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thalia_seawoodI enjoyed the movie a lot more when watching it for the second time. Why? Quite simple: When I watched it for the first time, there were certain scenes I waited for, e.g. Saruman making an appearance, Merry and Theoden talking with one another, Faramir and Eowyn meeting, seeing the White Tree blossoming again, etc. Whenever I realized one of the scenes was left out, I felt a tiny stab of disappointment. Now I still miss these scenes - and I think the extended version of the movie will be a lot more balanced and fulfilling - but this time I could focus on what was there and thoroughly enjoy myself.
Some thoughts - cut for spoilers and length:
I love Theoden in the movie. (Bernard Hill is *perfect* in that part.) In the book, I never found him all that interesting, but in the movie he must be one my favorite characters. He cares so deeply for Eowyn, even though he doesn't always understand her. He also cares for his men and his country. All in all, he's delightfully complex character.
Once again I realize how much I admire Eowyn. She's fragile and amazingly strong at the same time. She's also the perfect match for Faramir... There better be one or two more scenes with the two of them together in the extended version. :-)
I enjoy every single scene with Pippin. Billy Boyd was very lucky, too, because it looks like none of his scenes were cut. Pippin actually gets a lot more to do in the movie compared to the book. On the other hand, Merry wasn't so lucky. Most of Dominic's scene must have been cut. But, of course, Pippin is the one who has more growing up to do. So it's very nice that the movie actually takes the time to show his inner growth.
One of the little girls in Gondor (the one with the curly hair and dark-brown eyes) also played a hobbit-child in part I. I think this is the daughter of Peter Jackson. Could someone let me know whether that's correct or I just made it up?
The battle scenes and that the kings actually ride into battle themselves! Can you imagine the modern world leaders going to battle themselves? Can you? Not really, hm? It's much easier to just say "let there be war" and send out your trained soldiers than to go into battle with your men. And also *leading* them into battle, not hiding in the crowd of soldiers. If modern politics worked that way we would of course have much more elections.Or less wars...
Frodo and Bilbo travelling to the White Havens is a great scene. Just look at Frodo's face when Bilbo says that he would like to see the ring again. Oh yes, Frodo misses the ring as well.
I love Frodo's smile when he looks back to his friends one more time before leaving fot the West.
Changes from book-canon I love:
Theoden being alive long enough to say farewell to Eowyn.
Always hated it in the book that he dies before seeing that she's actually there.
Frodo nearly falling into the lava-pit and being rescued by Sam.
Very effective symbolism, IMO. Frodo has to decide whether life is still worth living without the ring; Sam has to decide whether he still wants to save Frodo even though Frodo succumbed to the lure of the ring in the end.
Bits I smiled about because of my evil inner commentator:
- I believe the Rohirrim travel with a group of specialists for light design. Whenever they attack it seems as if the sun rises or sets behind them. This looks very beautiful and also scares their enemies.
- Frodo covered in spider-silk looks like an avantgarde commercial for fancy sleeping bags.
- I also ask myself: Why, o why, did noone call the eagles in the beginning of the book/movie. Wouldn't it have been ever so easy if the eagles had transported the ring to Mount Doom and dropped it inside?
- I think the White Tree was cut down completely. I looked for it at the coronation of Aragorn and it was gone. Somebody must have redesigned the place for the coronation.
- I can't believe the Red Book contains "There and Back Again" and "Lord of the Rings". I looks so thin in the movie. Probably Frodo really typed everything on the PC and the Red Book contains just the disks the story is saved on.
I discovered a new slash pairing in LOTR...
In the first third of the movie, I realized that I want to read well-written Gandalf/Pippin slash. I really, really scare myself here, because
1) I don't like interspecies slash in the LotR fandom (my exception is Legolas/Gimli who are a canon-pairing in the book :-)),
2) I don't like pairing with a huge age gape.
So why would I like to see Gandalf/Pippin, even though I have avoided any wizard/hobbit slash in the past because of being very squicked?
Well, in the movie it appeared to me that in some scenes Pippin seems to be very old and Gandalf seems to be very young. Both have moments of feeling insecure and moments of great courage.
I also noticed that most scenes with Pippin also have Gandalf in it and the chemistry between them is amazing. One of my favorite scenes is probably when Gandalf tells Pippin that death is not the end - and Pippin understands and believes. Wonderful.
Also find it very interesting that when Gandalf rides out to save Faramir's army, he takes Pippin with him. Why? It doesn't make much sense that he would take this risk... Well, maybe he does want to get rid of Pippin at this stage. Hm. :-) Movie-wise, the motivation is certainly that because of this scene Pippin and Faramir meet for the first time and Faramir mentions that he has seen Sam and Frodo. Who cares? My slasher's heart says: Gandalf wants Pippin close. :-)
Some thoughts - cut for spoilers and length:
I love Theoden in the movie. (Bernard Hill is *perfect* in that part.) In the book, I never found him all that interesting, but in the movie he must be one my favorite characters. He cares so deeply for Eowyn, even though he doesn't always understand her. He also cares for his men and his country. All in all, he's delightfully complex character.
