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The One Ring Forums:
Tolkien Topics: Movie Discussion: The Hobbit:
now that's very interesting! Kili/Tauriel more interesting than love at first sight:
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marary
Menegroth
Mar 15 2015, 4:57pm
Views: 6822
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now that's very interesting! Kili/Tauriel more interesting than love at first sight
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I might need to apologize for the length of this post...
Kili/Tauriel is something I initially hated, but then really warmed up to. It might come off as dashing-hero-woos-the-girl story with a tragic end... but there's something much grittier going on with these two.
A Tauriel Analysis
Tauriel's narrative actually is rather intriguing, if you look a little closely. Before she really gets to know Kili, she's already becoming frustrated with Mirkwood's leadership. She's tasked with keeping the borders of the elven lands safe, yet is so stupidly micro-managed by her isolationist king that she can't properly accomplish this task (taking out the spider mothernest of Dol Guldur).
Also, there's some question as to how Tauriel got her position as Captain of the Guard. While a capable warrior, she's very young for an elf. It's unlikely she'd have that position unless someone favors her. Legolas says Thranduil favors her... but I think he's not being truthful. Legolas, not Thranduil, is doing all the Tauriel favoring. To make her happy (she does seem to like her job). So he can work alongside her more. She comes off as a bit ambitious and determined to prove herself. When Thranduil says that Legolas thought she fought well, she looks *proud*. Then Thranduil throws that comment about Legolas's crush at her, and she looks surprised and hurt.
Tauriel realizes in this moment that she didn't get her position from her own merits-- but because of Legolas's crush-driven favoritism. That's gotta be a big blow to her pride and greatly increase her frustrations with the Mirkwood leadership. (I credit a lot of the subtlety here to Evangeline Lilly-- she was fantastic in that scene with Thranduil, and I love her for not returning any affections to Legolas in her performance.) She assures Thranduil "Legolas thinks of me as nothing but a Captain of the Guard." She'd really like for Legolas's feelings to have nothing with her position as Captain.
How upsetting would that be to find out that your leader/co-worker who you *think* values you for your intelligence/capability really just has an unrequited crush. Icky feeling.
Tauriel is having none of Kili's stupid flirtations upon their first meeting.
But then she has that frustrating conversation with Thranduil. Then there's the Feast of Starlight. Maybe she wanders down to the dungeons, determined to be a good guard even though the integrity of her position has been thrown into doubt. Maybe she wants to avoid Legolas right now. There, she strikes up a conversation with Kili.
I don't think she's in love with him yet, but she is intrigued. He tells her stories about the world beyond Mirkwood. That's gotta be refreshing to her at this point. And despite being a dwarf AND her prisoner, he's very open and friendly with her. There were a few criticisms that Tauriel should have had a conversation with another dwarf in the dungeons, but I don't think any other dwarf, especially not the older ones, would be capable of having such a friendly conversation with an elf (not even Balin), much less an elf holding them prisoner. Kili was pretty notable in that regard. He doesn't seem to harbor bitterness as deeply as the other dwarves.
She goes after the dwarves for several reasons, Kili's injury being only one, I think (she doesn't decide to save him until Bofur falls into her with kingsfoil). All of these reasons are in line with Tauriel's frustrations with Thranduil, determination to prove herself, and serve her ideals.
There could have been years of frustration building up... but there was one straw too many. And then she finally defies Thranduil at about when we meet her.
A Kili Analysis
Kili's a bit of an odd duck. He's beardless. He discovers he has a thing for elf-maids, which he tries to cover up to much hilarity. He's obviously loyal to Thorin and determined to prove himself to his uncle. Kili gradually becomes disillusioned with Thorin as the quest continues- he still loves and respects him, but their relationship does shift, with getting left behind in Lake-town being the key moment there.
Now, when Kili's taken into the dungeons, I don't think he's in love with Tauriel. Not yet. He does try that awful pickup line and checks her out (Legolas notices). But I think he mostly just has a general attraction to elf women, as previously demonstrated. And I think at first, he's just trying his hand at flirting his way out of a bad situation (now imagine if *that* had worked! Thorin would have a thing or two to say...).
He's actually bit suspicious of Tauriel when she first appears during the Feast of Starlight... but then he opens up to her, telling her about his mother and previous adventures. (Still not madly in love though.)
Then the dwarves escape and arrive in Lake-town. Kili takes a moment to look at Tauriel after being shot, but he is singularly focused on helping the party get away from both elves and orcs. Thorin and the dwarves are still way more important to him, even if he does have a bit of a crush.
In Lake-town, Thorin leaves him behind in his classic not-so-tactful manner. Kili is *crushed*. He's really pulled his weight in the company and works so hard to prove himself, yet he gets so readily abandoned? In contrast, Tauriel willingly goes out of her way to help him... in a situation where his own uncle (seemingly) cared nothing.
Falling in love with Tauriel under these circumstances (the glowing/healing scene) makes a lot of sense. It wasn't just that she saved him... it was that she saved him when Thorin uncaringly abandoned him.
A bit more about Kili/Tauriel
Tauriel very vocally protests Thranduil's decisions. You know who else becomes very vocal about their leader's decisions? Kili. He's the most outwardly, angrily vocal dwarves under siege in Erebor. Tauriel and Kili each cared about others outside of their own kind and try to make a case to their respective leaders. Once I realized they shared that trait, I started to really ship them. They actually share ideals. This is something beyond lust and attraction. It gives weight to the relationship. (But maybe that's another thing.)
As for this quote, so many relationships are "love at first sight". Kili/Tauriel, to its credit, is extremely driven by outside consequences and relationships. They really are two frustrated misfits with good hearts. Their relationship is extremely circumstantial. And relationships that aren't "fate" are, IMO, a bit more interesting.
And that is how I learned to stop worrying and ship Kili/Tauriel.
(This post was edited by marary on Mar 15 2015, 5:06pm)
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Edit Log:
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Post edited by marary
(Menegroth) on Mar 15 2015, 5:01pm
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Post edited by marary
(Menegroth) on Mar 15 2015, 5:06pm
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