#the Terror

spockvarietyhour so-i-did-this-thing
crowtoed

Okay but this is probably in my top 5 favorite scenes in the Terror (don’t ask me for the other ones, I just know this is up there).

You have this guy who outwardly strives to be his society’s epitome of a clean Christian. But as far as being Christlike it’s very superficial. But then he leaves his society and the vestiges of it (the Terror camp) and goes Out into the Wilderness like Christ (or the prophet Elijah). These people don’t care what his rank is or where he’s from- they see a roughed up fella (maybe a lil weird) who could use a good turn. I can’t speak to this particular band of Netsilik, but among a lot of North American Indigenous peoples (mine included) there is a duty to hospitality. They were probably going to give him a little something even if they weren’t going to get anything out of it.

But this power dynamic floors Irving. He has nothing and they owe him nothing. He re-introduces himself as John like a revelation. He has been made humble and moved by their kindness. Here he is only John, accepting a sacrament of pure kindness. Ronan Raftery does an AMAZING job of breaking down as his character experiences this gesture of Christlike generosity after a life of edifice. It’s beautiful and ultimately tragic, because this great epiphany gets cut short. And you wonder what kind of acts this invigorated Irving could have performed.

so-i-did-this-thing

One could continue with the metaphor and suggest that being given a piece of the family’s seal meat was like truly receiving Communion for the first time. It was both a spiritual and physical deliverance for Irviving at that moment.

The Terrorahhhhhhhh