by Norman Grey, Esq.
in Issue 151, August 2024
William Shakespeare was a profound psychologist and, perhaps, the greatest wordsmith the human family has yet produced; but like any sage, he had to get our attention before he could speak his wisdom. It’s entirely possible that we would not remember him today if the average Elizabethan had not initially been captivated by his action and adventure, allowing the magnificence of his character insight and poetry to seep into the mind and heart. Macbeth, for instance, is a towering and terrifying tragic figure—but also an action hero who is described unseaming a foe from the navel to the chops before even appearing onstage. And it’s Macbeth who gives us the eternally unsettling description of life: “It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
A great many modern writers tread in Shakespeare’s footsteps, offering spectacular action sequences to hold and delight their audience. Of course, not every wordsmith is the Bard of Avalon. One does, now and then, encounter fight scenes that are mostly noise, communicating very little. In the hopes of learning a bit more about what makes for an engaging action sequence, let’s look at two well-known fights from recent literature and cinema: the swordfight between Westley and Inigo of The Princess Bride, and the magic duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort in The Order of the Phoenix.
One note before we begin: both of the scenes in question exist on the screen as well as the page. For the purposes of the present discussion, however, there are no important differences between the book and film versions. The only major change is in The Princess Bride. In the movie, the combatants discuss the fencing styles that each is using, and why: “You are using Bonetti’s defense against me, eh?” “I thought it fitting, considering the rocky terrain.” Suspending the fact that it would take as much sorcery to converse in a normal voice during that fight as anything performed by Harry Potter, this is a brilliant device because it elucidates the knowledge and strategizing that drive the fight. In the book, on the other hand, the fencing styles are explained by the narrator. But either way, the important thing is simply that one way or another, they are explained to the reader/viewer.
In Order of the Phoenix, Harry is on the outskirts of the fight, watching helplessly, and serves as the audience stand-in. Throughout the story up to this point, we’ve been learning the rules and limitations of magic along with Harry. Therefore, like him, we are stunned to see a duel that goes beyond anything we’ve been shown before. Unfortunately, we are also baffled to see an exchange of powers that is not governed by any previously stated rules.
The fight, in brief, goes like this: they point their wands at each as hard as they can for a time, and then Voldemort summons a fire snake. Dumbledore gestures and it goes away; Voldemort becomes encased in water, then grunts heavily and escapes. All the glass in the Ministry shatters and flies at Dumbledore, only to turn to dust, and then Voldemort disappears. At no point are we privy to the potential of each fighter, nor of their limits. Voldemort seems surprised when Dumbledore creates a shield against the broken glass, but—why? Wouldn’t a magician of his caliber know that technique? Did Dumbledore just invent it on the spot? That would be awfully exciting, if we knew about it! When Voldemort breaks the water sphere, what exactly enables him to do so? Is he simply more powerful than Dumbledore, or does he know some clandestine counter-spell for that particular attack? Is there any strategy involved?
Westley and Inigo begin by fighting left-handed, for reasons that Inigo explicitly states to Vizzini. When Inigo switches hands, it’s a power escalation that we’ve been given the tools to understand; when Westley does the same, it’s a surprise, but we can still easily follow what’s happening and why. As they move across the terrain, we’re treated to a discussion of various techniques and how they can be used to cancel each other out. We see the tactics behind the fight, as well as the mere exchange of brute force. We see Inigo growing tired, angry, desperate: his limitations, in other words, are clearly marked out for us. At no point does the fight simply come down to a question of which fighter can point his sword harder. The one moment when it seems that brute force will decide the match—on the parapet, as Inigo is pushing Westley over the side—is precisely the moment of the great turn, when Westley switches sword-hands. When Inigo seems shocked by Westley’s acrobatics, we understand exactly why, because we’ve just been shown Inigo performing the same basic maneuver with much less grace and ease. And perhaps the most compelling and satisfying aspect of the whole match-up is the way we can see the two combatants learning about one another, coming to understand one another, in a way that no conversation [1] could ever bring about.
As audience members, we can’t feel any real tension watching Dumbledore v. Voldemort, because we haven’t been given any tools to follow the action. The only rule we do know is broken: according to what our surrogate Harry has been taught, the Shield spell requires a spoken incantation, “Protego,” yet Dumbledore casts his shield in silence. Is there a different Shield spell, a stronger one, that doesn’t require any words? Who knows?
The fact that Dumbledore and Voldemort are fighting with magic instead of swords should make no difference to our comprehension of the fight. All that’s needed is craft and care on the part of the storytellers to explain the rules to us beforehand, or even during the fight. In Manga, this is done by having at least two audience surrogates watching the battle, one of them explaining the tactical ins and outs to the other. That particular plot device might have felt rather clumsy in Order of the Phoenix; but the point is that a determined (and competent) storyteller can always find a way.
When the witches of the Scottish Play first took the stage, pans being rattled for thunder were the most cutting-edge special effects of the day. Yet, for all our progress, the VFX wizardry of the Harry Potter franchise cannot compete with a fencing match that could have been choreographed by Elizabeth sword-masters four hundred years ago. In the end, even the most spectacular action sequence must be grounded in clearly defined rules. Otherwise it is simply sound and fury—signifying nothing.
1: https://horrortree.com/to-punch-me-is-to-know-me
©August 2024, Norman Grey, Esq.
Norman Grey is the seventh son of a seventh son, and the third member of a mysterious writing group known only as The Triptych. To learn more, visit urd-thlol.blogspot.com.
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