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Jane Campbell

10 Comments

  1. Aveeno
    October 20, 2015 @ 5:28 am

    So?

    Reply

    • Aveeno
      October 20, 2015 @ 5:34 am

      Sorry! Wrong blog!

      Reply

  2. UrsulaL
    October 20, 2015 @ 9:47 am

    I would add that the final scene, spinning around the newly-immortal Ashildr, draws attention to the power of eyes in a different way. It shows, dramatically, just how much acting is done with they eyes, and how much emotion is conveyed by subtle changes in facial expression around the eyes.

    Reply

    • Jane Campbell
      October 20, 2015 @ 9:57 am

      Yes, it’s an amazing shot, and it’s nailed precisely because of the emotion conveyed through Ashildr’s eyes.

      Reply

  3. Ashly
    October 20, 2015 @ 10:32 am

    So cool you choose this shot and this scene. And it was really interesting to read about mythology. I had a task about Odin for essay writing australia, but your explanation I like even more! Thank you for this post!

    Reply

  4. Bar
    October 20, 2015 @ 4:00 pm

    Given one season theme seems to be the importance of story-telling, overtly showing us the art of writing as they go, it’s the metaphorical, story mirror images that are leaping out at me this time, e.g.
    in BTF he blows up a dam to make everything safe, in TGWD he starts a tiny ripple, which will become a dangerous tidal wave.
    In UTL he needs promt cards to say ‘sorry for your loss,’ in TGWD he retreats with a shaken ‘i’m sorry, I’m really terribly sorry.’
    in UTL/BTF he finds a way to save Clara without breaking the rules, in TGWD he breaks the rules to save one he doesn’t know.

    Reply

  5. Camestros Felapton
    October 20, 2015 @ 10:46 pm

    So far: 1/2 Sewers, 3/4 dam, 5 lake/barrels

    Reply

  6. John
    October 21, 2015 @ 7:57 am

    I don’t feel erudite enough to respond more fully, but I really enjoy these observations and insights. More please. 🙂

    Reply

  7. Jeremy Young
    October 22, 2015 @ 12:59 am

    I love this so much, this article specifically, but this kind of dismantling in general. I hope this isn’t too much of a tangent, but if red lighting et al indicates a rubedo stage, and you also discussed color symbolism as albedo and nigredo which makes enough sense to me in relation to the alchemy, what would blue or green light or coloring refer to? Do they have a stage in this, or some relation? Or does that break out to different symbolism? Where can I learn this stuff??!? I’se gots to know now!

    Reply

    • Jane Campbell
      October 22, 2015 @ 10:33 am

      Hi Jeremy,

      I think it’s important to note that such color symbolism as I note isn’t “inherent” to the colors themselves, but is contextual to the text. Black/White/Red, for example, can have a lot of different meanings, the alchemical progression being just one of them.

      And of course color symbolism can work on multiple levels. Amy Pond’s color, for example, was definitely Red, while Rory’s tended to be Green… but RTD often reserved Green for monsters and the monstrous. Rose Tyler, of course, Red. River’s palette was predominately gold. In the Clara era, on the other hand, Yellow is often used as a marker of Death, kind of like Orange in the Godfather movies.

      Throughout the Revival, we often see a juxtaposition of Red and Blue, in which case it’s functioning as a Union of Opposites, like Fire and Water, respectively: Rory’s new car is Red, parked out front of a Blue door to their new home, or Melody’s bright red corvette swerving up to the TARDIS. I found it particularly interesting when Eleven opted for a Purple coat, a literal union of red and blue. In the Davies era, a Blue time-tunnel was for traveling back in the past, while Red was traveling into the future.

      And of course the TARDIS is blue, making this a Doctorly color. Look at Rose and you’ll see the Doctor framed in Blue light (a halo, at that) when he stands in front of that magnificent ferris wheel… called The London Eye. 🙂 I tend to think Blue is used for something outside the Alchemical spectrum, an incursion or breach of the Divine that’s beyond the Great Work of us mere mortals. 😉

      Anyways, because the symbolism of color is context-dependent, it’s something we just have to pay attention to, see what contexts the colors are used in, and over time we can determine how to “code” their usage. So, going back to Series One, we get Gold used in a particular way in The Doctor Dances (healing nanogenes) and Boom Town (Heart of the TARDIS) and that in turn informs how Rose’s ascension in Parting of the Ways comes off. And even if we’re not paying attention, I do think it registers at the subconscious level, which is one of the reasons why that scene is so effective.

      In short, careful observation is the only key to true and complete awareness.

      Reply

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