History FridgeBrilliance / Frozen2013

* When Anna has Weselton and his men leave her alone with Hans, Weselton looks horrified but complies, and when Hans comes out claiming she married him and thus he's now in charge everyone accepts it. Weselton knew Anna had been cursed and reasoned that if she wanted to stay alone with Hans she expected to die very soon and thus was securing the succession, and Hans used the same reasoning to take over.

* Some studies have found that left-handed people tend to be more vulnerable to negative emotions such as depression and anger. They are more prone to fear. Their brain hemispheres have more symmetry than right-handed people, which explains why their skills are most randomized and less specified to either side of the brain. So, how is this relevant to Elsa, you may ask? Elsa uses her left hand almost every time she gestures or conjures. These psychological facts support the intense fear that Elsa experienced when Anna was hurt and when the prophecy was revealed to her—which led her to a life of isolation and loneliness. Elsa's love and instinctive nature to protect Anna had made this even more difficult for her and this, in turn, had worsened her fear. Note that fear isn't good for Elsa for this will only make her power uncontrollable and dangerous. Elsa's susceptibility to experience fear also makes her quick to anger when threatened.

* Elsa's crown is different from her mother's...[[http://nuggles.tumblr.com/post/74902435671/everytime-i-see-a-gifset-of-elsa-and-her-mom-i because]] her mother's crown sank beneath the sea when she drowned. Also, being the actual monarch rather then just a queen by marriage probably meant Elsa would be expected to wear a more regal crown.

* Consider that Hans has been shown to be a ManipulativeBastard on a scale rarely seen in Disney canon, who expertly manipulated both the protagonist ''and'' [[BaitTheDog the audience]] until TheReveal. It seems out of character, then, for him to immediately engage in BondVillainStupidity and simply assume Anna would be a good girl and die out of sight, as opposed to, say, [[NightmareFuel locking the door, pulling up a chair, and watching to be sure.]] This wouldn't even change the subsequent scene's script much. But the version in the movie actually makes Hans worse -- he cares so little for Anna that he just walks out and doesn't think twice about leaving her to die alone in the cold when there's a kingdom to start ruling, and highlights the film's point about "completely ordinary" and "no match for Elsa" Anna not ''seeming'' that important or useful, which of course makes the climax where ''she'' is the one to save the day that much more striking.

*** The only time things happen in three in the song, it is a failure, specifically the attempt by one, ten, or a hundred men to contain the magic of Ice. Three separate men will be given a chance to save Anna from Ice: Her father, Hans, and Kristof. In all cases, these do not work. Similarly, three times men will try and contain or control Elsa's powers without success: Her Father, The Duke, and Hans. The only thing that would work is the love of two sisters for each other...[[NoManOfWomanBorn Stronger than one, stronger than ten, stronger than a hundred men indeed.]]
*** Twice we're warned about the dangers of a "Frozen Heart." This is quickly confirmed by the troll two scenes later who says the heart is not so easily changed from this condition. The audience is now set up to expect a frozen heart to appear...but remember there's two frozen hearts. The first one is clearly beautiful...it's sharp and sheer...we'll know it when we see it. And this is the one that is given a softer warning. But the next time we discuss the frozen heart, there's a beauty and a danger...and this danger is given a much more ominous warning. As the audience, we know that Anna has the literal frozen heart...but Hans is ascribed the same condition at the end of the film, metaphorically in his case. The song could be the closest thing to his VillainSong the film has without surprising the reveal, making the song applicable to all four main characters - thus violating the duality rule twice over. Of course, a frozen heart is not a good thing for any of them, although the double nature of the violation may ease it a bit - the frozen hearts of most of the main characters are thawed by the end of the film. The exception is Hans, whose was the only truly frozen heart all along, as the other three still remained fundamentally caring people.

* As the trolls say, "Love will thaw"; as a little girl, Elsa seemingly had full control over her powers and it was only tripping and misaiming that led to Anna getting hurt. Elsa appears to have only developed PowerIncontinence ''after'' the accident. And the longer the two were separated the worse her powers got. It's after the two have their argument at the ball and Elsa runs out of the room - into a crowd of citizens with high expectations for their new queen - that she has one of her most notable bouts of PowerIncontinence. But then Elsa reaches the North Mountain and, with less pressure and fear - her enemy - due to the absence of people, lets herself exercise her powers intentionally and create her palace, her dress, etc, thereby showing some control for the first time in years. However, the increased level of isolation obscures the fact that the problem of her PowerIncontinence is actually worse than ever, creating an EndlessWinter and ''sentient life'' not only by accident, but ''unknowingly''. She loses even more control when she fights with Anna again. But she regains control of her powers for good when Anna sacrifices her life for Elsa, reaffirming the love between the two. Love not only thawed the ice in Anna's heart, but Elsa's too.

