The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair (1990)

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The Silver Chair was shown on BBC television in 1990. It was the third and final series of The Chronicles of Narnia that ran from 1988 to 1990. This film is based on the fourth novel in the Chronicles on Narnia series.

Scene Summary[edit | edit source]

In the book, the Witch enchants the main characters by throwing green powder on a fire that produces a "very sweet and drowsy smell." As they breathe this enchanting scent, the Witch plays music and speaks to them soothingly. After resisting for a bit, one by one they are hypnotized and repeat whatever she tells them.

In this scene in the film, the three protagonists - Eustace, Jill, and their "Marshwiggle" friend Puddleglum - find the lost Prince Rillian of Narnia who has been enchanted and imprisoned by a Witch in her underground realm. They free him from his bonds, he returns to his senses, and they prepare to escape together. However, before they can escape, they encounter the Witch. She tries to convince Rillian to stay with her, but he rebuffs her and tells her he is leaving with his true friends.

Before they can leave, the Witch throws magical green powder on a fire pit, which fills the room with a sweet, enchanting smell. This smell makes everyone sleepy and suggestible, especially Eustace and Jill who seem more susceptible to it. As the protagonists breathe the enchanting scent, the Witch tries to convince them that her underground realm is the only reality, and that everything else is just a dream. She speaks soothingly with each of them, looking in their eyes and tossing puffs of her green powder in their faces in her efforts to hypnotize them.

She begins working her enchantments on Rillian, but Puddleglum interrupts and tries to argue with her. He manages to resist her even as she tosses green powder in the air around him to enchant him. She then turns her attention to Jill and Eustace. Eustace tries to argue with her, but he is more susceptible to her hypnosis. She tells him that Narnia is just a dream and tosses green powder in the air. Eustace looks dazed and sleepy from looking into her eyes and smelling the enchanting powder. The Witch leaves him in a trance and starts enchanting Rillian again. She tells him that Narnia is just a dream.

Then Jill interrupts, confronts the Witch, and says that she's been to Narnia too. The Witch laughs, throws green powder in her direction, and asks if she's queen of Narnia. Fighting hard to resist the enchantment, Jill says that she's from another world.

"That other world is all a dream," the Witch says, looking into Jill's eyes and casting green powder in her face.

"All a dream," Jill sighs, unable to resist the Witch's enchantment.

With Jill hypnotized, the Witch turns her attention to Eustace. She tosses a puff of green powder in his face, and he is hypnotized too. He looks into her eyes and repeats whatever she tells him. Jill and Eustace agree with the Witch that their world is "all a dream" and "there never was any world but yours." They are completely hypnotized and look like they are falling asleep. Rillian just watches silently, apparently hypnotized too. Puddleglum still refuses to give in and makes a speech about remembering Narnia. This makes the Witch angry, and she knocks Puddleglum unconscious. This commotion briefly wakes Jill, Eustace, and Rillian from the Witch's spell.

Rillian tries again to argue with the Witch to no avail. He closes his eyes and goes silent, and the Witch draws Jill and Eustace back under her spell. She hypnotizes them again with her green powder, and they repeat everything she tells them. Jill manages to snap out of it for a moment, but the Witch hypnotizes her again. She tells them to forget their world and Narnia as dreams and stay in her world. She sprays them with more of her green powder and tells them to go to sleep. Completely overcome by the smell and her hypnosis, they close their eyes and start nodding off. Puddleglum comes to and sees what is happening. Before Jill and Eustace fall asleep, Puddleglum stomps out the magical fire to eliminate the enchanting smell. The spell is broken, and Jill and Eustace wake up from their trance for good this time, angering the Witch.

Gallery[edit | edit source]

Rillian, Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum are surprised by the Witch entering the room.
The Witch is surprised and angry to see intruders in her realm.
Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum confront the Witch.
The Witch tries to convince Rillian to stay with her, but he has none of it.
Rillian turns his back on the Witch, giving her a chance to cast her spell on them.
The Witch throws green powder on the fire that fills the room with a sweet and drowsy smell.
Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum look dazed as they breathe the enchanting smell.
The Witch stares hypnotically at Rillian and compels him to sheath his sword.
Meanwhile, Eustace, Jill, and Puddleglum look mesmerized.
The Witch starts trying to enchant Rillian.
The Witch tries to hypnotize Puddleglum with her green powder, but he resists her.
Then Eustace attempts to argue with the Witch.
The Witch looks into Eustace's eyes and hypnotizes him.
The Witch leaves Eustace in a daze.
Rillian keeps trying to resist the Witch's charms.
Jill tries to argue with the Witch by saying she is from another world.
Calmly, the Witch looks into Jill's eyes, hypnotizes her, and Jill agrees with everything the Witch tells her..
With Jill hypnotized, the Witch turns her attention to Eustace.
The Witch uses her green powder on Eustace to make sure he is hypnotized.
Eustace is completely hypnotized.
Eustace (and Jill) agree with everything the Witch tells them.
Puddleglum continues resisting the Witch's enchantments..
Eustace and Jill are snapped out of their trance by Puddleglum's speech.
The Witch starts to draw them back under her spell.
Jill starts looking hypnotized again.
The Witch uses her green powder on Jill.
Jill is hypnotized and repeats the Witch's words.
The Witch uses her powder to hypnotize Eustace again.
Eustace and Jill are hypnotized and repeat what the Witch tells them.
Jill manages to snap out of her trance.
So the Witch hypnotizes Jill again.
Puddleglum wakes up from being knocked out and sees that the Witch has hypnotized his friends again.
Now that the Witch has Jill and Eustace under her spell...
...She uses more of her green powder to make them sleepy.
She tells them to go to sleep, and they start nodding off.
Puddeglum realizes the sweet smell from fire is behind the Witch's spell.
They are almost asleep...
Then the Witch notices Puddleglum by her fire.
Puddleglum stomps on the fire to get rid of the hypnotic smell.
The Witch is angry, and Eustace and Jill are no longer under her control.
Eustace, Puddleglum and Jill tell the Witch they're leaving her realm.