The more I watch other things, the more I come back to The Untamed and how it’s just generally Superior. Is it perfect? Nope. Do I love it with every fiber of my gay heart? Oh heck yeah. I really wanted to hurt myself again the other day, so I watched Wei Ying’s death scene, both versions of it, back to back, for peak pain and Romance. And honestly, I blew my own mind.
In the Grand Opera of The Untamed, Wei Ying’s death is a leitmotif. In fact, it uses a leitmotif - Lin Hai’s Death Theme music “Ye Ben” - which swells into being at different points during the two times we are blessed to watch this scene. (As an aside, I was so fascinated by this piece of music, that I decided to hurt myself even more by watching EVERYONE’s death scene, just so I could confirm that we also hear Ye Ben when the Jiangs, Wen Ning, and Shijie die. Jin Zixuan is special and got his own, very haunting, death music.)
Wei Ying’s death scene is climactic and transformational, presented to us in bookended repetition, but each time from a different perspective.
When I first saw the scene in episode 1, I was mistakenly thinking it was all an outsider’s perspective. The way Wei Wuxian is shot (from the side, from the back, close up of just his fist, cast in darkness), had originally fooled me. It’s only now that I realize that we’re actually inside Wei Wuxian’s mind, which at the moment is also somewhat outside his body. Lan Wangji is a disembodied arm, a trickle of blood that paints over Wei Wuxian as he is suspended from the precipice. It’s dark, lurid, and evokes the imagery of guilt.
Jiang Cheng’s features are contorted in rage and hatred as he strikes out. Wei Wuxian falls, and once again we’re removed from it, distanced, it isn’t personal. We watch Jiang Cheng saunter away, seemingly without a care and looking complacent, before we are left in the darkness, with Lan Wangji looking down from the cliff, as Wei Wuxian falls.
When we return to this moment in episode 33, everything has changed, including our perspective. We now get to watch Wei Ying’s final moments through Lan Zhan’s eyes. His and our attention is so focused on Wei Ying, he barely notices his own wound. The light changes, and now Wei Ying is lit almost with a halo as he steps towards the edge of the cliff. He is Lan Zhan’s light and that light is receding - Lan Zhan must follow it. “Wei Ying, come back.” (I don’t need to tell you how many tears I’ve shed over that line alone, I’m owed restitution!)
We now get to experience the full frontal Wang Yibo, which is honestly A LOT on any day, but in that scene, really he does everything he can with his face and so much more. #Acting. It’s murderous. He’s terrified, he’s agonized, I actually BELIEVE he can fly. When Lan Zhan catches Wei Ying, his body slamming into that cliffside, I feel physical pain.
Even though the focus is now on Lan Zhan’s face instead of his bloody arm dripping over Wei Ying, or perhaps because of it, we can feel the full weight of his anguish. He’s holding Wei Ying with his hurt arm, and he’s GOT him, he’s NOT going to let go, even as Wei Ying begs him to. For a moment, his hair fans out and he’s illuminated with a semi-divine glow, allowing us to catch Wei Ying’s perspective again, if only for a moment.
(Listen, it’s been a million years and I’m NOT okay)
One of my favorite (i.e. masochistic) bits of rewatching these scenes is Jiang Cheng. He seems so righteous, so sure of his rage in episode 1, but as he approaches the cliff in episode 33, we see he’s just a grieving boy.
We see his trembling arm and his broken heart. We see the joy and resignation in Wei Wuxian’s face as he hopes that his shidi will release him. It’s a stark contrast to the blank look of episode 1. (Don’t get me started on Xiao Zhan and how his face is illegal in 6 countries. I mean, who looks this good covered in blood and tears?)
Of course, as much as Jiang Cheng at this moment hates Wei Wuxian, he also loves him. Or he wouldn’t hate him so much if the love wasn’t there. He strikes, and lodges the sword in the side of that fateful cliff. Which, of course, allows Wei Wuxian the opportunity to do what any foolish romantic would do in his place - sacrifice himself before the entire thing comes tumbling down, taking the two idiots he loves with him. We focus on Wei Wuxian falling, eyes closing. The final thing he sees is the two last men in the world he might have cared for, alive and safe, even if he believes they hate him. His lips fold into a Mona Lisa smile.
Thinking back to episode 1 and how detached Wei Wuxian is from his own experience, and knowing the canonical dumbass that he is (I love that dumbass to death, don’t get me wrong), his actions are instinctual and he doesn’t give them much thought. I think that actually makes it even more romantic. His death at that moment is a protective instinct, an involuntary bodily function, it’s like breathing. It’s all the more cruel and operatic an image to leave Lan Wangji with as he falls, because Lan Wangji understands exactly what happened (and will not forget or forgive for the next 16 angsty years) even if Wei Wuxian doesn’t.
It’s exquisite and fucked up of them to leave us with the same overhead shot from episode 1 again, only this time with the wistful voiceover of “Wei Ying…” which shatters me as the last notes of Ye Ben fade out.
GOD, I love this show, it knows how to come right for my gay life! It hurts so good! There are other shows out there that do great romance with similar tropes, but I don’t know, The Untamed just hits different ❤️.
(Eternal gratitude to @significanceofmoths for helping to illustrate my pain. Please check out her blog.)