* While it now seems foolish for the parents to suggest Elsa control her powers with "Conceal it, don't feel it, don't let it show" and giving her gloves to literally cover up the problem, they were only going by what they know from being royalty because holding back is probably what they're used to. As king and queen, there is always a physical and emotional wall between themselves and the subjects they are in charge of. Notice some of the lyrics of "Let It Go" include Don't let them in, don't let them see. // Be the good girl you always have to be. // Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know. They apply to Elsa's status as a future queen as well as someone with potentially dangerous powers. It also probably didn't help that Pabbie showing them a vision of a grown Elsa being attacked by a mob is shown to be what prompted the decision, so it makes sense their attempts to protect their daughter from such a fate focused on appearances and hiding - it's the reaction of others and how they may harm Elsa that they fear most, not the powers themselves.

* Elsa's theme song "Let It Go" has received praise aplenty, while Anna's song "For the First Time In Forever" has sometimes been criticized for having less than poetic lyrics ("The window is open, so's that door/I didn't know they did that anymore!; "Don't know if I'm elated or gassy, but I'm somewhere in that zone!"; etc.). In hindsight, it makes sense that Elsa's lyrics might sound more polished: Elsa is the elegant, more eloquent sibling, whereas Anna is silly and awkward. This also applies to "Love is an Open Door," which according to the songwriters is meant to sound casual, like "a karaoke song" - more fun and playful than grand and dramatic.

** If ''Literature/AFrozenHeart'' is canon, then Hans is a combination of the magic mirror and Kai. As mentioned above, Kai is jabbed with two mirror pieces, one that makes him see only the bad in life, and one turns his heart cold and cruel. Hans suffers from a more mundane version of this: his abusive upbringing gave him a case of EvilCannotComprehendGood. He's greatly disturbed upon witnessing wonderful things like the Great Thaw, the sound of children laughing, trees blooming, etc. - similarly to how Kai was unable to find the roses beautiful after being jabbed in the eye. His reaction to Elsa grieving over her sister's supposed death is one of confusion, believing it makes her look weak, and is left even more baffled how Anna managed to reconcile with her sister - his heart no longer understands familial love after the abuse he suffered from his own family members.

** Why Hans was there at all is interesting to ponder. Not only was he the 13th and last brother in his family, at least some of his older brothers probably have children of their own, putting Hans absurdly far down the line of succession (since every child born to his brothers bumps him further down the list.) Weselton sent its head of state (who admittedly had his ulterior own motives) but the Southern Isles sent the lowest possible - while still technically royal - representative they could get. It's fairly insulting, actually. Why would they do this? Hans alludes to the fact that "no one was getting anywhere" with Elsa - so its likely that the Southern Isles' royal family spent a fair amount of time trying to marry off one of their sons to this single and highly marriageable princess and/or queen of a neighboring country, and took the constant rebuffs as an insult. Now, building on the idea that the Southern Isles' rulers are feeling a little peeved, and that Hans came with way too much stuff for a short stay...Hans's family couldn't possibly have missed the fact that he brought a horse, right? In the Narnia story ''Literature/TheHorseAndHisBoy'', the Tisroc (king, basically) of Calormen sends the crown prince on an invasion mission in such a way that he can take all the credit if it succeeds, but deny everything and blame it on his rash and foolish son if it fails. The Southern Isles might have been doing just that.

* Hans's EvilGloating after TheReveal. Was he ''smart'' to suddenly engage in melodramatic and cheesy dialogue, going over his scheme in detail? No. Has it ''been done'' in real life? Yes. Many criminals - a lot of them murderers and serial killers - have been arrested and sentenced due to their inability to ''keep their mouths shut''[[note]]Members of the [[UsefulNotes/CharlesManson Manson family]] bragged about the [=Tate-LaBianca=] murders[[/note]] or get cocky/irrational after a series of crimes. Hans' entire reveal speech and his firm clutching of the IdiotBall that resulted in him leaving before making sure Anna was dead from Elsa's power just reeked of "look at me, I'm a genius for having pulled off this entire operation, and I need someone to appreciate me and how clever I am".

