The Lord of the Rings Extended Edition theatrical release hosted by Fathom Events continued this past Tuesday night with the second film of the trilogy, The Two Towers. In a repeat of last week’s performance I found myself at the theater long before anyone else, laying hold of the crown and proclaiming myself Lord of the Geeks. When a teenage worker with little imagination offered an unsatisfactory solution to the darkened theater–“they” would turn on the lights “soon”–I took matters into my own hands and found the switch, illuminating what was to be my own personal reading room for the next hour and a half. I was magnanimous and shut them off again when the pre-show entertainment started.
Even though I have seen this film, in its extended version, countless times I couldn’t hold back the thrill that rose within me the moment the screen darkened and “The Lord of the Rings” logo appeared.
I would venture a guess that most of you have seen these films. If you have not, please consider this your warning that spoilers will be present following the jump. This will not be a formal review of the film but will instead be a loosely constructed report on the things that stood out to me in particular in this viewing.
Over the years I have read much about these three films including a great deal of vocal, and arguably legitimate, criticism of each of the films, most particularly The Two Towers. I entered the films upon their release without any previous devotion to the books–a devotion that has since grown as the films prompted me to delve into them for the first time–and thus much of the criticism has never held weight with me. I have found that my adoration for each film in the trilogy grows with each subsequent film and were it not for many wonderful things in the resolution of the story in The Return of the King, The Two Towers would be my favorite.
With obvious enthusiasm for a project many years in the making, Peter Jackson began the film event with a newly filmed introduction that was at least twice as long as the one for Fellowship. In it he outlined specific challenges inherent in middle films in a trilogy, discussed the changes that came about after the hiring of Andy Serkis to play Gollum, and shared that one of the most famous scenes in the film–that in which Smeagol has a split-personality conversation with himself–was not only written by his partner, Fran Walsh, but was also directed by her and filmed by a small crew at the last minute without any participation by Peter himself. His sense of humor about the irony of this combined with his pride in Fran Walsh was evident to all.
Several things stood out to me during Tuesday night’s viewing:
New Zealand as Middle-earth really and truly becomes a character in this film.
That is not to say that New Zealand was not a beautiful and prominent part of The Fellowship of the Ring, because it was, but there is something about the vast number of sweeping aerial shots present in The Two Towers which knocks you back in your seat with feelings of awe and wonder. It begins with the snow capped mountains and does not let up from there. Early on in the film when we see shots of Aragon, Legolas and Gimli running across the mountains in pursuit of the Uruk Hai who have captured Merry and Pippen, my wife leaned over to me to whisper about how gorgeous the landscape was. If nothing else was fueling my desire for a very large high definition television in my home, seeing these views of New Zealand on the big screen not only lit that fire but simultaneously poured gasoline on it. The small screen simply does not do justice to this much beauty.
Miranda Otto is PERFECTLY cast as Eowyn.
In contrast to the ethereal nature of Arwen, Eowyn is portrayed as a more down to earth character, existing in a more rugged landscape who is dealing with the harsh realities of an ensorcelled king, a people in the midst of budding war, and her own desires to break free of the identity forced upon her by her gender. And yet she is every bit as beautiful as Arwen because the casting of Miranda Otto. While I realize that Otto is wearing make-up as part of her costume, the skill of the make-up department is that Miranda Otto looks as if she is not wearing any and that natural complexion coupled with Otto’s skill at delivering an authentic performance makes her stand out anytime she is on screen. The proof of her skill is demonstrated early on in this scene as the people of Rohan prepare to leave for Helm’s Deep:
Aragorn: You have some skill with a blade.
Éowyn: The women of this country learned long ago that those without swords may still die upon them. I fear neither death nor pain.
Aragorn: What do you fear my lady?
Éowyn: A cage. To stay behind bars until use and old age accept them. And all chance of valor has gone beyond recall or desire.
Aragorn: You are a daughter of kings. A shieldmaiden of Rohan. I do not think that will be your fate.
It is in that moment of sincere encouragement that you witness Eowyn’s affection for Aragorn bloom. I was reminded again Tuesday night just why I enjoy this bittersweet and doomed romance and it is down to the combination of Tolkien’s words, the performances of Viggo Mortensen and Miranda Otto, and the skill of the film makers in keeping what could have been an overblown love triangle contained in a way that made you feel for and understand all three characters and relate to them where they were. I am grateful that the films portray Aragorn as a character who is faithful in his love and devotion to Arwen and yet at the same time is compassionate and understanding of Eowyn’s feelings for him. He treats her with dignity and respect and encouragement which is not something that is seen in many films/stories where there exist competitors for a suitor’s affections.
