This post isn't supposed to be me talking about the significance of Henry seeing those family photos, or baby pictures of Alex, or talk about what Alex is doing and how he's looking at Henry.
It's all about that touch right there at the end of this scene. I love this touch because its intention is pure connection. It's a simple hand on the shoulder, a familiar and grounding touch. We don't get to see too many moments of touching between Henry and Alex that don't have a complicated or deep significance behind them. This is one of those, 'every day' touch moments. The kind you do without thinking much about it, because it's so natural to reach out and connect yourself to the person you love.
The restraint Alex had to not immediately take Henry in his arms after so long apart is amazing to me. It's also sad because it is practiced. But he couldn't stop himself from touching Henry entirely. Where he places his hand, and how he so obviously tries not to grip his arm too tightly, to touch him too long. But the way they look at one another, the yearning is like a physical touch.
And yes, we should also note the look on Alex's face when he sees Henry and the happiness on Henry's face for surprising Alex, and being with him again.
The closeness between Alex and Henry here makes me weak. With this angle of the shot, their bodies make a heart. I love their feet touching and how it seems Alex almost wants Henry to rest his head on top of his arm. The looks and that so sweet kiss. It's such a light touch of incredibly deep devotion.
Edit: I don't have great photoshop/art skills, but I would love if someone who does would make some art for us all that has a heart around them.
After King James states that he's read their emails, as intrusive and terrible as that must feel, Henry doesn't recoil at the knowledge that his grandfather read the things he said to Alex. Instead, he continues to be proud and strong and the whole time, Phillip is watching them. Perhaps he realizes that by reading them, there is no way that the king can deny his feelings for Alex, and hopes that he won't ask that. And the smirk they share as they check in with one another says so much more than words could. Also, Henry moves his thumb just barely, soothingly over Alex's finger, it's just a tiny movement, but the gesture makes me swoon.
The looks on their faces after the king acknowledges their love is genuine, even if they don't need the man's validation; they're trying so hard to hold back their happiness because they know they're just beginning the battle with him. Henry is so strong to do this in front of a man who hurt him and demanded his desires stay hidden. Their hands grip one another tightly, supporting each other the way they both need at that moment.
Watching Henry's movements and Alex's with their free hands. It shows their initial reactions to the King telling Henry that his responsibility is not to his heart, but to his country. Alex's reaction is so much smaller in comparison to Henry's, but it's those fingers of his, moving just a bit, as they tend to do whenever he has feelings he's unsure of. Notice Alex swallowing around the lump that probably formed in his throat when he took in what the king was clearly wanting from Henry. An agreement to deny the accusations. Henry's posture slumps a little, and he walks his fingers across his knee and then curls that hand into a fist, holding off the emotions he feels at the unfair expectations the king is pushing on his shoulders. But their joined hands never waver, they don't move at all.
Henry reacting to the king's ridiculous idea that they need to maintain the royal image, considering doing otherwise is out of the question, that he's allowing himself to react with a defiant expression is something he never would've allowed before, he would've controlled it. But then, before he can say anything, Alex questions the king. It's so incredible to me that Alex does this, ignoring the fact that the man is king, he's just another man whose bullshit beliefs should be questioned. It's clear neither one of them at this point cares that he's a king. He's just a man who wants them to repress their feelings, and their relationship and is willing to ignore the love he sees in front of him.
Now I want to talk about the touching and what it means for Henry to no longer hold Alex's hand. This man has taken all the comfort and strength that became a little feedback loop between them, and he's like... "I'm going to stand up for myself on my own right now because Alex doesn't deserve to be considered a problem and neither do I." He says, "You think you can make me get in line by fear or guilt and expectations? You think that I'm only questioning this crap because of the man sitting beside me who I love, who you know I love, is here holding my hand through this? You're very wrong about that." And he goes back to his habit of trying to twirl his ring (even if he's not wearing it) and he situates himself so that he's not so stiff, so that he almost appears like he's relaxing and that this conversation is casual, and he's unbothered.
RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE (2023) dir. Matthew Lopez
Henry asks his question, and he is saying, "You don't want Alex to have a voice, but I will help him have one because I will ask the same damn thing and wait for you to give me the bullshit answer I know is coming because I've decided that I don't care what you say. I'm gonna sit back, and I'm gonna ask this question and watch you squirm as you realize that I am strong and I am my own person, and I deserve more than what you want me to have."
