What's With The Fly?

Just an accuracy correlation with the book, is my guess. Lewis mentions the dead fly - I think the intent was to convey how abandoned and derelict the room was. On an estate with a cleaning staff, this room didn't even get dusted often enough to get the dead flies swept off the windowsills! (In the book it was dead - in the movie it was dying.)
 
Fly

PrinceOfTheWest said:
Just an accuracy correlation with the book, is my guess. Lewis mentions the dead fly - I think the intent was to convey how abandoned and derelict the room was. On an estate with a cleaning staff, this room didn't even get dusted often enough to get the dead flies swept off the windowsills! (In the book it was dead - in the movie it was dying.)
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Oh I see. Thanks. :) I did read the book, but I must have forgotten.
________
Drug Test Kit
 
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I guess visually, a scene of a dead fly wouln't be as interesting as the fly dying and still trying to fly around.
 
Excerpt from the book:

And shortly after that they looked into a room that was quite empty ecept for one big wardrobe; the sort that has a looking-glass in the door. There was nothing else in the room at all except a dead blue-bottle on the window-sill.

The fly was just there to emphasize the emptyness of the room and, as PotW mentioned, how little the room was used or visited.

MrBob
 
yes. my sisters and friends always ask me what that fly was supposed to mean...i have to explain to them that it was already dead in the book..when they focus on a dying fly in a room..it's almost like a warning to turn back! so i wish it was already dead in the movie lol
 
But I suppose if the fly was supposed to represent the emptiness of the room, then there would be many dead flies. Ever been to an attic? It often looks as if someone spilt a can of unground pepper on the sills. In the Wardrobe room, there was only one fly....
 
yeah..i know what ou mean. i thought of that too. it's just silly isn't it lol...but...that was just a not-so-well done in the directin..no offence andrew
 
I didn't think it showed anything wrong with the directing; I thought it portrayed the abandonment of the room perfectly. It is very telling that the sound Lucy immediately notices is the buzzing of the fly against the window. Usually our world is so noisy we don't hear insects at all, but the room into which Lucy had come was so quiet and isolated that the fly catches her attention because it is the only thing moving and making noise. I think it increases the anticipation. There must be something mysterious about this room that makes it so deserted.
 
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FLY

To me it's rather obvious. The fly made it into our world through the wardrobe only to languish on the hot windowsill.

As Lucy drew close, he gasped out, "Bring the others! Come quickly!" But she did not hear his thin, high, buzzy voice.
 
EveningStar said:
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FLY

To me it's rather obvious. The fly made it into our world through the wardrobe only to languish on the hot windowsill.

As Lucy drew close, he gasped out, "Bring the others! Come quickly!" But she did not hear his thin, high, buzzy voice.
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LOL! Well, that's the most original theory I've heard. :)
 
EveningStar said:
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FLY

To me it's rather obvious. The fly made it into our world through the wardrobe only to languish on the hot windowsill.

As Lucy drew close, he gasped out, "Bring the others! Come quickly!" But she did not hear his thin, high, buzzy voice.
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he did? what a shame that they overlooked that in the movie!!! :)
 
The only who that I could think of who would go into the Wardrobe room and let a fly in in his wake would be Digory Kirke, Esquire.
 
The way I see it is in the movie they were just sticking with the book. In chapter 1 it says "There was nothing else in the room at all except a dead bluebottle on the window-sill." A bluebottle is a fly. I am guessing that it came in through a window or the door.
 
Ah but you see the book said dead fly, and this one was clearly still alive. I still think they should have put more flies there...and dust. Was there dust? I can't remember quite clearly, but I don't think there was a noticeable layer of dust there. I WANT DUST!!!! XD
 
To me it's rather obvious. The fly made it into our world through the wardrobe only to languish on the hot windowsill.

As Lucy drew close, he gasped out, "Bring the others! Come quickly!" But she did not hear his thin, high, buzzy voice

I disagree EveningStar. Thye fly was sent through the wardrobe by Jdis herself to assure that no one passed into her domain. But then he found the environment of England to be so different than that of Narnia that he became sick from even the most common bacteria that English flies have and succumbed before he could warn Lucy not to enter.

"Was there dust? I can't remember quite clearly, but I don't think there was a noticeable layer of dust there. I WANT DUST!!!! XD"

NalsA-AslaN, now that you mention it, there was no dust. The dust cover that Lucy removed from the wardrobe was clean, implying that it had to have been washed and put back on the wardrobe recently. Had the room been abandoned, when Lucy took the cover off the wardrobe, it should have set up a lot of dirt and dust.

MrBob
 
Though it wasn't a common veiwing area, perhaps the lack of dust is due to the fact it was viewed (note that Mrs. Macready almost took the day-trippers into the Wardrobe room). It would explain the fly being there too; if the maids aired the room out as they ought, they would open the windows and dust everything and then make certain that the dust covers were put back in their proper place. Often flies would get through the screenless window while it was open and not be noticed until the next time the room was cleaned. Lucy just came between cleanings. Also a book note: there is no mention of a dust cover on the wardrobe. Again that was added to enhance the visual effect of the scene.
 
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