Thor: Father! We’ll finish them together!
Odin: Silence!
Laufey: All-Father, you look weary.
Odin: Laufey, end this now.
Laufey: Your boy sought this out.
Odin: You’re right. These are the actions of a boy; treat them as such.
I rarely comment on stuff outside of tags but halfway through typing this into my tag area, I realized it was going to be massively long so I figured I’d transfer it into the post area instead (also, yay for the use of commas). So yeah, if you don’t much care for the commentary, feel free to give that little button in the corner of your keyboard a good poke.
I’ve always found this scene interesting, not because Thor is all “ALSAKDL DAD! COME LET US HAVE AT THEM!” but because of Loki’s expressions in the background. Looking at that first row, you can almost mistake his expression for stoicism but upon closer inspection, you can actually see his disappointment. He’s disappointed in Thor because even after getting the shit lectured out of him by Odin earlier that day, even after his little brother and his friends almost died because of his arrogance, Thor still doesn’t get it. I think he’s also disappointed in the fact that his brother, this man who genuinely believes that war will solve everything, was the one being chosen to succeed Odin, when all along, Loki was (most likely) the voice of reason. That scene in the dining area (just before they travel to Jötunheimr) when Loki warns Thor of going against Odin’s wishes, was definitely a bit of reverse psychology but I think part of Loki genuinely hoped that Thor would listen and think before acting (which was shown again when he tried to dissuade Thor from attacking the Giants upon their arrival in Jötunheimr).
In the second row, Loki’s expression is easier to read. He’s relieved not only because they might actually make it out of that realm alive, but because, for once, Odin doesn’t favour Thor’s decisions. He’s relieved that Odin finally realizes that Thor isn’t ready for the throne.
In the third row, when Odin says “You’re right.” in response to Laufey, it’s pretty clear that Thor is just barely containing his anger. Loki knows that as soon as they return to Asgard, all hell will break loose because Thor won’t be able to keep his mouth shut. You can actually see him considering this and trying to figure a way out of it. (Unfortunately, as we all know, his attempt at stopping Thor’s banishment doesn’t work out too well.)
I think Ken Branagh’s decision to keep the camera focused on both Thor and Loki in this scene was a truly brilliant one. Every time I watch this movie (and I’ve watched it quite a few times), I absolutely cannot skip past this scene.
