Lord of the Rings movie - Spoilers

[sindatur]

Hi Fan,

I was Frodo also. How come I didn't come up as Gandalf? Do feathery feet count as hairy feet?

------------------
Sindatur - The Grey owl Wizzard

[fanuilhgkar]

Hubby and I went to see it last night. He hasn't read the books, so I explained a few things along the way. He still enjoyed it.

I thought it was a terrific on-screen translation of the book. They left things out, which is necessary unless you want a 48-hour movie. It's a shame about Tom Bombadil and Shadowfax, but so it goes. The special effects were marvelous, I especially enjoyed how they managed to depict hobbits as so much smaller, even though all the actors were normal-sized people. How do they do that? The waters Arwen called up to take out the Nazgul were nifty, with the horse shapes in them. I pictured the Nazgul as more spectral, but that's a minor quibble. Showing what things looked like to Frodo when he had the ring on was fascinating. And the change that came over Bilbo and Galadriel when the ring was within reach (and in Galadriel's case offered to her) was riveting. I was surprised all the way through on how much I remembered (and also how much I'd forgotten, although I don't know if they changed other events and I just don't recall how the book went, it's been 25-30 years since I read the trilogy). I don't remember Gandalf bumbling around inside Frodo's house running into the lamp and doorway, though.

I want to go to New Zealand. I can't imagine anyone who lives there ever wanting to leave. It's gorgeous.

And I want to get my hands on the soundtrack. I loved the music.

There was (at least) one cretin in the theater who didn't realize it was a trilogy. When the screen faded to black on Sam and Frodo walking on alone, he yelped, "What?" I felt like walking over and slapping him. Obviously he never read the books.

------------------

[PollyMath]

I saw a post on another board that included this item. The post I saw was a cut and paste from something called the Ironic Times. Not much about the terrorists makes me laugh, but this one did:

PEOPLE
Bin Laden Granted Asylum in Mordor
"He is evil," says Lord Sauron, "but I have no problem with that."

Also, there is a site called movie-mistakes.com that has a list going for Lord of the Rings among others. Nothing so far about the continuous changes in status of the ring on its chain and the state of repair of the chain, but I wouldn't want to waste time enjoying the movie to take notes.

Happy New Year to all.

------------------

[ianviking]

Most "mistakes" in the film are deliberate, to allow for time.



I have bought the soundtrack, and it's quite good, but not great.



I'm waiting for the DVD now.......

------------------
There is note fate but that we make

[ianviking]

By the way, I'm another Aragorn

------------------
There is note fate but that we make

[PollyMath]

Ian,

These aren't mistakes that are just variations from the book because they didn't have time to fit everything in. This is stuff like seeing a car pass through the background of a scene or a shot of Frodo wearing shoes. Real continuity mistakes.

By the way everyone, I came out as Gandalf despite admitting to hairy feet.

I've only seen the movie twice now and I'm not sure I would go again in the theater. The talking in the audience really bugs me. I will enjoy being able to watch it at home whenever it becomes available.

------------------

[ianviking]

Talking in the audience? - decapitate them!
I had some laughing at that which the inferiors sis not understand. That was all, they were generally well behaved.

------------------
There is note fate but that we make

[ianviking]

Queen GOP was Sam. She feels gipped and wants to redo it.

Why???
Sam is the true hero of LOTR, he transcends himself as no other does, he is loyal more than any, strong when carrying Frodo up Mount Doom, he saved Frodo soo many times............

------------------
There is note fate but that we make

[PollyMath]

Ian,

I don't see Samwise as the hero of the book. I think that honor has to be split between Aragorn and Frodo. At the end of the story, Aragorn is King of the remaining peoples of Middle Earth, especially of Men. He is the King of Men at the beginning of the Age of Men. And without Frodo and his willingness to take on the quest (none of the powerful trusted themselves to take possesion of the ring at all), Sauron's victory would have been assured.

But Sam does have something that nobody else has. He is immune to the corruption of the ring. He carries it, becoming a ringbearer, but never lusts for it. Bilbo and Frodo are not immune. It may be that Sam didn't carry the ring long enough to be affected by it, but that was never my interpretation.

Sam is a little like Galahad in the Arthur legends - incorruptible, except Sam isn't too good for the world, he is ideally suited for the simple pleasures of the world. Sam is also the only ringbearer to have a normal life. He goes home, marries Rosie, has children and continues on as before.

None of this makes him an epic hero, but being able to go through all the worst horrors your world has to offer, never stray from the path of perfect loyalty, and come out unscathed on the other side isn't too bad.


------------------

[ProfCrash]

In the books, Frodo has the ring for 17 years before he starts his quest. That gives it some time to develop some pull over Frodo. Bilbo has the ring for 61 years before he parts with it. I do not think Frodo was more suseptable (sp) but that the ring knew it was going to Mordo and hence its control over Frodo increased as the distance decreased.

If I am remembering the book correctly, Sam carried the ring for a couple of days. That did not give the ring time to develop any real influence over Sam.

Sam is very much a hero. He accompanies Frodo willingly and refuses to leave Frodo's side. He shows a loyalty that is rare. The same can be said for Pippen and Merry. Had Merry and Pippen had the chance, they would have gone with Frodo. They were not given the oppertunity. Arguably, the only Hobbit that does not rise to the occassion is Frodo. In the end, he tells Sam that he would not have been able to destroy the ring. Gollum's taking the ring lead to the rings destruction. It can also be argued that the fact that Frodo did not kill Gollum or allow Gollum to be harmed by anyone else shows Frodo's true nature and thus he is a hero because in not harming Gollum, Frodo established the conditions for the ring to be destroyed.



------------------