My Lion King Forum

it had been much longer than normal since my last rewatch

what really stuck out in this rewatch was when Simba and Nala first see each other after being apart for years.

she says to Simba ‘it’s like youre back from the dead. You don’t know what this means to everyone....what it means to me’

and as she says that last line you can see the pain in her eyes and face, but also a tinge of hope. and then the two nuzzle

it really melted my heart. it’s a really understated scene. She had for years been living under tyrannical rule, with her pride in shambles. she desperately searches for food and finds her childhood friend whom she thought was dead and instead of getting angry right away or feeling bitter she feels joy, probably for the first time in years.

Yeah, that's a great moment within the scene, and a good example of how showing less is more powerful. Nala's life during Scar's reign is left to interpretation, but we can still feel her pain. That's why I've gone back and forth over whether showing Nala's life and departure from the Pride Lands a subplot within the film weakens or strengthens the moment. I mean, it helps to have context, but you would also tell the audience what they already know.

By not showing Nala's departure. Her showing up in Timon and Pumbaa's Jungle is more unexpected...To anyone that did not jump on every piece of preview information they could find like I did back in 1994. You both are absolutely right. That scene has much more impact when you look at it closer.

[quote="Elton John"]it had been much longer than normal since my last rewatch

what really stuck out in this rewatch was when Simba and Nala first see each other after being apart for years.[/quote]
One of the best part indeed.

Just rewatched it too, and especially since I spent the last couple weeks working on my The Lion King paper for one of my Media classes. Definitely a powerful line. We can see Nala's pain there and imagine what life was like at Pride Rock during Scar's reign. Moira Kelly is a wonderful actress and she excelled in dramatic acting like in One Tree Hill.

It's really what makes this movie so wonderful, there's so much emotion and love from everyone involved in making it and it really shows.