Posted on 12/24/2001 9:31:44 AM PST by HairOfTheDog
I saw the movie on Saturday night… the latest show of the night… 8:00
The theater scene…. The show was sold out… I had pre-purchased the tickets… We showed up in line about an hour before the film started and were about 50-people back from the front of the line. With me was my brother, who read the books a few times long ago, and a girl-friend that had never read them. Everyone liked it… I was not able to talk about it coherently immediately afterwards. I hope I can now.
I was stunned to see that there were a few small children in line, both because of the subject, and because of the lateness and length of the show. There was one woman with an infant and a toddler. I don’t think I hid very well my looks of disdain at her decision to bring them. I don’t understand parents that set their children up to fail. No way would they be able to sit quietly very long.
I mentioned to my brother that the composition of the line was predominantly adult and “normal” looking. He said – “Yeah, but did you see the people that are outside?” I had not. We were approached by a Kurt-Cobain-type teenager coming out of the prior show, who bummed a smoke before telling us that the movie was awesome and that when they let us in we better “bum-rush” through the crowd to get a good seat. I thanked him for his advice, but told him we were much too old to “bum-rush” anyone.
THE MOVIE
Starting off with a RANT? – How rude!
I guess my review is going to begin with a nit-pick. I did not feel at home immediately, unlike the reports of other Freepers. When the intro began I felt that the images were changing too fast for me to study them and too dark and evil for the start. I wanted to pause it. I was thinking OH NO.
I would not have shown the dark history graphically at the start of the movie… because I think it robbed the movie of the innocence that exists in Hobbiton at the start of the Fellowship. A reader that has transitioned from the Hobbit into the Lord of the Rings has not seen those things yet. The first black riders are not fully understood by the hobbits until later. The hobbits only knew that they were REALLY BAD. Only Frodo could sense that his ring was what was drawing them, and only after meeting up with Aragorn did they learn what the ringwraiths really were.
I think the movie played right from the perspective of the hobbits, but the film audience would have been better off if we didn’t know it all yet either. In the book, we knew the ring was magic, we knew that it had powers that may be dangerous, we learn that Gandolf suspects it is something far more dangerous than anyone ever dreamed. We know that Gandolf wants it out of the Shire, but Sauron and Isildur’s bane are hints and whispers that are slowly explained throughout the first book, either told by Gandolf, or Aragorn, or Elrond from the safety of Rivendell. I spent the beginning of the film after the intro trying to clear my mind again and regain the innocence, but you can’t really.
OK – NOW the RAVE
Who was outstanding?
Frodo captured my heart. His eyes expressed enormous depth in his joy and laughter, and in the honest naivety of dutifully taking on such a burden. You can see the weight begin to build as his understanding of the enormity of the task comes over him in waves, all through his eyes as if no words needed to be spoken. That role was such a tall order, and he was so beyond perfect. Sam was also very good, but not as developed in the film yet.
Legolas was THE elf…. He was so incredibly beautiful and so shockingly deadly with his bow. His speed and beauty and grace were captivating.
Aragorn was exactly right. He is the man women want. I would follow him anywhere, trust him completely with both my life and my heart, and adore him for his rough edges that would make my father nervous.
In fact, none of the characters were wrong.
I haven’t bonded with Merry and Pippen yet, but we won’t really get to bond with them until they are drug along by the orcs, and their role in the film will really begin when they escape and meet Treebeard and the ents. I would have bonded more with them at this point had the movie lingered longer in the early story.
Gandolf is credible and very much like my vision, and Gimli was good for the shortened role he got.
Boromir has more muscle in the book, plowing through the snow like a great bear and fighting off more orcs than one man could expect to beat. His sheer strength was worth taking him along on the trip, even if we couldn’t really trust him, we would be safe as long as Aragorn was around to keep Boromir in check.
Arwen was lyrical to listen to and beautiful as well as strong. I don’t have a quarrel with her expanded role except that there was no time for us to get up to speed. The depth of her love for Aragorn and the enormity of her sacrifice seemed like to much to give up after only a few minutes of relationship screen time. It seemed rushed, but was played with such sincerity that I was able to assume there had been more to the story that we did not have the privilege to see.
I was disappointed in Galadriel. She was not lyrical to listen to, but rather an actor reciting lines that she did not feel in her heart.
I did not miss Tom Bombadil, and some of you know how big of a statement that is for me. Clearly a high-point of the book, he would never have been developed enough to fit in at the rapid pace this film was moving at.
I would have told the story with more background, more film, and less orc-fighting. There will be more than enough time for orc-fighting in the next two books. I would have slowed it down to capture more of the back-story that brought all of these cultures together to fight as a fellowship for such a seemingly impossible goal. Had I not read the books, one may never understand how complex and individually grand all these characters are.
Overall it was great, and I look forward to seeing it again. I wish I had already seen it twice before writing this to be sure of the accuracy of my first impression, but I may not have time again until next week.
Why are you peeking at your Christmas presents?
Merry Christmas everyone!!!
I PJ's team was restricted by the 'trilogy' idea. There's enough in those books to make about six or seven good movies. I hope they release a longer, more detailed version for us Tolkein freaks, probably the only ones willing to sit through twelve hours of LOTR!