* The most common criticism about Hans is that his reveal as TheSociopath seemed to come out of left field. However, for audience members familiar with real-life ManipulativeBastard sociopathic tactics abusers use, Hans' conduct can border on ObviouslyEvil. It serves to reflect how naive, sheltered, and desperate for love Anna is, but also her insistence on believing the best in people. Just as her sister cannot possibly be a wicked sorceress, there's no way (in Anna's mind) that Hans could be villainous. Anna has probably never met a wicked person in her entire life, up until Hans, and therefore had no reason to doubt his intentions. Similarly, most viewers, on top of growing up with romantic expectations for PrinceCharming codified by Disney themselves, are not likely to have even met a superficially charming, ruthless sociopath, let alone be able to see through said tactics. It's TruthInTelevision - "But he was such a nice person! He was so nice to me!" is often said about abusers and even serial killers.
* Doubling with Funny: Santino Fontana chose to audition for Hans with a rewritten version of "I Feel Pretty" from ''Theatre/WestSideStory''. The original is Maria, a young, idealistic girl, singing joyfully about how she is loved by Tony, a wonderful boy - similar to Anna circa "Love is an Open Door".

* Olaf assuming that Kristoff and Sven share the same name isn't just a gag - Kristoff tends to "speak" for Sven; so in a way, they are one and the same.

** At the beginning of 'Let it Go', Elsa sings of ruling "A kingdom of isolation." Isolation...or '''[[IncrediblyLamePun Ice]]'''olation.

* Elsa's opposition to Anna and Hans' engagement has a very good reason: with them being royalty and Anna the only successor, any and all marriage proposals had to go through the monarch, that is Elsa herself. While Anna may have not known, Elsa had been prepared for the role her entire life, so Hans trying to have her face a done deed would automatically make her suspicious.

* Compare the faces of Hans and Kristoff when they emote. You'll notice a subtle clue that Hans's emotions are him acting: A lot of the time, Hans seems a little...distant, especially when compared to Kristoff, who is always very open and emotional. And when he smiles, look at his eyebrows and see they don't budge an inch. His smile looks a little pasted on, artificial, and maybe even slightly dipping into the UncannyValley. There are only a few times where his expressions look genuine, like when he's dangling from the stairway after Marshmallow tries taking him into the chasm.

* Everyone seems a bit too accepting of Hans' claim that Anna effectively married him right before dying... But with Elsa having effectively abdicated Anna was now the acting queen and she had no successors, and by marrying Hans as she was about to die she was insuring the succession. In short, those were the exact circumstances that would make his claim believable.

* The trolls spend most of "Fixer-Upper" bagging on Kristoff, but they slip some compliments in as well. Anna seems bemused by the whole thing and reacts that way to compliments and insults alike. But when the trolls sing about how Kristoff likes "healing hugs", her face briefly changes from bewilderment to "aw, how sweet." Why did that one get through to her when the others didn't? Well, "I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!" is as much a figment of her own past as Elsa's. Calling Kristoff "the honest goods" doesn't get far with Anna, because she hasn't been betrayed by Hans yet and so hasn't learned to look for honesty in a guy. (And didn't appreciate it much in Kristoff at first anyway.) But hugs, that's been her jam since she was little.

* That Anna converses with a pic of Joan of Arc looks cute at first ("Hang in there, Joan!"), but the fact she is talking to a famous martyr seems to be very dark foreshadow of the numerous sufferings that will be inflicted on Anna and Elsa later on in the film. If both sisters grew up looking at and identifying with a picture of Joan of Arc, it's likely they would have seen her as a role model, and thus both picking up her virtues of courage and self-sacrifice. It's also a nicely-subtle hint as to how Anna will break the heart-freezing curse upon herself, by becoming a martyr to save her sister.
** [[MessianicArchetype Anna]] has many parallels to Joan. She is a young, idealistic ActionGirl devoted to her family and kingdom to the point where she voluntarily accepts the CruelAndUnusualDeath to save her beloved sister. Anna's HeroicSacrifice makes people see Hans' true colors and ends his unjust rule, and the way she breaks the curse inspires Elsa to finally master her magic. Plus, Anna is implied to be a HeroWorshipper towards Jeanne d'Arc herself.

* Elsa has the one braid in her hair, meaning she's the oldest. Anna has pigtails, stating that she came after Elsa or she's the youngest.

---> '''Hans:''' With you! \\

** If ''Literature/AFrozenHeart'' is canon, then Hans is a combination of the magic mirror and Kai. As mentioned above, Kai is jabbed with two mirror pieces, one that makes him see only the bad in life, and one turns his heart cold and cruel. Hans suffers from a more mundane version of this: his abusive upbringing gave him a case of EvilCannotComprehendGood. He's greatly disturbed upon witnessing wonderful things like the Great Thaw, the sound of children laughing, trees blooming, etc - similarly to how Kai was unable to find the roses beautiful after being jabbed in the eye. His reaction to Elsa grieving over her sister's supposed death is one of confusion, believing it makes her look weak, and is left even more baffled how Anna managed to reconcile with her sister - his heart no longer understands familial love after the abuse he suffered from his own family members.

