This song showed up on one of my Spotify mixes. I couldn't tell you which one, because I have so many. Most people only get 2 or 3 Spotify mixes - I have more like 7 or 8 because my tastes are conflicting/diverse/divergent and the algorithm prefers to only put similar genres in the same playlist. I'm all about breaking algorithms. I think this showed up in the one with all the emo music (i.e., MCR, the Spill Canvas, Breaking Benjamin). Which I find weird, because this is as dark as Colbie Caillat gets. Don't get me wrong - my inner Basic Bitch loves some Colbie Caillat but that's the shit you put on when you're enjoying a nice cup of tea and journaling about your feelings. Super girly. It probably does not belong in an emo playlist.
When I heard this song and realized it was from a movie, I instantly wanted to watch the movie because that's how I am. This song is on the soundtrack for "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" and, given how closely the lyrics match up with the events in the film, it was probably written specifically for it. I watched the movie last night. I enjoyed it but it's the sort of shit I seek out on my own - half-Angel demon slayers (called Shadow Hunters), a beautiful heroine who doesn't know how she is a part of this secret world, and lots of magic and pseudo-goth fashion. Also, it stars Lily Collins, who I think is gorgeous. She's kind of my ideal and, if I had the opportunity to choose what I look like (for example, if real life had a Character Creator -type function), I'd choose to look like her. I'm starting to realize I have a very consistent type, regardless of whether someone is male or female.
Lily Collins
Anyway, I liked the movie but they never made the sequels from the book series, which means I now have to read the book series if I want to know what happens next (Oh...How tragic.) It wasn't a bad movie, it just wasn't a popular one when it came out and I'm trying to put my finger on why. I think the reason is because Clary Fray, unlike other heroines in young adult paranormal/dystopian fiction, isn't an all out badass. She's more on the feminine side and she spends most of the movie either in awe of the magic, confused about what the fuck is happening, or enamored with mysterious Shadow Hunter, Jace. During the action sequences, she's hesitant to jump into the chaos and when she does take the initiative, her actions often seem reckless considering the circumstances. In short, she behaves like how a normal young woman would act if thrust into an unfamiliar shadow world where she doesn't know the rules. In general, the American movie goer wants their "strong female lead" to be a specific type of "strong woman." They're looking for a heroine who is skilled at and willing to engage in violence - like Katniss Everdeen in "Hunger Games" - or is the most intelligent person in the entire story, like Hermione Granger. And if she is a milquetoast female character, like Bella Swan in "Twilight," she sure as hell better not know she's attractive. Clary Fray defies these rules - upon her first encounter with the Shadow Hunters, she nearly exposes them because she's horrified by their inexplicable murder in the middle of a dance club of someone who she believes is human. She seems to be of average intelligence, with more emphasis on her creative pursuits (she's a talented illustrator and attends poetry readings for fun). Finally, she knows she pretty and often uses her attractiveness to her advantage. And you know what? There's nothing wrong with that.
Now the door is open
The world I knew is broken
There's no return
Now my heart is not scared
Just knowing that you're out there
Watching me
So believe I'll be here waiting
Hoping, praying that
This light will guide you home
When you're feeling lost I'll leave my love
Hidden in the sun
For when the darkness comes
Also, there's some weirdness in that Jace may or may not be her brother. Again, there's a story behind that - I suspect he's not actually her brother and telling them this is just another manipulation by the villain in the series. However, still an iffy direction for the author to go in terms of plot twists. Especially since, when this information is revealed, it's after Clary and Jace have already had a hot make-out scene. But, hey, apparently that's what people are into nowadays.
No comments:
Post a Comment