#Alexander Claremont-Diaz

[onpurposeilovehimonpurpose]

Fingers Friday

RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE (2023) dir. Matthew Lopez

I want to know the details about this scene. Was this something Nick and Taylor chose to do or something suggested in the script? Was it spur of the moment or a discussion first?

However it came to be, it is genius and shows just how well Alex knows Henry and how they both receive so much love from the other with this simple act. Alex giving Henry his hand so Henry could touch his ring, his 'security blanket'. it's so incredibly intimate. And I love that this is something that few people would know the meaning of other than the two of them.

I love them, and their fingers.

[doomedenjoyment]

Can we talk about how simple the names "Kit Connor" and "Joe Locke" are and in juxtaposition how complicated "Taylor Zakhar Perez" and "Nicholas Galitzine"? And also how that mirrors their characters names?  "Nick Nelson" and "Charlie Spring" versus "Alexander Claremont-Diaz" and "HRH Prince Henry George Edward James Fox-Mountchristen-Windsor of Wales"?

[mahuhumaling]

changes i liked and disliked in the rwrb movie 📨

ohmygod. i'm finally gonna talk about this movie, aren't i? i've held myself off from making original creations like video or photo edits for this piece of media, and i still am, because i feel like if i start making one i won't stop, but i think a textpost can be an exception because i've made tweets and threads about it on twitter already.

anyway, i just wanted to rattle off on these since these opinions have been simmering up on me since the movie first came out. lol i watched it 15 hours later on a whim with bar-in-hell expectations. karma got to me, because i ended up getting brainrot over it.

this is a long overdue post.

the aging up is both a yes and a no for me. a yes because i have previously never been opposed to aging up YA characters (technicaly rwrb is more new adult that young adult but whatever, it's teetering) like shadowhunters, and matthew does a great job of justifying this choice: grounding their romance into a more mature and real love. it's not to say that young love isn't valid or real enough, but the decision to make firstprince in their late 20s makes the discussion of forever and their adamant to fight for their love is more realistic and believable. with that said, it's also a no for me because their ages are also detrimental to the timeline and character arcs. for instance, henry's grief hits him like a ten wheeler as a teenager, and the whole explanation that casey writes for his grief is that he expected to deal with something as magnanimous as that kind of loss when he's older and not when his brain hasn't even fully developed. another instance is alex's having to grapple with his career choices after college!

matthew's best change is quite possibly firstprince exchanging the key and the ring. hands down, much better. i do understand that since the novel is in third person limited (alex's pov), it makes sense at a literary level (lol) for alex to own both the key and the necklace ("two homes side by side" is a BANGER line), but the equal complete devotion that the two have for each other at that point is excellent through that showcase of exchange. i own part of you, you own part of me. it's such a great display for the trope of "token of love." romcoms are back, baby! cinema is back!

worst change, then, is probably alex's parents being still happily married and in love. my hot take is that i understand why june was cut out and she's not a huge loss, compared to alex growing up as a child of divorce. making that change to alex having parents who are still together removes a huge dimension to alex's characterization because a lot of his issues stem from that, mainly his abandonment issues. you can see the full effect in the scene where he storms the kensington palace. i understand and respect it, matthew essentially explaining that because this was a different henry, then this was a different alex to — that he needed to be softer. he was more pleasing, desperate, confused with "can we please talk?" instead of the brash "your royal fucking highness!" because that's what it is: confusion. movie!alex couldn't fully understand why someone would just up and leave like that, whereas book!alex was immediately angry because he knows full well when someone leaves him. (*ahem* his dad) but anyway someone discusses it here in such great detail and i very much agree!

oh another good change is showing henry's pov during the email leak. nicholas... sir... ugh. fine, we're getting you that damn oscar. but seriously, he did great. t'was devastating seeing his face crumble, and the one show/display of roual authority, of hot flash of anger, of power, just to talk to alex was even sadder because that was the only time he uses it.

another yes and no change for me is "history huh." the placement of the most popular line from being im the email to being said out loud privately for the two of them is something i'm divided about. yes: there is a great deal of comfort that comes with henry getting to hear that from alex's own lips. it's very sweet and romantic and yeah tbh tbh i would've melted into a puddle right then and there. that there is a comfort that comes with at least that wasn't taken away from them. but no: the whole point of that being in the email (along with bad metaphors, an incomplete list, the story of the prince born with his heart on the outside of his body, etc.) is that these two's privacy was violated. the whole world read those words that were just meant for the two of them, but the public ended up using that line for their banners and flags and signs. and it's important why? it was then made into a form of reclamation. that even if they went through shit and worried about the consequences of being public figures, that there was hope that at least a surprisingly large number of the general public voiced their support, that they were backed by the people they were serving. removing that from the email in the movie... well, you get the rest.

should the height difference even be talked about? that's a factor that is 80% outside of anyone's control lmao??? but i do think it's worth noting that i've grown kinda fond with it that now i imagine taylor & nick's physical builds when reading firstprince fanfics plus having a taller alex who has a height complex instead of a shorter alex who has a height insecurity is so fucking funny. what a great running gag. the gaslighting of the audience into thinking henry is taller is 10/10. best lampshading ever, actually.