Andy Serkis should have been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
There is no question that the technical wonders achieved by the Weta Digitial team, many of them ground-breaking, allowed a fictional character like Gollum to stand beside flesh and blood actors and look realistic and authentic. But it was the performance of Andy Serkis that not only brought Gollum to life but also inspired many of those achievements in the first place. This creepy, selfish, treacherous character was made sympathetic and allowed audiences to empathize with his plight because of the way that Andy Serkis acted. It wasn’t a guy sitting in a sound booth voicing a character. It was a guy on stage and on location acting with the actors every day, putting in the performance that would be used in the final production of the film. I believe his performance was overlooked simply because that performance was animated over by the digital effects department. And I think that is a shame. It is a shame if Serkis’ performance is looked at in and of itself. It is even more of a shame when looking at other performances nominated for Best Supporting Actor, some of which are amazing and well-deserved and others in which the audience is never allowed to see the character because all they are really seeing is the persona of that big named actor onscreen. I will refrain from giving examples. The point of this wasn’t to denigrate others but to say that, in my opinion, the work of Andy Serkis deserved to be recognized at the Academy Awards.
I love that I feel for Gollum. I love that he is a mystery, a character who on some levels shouldn’t work. He is a stand out creation for J.R.R. Tolkien. He does not fit squarely in a character mold, instead he exists all over the spectrum and draws out a large spectrum of human emotion when you interact with him in the books and via the onscreen performance of Andy Serkis.
I could live in Rohan.
There is a beautiful melancholy surrounding the Rohirrim in Tolkien’s work and that is captured so incredibly in the site chosen to represent Rohan and the skill of the craftsman who built the location on that site in New Zealand. With the glorious snow-capped mountains in the background, Rohan is at once sparse and desolate and also lovely. If you have not treated yourself to at least one viewing of the extras on the Extended Edition DVDs you are missing something special. The section on the location scouting and the building of Rohan is so inspiring to me. Passion for their work is evident in nearly every frame of these extras and I see this doubly in the sections about Rohan. I could not help but think of that as I watched it on the big screen Tuesday night. This stunning landscape and wonderfully remote location evokes such powerful memories in part because of the passion of creative people and I can do little to honor their passion with mere words. Those of you who feel the same way about Rohan no doubt understand.
Faramir causes me some internal angst.
David Wenham is another perfectly cast actor and in the extended editions in particular he gives such a powerfully emotional performance that I cannot help feeling as torn as he is between his duty and his devotion and the struggle to be honorable and do what is right. The opinions about what Peter Jackson and crew did with Faramir are some of the most vocal and heated. In Tolkien’s work Faramir is an honorable and noble character who is not tempted by the ring in any way shape or fashion. Peter Jackson reasoned that such a character onscreen would undo everything that was being said to the viewer about the ring. Even as noble a character as Aragorn has his own fears about the failure in his bloodline and when the time comes to depart from Frodo does so knowing that the ring will then be put far from him. I have no problem with what Peter Jackson did and I agree with his and other film maker’s assessment that the character would have been problematic otherwise. I don’t see Faramir’s nobility and honor being tainted by this portrayal because he ultimately does what is right and is heroic. Haters and I will have to agree to disagree on this one.
However, Faramir’s portrayal in The Two Towers causes me angst and that angst has grown over the years. The angst comes from his cruelty towards Gollum. In several scenes he is seen being physically aggressive towards Gollum and in one is watching his men beat and kick Gollum to determine where he is leading Frodo and Sam and why. People who have read the books more than I have (I’ve read the whole of The Two Towers only once) will have to remind me of whether or not this is consistent with the story Tolkien wrote. I suspect that it is not, but even if it is I notice that it bothers me more and more each time I see it, particularly in light with other fans’ complaints about Faramir not being portrayed as honorably (in their opinion) as Tolkien wrote him. It serves the story and sets up the turning of Gollum back into a menacing presence in lives of Frodo and Sam. I understand it completely from a story-on-screen perspective. It just bothers me. And perhaps that is the point.
For the sake of anyone who bothered to read this far I must apologize and bring this to a close. I could write scene by scene commentary on all three of these films and all of the extras and probably still have more to say when that was done.
I’m looking forward to the epic conclusion this coming Tuesday (the 28th) and would encourage those of you who have this showing in your area to take advantage of it. These films were digitally remastered and I noticed that much more in The Two Towers than I did in The Fellowship of the Ring. I don’t think this had anything to do with one film in comparison to the other. It was more due to the fact that those words in Peter Jackson’s introduction really penetrated into my head this time and I was cognizant of it throughout the film. There were some absolutely stunning crisp, clear moments in this movie. Wow!
The Two Towers begins its long credit roll with Gollum’s Song, performed by Emiliana Torrini. It is a haunting song that captures the melancholy mood of this second film perfectly. I made sure to sit through that part of the credits, despite my fatigue, because it provides the emotional closure I needed. I can’t wait until next week.
I put on the soundtrack CD before I began reading…
I’m glad to see this post, I’ve been eager for your reactions to the revised (digitally and expanded) Two Towers on the big screen. You did not disappoint. We have to agree to disagree on a few points, but all’s fair in that. I couldn’t agree more about the casting of Miranda Otto, nor the setting and filming of Rohan. I wasn’t sure, when I saw the film the first time, that they had made Wormtongue slimy enough, but that’s a minor quibble.
