course. The scar. Go me for finding a screencap, right!
As I’ve said, I wanted to talk about this due to a large amount of questions (that I am grateful for!). I’m going to try and tick off the most asked questions.
First of all let me say: I love this. LOVE. One of the highlights of the whole movie for me in all honesty.
People have been confused about what this actually is. Since he talks about the wrath and ruin of dragon fire and the scar appears when he says “I have faced the great serpents of the North” (yes I am 100% sure of this, I have footage), I would definitely say that it is an injury caused by dragon fire, and nothing else. People argue that it might be an injury from the Last Alliance or something, but I don’t think so. For me it definitely looks like a horrid burn mark.
So, is it plausible? Yes, I’d say so. Thranduil is probably over 6000 years old and he most likely grew up in Doriath, so it is indeed possible that he actually fought dragons in his youth in the War of Wrath. (Or maybe he didn’t fight them, maybe it’s a civilian casualty?) While Tolkien never said “Thranduil fought dragons” it is indeed a possibility, so in that sense I don’t think it violates canon.
I read that some people think that the scar is just a fabrication of a since long healed injury that he can process from his memory. While it is an interesting theory, I don’t think so. You can HEAR the pain in his voice and SEE the pain in his face when the scar appears. So it seems very present for him, and it seems to cause him pain (NO SHIT I MEAN LOOK AT THAT). Another reason I think it’s a permanent injury is that I don’t think his eye would ever heal from that.
So how does he hide it? I’d say it’s some elven magic, some kind of concealment spell. He is very, very old, so it is not impossible that he picked up some tricks over the years (also, Tolkien mentioned magic in regards of Thranduil, but this was before he worked out the meaning of magic so hmm), or that he learned it especially to be able to hide this horrible injury. Because it looks really nasty, I fully understand that he wants to hide it, not only out of vanity but out of the fact that it looks so painful (HE HAS HOLES IN HIS CHEEK). It is certainly not impossible that he would be capable of this, given his age and might. One thought is also that, since he is so extremely connected to his forest, that maybe the trees can help him heal? A branch grows back, you know. Just a little thought that my sister first shared with me that I liked.
Can he make it appear out of sheer will alone? Does he control it? At first I thought that he indeed has full control of it, but another thought hit me; maybe he looses control when he gets very angry, and with that he looses control of the spell? He is very angry when it appears, after all, and he quickly calms down after it has appeared. Both things are indeed plausible possibilities, or maybe it’s a mixture of both?
Why does he show it to Thorin? Well, I’d say he does that to really prove that he knows what horrendous things a dragon can do. He experienced it himself. It most likely nearly killed him. I also think this is a very nice add by PJ and co, because this shows what a harsh and painful life Thranduil has lived without having to go into flashbacks. This character has suffered, and I love that they decided to show that in this way.
Also, the meaning can become very symbolical (and this is what I love). It can also reflect the deep scarring of his soul, that he likes to hide behind a cold attitude. Just as he hides this scar, he hides the hurt that he has faced over the years. He conceals it behind a fair face and a tough personality. Is he trying to hide his past? It has certainly shaped him a great deal, and his isolationist policy clearly shows that he is very much done with war and conflict and strife.
It’s also poetic. You can’t always see the things people have suffered. Many of us don’t have big physical scars, but we are all scarred nonetheless. Inside. We all carry scars inside us, hidden from all sight unless we decide to open up and share them with people (and many hurts go so deep that we lock them inside us forever). So this, for me, is a nod to DON’T JUDGE A PERSON BY THEIR COVER. You can NEVER know what someone has been through in life, what pain they suffered and what hurts aren’t mended. We don’t know anyone, but we are quick to judge. And suddenly, when you see, when you hopefully understand, then you see someone in a new light, and maybe you can find, while not compassion, but respect for them. I’m probably taking this way too far but the symbolism is rather remarkable and very thoughtful and important.
I mean if Thorin KNEW he had got half his face burnt off by a dragon, then maybe, just maybe, he could find a small ray of respect and understanding for him, despite his low thoughts about him. It is food for thought.
Also, a question I ask myself: Is he blind on his damaged eye? He can heal his skin, and while he can also make his eye appear undamaged, can he heal a possible severe eye injury? I really can’t tell.
Another thought: Does he see himself as imperfect due to this? Does he feel that he lost the elven beauty that is so renowned? Is he that kind of character who breaks mirrors in disgust of his own reflection? Does he collect gems in a way to surround himself with things he deem perfect, since he is not perfect anymore?
I rambled way too long but I LOVE THIS SO MUCH SEND HELP also let me hold him ;____;