Funeral scene at end of movie.. by Smaug

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Funeral scene at end of movie..

POSTED BY: SMAUG
UPDATED: Saturday, February 4, 2006 03:01
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Thursday, February 2, 2006 5:23 AM

I haven't sene a thread that discusses this yet.. so sorry if this is a repeat.

I noticed this upon the first viewing of the movie but didn't give it much thought. However, the other day I was scimming through some scenes on the dvd and noticed this again and began to give it more thought.

At the funeral scene at the end of the movie you see River attaching a piece of paper (a note maybe?) to what looks like one of those este model rockets. Then the camera cuts to Zoe walking up in her slinky dress carring a lit flame.. but then the camera cuts to a far shot then fades to Zoe doing some welding working on patching up the ship. So I finally started giving some thought to what the heck is this model rocket thing, and what was Zoe's purpose with the flame she was carrying?

I went to the visual companion.. and in the script.. Zoe walks up and lites the fuse of the rocket (it is a rocket).. the rocket takes off.. and then the camera cuts to the far off shot.. with the rocket exploding into a large firework.. and the firework fades into the sparks of Zoe's welding rod.

And in the visual companion there is even a photo of Zoe lighting the fuse. So the scene was actually shot. Now that I know this.. it makes the funeral scene a little more "complete".. without it.. I always thought something seemed.. unfinished. Like what was that rocket.. and what was Zoe doing as she approached the tombstones with a "torch"? I thought something always seemed a little "incomplete". But knowing what it was supposed to be.. and it was actually filmed.. it seems like it would have completed that scene.. AND been a better transition to patching up the ship. It couldn't have added more than 5-10 seconds to the lentgh of the movie.

So I can only assume that Joss had SOME reason for cutting it.. like the transtion from the fireworks to the welding sparks wasn't looking right.. or they didn't have time to finish that.. or something. Any ideas on why this might have been cut?

Smaug..

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Thursday, February 2, 2006 5:31 AM

KIZYR

It was most probably aesthetics. The fireworks-welding transition might not have matched up the way Joss or whoever originally imagined it, so they opted for a simple fade-in/fade-out instead. A lot of small stuff like that gets cut in the editing process, just to make things more seamless. KF

~KF

Lord, I'm walking your way. Let me in, for my feet are sore, my clothes are ragged.
Look in my eyes, Lord, and my sins will play out on them as on a screen. Read them all.
Forgive what you can and send me on my path. I will walk on until you bid me rest.
~Haven Prayer

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Thursday, February 2, 2006 5:40 AM

REGINAROADIE

Could have been cut in the editing room to quicken the pace of the scene, or maybe it was cut during the shooting of the scene for one reason or another (the fireworks wern't that impressive, the rocket wasn't working properly, because it was a sombre moment, fireworks would seem out of character), there'a whoe # of reasons why.

Also, with the two shots of River with the rocket and Zoe carrying the "torch", it's implied that the rocket went off.

But that wide shot of all of them center screen surrounded by the vast desert was the perfect shot to end that scene.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Couldn't we at least abduct their political or religious leaders instead of just any idiot in a pick-up truck?"

"I'm sure the Great Leader has his reasons."

"Well I'm sure the Great Leader is just some sort of twisted ass freak."

"All right, I am now offically ignoring you, commence anal probing."

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Thursday, February 2, 2006 6:23 AM

NUCLEARDAY

Yeah, I'd noticed that, too, about them not showing the rocket going off...

I was almost suprised the second time I watched through the movie, cause I almost could have sworn I'd seen them launch it the first time I'd seen it.

Course I was a little shook up upon my second viewing (see my latest blog), so I sort of figured I'd just missed it or something.

Appreciate you clearing that up for me though. Knowing Whedon, there could also have been some sort of hidden meaning in that, but who knows? :P

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Thursday, February 2, 2006 6:55 AM

SERENITYFOREVER

I just got done reading the novelization of the movie. In it, they talk about the rocket being launched into a firework. Also, something that I found a bit odd, that scene was supposed to occur on Haven. The ship repairs were supposed to occur on Persephone. Watching the film, it looks like they all happened on the moon where Mr. Universe lived.