On Gollum we differ. While I found him to be an important, integral character in THE HOBBIT, his expanded role in LOTR is one I can do without. Personally, I’d like to have seen as little as possible of him, letting him be a less visible threat instead of the prominent character Jackson & Co. put in the film. Yes, I know a lot of the explanation for the problems and dangers during of the journey to Mt. Doom has to do with him, but honestly, the second time I watched the expended versions I FF’d past many of the Gollum scenes – particularly in RotK – as I didn’t have the patience for them.
Faramir? I’ve read LOTR four or five times since I discovered it in 1964 (I think it was), but I can’t recall specifically what his involvement in the pressuring of Gollum was in the effort to discover where and why the ring bearer and his companions were going. I certainly have no memory of angst about it. Remember it was part of his task to guard against spies and these three were if nothing if not suspicious. Then too, the ring causes great influence on all who come close to it, especially humans, one of the reasons a Hobbit, not a human, had to be the bearer. I believe Jackson emphasized his weakness more than the book does; I’m not sure if it was necessary nor if it’s a problem.
I remain true to the belief that FotR is my favorite of the films, but it would have been a great treat to see any of them in improved format (or any format) on the big screen.
Wonderful post! I’m eager to read your wrap-up to the three film event.
Thanks Richard. The plan was always to put this post up today since the 5th anniversary of Jennifer’s death fell on the Wed. after The Two Towers. Of course that just meant I had an extra day to also think about it and thus make a wordy post! LOL!
No problem with agreeing to disagree. I think Gollum’s presence in the films and his importance closely follows what Tolkien’s intent with him was, so I don’t mind what they did in the film, and the three of them together have many interesting moments that reflect on humanity etc. Nice emotional moments and dark emotional moments. I don’t always “enjoy” those scenes because they can be draining because of the increased heaviness and hopelessness of their task, coupled with the knowledge that Frodo ultimately fails to do what he set out to do.
In regards to Faramir I think we are saying some, but not all, of the same things. I like that they made the ring a temptation to him. My remembrance of the book and many reviews I’ve read from people who read them over and over again point out that Faramir had absolutely no temptation for the ring at all. In fact I think it is Philippa Boyens who points out in the extras on the DVD that Faramir in the books actually despises it, if anything, and is never tempted by it, which is why PJ’s portrayal angers so many people. I don’t think it would work in the film to have him be *that* angelic. In the books it doesn’t necessarily support the idea that it had to be a Hobbit when you have a character like Faramir who isn’t a threat to take the ring. I think it works for Tolkien largely because of all the other stuff going on in the books, but if he had been that way in the films I think people, myself included, would have been asking, “why can’t he just go along all the way and help carry the ring? It obviously doesn’t affect him.” Still, I do have sympathy for those who don’t agree with that and would have liked to see him adapted the way Tolkien wrote him.
And while I do think the reasons behind his cruelty to Gollum are clearly laid out in the film and make sense, I just don’t like them. And maybe it is just that there is more of that in the EE’s. It just seemed a bit too much cruelty. Sam is mean to Gollum, but it never goes that far. It bothers me. But then again that is something I would probably point to in praising these films, that something gives me that strong of a reaction and makes me think about the nature of behavior and how we treat others.
I think Fellowship is the best film as far as looking at a single film and holding it up as an example. It flows well, has a definite beginning, middle and (sort of) end. The next two EE’s are very full and don’t flow well for the average film goer. But for the LOTR geek fan, they are terrific. I like all the extra stuff, the longer time frame, the multiple storylines, etc. I’m tempted to go off into ROTK talk here but I’ll wait on that.
As always I enjoy your comments
is it in our desire to pity smeagol, so won over by serkis’ performance and the special effects among other things, that we forget how despised a creature gollum is? sam and frodo illustrate the conflict of distrust and pity (respectively), but faramir reminds us of where smeagol/gollum actually lies. also, we can’t have smeagol regaining too much of himself, can we? just the same, it is hard to watch the favored (in my mind) faramir be the one to complicate matters (though who else do they run into way out there).
didn’t know that about smeagol’s conversation with his reflection part, and i do love that scene.
my parents are in and Natalya has insisted they watch all 3 uncut films. a bit overwhelming, i think, but reasonable for that hottest part of the day. it is really strange to watch these with someone who has no idea the premise or any bit of the story!
ditto your remarks about Miranda Otto, as well as the love triangle conflict.
love the review
~L
L: I don’t disagree that Gollum had to turn back away from being Smeagol, nor do I think we should forget what happened to him. He is a despised character but I believe even Tolkien wrote him to be more than that when he decided to write a sequel to the Hobbit. He incorporated the idea that it was this pity that kept Gollum alive, a much needed thing considering that without Gollum the ring ultimately would not have been destroyed. I just think PJ and company, and particularly Andy Serkis, did a great job of showing how multi-dimensional this character was. It could have been anyone who was ultimately corrupted like that by the ring, which we see as Frodo declines. Sure, even Smeagol wasn’t a good, wholesome character to begin with as we see just how quickly he was corrupted, but I do enjoy that in the character of Gollum we see the conflict between good and evil and we see that while there are absolutes there are also people that can be caught in the middle where their choices will ultimately decide their fate.
