dear willie, happy valentine's day! signed, your lovergirls, the superbe, renown, temeraire, et al

[quigonejinn]

Yes, this LJ could basically be called, "WM BUSH IS TEH KEWLIEZIST."



- The opening stuff of Bush is characterization: can't get interior dialogue in the movie, so get characterization by footage. They move the introduction of Bush back -- first shot isn't of Horatio standing on deck -- instead, stuff of Bush in the boat, going out to the ship. Everything in order, the crew working quietly and steadily, Bush not saying a word and alone.

Notice, too, how they lay the groundwork for him being obervant -- he's looking everywhere, and nt in a kind of crazy, thrashing about OMFG! AH'M GOING TO SEA! kinda way, but steadily, neatly. He looks in one direction for a while, studies and figures out what he needs to know about that direction, then moves to looking in another direction.

I love the emotional moment, though, of the Renown appearing out from behind another ship. It's one of the few scenes shot near Bush eye-level and from the POV that he'd get, so I can only assume that the little rush where we get to see the ship that he'll be working on is supposed to be the rush that he gets, too, with the wee little swell of the music. Awww. <3 Lookit him checking out his new girl, and how he only has eyes for her now that they're drawing up close. <3 It's the best kind of arranged marriage. <3

- Presence of caution: clearly, this dude know his way up an entry-port, but he's still going up with two hands, still looks at the rope in front of his hand. Takes a good look down to make sure he doesn't stumble over the side. Oh, Bushling.

- Who does Bush lift his hat to? Just a ritual for officer first time he comes aboard ship? Answered!

- Big difference: Hornblower has his back turned to Bush, so shot of Bush, studying Hornblower for a second before saying, "Morning." Paul McGann's voice. *_* *_* *_*

- So far, nothing all that remarkable -- a bit more of cautious, ship-loving Bush than we get in the original intro, and we get a stronger sense of his reserve since we only see hte outside, but it's pretty much by-the-books. Nothing to be seriously interesting yet.

- Where it gets interesting: No tackle in the books, and Bush is much frostier in the beginning in the movie than in the book. Partially, maybe tackle -- he's put effort into a dignified arrival, dammit -- and this is highly irregular, but there is that little twitch of a smile (OMG) when he's laid out on deck.

- Note: he takes Hornblower's hand before he reaches for his hat. Desn't put any weight onto it, just presses it there, then leans back with his hand to get his hat and get the business of standing up started -- we don't actually see Bush putting weight on Hornblower's hand. That shot, it's all about the greeting and the contact of horny hands on beautiful fingers.

Hi, Flying Colors Bush. ^_^

- Hornblower wants to help dust him off. Bush won't let him. That hand fending him off. "Nothing damaged but my priiiiide." That little geture says volumes about this Bush -- the Bush and Hornblwoer in this start off much more distant with each other, something that isn't much helped by Bush doing his little suckup bit, and Horry looking a step or two short of murderous.

- By the way. I'm going to take those dusty smudges that we suddenly see appear on Bush' shoulder as he comes through the entry port to them having to shoot the tackling scene multiple times, as I don't think they're there in the bit where Bush is going out in the boat, and I can't imagine that Bush would let himself meet his new ship that way. Look how much time the script directs him to spend brushing himelf off. Whenever he has a chance, it' with the dusting off and the <3 <3 <3.

- But the thing, really: Hornblower baaaaaaaawling out Hobbs, partially becaues of the irresponsibility of Hobbs, and then! Then! Best part of all! Bush being like. "Well, maybe if they were better supervised." T__________________T The fact that he waits so long to make a comment makes it seem like he's saying that in response to Hornblower's handling of the accident, and not the fact that the accident happens itself.

This really, really, really wouldn't be the case with book!Bush, who "feels like everybody is better" after a good verbal thrashing and has no objection to Hornblower yelling at totally innocent people on pretexts. And I know that in the books, yes, he thinks that Hornblower is a firebrand in that initial scene, but there isn't particular opprobrium attached to it -- it's just like, "Ah, I'll be working with a total hottie guy with a temper!" The wariness only comes when he sees how Hornblower is playacting.

