Nothing like some good old-fashioned POTC meta.

[kaellana]

This is a very meta-ish (and spoiler-ish) post, centred around the end of the Will/Elizabeth arc in AWE. I've made a couple of posts in other forums about it and decided to make a big one here to collect everything I know - and hopefully it'll be helpful to some other people. I've included my own thoughts, and some quotes from Ted and Terry on

Comments

[artic_fox]

Thank you for writing that! Although I knew about the curse and how it could be broken and everything, it is good to see it written out so clearly and concisely, and instead of me having to try and explain it I can point them here. I didn't realise it was an editing room error that caused this oversight (poor editing if you ask me!), but I agree with you about the curse being broken ending - after all, as you've said, it is the green flash that makes it all make sense.

Thanks again!

[kaellana]

Yes, I imagine they wanted to cut the running time and so clipped some scenes where they made it explicit. Bit of a mistake really, as everyone's so confused now. I hope the DVD has deleted scenes to remedy it, or maybe a director's cut somewhere down the line.

No problem! I'm very happy to have helped. :D

[lilycat81]

*HUGS*

This is very well-written and makes me happy. I'd read the stuff on Wordplayer and understood what they were getting at but still sort of felt... unsettled. Like that if I didn't get that on my own from the movie, I have a hard time believing it's really the truth. And on a side note, how pathetic is that? It's a movie and here I am losing sleep over whether or not my happy ending is "true." I ought to be embarrassed but I'm not. ;)

Anyhow, the point is that your essay is clearer and more convincing than anything else I've seen and I'm suddenly feeling brighter. I think that you're absolutely correct and that pleases me.

[kaellana]

If that's your definition then I'm pathetic too - I was worrying about the ending all of yesterday, and most of today until I wrote this up. There's nothing embarrassing about being a fanatic! ;D

Thank you very much, I'm glad you found it settled things for you. Now we can enjoy a happy ending in mental peace! ♥!

[lilycat81]

I'm completely on the same page as you, I was sooo unsettled!!! Haha, & still not embarassed

& Thank you SOOOOOOOOO MUCH for posting this explanation, you ROCK MY WORLD FIFTY TIMES OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't belive I missed that, but I'm very happy now and must see it yet again!

[kaellana]

No problem, and thank you! I found AWE gets better with repeated viewing. ;D

[kaellana]

It was only the second time I saw the film that I started to think about it at all, and even then it was still confusing - I think most people were the same. It was only after talking on forums I figured it out. But a happier ending makes me a lot happier too! :D

Oh - and if you want to see the post-credits scene, it's up on YouTube here. Pretty bad quality, but providing it hasn't been removed yet, you can make out the green flash about forty-one seconds in. ♥

[burnsaway]

I love you.

[kaellana]

Because I provide you with illegal movie clip goodness? xD

...*is totally borrowing sister's laptop to get on MSN for half an hour*

[crazy_megan]

I thought that green flash was kind of random...now it makes more sense!

Excellent post! I linked you in my journal cause some of my flist had been confused as well.

[kaellana]

Me too - and I felt sure it couldn't be as random as I first thought, and there had to be a reason for it, hence me poking around online. :D

Thank you! I'm glad to help!

[crazy_megan]

Well I'm glad you took the time cause now my own mind is slightly more settled with it. It's going to drive me nuts now wondering what all was cut. Espeically since normally deleted scenes are pretty bland.

[slytherin_candi]

Hello, I was pointed here during a comments conversation about the movie. I'm glad you typed this all out, it really helps! I've now seen the movie twice as well, but I thought that there was a green flash when Will left the little island before the credits as well? I would have to see it again to confirm this, but I could've sworn there was a green flash when he left Elizabeth and another one when he came back. I really wish they would've kept that information in the movie, though. Shows the writers that they need to triple-check before the movie is released!

[kaellana]

I'm glad to help! And I agree about the cutting. I understand the need to save time, but they should be careful what scenes they judge as important. ♥

As for their parting scene, I seem to remember the camera panned out on them kissing furiously on the beach, then there was a shot of the Dutchman sailing away, and then a shot of Elizabeth standing alone. I don't recall a green flash, but you could well be right! I'm going to see it again soon, so I'll know for sure then! :D

If there is a green flash, then I don't think it changes much. Perhaps it could simply be the Dutchman crossing over to the other side to ferry the souls of the crew who wanted to leave - I presume the Dutchman doesn't have to go through the messy business of sailing to the end of the world. We didn't see the Dutchman flash earlier in the film because Jones wasn't ferrying souls.

...In the end, I think what writers say still stands, and the final flash post-credits still signals the curse being broken. :)

[veronica_rich]

Yes, there was a green flash when Will leaves Elizabeth on the beach. THAT is the fic that needs to be written - who's to say it's not Norrington that Will's decided to return to the land of the living? Or even Gov. Swann?

As for whether a cut scene is canon, I would agree - however, the end scene after-credits WASN'T cut. It's right there in the theater for anyone who cares to sit and stay and watch it. So it's part of canon, as far as I can tell. Still, I can't fault anyone for wanting to write, ignoring it. That's what fanfic's about.

[kaellana]

Very good point! It's so very hard to choose between the two, but I think I'd go for James. As Weatherby's "at peace" now.

The post-credits scene would be part of the canon, yes. I mean, the post-credits scene for CotBP influenced the following movies, so this one shouldn't be any different. But I agree - there's nothing wrong with following the path of the more bittersweet ending. I've already read some great J/E centred around that subject. It's just that given the information we have, I'd simply cast those fics as AU (albeit, not a huge AU).