boldlygone

Great analysis. This story as a whole is somewhat similar to a Christian redemption arc: seeking God, facing temptation, and through living well, reaching ultimate Christian salvation. It’s a strange sort of allegory for people, who, according to Christian teaching, are cut off from God through original sin, and through baptism, seeking, and living a “moral” life can find God eventually. So I agree that Anderson’s Christian worldview is foundational for this story, and every step of the mermaid’s journey is meant to be a step on his view of how life should be lived.

Really interesting article. I would add that there is something to be said for the fact that so many of these paintings play on the viewer as the subject being viewed, leading to the question of revelation versus interruption. Thomas’s painting seems to be angry in its use of color, expression, and medium in a way that Titian’s Venus is not, a fact that is reinforced by the woman revealing her arm in the background and the semi-public setting. Titian’s Venus of Urbino seems to say we are given a revealed image, something echoed in the other featured artists’ paintings. They place their women in domestic settings, traditionally placed controlled by women, with even prostitutes representing a version of this, though perhaps presented in a way that reveals the growing unease in how women are perceived and in their changing roles in society. Perhaps Thomas and even, to an extent, Schiele’s women touch on true liberation of the female figure. Their women exist outside of the male gaze, they are not passive creatures allowing themselves to be seen. Rather Scheile’s seems perhaps conflicted but nonetheless boldly exploratory outside of the need or desire for a man’s touch or gaze, and Thomas’s woman glares at us, sharply confronting and shaming our gaze.
Sorry its such a long comment!

Agreed–DC is riding on the back of Nolan’s Dark Knight franchise, and is trying to recreate that look and feel in each of the successive movies, Green Lantern being the exception. What audiences are showing though, is that they’d rather have something that’s closer to what Green Lantern attempted to get at–a relatable, fun, character driven movie. That’s what made Marvel’s movies successful. That, and the fact that their movies feel, on the whole, to be fleshed out, well thought out, and made by people that enjoy the characters as much as we do. DC needs to step up its game and stop trying to remake the whole cinematic universe in the image and tone of the failed New 52.