- And then the (mild, really, when you consider how honestly excited most people would be to work with Sawyer) sucking up. The bit TOTALLY different from the way that Bush gets introduced in the books -- Sawyer semi-chewing Bush out, Bush very consciously not saying as much as he wants to, the stuff about being brought up in a hard school. And of course, Hornblower's total >:/ to the sucking up when he's actually kind of trying to help Bush in the book.

And of course, the little conflict with Kennedy, who so isn't jealuz of Hornblower speaking to other men. The HH/WB porn is pretty much gone -- no companionable twinkling/soul-deep staring into each other' eye, no companionable little chat, no bit where Hornblower helps Bush/gives Bush a bit of a wise-up about the ship, etc.

In summary: movie Bush is much less likeable off the bat than book Bush. He's a good bit more distant, more formal. Substantively, they're still the same person in a way that the Hornblowers aren't -- movie!Hornblower is NOT book!Hornblower -- but there're a major difference between the Bush that we see at the start of LtH and the one we see in Mutiny. Our immediate impressions of bookBush are that he's obervant, tough, and practical; our immediate impressions of movieBush are that he's observant, careful of his dignity, and since we're coming into this in the mindset of HH and AK, something of a suckup.

ETA: FUCKING LIVEJOURNAL. STOP FUCKING WITH THE STYLESHEETS AND SHOW MY LJ PROPERLY.

Comments

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

I have to be careful reading your LJ now. I don't need to wind up with another fandom, especially not an Age of Sail one that would get me reading all sorts of things for 'research purposes'.

[dastier.livejournal.com]

movie Bush is much less likeable off the bat than book Bush.

personally, i found the movie Bush a pleasant diversion from the too strict version of the books, where Forester leaves him only so much space to move outside of his usual role. [no, i don't believe in Bush the captain, although he nominally exists :/]. in the series, he's, admittedly through McGann's rendering, more...self-contained. distanced, yes. and thus more a challenge to write, since he's maybe a step closer to being HH's equal. ok, in other aspects than what's usually Hornblower's forte, but still.

and yet, with that said, i've seen only one part of the series and don't intend to see more. very logical, eh ^^

[black-hound.livejournal.com]

I love the open-mouthed look on movie Bush when he sees his new girl. <3

And that little smile when Hornblower is rolling off him on the deck does nothing to dissuade me of the rightest of the HH/WB love. XD

In Making of HH2 McGann says that he didn't read the books.

And yeah, they doff their bicornes as a ritual, although we all know it's a gentlemanly salute to the latest wooden lass 'o his heart, the Renown.

Overall the movie!Bush intro has small threads of the book!Bush -- ship love and the 'don't touch my uniform I hardly know you' moments with the brushing off, etc., because ya know -- the shame at being messed up and here comes your new Captain. But yeah, he is much more formal and so much more upper class in feel and not enough of the tough seagoing bastard of the books when he first shows up.

The suckup thing I didn't like at all in Mutiny because that just felt all wrong especially as you said, book Bush comes out of that 'hard school' and knows that it's always best to not expound when a good "Aye Aye Sir" fits every occasion.

[nolivingman.livejournal.com]

Who does Bush lift his hat to? Just a ritual for officer first time he comes aboard ship?

Saluting the quarterdeck. A ritual.

Happy Valentine's Day to you and your fictional Lieutenant boyfriend.

rambling as usual

[randomalia.livejournal.com]

I'm so retarded, I couldn't find the 'post comment' button. *panic*

I really, really want to watch Mutiny again now. I still feel like we get something like an unreliable narrator syndrome here because we're already in their mindset of HH versus the world most of the Renown and anyone who sides with Sawyer. They all have a dislike to the way Bush says he's honoured to be serving with Sawyer blah blah, but Horatio and Archie went and partied just because they got that transfer.

One bit I remember liking: when Archie is berating him for not speaking up to save Wellard, Bush holds Archie's gaze and speaks to Horatio instead. Tells him to pull his friend into line, barely even blinks. I think he had been very observant not only of the working of the ship but the working of the crew, to the point that he played that one perfectly, without having to disturb his own dignity or do anything except inhabit his rank as a senior Lt.

In conclusion, Bush.