Quote:
Originally Posted by Galadriel55
It's so true it's not even funny...
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Oh, but it's so true, it's even funny!
Well, what might be funny is I re-watched the scenes in the Shire up through "The Shadow in the past" part...and I think it's the eyes. Wood doesn't sell anything through the eyes, more everything is expressionless, because most everything is a vacant stare, whether he's smiling or whatever. For example, even in
this one, that you pointed out in your first post...
This is when Frodo is at Bilbo's party, and Bilbo is giving his speech, before the weird disappearing part. He's trying to smile and portray gladness, but the eyes are conveying blank day-dream staring and instead of portraying happy emotion, which just makes Frodo look creepy. (But I suppose creepy is more of an expression out of Elijah Wood then most other times?
).
I was paying particular attention to Bilbo's and Gandalf's scenes, since those had been done so well, and Ian Holm (which is not surprising at all) makes you believe in every emotion because he sells it with the eyes. I wish there was some way I could post a screen shot of pictures, but whenever anyone gets the chance, watch when Bilbo disappears from his party and is confronted by Gandalf in Bag End. This was discussed somewhat by
Nog and
Inzil in the Gandalf discussion, but both actors really sold their part. As opposed to Frodo's actor who doesn't seem cognizant, or at all aware of the present situation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nerwen
Boro, as G55 says, in the "Go away" scene he's simply throwing a tantrum. However, you do make an interesting suggestion– yes, it's probably not fair to blame everything on the script and director– it may be that they had to work around the star's limitations.
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Ah, right, and it's funny because I had just rewatched the films last week, but still forgot about the entire lembas scandal. "He doesn't eat them! He can't have taken them!" *headdesk wonderful logic Jackson, and I don't want to get started on the whole destruction for the purpose of lembas, being high and magical elf-food that sustains you for long periods to "mmm yummy elf cakes! I want to stuff a faceful of them!"* (this bit about the lembas comes courtesy of
Form, but sadly he is absolutely correct). I think I wanted to believe a rational explanation to a complete Jackson-drama invention, that I forgot Frodo's movie motivations is actually a tantrum and over "yummy elf cakes."
And really I'm not sure if it is a script or actor's limitations, because Frodo could be one of those characters that just fails on every level. I had just been thinking, the lines are there to show Frodo's courage in accepting and taking on the burden of the Ring, as well as showing Frodo's resistance to the Ring gradually breaking down his will...but with the actor being completely unconvincing the "script" argument may be too easy. Then again, with distortions such as the ones we've discussed here, it looks like Frodo just failed completely as a strong lead character.
Which makes me wonder, if anyone thinks, the focus on Aragorn going through his own journey of "returning King" sort of pushes aside the importance of Frodo's journey, the actual "get the Ring to Mount Doom and find a way to destroy it." Although, this is more talking about plot decisions than characters...or maybe Wood being a poor choice for Frodo, that's what makes it seem as if Aragorn is the better developed, and his story is the "main" story?