Very OT - Caught LoTR the movie

TelegramSam · Post by **TelegramSam** » Sun Dec 23, 2001 9:29 am

On 2001-12-22 22:58, Vinny wrote:

Chuck, I may be wrong, but I thought I had heard that they had filmed all three parts of the LoTR trilogy at the same time, so the wait for the next installments may not be too long.

[ This Message was edited by: Vinny on 2001-12-22 23:00 ]

The next one comes out next year at xmas time, then the next the year after that.

Chuck_Clark · Post by **Chuck_Clark** » Mon Dec 24, 2001 8:53 am

Vinny

Correct, all three episodes were filmed over an 18 month period beginning in 1999. I understand editing is still going on on parts two and three with release set for 12/2002 and 12/2003.

It makes excellent sense. Not only does this way assure continuity, but it also assures that the same actors and crew will be available all the way through.

Stonewall · Post by **Stonewall** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 2:47 pm

I think the Hobbit theme is probably played on a low D of some variety and this theme is a pretty tune,...I've been playing it on my whistle and it puts me in mind of something, but I can't place my finger on it.

The Hobbit theme is a variation on the old hymn "This Is My Father's World." It is a traditional English tune called Terra Beata (meaning "Blessed Earth" in Latin). I think the title is appropriate considering that Tolkien described hobbits as very “earthy” creatures.

For those who have wondered Joanie Madden actually did not play any of the music for the LOTR soundtrack. However there were two Irish musicians who did play: Alan Kelly and Alan Doherty from the Barleyshakes (as reported on tolkienonline.com & http://www.thebarleyshakes.com). I’ve never heard of the group but apparently they flew down to New Zealand to record with Howard Shore. Alan Kelly played the bodhran and Alan Doherty played the recorder and Irish flute (I was also a little upset to find that the whistle was not played).

Regardless, of the instrument played the music is very enjoyable and well worth purchasing (even if you didn’t like the movie) because it follows the book (most of the tracks are titled after different chapters in the book) and simply enhances it.

As a new member I am really pleased to find that so many of the members of this board are Tolkien fans. Maybe the “geekiness” of whistle playing transfers well to Tolkien’s Middle Earth or visa versa. I picked up the whistle about a year ago and have been watching this board ever since. This last thread finally gave me the courage to join in.

Hope ya’ll had a Merry Christmas,

Stonewall

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 5:31 pm

Well, I got to go see it last night with my mother, who as I have mentioned is one of the ultimate fans of the LoTR books. We made a few whispered comments back and forth of what they got right and what was wrong.
Right:
All the hobbits' characters
Gimli
Aragorn
the Shire
Gandalf
the battle scenes
the scene at the bridge of Khazad Dhum
orcs
the "Eye"

Wrong:
Galadriel
the battle between Gandalf and Saruman
the depiction of Sauron
the attempted crossing of the mountains

It is, afterall, just a movie. Like any movie, it can never measure up to the book. But it was very well done. The much maligned cuts and modifications of plot details were necessary, and the allegedly chaotic, non-choreographed battle scenes portrayed well the powers of the enemy.

But the best thing about it, for me, was the fact that my mom enjoyed it so much. Seeing this movie with my mother after all this time...it was one of the finest moments I've had in a long time. Ha Ha--real life wins out again.

Hope everyone had a great christmas.

Tom

Eldarion · Post by **Eldarion** » Wed Dec 26, 2001 10:10 pm

I actually got to watch the thing again (arm twisted by my cousin). I listened to the whistle playing carefully and I think it has too many cuts and taps to be Joanie Madden.

And I still feel the same way (or worse) about the movie. Some scenes are good, but Elrond in the movie is a jerk - by the tone the actor speaks in especially, you would think he'd never read the book. Gandalf is portrayed as a dotard, very pathetic. Makes me cringe whenever certain scenes appear. I certainly intend to read the book again to cleanse my mind of the disortion.

Firefly · Post by **Firefly** » Thu Dec 27, 2001 12:13 am

On 2001-12-26 18:31, WyoBadger wrote:

Right:
All the hobbits' characters
Gimli
Aragorn
the Shire
Gandalf
the battle scenes
the scene at the bridge of Khazad Dhum
orcs
the "Eye"

Got to agree with you here, for the most part...I loved the attention given to Gimli - one of my favorite characters from the books (second only to Faramir and Bombadil) that I always wished Tolkien had written more of. Also, Gimli's wisecracks were, out of all the "quips" they saw fit to add into the film, the most in-character.

However, (and these are personal nitpicks, and in now way detracted from my estimation of the wonderful job they did in the movie) my Aragorn is more imposing, haggard, and, well, scary. Not such a nice guy - remember, he's been out in the woods for a long time, doing some not particularly nice stuff.

The Shire was absolutely wonderful...really well done, loved the fireworks!

Gandalf was good, once the script gave him some meat to work with. The earlier, Spielberg-esque scenes of him mugging into the camera were ineffective and rather lame, and I agree with Eldarion that they made him look more like someone's lovable, somewhat vague grampa than the imposing sorceror he is.

Their Sam was not my Sam...my Sam is slightly older, and not such a doofy looking guy. I didn't start out liking Frodo either, but he really, really grew on me, no matter how different he was from my Frodo. The shot of him after the party has left Khazad-dum, with the single tear rolling down his cheek - so much emotion portrayed so subtly...well done!

Speaking of Khazad-dum...it was absolutely eerie how well that entire scene meshed with what had been in my head all these years...the "between the hammer and the anvil scene" was my thoughts perfectly lifted out into the movie. It really felt like deja-vu. Isengard/Orthanc did that as well, as well as the battle scenes at the gates. Again, well done!