Your analysis of the 'plot setup' at the beginning was accurate, I have to say. It changed the feel of Hobbiton and the books don't take on the life or death importance of the world's fate until Rivendell.
Also, Boromir. No, he's not what I expected, he's not as dangerous as he is in the books, either to the orcs, or to the fellowship. But I noticed a more noble side to him that isn't emphasized as much by Tolkein.
Maybe the book, but not the movie. You're drunk.
Time will tell.
I thought that a lot was unexplained and that in many ways the movie was difficult to follow without a definative plot. I understand that the plot is drawn out through the three movies though.
I have some questions that some of you Tolkein fans can probably answer.
(1) What happened to the Ring Wraiths? In one scene Strider/Aragorn says that you can't kill them and then Arwen goes ahead and does away with them by causing a flood (how'd she do that by the way? Are elves all sorcerers or is Arwen a sorcerer in particular). Are they dead? Or did they get washed away and they'll come back?
(2)Is Gandalf actually dead?
(3)The Horn of Bormomir (or whatever it was called didn't seem to have any importance at all except to let the others know that Boromir was in trouble. Should it have done more (like kill Orcs)?
I don't understand the Boromir inferences on this thread. In the movie he is always seen as someone lacking in good character and someone who, when killed, has his final saving grace. Before that, he is not much of a likeable character.
I may have to see this again as I was exhausted from Christmas Day when I finally got the time to go.
"If I see one more albino ectomorph I'll puke."
--Boris
P.S. All the elves look like they've had the Michael Jackson eye treatment. As my dad explained it, to force the eyes apart, the plastic surgeon drives a wedge into the natural joint of the skull between the eyes. This process is repeated several times until the intra-ocular distance is the one desired. One comic said that eventually Jackson will have his eyes on the side of his head, like a fish. Think Cokie Roberts.
Gimme that wedg(ie) and rubber mallet!
--Boris
Or, at least as loud and melodius as the Grinch horn announcing the Grinch bringing the presents back to Who-ville in the animated original. There needed to be some modulation that would be more like a call to action from that Horn of Gondor.
But, it was a great movie. I'm going again tomorrow and I'm sure I'll see it 3 or 4 times in the theater before the DVD comes out. And I also hope that there are extra scenes for those of us who wouldn't mind the 7 hour version.
You really should read the books, they are much better than the movie could be. The movie is about as good as possible for the short length. It is too complex to do in 3 hours and the only problem that I have with the movie is it has to be paced so fast to get in all the required main stops. There was nothing that really could have been left out destination-wise.
(1) What happened to the Ring Wraiths?
They were slowed down a wee bit, and need to find new horses, keep your eyes peeled...
(2)Is Gandalf actually dead?
What do you think?
(3)The Horn of Bormomir (or whatever it was called didn't seem to have any importance at all except to let the others know that Boromir was in trouble. Should it have done more (like kill Orcs)?
It is the Horn of Gondor and I only remember it as a signalling device, not as a weapon. It could rouse people froma great distances. Other than that, I don't recall the Horn of Gondor as a major part of the trilogy.
So to me, it sounded good. Just my opinion though.
You should go see the movie first yourself, and then make your own decision. I have two eight year olds and a seven year old and they will be waiting till they have read the books first.
They were once lords of men, who were given nine rings of power. The power corrupted them and turned them into wraiths, servents of the Black Lord, Sauron. They cannot be killed, but their mounts are mortal. When the flood occurred, the wraiths mounts were destroyed and the had to mke their way back to the Sauron afoot.
(2)Is Gandalf actually dead?
He fell into the abyss. I dunno, is he dead? Its a surprise.
(3)The Horn of Bormomir (or whatever it was called didn't seem to have any importance at all except to let the others know that Boromir was in trouble. Should it have done more (like kill Orcs)?
No, it wasn't a weapon, but its sound gave his enemies pause. When the 'horn of Gondor' was blown, it was heard also in Gondor.
I don't understand the Boromir inferences on this thread. In the movie he is always seen as someone lacking in good character and someone who, when killed, has his final saving grace. Before that, he is not much of a likeable character. Boromir was extremely challenged and tempted by the power of the ring. He believed it could be weilded for good, and that its destruction would be counterproductive. That was the problem when the ring was first captured by Isuldor, who could have destroyed the ring with impunity, but felt he could use it for good. The ring betrayed him, of course, and then was lost for a long, long time. While the ring was lost the spirit of Sauron once again grew. Had the ring been destroyed the power of Sauron would have been destroyed.
Cool?
I would definitely recommend reading the whole thing "The Hobbit' plus all three books before you see the movie. If you are a reader. If you won't read the books then by all means go see the movie. (but read at least the Hobbit first)
My reasoning- reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy is something that for most people is a major literary event of their lives. It is so deep, on so many levels, that it can be read many times and different things will stand out each time. I don't know if seeing th movie first destroys that and wouldn't want anyone to take the chance of losing out on the thrill of reading one of the great books because they had already seen the movie.
Arwen is not at the ford in the books... Originally, Elrond used an Elvish ring to cause the flood.
Hint: The Gandalf at the bridge scene may have inspired Obe Wan Kenobe's death scene.
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