I do understand why they wrote Faramir the way they did. I guess I wish there wasn’t so much of it in the EE. I don’t know that I needed to be constantly reminded that this largely good character could also be cruel when it met his needs.
It would be odd to watch these films with ‘newbies’. Which is exactly what I was when I watched them in the theater the first time. I went with a friend to Fellowship who was/is a HUGE LOTR geek and I’m sure it was killing him not to spoil things for me. I still find it hard to believe that I went through all three movies over that three year period and really and truly had no idea (other than guesses at how things usually turn out in stories) what would actually happen. When I saw the trailer for ROTK and saw Sam inside Mt. Doom yelling “Nooooo!!!”, I found myself wondering if perhaps I was guessing wrong and Frodo was going to die.
I’d like to get the blu ray versions of these when they get a bit cheaper. I don’t have a player but I think it would be fun to take them to my parents house and subject them to it. 🙂
Can I just say, your daughter is too cool?!?!!
Oh I so love love LOVE Rohan! I could total live there…especially if I got to wear pretty dresses like Eowyn and hang out with sexy tousled horsemen like Eomer….cough..
Mariel: The designer really did do a wonderful job with the dresses/outfits for Eowyn, didn’t she? I was so pleased that she won an Oscar for ROTK.
your love for seeing the movies is probably almost as much love as Jackson had when he made them…
I did read the books way (waaaaay) before the movies came out and I wasn’t as in love with them as I became after these movies. In this case putting faces and voices to the characters (even the orcs!) made a huge difference to me. (chalk it up to being female)
I don’t think and director before of after put as much into a movie has Jackson has…I have my doubts he could ever love another script as much, but thats ok because he’s fabulous at what he does.
as you know I love Andy Serkis. That man made the movies thrice over. Once for voice, once with all the buttons on him for movement and then he placed himself so the hobbits could work where he “really was” rather then not see “gollum” at all… and then I got to meet him and he was such a nice man! I get upset because I cant see a lot of his other work since it’s in England and not made for our dvd players *sigh*. (I met Farmir too!! just so the ladies know …he’s far handsomer in person!..sorry that has nothing to do with your review but it had to be mentioned!)
If i lived near you I would have made you take me with you!! I can’t drive at night so I haven’t gone to see them..but like I mentioned to you.. i do have the extended versions and a 46 in screen so it’s not toooooo bad .
I am so happy this is such a joy for you
Deslily: Oh I definitely would have taken you with me if you lived closer. No doubt about it.
I remember you writing about meeting these guys. I was excited for you then and get excited remembering it now. I’d love to get a chance to see these people at a convention or some such event.
I know what you mean about the books in the sense that I cannot read them without seeing and hearing these people. I don’t know what I would have thought about them had I read them previously. If I was younger I think I would have loved them. Reading Fellowship as an adult after the movies came out was, to be honest, rough going the first quarter of the way through. After that I was way into it and couldn’t put them down. I am in the course of slowly re-reading them. Not going to feel any pressure to read straight through or anything. I just want to read at least start on them again while the films are fresh in my mind.
And I’m sure the ladies don’t mind the comments at all? And turn about is fair play. I’ve managed to talk up Liv Tyler and Miranda Otto these last two weeks. 🙂
LOL ohhh i love Liv !!! I have Miranda’s autograph on a LOtR photo but I didn’t get to meet her…sure wish I did..
I’m trying to remember who else I met at that con.. Sean Asten, John Noble,& Billy Boyd…unfortunately John Rhys Davies Cancelled and so did Elijah Wood. ah well.. It was still fun because Andy Serkis was a sweetheart to everyone!
Deslily: Wow, that is quite the lineup! I really enjoyed Sean Astin as Sam and after listening to the audio version of his book, There and Back Again, read by him, I feel like I have a better understanding of him and a lot more respect for him and the performance he gave.
you’re making me desperate for a long weekend so I can rewatch the extended versions back-to-back-to-back. ^_^ and sign me up for that big screen hi-def tv also! Heck I’d be happy just to have a widescreen instead of my pitiful 1980’s pan&scan television. Unfortunately the 72″ bigscreen HDTV died several years ago and i’ve had other obligations to take care of before I can afford to replace it. One of these days tho! and then i’ll marathon thru the Lord of the Rings trilogy and all 6 Star Wars films.
Sgist: I have line up of films I want to buy and watch soon after that future dream day when I bring home a big screen high def tv and a blu ray player. Lord of the Rings is certainly on that list as is Star Wars and J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek film.
I try as much as possible to separate the two things:
The books, which I first read in 1964 and had read twice or three times before even the animated Hobbit was made, books which introduced me to what we now name epic fantasy (though I’d already read Robert E. Howard, Fritz Leiber and other fantasy authors), with a long list of characters and a plot extending over more than one book, and books which had a richness of depth and texture lacking in anything else I’d read, with it’s own language, mythology and a level of world building unmatched at the time (and,mostly, to this day).
The films, fine as they are in all versions and respects, which are the interpretation by team of producer, director and special effects staff of the books. A darn good interpretation, I think, but I already had mental imagery for the whole of the trilogy and while I gladly accept much of what is shown on screen some of it is at odds with those mental images and thus stand somewhat askew in my view.