Wrong:
Galadriel

And Lothlorien as a whole...definitely not how I pictured it.

the battle between Gandalf and Saruman

Agreed. So cheesy I actually laughed out loud. I'd like to find the apocryphal letter or memo of Tolkien's in which that author states that Gandalf had some serious break dancin' skills!

the depiction of Sauron

I thought this was really going to bother me, but it didn't. I found that it was necessary both for the backstory, and made Sauron's return as the flaming eye all the more creepy.

and the allegedly chaotic, non-choreographed battle scenes portrayed well the powers of the enemy.

Amen to that! If they had seen fit to choreograph the battle scenes, I would have liked the movie a whole lot less...no kidding. The point of the battles is that they were very rough, nasty, and fought against opponents who used brute force as opposed to finesse...this was carried across excellently to the screen. Choreography would have ruined that.

As for Elrond, I think they chose that actor because of how closely he resembled the Elrond from the animated series...go back and check that out if you don't believe me. And did anyone else notice that he was the head Smith from The Matrix? I kept expecting him to bust out with "The Rings of Power are a disease on the face of this planet" or something of the sort;-)

Favorite scene - by far the bridge at Khazad-dum with Boromir's death a close second.

Biggest surprise - the way in which the shadow world of the Rings was handled. This is exactly how I pictured it in my head whenever Frodo slips the ring on.

Cheesiest moment...toss-up between Gandalf's busting moves in Isengard and Boromir's horn...no wonder no one came to his aid in time if it sounded like that!

But the best thing about it, for me, was the fact that my mom enjoyed it so much. Seeing this movie with my mother after all this time...it was one of the finest moments I've had in a long time. Ha Ha--real life wins out again.

//grinning// I took my mum and dad to see it too, although I think my mum only went 'cause I strong-armed her into reading the Trilogy beforehand!

~Firefly

Eldarion · Post by **Eldarion** » Thu Dec 27, 2001 7:26 am

Yeah the Gandalf "breakdancing" part is really ludicrous. The second time I went to watch the movie, the audience actually laughed at the scene; his hair mopping the floor and all that. There were also other scenes where they were so cheesily done that the audience almost laughed.

That said, I think the producers took effort in their portrayal of Boromir. What was acted out was pretty close to the book's Boromir. I also agree that the Viggo Mortensen makes a pretty good Aaragon facade-wise, rugged and threatening as was written in the book (causing Frodo and gang not to trust him initially).

The Balrog scene was also my favourite. Was one of the only scenes in the movie where Gandalf actually seemed like an wizard. The rest of the time he's busy trying to look like an dolt. My cousin, who has never read the book, expresses his disgust over what a "useless wizard" Gandalf is.

amanderthad · Post by **amanderthad** » Thu Dec 27, 2001 9:14 am

Stonewall,

Thanks so much for the name of the tune, Terra Beata. I did I search for it on the net and found this site:

http://www.ccel.org/cceh/0001/x000155.htm

It contains a midi file of the song in four part harmony and an adobe file that has the musical notation. It really is a nice tune, although it is notated in a very unfriendly key (three flats - I can't remember what key that is, but this seems a great excuse for me to brush up on transposition).

Cheers

Matt

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Thu Dec 27, 2001 12:35 pm

Wow.

You guys really thought Gandalf was that bad, eh? I always sort of pictured him that way in the book--his power cleverly hidden away under his Old Man routine until it was needed (remember his argument to keep his staff at Minas Tirith?). No real reason to appear imposing while trucking around the Shire, is there? Gandalf's power is always mysterious, its limits and exact nature are poorly understood, not only by the characters, but by the reader. This is what makes him such an interesting character--wizards who walk around blatantly displaying their power all the time, or heroes who insist on brooding and threatening and acting huge all the time quickly grow old on me. We have enough people like that in the real world, do we not?

I always pictured Elrond as being fairly stern, so his depiction (and his eyebrows

) didn't bother me a bit. Rivendell was beautiful.

On further reflection about Aragorn, I always pictured him as a bit older and wirier, and more, well, philosophical somehow. But I think they got his basic personality--and definitely his fighting and wilderness skills--right. It disappoints me that they didn't get the thing with the broken sword right, but hey, it's a movie.

A few low-key details inserted just for readers: the elven brooches everyone is wearing after leaving Lothlorien, and Legolas running across the surface of the snow as everyone else wallows.

Back to real life. I'm going to see it again tonight, this time with my girlfriend, who is also a huge fan of the books.

Tom

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Thu Dec 27, 2001 1:47 pm

On 2001-12-27 13:35, WyoBadger wrote:
Wow.

You guys really thought Gandalf was that bad, eh? I always sort of pictured him that way in the book--his power cleverly hidden away under his Old Man routine until it was needed (remember his argument to keep his staff at Minas Tirith?). ...

That was at Edoras, not Minas Tirith.

Gandalf was asked to leave his staff at the door by Theoden King at the suggestion of Grima Wormtongue.

WyoBadger · Post by **WyoBadger** » Fri Dec 28, 2001 2:00 am

Right. I sit corrected.

John-N · Post by **John-N** » Fri Dec 28, 2001 10:32 am

One more geekness:

Sauron did appear physically in battle as depicted at the beginning of the movie. That was adapted from The Silmarillion in the chapter about the "Third Age and the Rings of Power".

Also, here's a cool painting by John Howe that was used in the movie. I think they were implying that this was supposed to be Sauron fighting Isildur, but it is actually Melkor and Fingolfin.

http://img-fan.theonering.net/rolozo/im ... llenge.jpg

[ This Message was edited by: John-N on 2001-12-28 11:33 ]

[ This Message was edited by: John-N on 2001-12-28 11:42 ]

[ This Message was edited by: John-N on 2001-12-28 12:07 ]