LotR2-TTT-Seq18 - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

alatar · 06-14-2006, 08:50 AM

”Who am I? Why am I here?” - Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale, 1992 USA Vice Presidential debate

We start with Théoden having a real moment. “Who am I?” he asks, and at that point, you know things are getting bad. He’s either just woke up from a bad dream, just got back into ‘this’ corporeal body, just finished reading way too many philosophy tomes or has just realized that this could be the end of the road, for him AND for his people. Gamling is in for a time, as his first answer isn’t good enough, and so he tries again.

Good thinking, there, Gamling. Tell him whatever he wants to hear and as soon as you’re out of is sight, run!

But really, Théoden cares. He’s made a decision, possibly a poor one, and will suffer for that mistake. I think that this King could accept his fate. But his people, those men, women and children who counted on him to see them through the dark night, well, they will pay too. Why, Théoden is asking, why am I so special to have this burden? Why do people trust in the House of Eorl and therefore in me? I’m only a man, too, and so am prone to all of the foibles included with that package.

Regardless, he arms for battle. No despair here like some other King that we’ll later see. The armor placed on his body by Gamling looks real. WETA did great work, making the stuff look both ornate and worn. As the black tide rises, Théoden quotes book Aragorn (who sang a song learned, I presume, when he was in the company of the Rohirrim).

We see the Helmingas, as much as it is, to demonstrate the impossible position that they’re all in. Whether we see this ‘for real’ or as Théoden thinks it (he may be recalling a recent inspection tour), I don’t know - and that a minor thing anyway.

Arming the child almost brought tears to my eyes, and that’s not that easy. I see my own son here (and daughters, but mostly my son) and think what it would be like seeing him with too-large helm placed atop his young head, or to be given an axe not made for chopping wood. Innocence is being lost, and there will be blood. Théoden’s words, the imagery and the background score are superb. I’m invested in these people, and PJ did well here to bring that out.

The Uruk army in landscape view looks to number in the billions, and there’s just too many of them. It’s like, no matter who might show up to help, there’s no way humans will see another dawn. An aside - Saruman surely is swatting this fly with a large nuclear hammer, isn’t he? But then again, he’s channeling moreMoreMORE PJ.

Lastly, Théoden asks, “How did it come to this?” I’m thinking, well, first you were like this crusty drooling guy who was possessed and so this other guy ran things into the ground to get your niece and kicked out your best Marshal nephew as PJ wouldn’t have him at Helm’s Deep so he sent him off as a pseudo-Erkenbrand and this gave Gandalf somewhere better to be and that caused a lot of plot holes and despair…err, um…let’s just say that some White Wizard hates you.

But he’s really asking why? Why here and now? Why me? He’s faced with certain extinction, the Kobayashi Maru, and that seeks to overwhelm his soul.

Back at Derndingle, it’s much later - night - and the hobbits are extremely bored. They’re not sure if the Ents have yet gotten down to business, and so Treebeard takes a moment to fill them in. Initially, when he stated that they’d just finished saying “good morning,” I thought that PJ was going to give this Treebeard a sense of humor, but…

Merry understands that his friends - or at least some people - are in trouble and that the Ents, powerful as they seem, need to enter the battle soon as they would surely turn the tide. Do Merry and Pippin know for sure that Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas are in trouble? Tolkien’s Ents, by this time at the Entmoot, would have at least added the Hobbits to ‘the list’ and have started talking about their next action. PJ has slowed down their speaking so that, I guess, discussion over going to war is much reduced.

I don’t like these Ents.

The urgency in Merry’s words only adds to what we know is coming - the Battle at Helm’s Deep.

06-14-2006, 08:50 AM	#1
alatar Doubting Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Heaven's basement Posts: 2,466	LotR2-TTT-Seq18 ”Who am I? Why am I here?” - Vice Admiral James Bond Stockdale, 1992 USA Vice Presidential debate We start with Théoden having a real moment. “Who am I?” he asks, and at that point, you know things are getting bad. He’s either just woke up from a bad dream, just got back into ‘this’ corporeal body, just finished reading way too many philosophy tomes or has just realized that this could be the end of the road, for him AND for his people. Gamling is in for a time, as his first answer isn’t good enough, and so he tries again. Good thinking, there, Gamling. Tell him whatever he wants to hear and as soon as you’re out of is sight, run! But really, Théoden cares. He’s made a decision, possibly a poor one, and will suffer for that mistake. I think that this King could accept his fate. But his people, those men, women and children who counted on him to see them through the dark night, well, they will pay too. Why, Théoden is asking, why am I so special to have this burden? Why do people trust in the House of Eorl and therefore in me? I’m only a man, too, and so am prone to all of the foibles included with that package. Regardless, he arms for battle. No despair here like some other King that we’ll later see. The armor placed on his body by Gamling looks real. WETA did great work, making the stuff look both ornate and worn. As the black tide rises, Théoden quotes book Aragorn (who sang a song learned, I presume, when he was in the company of the Rohirrim). We see the Helmingas, as much as it is, to demonstrate the impossible position that they’re all in. Whether we see this ‘for real’ or as Théoden thinks it (he may be recalling a recent inspection tour), I don’t know - and that a minor thing anyway. Arming the child almost brought tears to my eyes, and that’s not that easy. I see my own son here (and daughters, but mostly my son) and think what it would be like seeing him with too-large helm placed atop his young head, or to be given an axe not made for chopping wood. Innocence is being lost, and there will be blood. Théoden’s words, the imagery and the background score are superb. I’m invested in these people, and PJ did well here to bring that out. The Uruk army in landscape view looks to number in the billions, and there’s just too many of them. It’s like, no matter who might show up to help, there’s no way humans will see another dawn. An aside - Saruman surely is swatting this fly with a large nuclear hammer, isn’t he? But then again, he’s channeling moreMoreMORE PJ. Lastly, Théoden asks, “How did it come to this?” I’m thinking, well, first you were like this crusty drooling guy who was possessed and so this other guy ran things into the ground to get your niece and kicked out your best Marshal nephew as PJ wouldn’t have him at Helm’s Deep so he sent him off as a pseudo-Erkenbrand and this gave Gandalf somewhere better to be and that caused a lot of plot holes and despair…err, um…let’s just say that some White Wizard hates you. But he’s really asking why? Why here and now? Why me? He’s faced with certain extinction, the Kobayashi Maru, and that seeks to overwhelm his soul. Back at Derndingle, it’s much later - night - and the hobbits are extremely bored. They’re not sure if the Ents have yet gotten down to business, and so Treebeard takes a moment to fill them in. Initially, when he stated that they’d just finished saying “good morning,” I thought that PJ was going to give this Treebeard a sense of humor, but… Merry understands that his friends - or at least some people - are in trouble and that the Ents, powerful as they seem, need to enter the battle soon as they would surely turn the tide. Do Merry and Pippin know for sure that Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas are in trouble? Tolkien’s Ents, by this time at the Entmoot, would have at least added the Hobbits to ‘the list’ and have started talking about their next action. PJ has slowed down their speaking so that, I guess, discussion over going to war is much reduced. I don’t like these Ents. The urgency in Merry’s words only adds to what we know is coming - the Battle at Helm’s Deep. __________________ There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it.