henry standing up for himself to the king is both a yes and no too. yes: matthew's justification is pretty nice. not only does it save them production costs to hire a princess catherine actress and pacing issues, it also makes sense narratively. the movie has written henry as voiceless throughout it really well, so for him to save himself is a great reason for why. but also it's a no for me because it's equally important that catherine the negligent mother starts compensating for her absences by battling generational conflict lmao. there's also the factor of a woman saving a man too! the rwrb universe emphasizes quite well about how henry and alex are surrounded by these powerful female figures who are near and dear to them in their lives. to grow up learning from them. point is, movie!henry standing up for himself is a nice choice because he's older. and at the same time, book!henry being supported by her mother is a great choice because he needed to be affirmed with a larger support system in his younger age.

making henry the one to clarify at first that their relationship should be casual instead of alex is a big yes for me. the mixed signals henry does in the book makes for borderline inconsistent characterization, but he's younger there so it makes sense for us to be confused. but henry in the movie "explaining himself to alex for the past year" is a great cleaning up because at the start, henry has been clear on "ok but we can't do this long term."

this has been sitting on my drafts for too long (weeks) so i'll just post this now. and maybe update it, idk. this post feels too incomplete but i don't want to sit on it, so. whatever here it is. 🤣

edit:. i discovered this amazing podcast who talk about it in great detail and 90% of their opinions i agree with! imm frothing at the mouth with how they describe and reason with each change and i just 🥺 want to share how cool they are. [part 1, part 2]

[sandinmybed]

alexander claremont-diaz

[oxytocin-rush]

I'm never getting over this movie, am I not???

Go, and give this views/likes:

[onpurposeilovehimonpurpose]

These are all so great. That last one there really got me tho. Ancient gay proverbs are most wise.

RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE (2023) + tumblr text posts

[onpurposeilovehimonpurpose]

Sweet Sunday - Election Night Support

The way that Henry sees Alex, and feels everything going on within him in just a split second. He is immediately moving toward him, seeing what nobody else in that room does. And maybe also hoping that nobody else sees it because he knows that Alex is trying so hard not to let anyone know how fragile he is. Alex is about to break, to fall apart, and he's losing hope. Henry knows how much Alex has given to the campaign and that the election and the actual fate of America rests on his shoulders.

My heart aches at the pure comfort Henry offers Alex with his free hand on his arm and how he looks behind them with an intensely protective expression. He wants to make sure that nobody is following them because he knows that Alex needs privacy, and well, if anyone thought they were going to follow them or ask for anything more from Alex than all he has already given, that expression would stop them.

RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE (2023) dir. Matthew Lopez

Henry checks in on Alex, reads his expression, and probably feels his anxiety from their contact. His closeness and support while he guides Alex along to a place where they can be alone, away from all eyes, it was so important that we saw this.

I love this scene. We get this sweet side of Henry and see how truly strong he is and how well he knows Alex. And add to that, we see them walking together in Austin, holding hands, and Henry is so attuned to Alex's needs here. It's a breathtaking moment where we get to see how the dynamic of their relationship has shifted. Henry is out and proudly with Alex, and his biggest concern is making sure that Alex is okay and getting him to a safe space so that he will be, so that he can be a part of making him feel that way.

[onpurposeilovehimonpurpose]

Slutty Sunday

The look on Henry's face when that door opens, how he's not gonna take Alex's shit for a single second. Nothing will get in the way of him showing Alex how desperately he wants him and he knows from the look on Alex's face when he opens the door that it's also what Alex wants. Slutty Henry is taking control. He forcefully grabs Alex's neck, pulls their lips together, and basically fucks Alex's mouth with his own. They're so hot!

[onpurposeilovehimonpurpose]

They invented Chemistry.

WAIT. WAIT A FUCKING SECOND.

YOU’RE TELLING ME THAT THIS FUCKING SCENE-

AND THESE FUCKING LOOKS!!!

ARE FROM THE FIRST DAY OF FILMING???

THE FIRST DAY????

Holy shit. Okay. They really said let’s make history 😭😭😭

[marz-rm]

Let it all out now Reference is obviously from the notebook and yes Alex's shirt took fucking forever. No watermark version only on patreon

[onpurposeilovehimonpurpose]

What I Love Wednesday - Strong Henry

RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE (2023) dir. Matthew Lopez

I love, love, love, love that Henry says, "Most People Are", when Alex admits he was wrong about him. (Sorry, I flipped this gif, so it looks a bit different but at this point, we all know this scene so well, we all absolutely can probably recite this movie by heart, right?) Oh wait, I have it the other way too.

Oh, no it's not that one....

Oh, here it is.

Can't leave this one out though.

RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE (2023) dir. Matthew Lopez

Wait... what was I saying? Ohhhh yeah, that's right. Henry is strong while in this incredibly vulnerable state and replying perfectly to Alex. It can't have been easy to admit that he knows his image, the person he shows others, how others view him, and how most of those people are wrong. What he is also saying to Alex is that Alex knows him, which had to have been so scary to realize at that moment, to voice. He didn't gloat at Alex's admission at all, because the moment and where they are in their relationship is so past that. Henry gave Alex an admission of his own. Henry is one of the strongest characters I have ever read or viewed and this scene is a beautiful display of that strength and how much he had to give to acknowledge that he allowed Alex to have him completely.

[jscajones]

henry & alex + oh shit i'm in love with him

[renateharris]

What will they focus on? Will Alex be running for some political office? Will Henry move to the U.S.? Would Alex give up everything to move to England? Maybe something happens and Henry become next in line for the throne. How would they create an heir to the throne?

Happy RWRB sequel announcement day to all who celebrate! ❤️🤍💙

[antoine-triplett]

henry + alex's shoulder

[nicholasgalitznes]

[onpurposeilovehimonpurpose]

How Henry laughs and smiles when he sees what Alex is doing.

Alex catching Henry's kiss is sending me.