OVERLAY REPORT

In the 2013 film *Frozen*, both Anna and Elsa serve as lead characters, each experiencing a distinct "darkest moment" (the narrative "all is lost" beat) that occurs during the film's climax. ### **Anna’s Darkest Moment: The Betrayal and Impending Death** Anna’s lowest point occurs when she is at her most vulnerable—physically freezing to death and emotionally shattered. * **The Moment:** After being struck in the heart by Elsa’s magic, Anna is told only an "act of true love" can save her. She returns to Arendelle expecting a "true love’s kiss" from Prince Hans. Instead, Hans reveals he never loved her and was using her to seize the throne. He extinguishes the fire in the room, locks her inside to die, and informs the kingdom she was killed by Elsa. * **The Detail:** Anna is left alone in a cold, dark room, literally turning to ice. Her world-view—that she could find love instantly and that her sister was her only problem—is completely dismantled. She believes she is unloved and about to die alone. * **How she overcomes it:** She is saved by **Olaf**, who helps her realize that love is not about what she gets, but what she gives ("Love is putting someone else's needs before yours"). This gives her the strength to escape. However, her true "victory" over this darkness happens on the frozen fjord. She sees Kristoff (her potential cure) but chooses instead to throw herself in front of Hans’s sword to save Elsa. This **selfless sacrifice**—an act of true love for her sister—thaws her own frozen heart and saves her life. ### **Elsa’s Darkest Moment: The Despair of "Killing" Her Sister** Elsa’s journey is defined by fear and isolation, and her darkest moment is the literal manifestation of her greatest nightmare. * **The Moment:** During the whiteout blizzard at the film's end, Hans confronts Elsa and falsely tells her that Anna has died because of her magic. * **The Detail:** Upon hearing this, Elsa’s despair is so profound that the blizzard she created instantly stops; the snow hangs motionless in the air and then falls as she collapses to her knees, weeping. She has completely given up, even as Hans draws his sword to execute her. She believes she is the monster she always feared she was. * **How she overcomes it:** Elsa is pulled from her darkness by the **physical evidence of Anna’s love**. When Anna freezes into a solid ice statue to protect her, Elsa realizes that Anna sacrificed everything for her despite Elsa’s mistakes. When Anna thaws, Elsa finally understands the lesson the Trolls hinted at: **"Love thaws."** By shifting her focus from "concealing" her fear to "feeling" love for her sister, she gains the ability to control her powers, thaw the kingdom, and finally end her self-imposed isolation. ### **Summary** While Anna overcomes her darkness by **learning the true definition of love** through sacrifice, Elsa overcomes hers by **accepting love** as the key to controlling her identity. Their mutual darkest moments are resolved not by a romantic interest, but by their decision to prioritize one another over their own safety and fear.