'Out Of Gas'
Frodo: Please, what does it always mean, this... this "Aragorn"? Elrond: That's his name. Aragorn, son of Arathorn. Aragorn: I like "Strider." Elrond: We named the *dog* "Strider".
A discussion of Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King. If you're a pervy hobbit fancier, this is the place for you.
Well, I think I'm RotK'd out--I just got back from my third viewing. A few questions:
Dear Peter Jackson: In future films, you will be allotted one (1) fade-to-a-primary-color, as you clearly cannot be trusted to use them appropriately.
Which is not to say I didn't like it, because I did. Despite the disappointments, and of course there were some, there had to be, I am so very glad that these movies were made, and made by people who loved them.
1) Okay, dude, that is so not the stone of Erech. Not even close.
2) Denethor... oh, Denethor. Yeah, it's been said. What I realized, though, was that how Denethor was written is part and parcel of something that's been happening all along, and that's the increasing agency of members of the Fellowship as opposed to other folks. It happened to the Ents, when Merry and Pippin inspired the attack on Isengard. It happened to Denethor, when Gandalf rode in and took over the city. It happened in that scene - was it here I saw that conversation? - when the Fellowship and Eomer, sans any actual Gondorians, decide to attack Mordor.
3) I teared up three times. Once when Theoden told Eowyn that he would not be ashamed to greet his fathers; once at the Cracks of Doom, starting when Gollum and Sam tumble down the hill; and once at the Havens. The second one was one of the moments that gave me that "oh, yes, that's right, that's exactly how it went" feeling - that was what teared me up, more than the moment itself.
4) Signs you're too familiar with Tolkien: Your response to the scene where Gandalf tells Pippin about death is "hey! Gandalf doesn't know that! The Doom of Men is a mystery to the Maiar!"
5) Shadowfax showing Pippin the meaning of haste! I've always been fond of that line with Ioreth, and I'm glad it got worked back in.
6) I completely understand why Beregond and Bergil couldn't be there, but I missed them all the same. (And made repeated confused noises several times when Gandalf and assorted other folks rode into battle with hobbits in front of them. What *possible* reason would Gandalf have for taking Pippin with him onto the Pelennor?)
7) Eowyn. I hate to say it - I'm sure this will be my Unpopular Opinion - but Eowyn is all wrong. A legitimate choice for characterization, and Miranda Otto played her well, but oh, Eowyn's not supposed to be girlish and earthy and frightened. Eowyn is brittle and deadly, with a needy core underneath, and Eowyn would have been the first to cry "Death!" I miss my Eowyn, and won't see Miranda Otto when I read the books. Actually, it's funny; every now and then I would get a little pang of grief when I knew for sure something wasn't going to be there that I wanted to be there. (Eowyn's full speech - "you stand between me and my lord and kin, and living or dark undead, I will smite you if you touch him!" Frodo at the Cracks of Doom, saying that he does not choose to do what he came to do.) On the flip side, though, I got a little thrill every time a piece of Tolkien's language made it into the movie.
I may possibly be too familiar with these books.
8) Shelob is the best spider ever.
9) Ohmygod, Billy Boyd's Pippin. That is all.
Oh, also: I suspect another reason for the changes in Denethor are to make Aragorn less of, er, well, a usurper. I'm guessing that they may have been worried that audiences would start saying "hey! How come he gets to just waltz in and be King?" if Denethor were the really-mostly-sane person he starts out as in the book.
And, oh, the crownless again shall be King! Yay, poetry.
Saw the TT EE last night and am off to RotK tonight! Bounce bounce bounce.
Last night, in a classic Freudian slit, my mum referred to Viggo as "Vigour Mortensen". Actually, I'm very hopeful that this is a realistic description.
I particularly love Caryn James' assertion that women don't read Tolkien and women don't like these movies.
No, maybe my favorite bit is the description of a movie with more crying and hugging men than--well, than any comparison that comes to mind as "an FX extravaganza tailored to an adolescent male's fear of sentiment and love of high-tech wizardry."
Last night, in a classic Freudian slit, my mum referred to Viggo as "Vigour Mortensen". Actually, I'm very hopeful that this is a realistic description.
And Fiona, let us admire for a moment, the gorgeousness of a Freudian slip--induced by Viggo's-vigour, no less--that is classified as a "Freudian slit."
Whee!
Also, Micole? Wrod. I read that essay. I couldn't even start, now that you've posted, I don't have to.
the description of a movie with more crying and hugging men than--well, than any comparison that comes to mind as "an FX extravaganza tailored to an adolescent male's fear of sentiment and love of high-tech wizardry."
It's comments like this that make me wonder if the author either a) went into the movie with her mind already made up about what she'd say, or b) didn't see the movie. Aside from the sentiment, the amount of wizardry in the movies seems relatively low, especially in comparison to the various character moments. I also wouldn't classify the wizardry in LotR as "high-tech."
Katie, I had the same reaction to your #4.
And Fiona, let us admire for a moment, the gorgeousness of a Freudian slip--induced by Viggo's-vigour, no less--that is classified as a "Freudian slit."
Psss, Cindy - that's how we (intentionally) used to refer to a Freudian slip around these parts. I can't really take the credit.
Oh yes, that was another LOL moment reading the James essay. Fear of sentiment my flat white fanny. If anything, I would have knocked the whole trilogy for being too sentimental.
Eowyn is brittle and deadly, with a needy core underneath, and Eowyn would have been the first to cry "Death!"
Katie and I are one. I have some patience/forgiveness on this matter, because so much of her storyline will have to wait for the EE, but yeah. More despair! I sort of wonder if the filmmakers didn't quite trust us on the despair front.