I’ve heard and read the same remarks, in general, about the Potter films and about many other read-it-first, saw-it-second movies and television shows. It’s mostly the order in which the experiences occur. One important thing, for me, is the difference between being able to skim over the page with a book while having to wait through the scene with a film, like it or not.
All that said, there are some characters I now accept without qualm as looking and sounding like those in the film, Aragorn, Arwen, Eowyn and Gandalf chief among them.
My difficulty in separating them comes largely from the fact that I didn’t read the books until after seeing the films, so the films in their entirety form the basis of my understanding of and approach to the books. And yet when I read The Silmarillion and books about Tolkien it feels like a completely separate thing from the films.
I’m also not someone who envisions things with great specificity when I read so it is rare that someone does a film or television adaptation of something that I have read and I have the experience of that person not matching my image. When it does happen I find, for me, it is more because I don’t like that actor or actress’ performance more than anything else. I’m such a visual person in some ways but have never been *that* visual when I read. Odd.
I do live in Rohan – almost. My holiday house is about have an hour’s drive from where they filmed Rohan.
The Two Towers disappointed med in three ways, The first one was the scenery. I felt in the struggle between the the scenery and the plot the scenery won. Rohan was too rugged to be horse country, I thought. Southland, where I live when I’m not on holiday, has rolling green hills which, in my imagination at least, fitted Tolkien’s vision of Rohan. Disapointment number two was the ents, whom I expected to look more like trees – more foliage and more variation between species.
The third disappointment was Faramir – so much so that I haven’t watched the third movie yet. I have read the books about 25 times (sad, I know). In the books Faramir is the brother who has the dream to seek for the sword that was broken. His older brother Boromir claimed the right to ride to Rivendell. I suspect the story would have been completely different if Faramir had gone instead. The fellowship would not have broken up when it did. Faramir was my hero, and I hated what Peter Jackson and his team did to him.
Morag: Oh, no way? When do you want me to arrive? LOL!
I would strongly encourage you to watch the third film (the extended version) as I think they do some really nice things with Faramir, including a brief scene in the House of Healing. I’ve said many times, largely in other places when discussing the LOTR films, that I do completely understand people’s frustration with Faramir as portrayed in the films even if I personally don’t hold those opinions. But it is much easier for me to be that way because I never read the books until after I had seen the films, more than once actually. I will forever be one of those whose vision of Middle-earth is informed first by Peter Jackson. When I read the books I feel like they fill the gaps for me for the films and I don’t really stress about the differences because I can respect what both Tolkien and Jackson did.
I have no doubts I would feel differently if I had built a strong affection for the books BEFORE watching the films.
Which is why the next two films are going to be so interesting to me. I’ve read the Hobbit and The Silmarillion and I will be intrigued to see if they do what I think should be done with the source material because of reading it or if the inevitable changes made will anger me.
I was poised to dislike the ents simply because I doubted it could be done and not look goofy, but I was struck again watching this Tuesday by how much I like Treebeard and how he actually works for me.
I’ll let you know what time I’m moving in to your holiday house. 😉
Yes, let me know. You’d be welcome. There’s no electricity though, nor a telephone. I love it there.
I think it is difficult for anybody to translate a book satisfactorily to film, and LOTR is trickier than most. The scale is vast, and so many people have invested in it emotionally, as I have. Another person’s imagination/understanding of a work is never the same as the authoritative version – your own.
I just might have to watch Return of the King now.
I agree Morag, plus there is the whole other area of difficulty because books are not films. The pacing is different, etc. and so doing any kind of faithful translation is fraught with difficulty. And as you point out, LOTR has got to be one of the most difficult. That they took it on and were so successful with it is amazing, frankly.
At this point it can’t hurt to watch ROTK. Even if you don’t like it you’ll be in the position to say why, and I suspect there will be at least a few things you’ll enjoy.
Carl you are killing me. Each time I read your posts on the movies I regret not going! These movies are so beautiful. Since I missed them now I feel compelled to buy a new TV to capture their beauty. Do you think this reason will be enough at home or should I come up with a better excuse?
TBM: I have long said that the LOTR films on Blu Ray was going to be my final justification for buying a big tv, blu ray player, and surround sound, so you are asking the wrong person if you don’t want to be pushed over the edge. LOL!
I’ll probably be holding off for a bit longer because we are getting so very close to paying off our final debt and once that is done there should be all kinds of money freed up for fun stuff like this. But we’ll see. Resistance may be futile.
It seems such a shame to watch these films on my old TV. I’m starting to justify my reasons. This could be a bad sign.
Yep, I think that is a really bad sign. 🙂
I’ll have to brace myself for the discussion at home.