--> '''Kristoff''': What's his best friend's name?\\
'''Anna''': [[{{Foreshadowing}} Probably John.]]

-->The hot and the cold are both so intense\\

* Some studies have found that left-handed people tend to be more vulnerable to negative emotions such as depression and anger. They are more prone to fear. Their brain hemispheres have more symmetry than right-handed people, which explains why their skills are most randomized and less specified to either side of the brain. So, how is this relevant to Elsa, you may ask? Elsa uses her left hand almost every time she gestures or conjures. These psychological facts support the intense fear that Elsa experienced when Anna was hurt and when the prophecy was revealed to her—which led her to a life of isolation and loneliness. Elsa’s love and instinctive nature to protect Anna had made this even more difficult for her and this, in turn, had worsened her fear. Note that fear isn’t good for Elsa for this will only make her power uncontrollable and dangerous. Elsa’s susceptibility to experience fear also makes her quick to anger when threatened.
* Notice how throughout "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?," both sisters wear increasingly darker colors as their separation and isolation, as well as repression for Elsa and neglect for Anna, take a toll on them. However, when Anna is adult, she still wears the same warm palette she did as when she was five. She’s a big kid, she’s the same and managed to retain her cheerful and optimistic personality, as well as her loving nature. This reflects the climax of the film, when she breaks Elsa's accidentally-cast curse with ThePowerOfLove and thaws herself. Elsa grows up to darker blues, as she closes herself off from the world. Her sleeves get longer and show less skin. Also her hairstyles get to be tighter and reflect her mother's as she becomes more repressed and attempts to be the perfect queen. This all changes when she sings “Let It Go” and she goes back to pale blue and lets her hair down. In other words, Anna still kept her ''warm'' personality, while Elsa became more and more ''cold'' towards Anna and everyone else, but found some of her own bright cheer again when she stopped repressing herself during "Let It Go," remembering the positive in her magic and allowing her hair to return to her own preferred style rather than the one used by her mother, but even then, retained much of her anxiety and fear of letting others close.

* At the beginning of 'Let it Go', Elsa sings of ruling "A kingdom of isolation." Isolation...or '''[[IncrediblyLamePun Ice]]'''-olation.

* In her solo in "For the First Time in Forever," there's a shot where Elsa looks out the library window at the crowds coming over the bridge entering the castle. Elsa’s still doubting her role as Queen here. But the key is the window:
** It symbolically separates Elsa from her kingdom, as it physically divides her and the people, and keeps her within the castle. What’s more is that it casts her reflection, partially blocking her view of Arendelle. Reflections have meaning in the movie, and we later see this very shot mirrored with Hans later in the movie, but here it provides another meaning. Elsa’s main obstacle is herself. It's the act of learning to accept who she is that was her main challenge. So here in this shot, Elsa’s reflection represents that hurdle. In order for her to be a good queen, she must first get past herself.

* When we are introduced to Olaf, he makes a remark in his ramblings (before he comes into frame) of “yellow and snow? Brrr, no no!” which is meant to come off like a ToiletHumor joke. That is, until one notices that when Elsa's fighting the Duke of Weselton's men in her ice palace, the walls are bathed in yellow. Yellow snow is Elsa’s breaking point, where her powers are first used for destruction, and where she almost becomes the monster people think she is.
** Yellow is one of those colors that can have several different meanings depending on the context of its use. Here, it’s being used in the “caution” kind of way, especially since it’s partnered with a lot of darker/blacker colors. It’s like a subconscious warning from Elsa to the guards attacking her that they need to back off. Yellow makes more sense than red, which they instead used earlier to represent Elsa’s fear. Red is typically associated with anger, but the way they use it in the movie makes the scene appear more unsettling and claustrophobic. It really helps visualize just how anxious Elsa is. The use of yellow in the fight scene is her fight response.

