The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post

Child of the 7th Age · 10-11-2002, 09:30 AM

Anastasia --

You are perceptive and absolutely right! The concept of time in the book and the movie are totally different. The movie pace is very rapid. The same is not true of the book. It is, what I might term, 'slow and deep.'

Let me give just two examples. There are actually 17 years between Bilbo's birthday party and Frodo's departure from the Shire with the Ring . Although PJ never sets dates on this, it seems like a much shorter time in the movie. Certainly, characters like Merry and Pippin do not look 17 years older from the time of the birthday party till their joining with Frodo. If you take a look at the geneology in the Appendix, Pippin would have only been 11 years old at the time of the birthday party (born 1390, birthday party in 1401). Obviously PJ didn't do that

Also, Gandalf tells Frodo to leave in April 1418 (shire time). He doesn't leave till September 23. In the movie, he leaves instantly.

I do agree that the different races of Middle-earth had different perceptions of time. But many of the changes were not motivated by this, but instead by the fact that cinema is different than the written word. Because of this, the 'flavor' of the movie is very different than the book. Given the nature of film, it is easy to understand why PJ made these changes.

sharon, the 7th age hobbit

[ October 11, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

10-11-2002, 09:30 AM	#5
Child of the 7th Age Spirit of the Lonely Star Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 5,133	Anastasia -- You are perceptive and absolutely right! The concept of time in the book and the movie are totally different. The movie pace is very rapid. The same is not true of the book. It is, what I might term, 'slow and deep.' Let me give just two examples. There are actually 17 years between Bilbo's birthday party and Frodo's departure from the Shire with the Ring . Although PJ never sets dates on this, it seems like a much shorter time in the movie. Certainly, characters like Merry and Pippin do not look 17 years older from the time of the birthday party till their joining with Frodo. If you take a look at the geneology in the Appendix, Pippin would have only been 11 years old at the time of the birthday party (born 1390, birthday party in 1401). Obviously PJ didn't do that Also, Gandalf tells Frodo to leave in April 1418 (shire time). He doesn't leave till September 23. In the movie, he leaves instantly. I do agree that the different races of Middle-earth had different perceptions of time. But many of the changes were not motivated by this, but instead by the fact that cinema is different than the written word. Because of this, the 'flavor' of the movie is very different than the book. Given the nature of film, it is easy to understand why PJ made these changes. sharon, the 7th age hobbit [ October 11, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ] __________________ Multitasking women are never too busy to vote.