I make it a point to always at least attempt to read the book ‘before’ I see a movie. Generally I like the book better, there are however certain exceptions… No. 1 being Star Wars. ^_^
generally books are really good at giving you insight into what’s going on in the characters head, their motivations & feelings. In special occassions the actors can bring that quality to the character. Viggo Mortenson as Aragorn, Elijah Wood as Frodo, Ian Mcclellan as Gandolf and Cate Blanchette as Galadriel and John Nobel as the Regent of Gondor nailed their characters PERFECTLY. All of the actors did a superb job and you can just feel the love and care that went into the making of this trilogy. When I re-read the books again these will be the faces I see and the voices I hear for the rest of my life.
Sgist: This was going to be such a major event that I really wanted to be able to go see the movies with no expectations. I considered reading the trilogy after Fellowship was released. Even bought the boxed set. Then decided to just read The Hobbit and allow the movies to be special and unspoiled. I’m really glad I did. I find that I adore both the movie and the books now.
I’m with Richard, tho not quite so early. I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy around 1972 or so? and then had re-read them several times. I think i’m past due for a re-read.
I find it odd whenever I think about it that both The Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia sailed under my radar as a child. It wasn’t that I didn’t know of them, but I didn’t talk to anyone who read them and they never made it far enough into my conscious to make them appeal to me, despite the fact that I read fantasy. I think the fact that I read much more science fiction probably had something to do with it.
I can blame most of my reading habits on my older brother…bored, sneak into his room and filch something to read. Although that did backfire a bit considering he was 12-1/2 years older. I don’t believe a 10 year old is supposed to be reading Kull the Conqueror… 😀
I don’t know, sgist. Some of the literati might say Kull the Conqueror is only fit for 10 year olds. Being a fan of the author, I would disagree. I know I was exposed to many “age-inappropriate” things on my uncle’s bookshelf when I was a kid. I think I turned out alright.
Having traveled quite extensively, I can say without doubt that the South Island of New Zealand is my favorite place in the world. It’s just a mind-numbing, jaw-dropping, staggeringly beautiful place. Every time I watch these movies and see one of those aerial shots of the heroes running or riding across mountain tops, it makes me think of the colossal amount of work that went into making these films. Some of those shots amount to mere seconds of screen time – but when you think about what it took to get those actors to those locations and then film from helicopters – just for seconds of film – it’s humbling.
Stuart: It is humbling. Watching all the material on the creation of these films is extremely humbling. It also inspires me to try to approach my work, and my life, with that kind of passion. I think of the guys who spent hours every day, for years, cutting plastic tubing and linking it together to form chain mail. Wow! I think it would be hard, and mind-numbingly dull at times. But there were only two of them and every time they look at the films they can point to every outfit with armor and say, “I made that. I touched that. I met those people and hung out with them. I had a small part in making magic.” And that is just one small group of the myriad of workers who brought this all to life.
New Zealand has certainly risen to the top of my list of places I would like to visit since the release of these films. I imagine it is amazingly beautiful to see with the naked eye.
carl: re: new big screen tv:………. avatar didn’t make the must see list? for shame!!!!!!
Deslily: Yes, I’m one of those who wasn’t taken with Avatar. It was beautiful to look at but I didn’t make any connection with the story or characters. I know, I’m a bad person.
awww noooo you aren’t a bad person! sometimes your taste need fixin’ but that’s all LOL
Desily, you crack me up! 🙂
Glad you to hear you enjoyed yourself at the big picture house again this past Tuesday.
The Two Towers is my favorite film of the trilogy. I too am always blown away by the beauty of New Zealand uh I mean Middle Earth each time I view the film. I will also echo your thoughts on Miranda Otto and the world of Rohan.
I as you know already come from the camp of Read the books first before seeing the film. While they also lead to me to a life long love affair with fantasy reading I have only read them through once and that was twenty five years ago. I REALLY need to read them again. I’m so curious to see how I would feel about them now. I’m hesitant because I have changed so much since I read them for the first time. I think they were perfect for me to read as a teenager but I think now they may seem to tame to me where my current life is a lot more grownup and I believe that is why GRRM’s Song of Ice and Fire appeals to me so much now. His world is so much more GRAY which I know how things really are as an adult where Tolkien’s world is so BLACK and WHITE which worked well for me as a youth. But I digress…
For my part I did not like the actor chosen to play Faramir or how he came across in the films. Besides not looking how I pictured the character his scenes just never just felt right to me in how I remembered him in my mind from the books. Admittedly its been so long since I read them that I may just be way off base. PJ and company most likely nailed it and my old memory just may be off.
When it comes to Gollum I have mixed emotions. First off I think Andy Serkis performance was amazing and he agree he should have been nominated for an Oscar. On the other hand I felt that PJ focused to much on him in the movies. I just don’t remember him being such a huge focus in the books. Mostly likely it’s just my memory failing me. My likely I believe since he wasn’t one of my favorite characters I didn’t focus on him as much in the books so now his role seems bigger to me on film because I marginalized him more in my mind as I read the books.
Count me in as one looking forward to your ROTK post next week. Also I loved all the pictures this week.
Jeff: Its been long enough now that I don’t remember how large a part Gollum played in the books, which is one of the many reasons why I want to read them again. Had I read the books before the movies I doubt I would have had these same feelings about the character. I truly believe it is the life and complexity that Serkis breathed into this character that makes him stand out to me. He is far away from being a favorite character, but he is such a powerful and pivotal character in the films that I cannot help but admire the emotions he brings out in me.
