Summary
The opening ofGhostbusters: Frozen Empireincludes a quote from a Robert Frost poem that perfectly embodies the film’s larger conflict.Ghostbusters: Frozen Empiresees the return of Phoebe Spengler and the new generation of Ghostbusters, as strange ghostly outbreaks begin to overwhelm New York City. While this fifth installment succeeds at introducing new concepts,such as Firemastersand friendly ghosts like Melody, it also offers audiences something more familiar throughFrozen Empire’sreturning cast. In many ways,Frozen Empireis a symbolic mix of opposites: past and future or fire and ice.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empirefollows a number of different stories, but they all lead to the same place: Garraka. The movie’s horrifying villain is the orchestrator of every conflict and mystery. His actions lead to New York City being iced over, but they also force the Ghostbusters to regroup and work with new allies to take down this paranormal threat. Ultimately, the battle that ensues duringFrozen Empireis a layered one. Good, evil, and everything in between is at play. And overall,Frozen Empire’sendingcan be unraveled via the quote at the top of the film.
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Robert Frost’s “Fire & Ice” Poem Is Quoted In Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’s Opening
Frozen Empire’s Robert Frost Quote Explained
Although it is easy to overlook, there is a quote displayed at the beginning ofGhostbusters: Frozen Empire,and it has a deeper meaning for the movie’s story.The passage comes from a 1920 poem called “Fire and Ice,“which was written by Robert Frost. The short poem reads as follows.
Some say the world will end in fire,
From what I’ve tasted of desire
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.
This Frost poem sets the tone for the rest ofGhostbusters: Frozen Empire.Its apocalyptic themes create a sense of doom and danger, and its elemental words hint at the powers revealed in the film. Additionally, the poem offers deeper meaning to the movie’s story as a whole. It insinuates that, underneath the ghost-hunting antics and silly comedy, there is a more important message that the film is trying to convey. Thus,unravelingFrozen Empire’spoem helps make the movie even more enjoyable.
What Robert Frost’s “Fire & Ice” Poem Means
Frost Turns Emotions Into Elements
At first glance, Frost’s “Fire and Ice"is about the end of the world. He establishes that the world could end in fire or in ice. Then he states that he would prefer fire. However, Frost later admits that if the world were to end in ice, he could imagine it being an equally thorough and terrible destruction. Ultimately,Frost’s use of elements is not literal but metaphorical. Fire is a symbol of love and passion, whereas ice is a stand-in for hate. This metaphor comes to light when Frost compares hatred to ice in the sixth and seventh lines.
Fire is a symbol of love and passion, whereas ice is a stand-in for hate.
Frost was inspired by two ideas when writing “Fire and Ice.“The first was Dante’sInferno, a poem in which the lowest circle of hell is described as being covered in ice (viaRobert Frost: A Biographyby Jeffrey Meyers).Infernois likely why Frost assigned ice to hatred, even though Hell is typically thought of as fiery. Furthermore, Frost’s poem relates to a conversation he had with astronomer Harlow Shapley, who told Frost society would either be destroyed by the sun exploding or disappearing and freezing the Earth (viaCritical Companion to Robert Frostby Deirdre Fagan).
How The Robert Frost Quote Connects To Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’s Story
“Fire & Ice” Reflects Frozen Empire’s Good & Evil
“Fire and Ice” is a strong choice to openGhostbusters: Frozen Empirebecause it symbolizes much of what occurs in the movie. One of the most obvious parallels is between Garraka and Nadeem. WhereGarraka’s villainous ice powersare his greatest strength, Nadeem and his ancestors use fire to tame spirits. If the Ghostbusters aren’t able to take down Garraka, there is definitely a sense that the world could end at the villain’s hands. However, there is a more emotional meaning behind the poem’s inclusion.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empiremade $195.4 million at the box office.
Frost’s poem also refers to the ways in whichthe Spenglers' love for each other can overcome the hatred they face. When Phoebe chooses to focus on her love for her family over the mayor’s poor attitude, she succeeds in her goals and becomes a Ghostbuster again. Melody is another great example. When Melody decides to love the life she had instead of focusing on how much she hates the afterlife, she finds a sense of peace. In this way,Ghostbusters: Frozen Empireperfectly embodies Frost’s poem and its themes.
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
Cast
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire continues the story of a new generation of ghost hunters composed of Phoebe (Mckenna Grace), Trevor (Finn Wolfhard) and Podcast (Logan Kim), who received help from the original team in the previous movie. Paul Rudd returns as Gary Grooberson and franchise co-creator Ivan Reitman returns to write and produce.
