Christopher J. Lindsay

Classic films, mystery novels, short stories, short films.

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  • The Knight Errant and the Royal Maiden: Monsters (2010)

    According to Stacey L. Hahn, in the plot motif of the knight errant and the royal maiden, “the maidens initiate the adventures, and the knights must undergo a series of tests to attain them.”1 Gareth Edward’s Monsters (2010) is a modern take on this plot motif. Andrew (Scoot McNairy) is the knight errant, while Sam (Whitney Able) is the royal maiden.

    Andrew is a knight in search of adventure. However, instead of slaying dragons, he photographs alien monsters. He reluctantly agrees to another adventure: escorting Sam, his boss’s daughter, from Mexico to the United States. Sam has fled to San Jose to reconsider her wedding engagement. She is with the wrong man, but Andrew will prove that he is the right man for her. 

    Sam is like a royal maiden because she is the daughter of a rich man and doesn’t have to work. Her injury from an alien attack initiates the adventure that she will share with Andrew. Sam also plays the role of a damsel in distress.

    As a knight, Andrew must undergo a series of tests to win the heart of the maiden. At first, he is an incompetent knight, losing their passports, but Sam finds a solution, selling her engagement ring. Although Andrew fails his first test, he is given another chance to prove himself. When the armed guards are killed by one of the monsters, he must guide Sam to safety without any weapons to protect them.

    The journey changes Andrew: from a selfish photographer to a selfless knight. He is gallant and kind, e.g., replacing Sam’s bandages, kissing her hand, and standing guard while she sleeps. Sam looks to her knight for guidance, asking him, “Are you sure about this?” and follows his lead when he tells her, “Let’s get back on the boat.” When an alien kills the guards, Sam cries in terror, but Andrew holds her and comforts her. Sam is attracted to Andrew because he is chivalrous like a knight.  

    The romance between Andrew and Sam is like a medieval romance. As a damsel in distress, Sam needs a knight to protect her. Emotionally fragile and uncertain, she is attracted to Andrew because he is her opposite: emotionally stable and decisive. In the final scene, when their adventure is over, the royal maiden rewards her knight with a kiss.

    Notes

    1. Stacey L. Hahn, “The Motif of the Errant Knight and the Royal Maiden in the Prose ‘Lancelot’,” Arthurian Interpretations 3, no. 1 (Fall 1988): 11, http://www.jstor.org/stable/27868646

  • Writing Dialogue with Subtext: Casablanca (1942)

    A famous scene in Michael Curtiz’s Casablanca (1942) is when Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) speaks with the piano player, Sam (Dooley Wilson). In this scene, we can see that Ilsa still loves Rick (Humphrey Bogart), even though she is married to Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). Although Ilsa never says she loves Rick, her dialogue is filled with subtext, and her facial expressions show us how she feels.

    The first moment of subtext is when Sam says, “I never expected to see you again,” and Ilsa later asks, “Where is Rick?” We can conclude that Ilsa had a reason never to return, and it is due to her past relationship with Rick.

    The second moment of subtext is when Sam says to Ilsa, “Leave him alone… You’re bad luck to him.” We can now draw a second conclusion: Rick and Ilsa were lovers, and when their relationship ended, it had a negative impact on Rick.

    The third moment of subtext is when Ilsa asks Sam to play “As Time Goes By.” As Sam plays, the look on Ilsa’s face —one of sad longing and remembrance—shows us this song had a deep meaning for her when she was with Rick. The close-up shot continues while Sam sings, “…when two lovers woo, they still say I love you.” The haunted look on Ilsa’s face suggests that she still loves Rick. The song has brought back memories of their past relationship.

    When the song is nearly finished, Rick enters the scene and scolds Sam, saying, “I thought I told you never to play…” Hearing this song is painful to Rick because it reminds him of Ilsa. Rick’s rebuke of Sam is followed by close-up shots of Rick and Ilsa. Their eyes meet, and Ilsa’s eyes are filled with tears. We can see that the former lovers are still connected after all these years. Time has gone by, but their feelings for each other remain.

    The “Play it, Sam” scene in Casablanca impacts the viewer for two reasons: The characters don’t tell us what they feel; their facial expressions show us what they feel, and the viewer can interpret a deeper meaning in the words spoken by Sam, Ilsa, and Rick. We understand what is not directly stated.