You are certainly not alone. Faramir seems to be the biggest bone of contention, though not the only one, that passionate Tolkien fans have with the films. In the films he makes for an interesting contrast with Boromir. Two sons, one who seems more destined for and built for glory and the other who seems to question war and fighting and his own purpose. Makes for compelling storytelling in the film, but certainly not for those intimately acquainted with the character as written by Tolkien.
I’m not as big a fan of the gray storytelling. I much prefer stories that lean towards the black and white with a little bit of the gray mixed in. I prefer lovable rogues who blur into the anti-heroic like Solo and Slippery Jim DiGriz, and the more recent example of Holloway in Fuzzy Nation. While GRRM’s books are certainly well written…or at least A Game of Thrones was (big hit with me!)…I get a little tired of the darker sex and darker violence in stories like that. A little goes a long way with me when it comes to that kind of storytelling and I generally like a long break in between. I like the complexity of Martin’s work and that of say Gaiman’s story American Gods, and even the complexity in Tolkien’s work (The Silmarillion), but I prefer the darkness in my stories to be more in the atmosphere or more hinted at and not so in your face. I think it is more of the violent sexual imagery that I could really and truly do without.
I knew you had read LOTR when you were younger but I didn’t recall that you had only read it once. But it makes sense because I know that you don’t re-read books like I do.
By the way, a group of us are planning on doing a month long Way of Kings read in August if you want to think about joining in. (or anyone else for that matter).
I will try to read A Way of Kings in August with you but I don’t believe I can finish it in a month. I have read the first 100 pages of it so far and really enjoyed it but it’s a 1,000 pages and I have a hard time sticking through anything from begining to end that’s over 300 pages. I really want to get back to it though so your prompting in August should help.
I’m still trying to read A Wise Man’s Fear as well. I’ve read some more recently and am up to page 240 I believe out of 1000. Still enjoying it as well.
My biggest obstacle will be dropping on July 12th though when Dances with Dragons comes out from GRRM. It’s supposed to over a 1000 pages as well.
The one nice thing about Scalzi’s book Fuzzy Nation is that is seemed like a short story as compared to my other favorite authors. 🙂 I joke because it’s not a short story at all and now that it’s over I have no new Scalzi to read which makes me sad.
I guess that’s the double edged sword of these huge books. I can take a year or two to read them and atleast I don’t have to “wait” until anything new comes out from my favorite authors because I can extend reading them out so much.
If they came out in paperback first I know I could get them read faster because I would take them around with me everywhere. Paperbacks, even large ones, are just so transportable plus you just don’t care if they get beat up or not because they aren’t very collectable. Hardbacks though are just so big and heavy plus I spend so much more on them I feel like I need to protect them so I don’t take them many places.
I will try to read some Way of Kings with you in August. I will make no promises on how far I will get with it though so as not to give you any false hopes of me keeping up with you. I will note that first two prolouges in it are a rough read. Get past them and I find the story very enjoyable. I look forward to discussing it with you then.
Jeff: Dude I know its going to be a struggle for me as well. I may need to cheat and read a bit beforehand. I think all of the people participating are faster readers than I am.
Its funny that you mention paperbacks vs. hard covers because that is a conversation those of us in this WoK read have been having today, and the portability issue came up. I don’t like trying to drag hard covers around either. I wish there was a way to get the mmpb free or at a significantly reduced cost if you bought a hardcover. That way you would have a nice copy for home and a reader copy to take with you. I guess that is what some companies, like Baen, are essentially doing when they give you a free digital copy of the book when you buy the hardback. That way you can have the portability (if you have an e-reader).
And you are so correct, books like Fuzzy Nation do almost feel like short stories in comparison to some of these larger books. I had forgotten when I asked you about Way of Kings that the next GRRM drops mid-July. I completely understand if you can’t join us and there certainly is no pressure. I just didn’t want to *not* tell you since you are the one who has been talking to me about Way of Kings.
I’ll join it’s just that I have no doubt I will fall WAY behind at some point and then sort of give up. That is kind of my pattern. Once I fall way behind on others in reading I just bail. I know that’s a shitty attitude but I just can’t ever just crank it up when it comes to readning for some reason. I may even try and cheat and read more early if I can.
I am really digging A Wise Man’s Fear right now though which is cool. I know you’ll like when you get to it this year or next. I’ve been readning it in bits and pieces since March 1st and everytime I come back to it I just love it.
We’ve talked about the whole portabily issue before and I’m on the the same page as you. I’m starting to collect some series though know in paperback because I got into them late and I like having paperbacks of them. The Mistborn series is one I’m getting in paperback for example. I think I’m just going to get Elantris and Warbreaker from Sanderson as well in paperback at this point too. I’ll just stick the Way of Kings for hardback for Sanderson right now.
I still don’t want to spend the money for an ereader at this point though. One more expense I just can’t take on. It’s got to eb hardcopies only for now. Hopefully I can get an ereader in another year or two. I’m leaning towards going Apple when I do get one. I think I want to dip my toe in the apple pool. I know it costs more but the money seems like money well spent when I see the products perform.
