Interesting thread, Lostgaeriel.<P>It's hard to imagine many of the great directors of the past attempting Lord of the Rings, mainly because most classic works of fantasy or "children's classics" were immediately handed over to animators. Aside from "The Blue Bird" and "Wizard of Oz", I'm hard pressed to come up with many live-action fantasy films. I suppose the difficulties of creating the special effects was one of the main reasons, though frankly I think most American directors just would not "get it."<P>A few that come to mind are:<P> Victor Fleming (G.W. the W., Oz), for the obvious reasons. With MGM's money behind him, he would not be afraid to attempt the massive sets and FX the film requires. But I can see him making it too bright, clean, and filming it all on sound stages. And of course, there would be musical numbers, and cloyingly cute hobbits.<P>King Vidor - (War and Peace, Oz), about the same pros and cons as Fleming. <P>William Wyler - (Wuthering Heights, Friendly Pursuasion), I feel he would be one of the few directors that would stay true to the themes of the book, and would let the humanity of the fantasy characters shine through. In fact, I can see some comparisons in the Hobbits and their struggles with the Amish portrayed in "Persuasion", as they fought against the influences of the outside world. Wyler is respectful towards his characters, and doesn't let them go over the top, so to speak, so I could see giving him a shot at "Rings". I also think he would choose the best cast out of all the directors mentioned. <P>Stanley Kubrick - He did a fine job with Spartacus, as far as portraying the era, and the majesty of ancient Rome. He'd certainly do a bang-up job with the darker elements of the book. But I really don't think he would "grok" Frodo.<P>Richard Lester (3 Musketeers, 4 Musketeers) -I love Lester's sword epics, and he certainly would do a good job of showing the grittier elements of the cultures of Middle-Earth. He'd make some excellent casting choices, too. But his sly nods and winks, while fun, might be too offensive to Tolkien fans. I certainly can't see J.R.R. appreciating a Richard Lester version of LoTR. <P>Maybe we should look at farther afield:<P>Ingmar Bergman - (The Seventh Seal, The Magic Flute) - He certainly wouldn't be afraid to tackle the project. Anyone who would attempt to bring an opera to film certainly wouldn't be afraid to tackle Middle Earth. He'd definitely leave Tom Bombadil in the film. He'd have some wonderful elves, too!<P>Akira Kurosawa - (The Seven Samurai, Ran, Hidden Fortress) Bingo! The perfect director to do LoTR! Nobody could capture the grandeur and humanity of the book like Kurosawa. And By Golly, if he needed to do three 4-hour films to portray the entire book, he'd do it! And can you imagine the wonderful cast he would assemble? And the settings he would use? Helm's Deep by Kurosawa? Yes! I bet Tolkien would even like a Kurosawa "Lord of the Rings". <P>Thanks again, Lostgaeriel. That was fun!<p>[ May 05, 2002: Message edited by: Birdland ]
|