Once again I realize how much I admire Eowyn. She's fragile and amazingly strong at the same time. She's also the perfect match for Faramir... There better be one or two more scenes with the two of them together in the extended version. :-)
I enjoy every single scene with Pippin. Billy Boyd was very lucky, too, because it looks like none of his scenes were cut. Pippin actually gets a lot more to do in the movie compared to the book. On the other hand, Merry wasn't so lucky. Most of Dominic's scene must have been cut. But, of course, Pippin is the one who has more growing up to do. So it's very nice that the movie actually takes the time to show his inner growth.
One of the little girls in Gondor (the one with the curly hair and dark-brown eyes) also played a hobbit-child in part I. I think this is the daughter of Peter Jackson. Could someone let me know whether that's correct or I just made it up?
The battle scenes and that the kings actually ride into battle themselves! Can you imagine the modern world leaders going to battle themselves? Can you? Not really, hm? It's much easier to just say "let there be war" and send out your trained soldiers than to go into battle with your men. And also *leading* them into battle, not hiding in the crowd of soldiers. If modern politics worked that way we would of course have much more elections.Or less wars...
Frodo and Bilbo travelling to the White Havens is a great scene. Just look at Frodo's face when Bilbo says that he would like to see the ring again. Oh yes, Frodo misses the ring as well.
I love Frodo's smile when he looks back to his friends one more time before leaving fot the West.
Changes from book-canon I love:
Theoden being alive long enough to say farewell to Eowyn.
Always hated it in the book that he dies before seeing that she's actually there.
Frodo nearly falling into the lava-pit and being rescued by Sam.
Very effective symbolism, IMO. Frodo has to decide whether life is still worth living without the ring; Sam has to decide whether he still wants to save Frodo even though Frodo succumbed to the lure of the ring in the end.
Bits I smiled about because of my evil inner commentator:
- I believe the Rohirrim travel with a group of specialists for light design. Whenever they attack it seems as if the sun rises or sets behind them. This looks very beautiful and also scares their enemies.
- Frodo covered in spider-silk looks like an avantgarde commercial for fancy sleeping bags.
- I also ask myself: Why, o why, did noone call the eagles in the beginning of the book/movie. Wouldn't it have been ever so easy if the eagles had transported the ring to Mount Doom and dropped it inside?
- I think the White Tree was cut down completely. I looked for it at the coronation of Aragorn and it was gone. Somebody must have redesigned the place for the coronation.
- I can't believe the Red Book contains "There and Back Again" and "Lord of the Rings". I looks so thin in the movie. Probably Frodo really typed everything on the PC and the Red Book contains just the disks the story is saved on.
I discovered a new slash pairing in LOTR...
In the first third of the movie, I realized that I want to read well-written Gandalf/Pippin slash. I really, really scare myself here, because
1) I don't like interspecies slash in the LotR fandom (my exception is Legolas/Gimli who are a canon-pairing in the book :-)),
2) I don't like pairing with a huge age gape.
So why would I like to see Gandalf/Pippin, even though I have avoided any wizard/hobbit slash in the past because of being very squicked?
Well, in the movie it appeared to me that in some scenes Pippin seems to be very old and Gandalf seems to be very young. Both have moments of feeling insecure and moments of great courage.
I also noticed that most scenes with Pippin also have Gandalf in it and the chemistry between them is amazing. One of my favorite scenes is probably when Gandalf tells Pippin that death is not the end - and Pippin understands and believes. Wonderful.
Also find it very interesting that when Gandalf rides out to save Faramir's army, he takes Pippin with him. Why? It doesn't make much sense that he would take this risk... Well, maybe he does want to get rid of Pippin at this stage. Hm. :-) Movie-wise, the motivation is certainly that because of this scene Pippin and Faramir meet for the first time and Faramir mentions that he has seen Sam and Frodo. Who cares? My slasher's heart says: Gandalf wants Pippin close. :-)
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no subject
Date: 2005-04-21 05:37 pm (UTC)(don't mind me, I'm just... a random person... reading your livejournal. If you really want to know, I got here by first searching Nadir/Erik, looking at the phantomslash community, clicking a link to your Nadir/Erik essay, and then here to the rest of your livejournal...)
I agree with a lot of what you said about the movie, and yeah I liked it better on my second viewing for the same reason. Actually, I remember the first time I saw it being really disappointed with how they handled Denethor's character because I thought he really could have been made more realistic or understandable -- and they could have let him keep a little dignity at the end there, like he does in the book. He is supposed to lie down in the flames, not get SHOVED into them by Gandalf, and then just flailing over the edge of a cliff... Dear God...
Ahem. But anyway. Good assessment of the movie. I agree with what you said about the third Harry Potter movie too.