Hey, reading should be fun and if it becomes some kind of competition to keep up I can see why you bail. I would, and have, too.
I’ve actually been thinking about A Wise Man’s Fear the past week or so, wondering if it is time to get back into it. I’ve only read a handful of pages. I could use a good summer exercise program and that might be it. 🙂
Well the nice thing about the iPad is that you can use it like a computer and like an ereader and so many other things. I don’t blame you for leaning that way. I’d love to have one. One of my co-workers was telling our boss the other day that the company needed to get all the directors iPads. Would love to see her somehow win that argument. I’m not holding my breath.
No, Gollum wasn’t as big a part of the books, or at least didn’t grab so much air time, as they would say in TV/radio. That’s my memory, anyway. I won’t be reading the GRRM books until he bloody finishes the things, which may or may not be in my lifetime…
I re-read the original LITTLE FUZZY and absolutely loved it. Then I started on Scalzi’s FUZZY NATION and after 60 pages or so found myself muttering “Why? Why make all the changes, why complicate the plot, why toss out lots of good stuff?” After everything I’d read, including your review, I expected a heck of a lot more. This was supposed to be an updating. So that meant add a dog and a love interest, apparently. Bah. I quit at page 118. Read the original!!
RkR: I hear you. I wouldn’t be holding my breath on him finishing them in any of our lifetimes. 🙂
Glad to hear good things about Little Fuzzy. Won’t change my opinion about enjoying Fuzzy Nation. I’m a fan of the author and he wrote an enjoyable story. As to whether or not it was necessary to do, I don’t have much of an opinion on that. I might have had I been a fan of the original though. I look at it like Peter Jackson and King Kong. It is, at its core, fan fiction. Scalzi wanted to do it and was at a point where he could and people can either enjoy it or not. I suspect he would be as thrilled if not more so that people are reading and/or re-reading the original because of his choice to write this.
Sooo enjoyed reading this post…and all the comments. I happen to be a Rivendell kinda girl, but I can understand your passion for Rohan, those mountains are to die for. Let alone the vast amounts of talent involved in building such an incredible set…I am in awe 😮 Thanks for this one, wonderful as always Carl 😀
Kelly: Oh, I love me some Rivendell too, but if I was going to write about that location then the Fellowship post would probably have been the more appropriate one to do it in. I’m sure if I was given the choice of only one then the wooded areas of Rivendell would tempt me too much. Ideally I would have a home in each and could gallop between the two in order to satisfy my whims.
Wow! A lot of comments on this post. 🙂
I am sooo not reading this post, so you know. Why? I really, really, really need to read the books! I don’t want to know anymore than I already do but I have to say, I love the photos. Gosh, the photos alone have kicked up the desire to finish book one, and then read the rest. I suppose though, I should wait until I am done with The Way of Kings before I get myself involved with LOTR. A thought popped into my head, you like to re-read the books, don’t you. Or, do you only like to watch the movies in the Fall? Well, if you like to re-read, then maybe you will be willing to read one of the books with me. you know, sort of as a motivator to get myself going with them. 😉 Or, there probably is some forum out there that is reading these books, don’t ya think?
Well, a long comment just to really tell you that I love those photos, and I suspect that I will really like Aragorn as I already like him as Strider.
I’m not sure I reveal much about the books in the post, but I understand your wanting to avoid spoilers. Have you not watched the films at all? Tell me you’ve at least watched the movies. Or maybe you shouldn’t tell me. I’m not sure my heart could take it. 🙂
I generally watch something LOTR related and read something LOTR related in the fall, so count me in if you want to try to read something together. I can tell you right now though that you’ll probably have to do the remembering for us because I am likely to forget all about it.
haha… no worries about your heart. I have watched the first movie. When they came out, my son was into LOTR big time. Actually, these are amongst the few books that he has read AND really liked. He is not a big book reader. I never managed to watch the second or third movie with him because of the little ones always in our way. Those little ones are now almost 16 and 14 and 12. The last movie came out the year Isaiah was born. Anyway, It seems that I cannot get beyond book one whether it be the actual book or movie. Sigh. Besides, I really want to read the books first before experiencing all the movies.
I have a fairly good memory especially concerning books I want to read and the plans I have for them. (rolling my eyes at myself) so be warned, I will indeed remind you. 😀
Have you read the first book then?
I am half way through the first book. Which book would you be most interested in reading with me; second or third?
Hope you had a great movie night tonight and that tomorrow does not bring you to work all blurry eyed. 😉
Either one. If you get a chance to get through The Two Towers before November we can read Return of the King together, if not we can start with The Two Towers. I like them both very much.
You were, of course, the first person that came to mind when I stumbled upon this. Follow the link and bask in both the artistic beauty and the humor of the “Broship of the Ring.” I think you’ll really enjoy this. 😉
http://noellestevenson.blogspot.com/2011/06/broship-of-ring_03.html
Ha! That is way too fun, Logan. I love creative people. I’ll have to spend some more time wandering around her site. Thanks!