One of the most important / (imo needed) changes from the book to the movie was this scene right here, and I am glad that Matthew Lopez made sure to put this change in. While I do like that Catherine in the book came out of her grief to start to be there for her children, her children were younger in the book. Henry is older in the movie; he is nearing thirty years old, and though he is obviously hurt that his mother isn't around, he is also fully an adult, and I think that after all this time, HE needed to be the one to stand up for himself, for his love and his relationship. He needed to deal with this, and he had Alex's support and Bea's, but this was his moment. He gets to show who he has always been inside and gets the chance to be the man he has become because of knowing Alex and accepting his love and encouragement.
The look on his face as he asks that question tells how differently he values himself and his happiness than what we saw from him previously.
When I say that this may be one of the most important moments ever in Queer media, I mean it with ever fiber of my being. I've gobbled up a whole hell of a lot of Queer media over the years, the good, the bad, the celebrated and the hated. Sure, what is actually happening (a sex scene that is sexy, passionate and loving) is fucking spectacular to see. But it's this detail of the mechanics of sex and how Alex is waiting for Henry to give him permission that is so unique to this film.
It's how this moment isn't rushed, over-dramatized, violent, a joke, a scandal, (because I really don't like that word being applied to Henry and Alex who were doing nothing wrong). It's not a quickie caricature comic of gay sex either. And those things may have their place in Queer media because they're stories that need to be told for whatever reason. There's becoming a large array of Queer media to experience that is easier to consume than it ever has been. This movie is something that I waited for, not only because I am deeply in love with the book, but because I feel like the library of QM needed this amongst many of its greatest films.
The touch in this clip is unique in what I've seen before. It is what Henry said it would be, it's making love and the truth of that dances between the little spaces that occur between Henry's hand and Alex's back, writing words of comfort, love and trust on their skins.
Sorry I may have gotten a little carried away today with how much I love this movie.
I suppose in this case, it's the absence of touch here.
This scene speaks to how natural it is for Alex to give touch as comfort and also how he is wrapped up in Henry, that even though Henry is speaking about him having to hide who he is, Alex feels such a need to love and comfort him, he can't help but reach out for it.
When Henry says, "Not here," and immediately goes to twist his ring, his comfort item, it breaks my heart. This cold piece of metal, literally signifying who he is, and also who he is not, is what he has had to use as a reminder and as his security blanket.
If you look closely at Alex, after he pulls his hand back and looks up at Henry, he also glances back down and sees him twisting his ring.
The yearning between them both was so apparent, this was a sad scene, but it did it's job in truly making Alex appreciate what comes next I think on a completely different level.
The weighty absence of touches they yearn for that settles upon them that they can't shake, the space between them as they try to fill it with words that have more than one meaning, and the connection they share, a rope tethering them to one another's hearts, no matter what physical boundaries they are presented with.
I want to live within this forest with them, or at least vacation here and 'happen upon them' okay? Not asking for much. This is one of my favorite scenes of the whole film. I want absolutely every moment that was captured of this as an extended scene right now please? I want to know what they're saying. I think of that often, how much they say we don't ever hear, though they're such wonderful actors we do know what they say. It's so stunning, and they look like they're in a fairytale garden. I like to refer to this as "Henry's garden", even though I know it's "Texas", it makes me think of the garden where Henry has his love for Alex, where it grows and thrives and breathes and overflows.
The way their bodies are positioned, Henry's knee cocked as he leans in, with Alex leaning back against the tree.
The way they stare into one another's eyes and Henry's hands on Alex's neck and shoulders, I have no words.
Their hands, Alex's hand at Henry's side, the way he rubs him soothingly, it's just comfort, comfort... omg. Crying.
I love that this touch is filled with such strength and pride. It's also a big FU to Philip. I'm so glad that in this and the scene prior we got to get a taste of Henry standing up to Philip. And he is doing something as simple as holding the hand of the man he loves to show their deep affection for one another.
I have to post this in parts cause there is so much to discuss, and I have so little non-work time today.