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Thursday, February 2, 2006 7:12 AM

SMAUG

Quote:
Watching the film, it looks like they all happened on the moon where Mr. Universe lived.

It would have to be on the moon where they crashed wouldn't it? One of the repairs they show is actually reattaching the side thrusters back onto Serenity. Until they did that.. how would they even have gotten Serentiy off that moon to do repairs someplace else? I would think you either do repairs on the gound or in space.. I don't think you would transport such a large ship out of atmo or into atmo to do repairs if she can't fly herself. Of course this is 500 years in the future and getting in and out of atmo doesn't seem to be that big of a deal..

Mal does tell the operative "thanks for helping us patch up our hurt" or something like that.. so the operative must have helped in some big way.. the crew didn't exactly have the coin they would have needed to get all the supplies and such to patch up Serenity after a crash like that... to quote Mal "we are near gone out here". So I suppose the operative, using any alliance resources at his disposal, maybe could have gotten Serenity off that moon and to some other world for repairs. But I would think more likely the operative would simply have brought the supplies that they would have needed to that moon.

Smaug..

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Thursday, February 2, 2006 9:55 AM

THEPISTONENGINE

It couldn't have been on the moon. Very last seen, they're taking off for the first time since repairing, and their flying off into inky space, not the ion cloud. QED.

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Thursday, February 2, 2006 10:17 AM

THEONETRUEBIX

Quote:
Originally posted by SerenityForever:
I just got done reading the novelization of the movie. In it, they talk about the rocket being launched into a firework. Also, something that I found a bit odd, that scene was supposed to occur on Haven. The ship repairs were supposed to occur on Persephone. Watching the film, it looks like they all happened on the moon where Mr. Universe lived.

The novel says they happened in thos places, but that doesn't mean they did. The script doesn't say this, and the novel, strictly speaking, isn't considered canon.

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Thursday, February 2, 2006 10:22 AM

SIMONWHO

I saw the first preview screening in the UK and yes, in that the firework went off. I sorely missed it in the final cut because I think it provided a wonderful sense of catharsis, the sacrifice of our heroes ultimately turning into an explosion of light and sound.

Plus it led into a neat shot of the fireworks turning into the sparks from Zoe's torch.

Joss was wrong to cut it and you'll not persuade me otherwise.

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Thursday, February 2, 2006 10:31 AM

KIZYR

Quote:
Originally posted by Smaug:
So I suppose the operative, using any alliance resources at his disposal, maybe could have gotten Serenity off that moon and to some other world for repairs. But I would think more likely the operative would simply have brought the supplies that they would have needed to that moon.

Smaug..

Hm, that could go a little ways to explain why Mal didn't kill the Operative at the end. Sounds like a bit of a longshot, nonetheless.

I just thought of something else, as well... The music. The Serenity soundtrack is timed to the scenes it represents; I know this likely happened after the scenes were shot, but perhaps while they were recording the "Funeral / Rebuilding Serenity" track, the scene they saw was one without the fireworks, and that's just what stuck? Possibility... distant but still plausible; and music does go a long way to define the mood of a scene, particularly in Firefly / Serenity (just think back to when the fiddle cues in on Jubal's music in Objects in Space). KF

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Saturday, February 4, 2006 3:01 AM

SERENITYFOREVER

Quote:
Originally posted by Smaug:

It would have to be on the moon where they crashed wouldn't it? One of the repairs they show is actually reattaching the side thrusters back onto Serenity. Until they did that.. how would they even have gotten Serentiy off that moon to do repairs someplace else?

Smaug..

I haven't checked since I read the novelization, but in it, they mention that only one thruster came off in the crash, and that they were able to limp to Persephone with only one thruster. If the Operative was as helpful as some consider, there's always the possibility of a tow job into / out of orbit on both ends, too... but that seems a bit far-fetched considering there was no mention of it.

I don't recall the final confrontation with the Operative in the novel, either. Guess I'll have to re-read it. :)

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