* When we see the rows of gloves in Elsa's old trunk in ''Olaf's Frozen Adventure'', the gloves from that trunk are the same as the ones she wore on her coronation. And they match pretty well with the dark teal of her dress. But they are lighter. They match Anna’s eyes. But look at what those gloves are meant to represent to Elsa. They’re there to keep her powers contained. They provide a security net when all else fails. As a result, she’s come to rely on them emotionally to a desperate degree, to the point that removing them is enough to cause her to panic. She believes they’re all she has left of keeping her powers in check. And they’re the same color as Anna’s eyes. Anna, the one who ends up helping Elsa learn the real secret to controlling her magic. Anna, the one who had so much faith that her sister would be able to control her "curse" and bring summer back that she scaled a mountain and ventured into a blizzard in a ballgown in an effort to prove it. Anna, whose go-to method of comforting Elsa is grabbing onto both of her hands. Because she’s not afraid of them. She knows Elsa can control her magic. And she’s going to help her through every step of the way. So in a way, Elsa’s gloves matching Anna’s eyes make sense. Because in that instant after Anna is thawed out, Elsa’s not looking at her hands, she’s looking into Anna’s eyes.

** When Olaf finds Anna freezing to death in the library, he says, “I guess I was wrong. I guess Kristoff doesn’t love you enough to leave you behind.” He thinks that love is leaving them behind forever because that’s exactly what Elsa has been doing to show love. Elsa left Anna behind when she embraced her powers because she thought her powers would hurt her. But...the other half of Olaf–-Anna-–left Elsa behind, too. Anna loved Elsa so much that she chose to die even though it meant leaving Elsa behind. Forever. So in other words...Elsa and Anna left each other behind for the sake of love. No wonder he had this rhyme from the bridge in "In Summer":

Put ’em together, it just makes sense!

** Mystery: The origin of Elsa’s powers are a mystery, so this fits color fits her for this reason.
** Rarity: Because Elsa’s powers are extremely unique and rare, this description fits her, too.

--> I am pretty, oh so pretty
--> I am pretty and witty and bright
--> And I pity any guy who isn't me at night
--> I am charming, oh so charming
--> It's alarming how charming I feel
--> And so pretty that I hardly can believe I'm real
--> See the pretty guy in that mirror there? (What mirror? Where?)
--> Who can that attractive guy be? (Which? What? Where? Who?!)
--> Such a pretty face, such a pretty suit
--> Such a pretty smile, such a pretty me!
--> I am stunning and entrancing
--> Feel like running and dancing for joy
--> For I am such a perfect wonderful boy!

** Alternately, it's a position they can use for the first time. Elsa can generate ice, but only where she is. She can create the ice for Kristoff to take and sell. By massively increasing the amount of ice that Kristoff can sell, while massively decreasing the time and effort and cost of obtaining the ice, Kristoff can sell more ice for much less, benefiting the entire kingdom.

* A quick moment of foreshadowing: during Elsa and Anna's fight in Elsa's ice palace, Elsa says, almost imploringly, "What power do you have that can stop this winter? That can stop ''me?''" The line highlights how Elsa feels she has lost control over her powers and her mounting fears of hurting everyone -- but her question is actually answered in the end. Anna DOES have a power that can stop the winter and Elsa: namely, ThePowerOfLove. Anna's HeroicSacrifice directly leads to Elsa gaining control over her powers. Even though Anna's powers aren't like [[AnIcePerson Elsa's]], hers are every bit as important.

* The casting of Santino Fontana as Hans is also this for musical theatre fans. He starred as Prince Topher in ''Theatre/CinderellaRodgersAndHammerstein'' in 2013, the same year that ''Frozen'' was released. Audience members who have seen Fontana as a classic PrinceCharming in ''Cinderella'' might assume that he was being typecast as Hans, which would make TheReveal more of a shock.

* At the end of "Do You Want to Build A Snowman?" when Anna is pleading with Elsa for the last time to come out after their parents have died, and the second-to-last lyric ("What are we going to do?") is followed by the melody associated with the question "Do you want to build a snowman?" and would rhyme with the reply "Yes, I do [want to build a snowman]". setting the scene up as if Elsa finally will respond this time. Instead, the melody echoes and creates a SubvertedRhymeEveryOccasion, resulting in the audience feeling the disappointment of the sisters.

** It's not even just "Let It Go". When Anna begs Elsa to look for a solution together, Elsa asks "What power do you have to stop this winter? To stop ''me''?" In context, it's already FridgeHorror when you realize it's an indication of Elsa's hopelessness and how she blames herself for the EndlessWinter. But take away Elsa's anguished face and Idina Menzel's heartbreaking inflection, and it sounds an ''awful'' lot like something a smug villain would ask the heroine, an [[AGodAmI "I'm the most powerful person in the world!]] [[FamousLastWords You'll never defeat me!"-type brag.]] Doubles as FridgeBrilliance, {{Foreshadowing}} that the power to thaw this EndlessWinter and overcome Elsa's extremely powerful magic will come from "completely ordinary" Anna herself.