. Not being stupid, he wants a reward, but he obviously didn't expect to become Admiral.
In AWE, he's obviously having second thoughts. He's annoyed when Beckett calls him into the cabin, he can't think Davy Jones's methods are that great (he's a fair man, and Davy Jones has an advantage) and he seems disillusioned. I think he may have had some plot that was cut out, because in that scene, Beckett says something and they focus tight on James's eyes widening, and then exchanging a look with the Governor. And then... nothing. But, even so, he's clearly not happy with Beckett and all to willing to disobey him when he has cause.
I watch the movies, and I see the same character all the way through. So, like I said, I will never understand those who cry about how the character was ruined. Was I sad he was killed? Yes. That pissed me off. But that doesn't mean the core of the character was gone.
Took Brycee for a drive earlier. I'm definitely going to need to drug her. Two meows, and I let her out of her cage. If she'd just sit in the back, it'd be fine, but she had to be in my lap. So. Yeah.
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Date: 2007-07-07 02:50 am (UTC)And, dude, there *had* to have been some of his plot cut out because it felt very unfinished - especially after everything in CotBP and DMC.
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Date: 2007-07-07 06:05 am (UTC)I really think there was. They built him up and then... just had to sort of cut him lose quickly. Very sad. But I did like the movie. :)
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Date: 2007-07-08 05:59 pm (UTC)Me too. Though, I'm still not sure about the ending. Just because I honestly don't know if Jack would've done what he did for Elizabeth and Will. (Or, at least, Jack as I see him wouldn't have done it.)