Microphones in Middle-earth...the BBC Lord of the Rings

[davem]

We are on Episode 2, & listening to an episode each Saturday or Sunday.

What I've noticed is that while we've had quite a few views for this thread we've got very few participants. I'm assuming that's because not many Downers have the recordings, or have ever heard the production.

We plan to go on listening (eleven episodes to go) & will carry on posting as long as there's interest. If nothing else we're hoping this will serve as an advert for the series, & that some who haven't listened to it yet will take the plunge & buy a copy.

[zxcvbn]

A question; how many adaptations of LOTR did the BBC make? I believe there was another made in Tolkien's lifetime. It seems the good Professor didn't like it much(he was criticising it in the Letters of JRRT).

[davem]

Originally Posted by zxcvbn

A question; how many adaptations of LOTR did the BBC make? I believe there was another made in Tolkien's lifetime. It seems the good Professor didn't like it much(he was criticising it in the Letters of JRRT).

There have been two BBC adaptations. The first (which Tolkien didn't like) was in 1955 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lor...adio_series%29 ). The second, from 1981 - which we're discussing here - he obviously wouldn't have gotten to hear, but knowing his attitude to adaptations of his work he probably wouldn't have liked this one either! As I stated, Christopher approved the scripts, but whether he liked (or even heard) the adaptation I don't know. What I can say is that those who have heard it consider it to be the best adaptation of the book yet produced.

There's also another radio adaptation, made for American Public Radio in 1979 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lor...adio_series%29, which I haven't heard, but doesn't have a good rep - though it did include Bombadil/Barrow Downs. As I stated earlier, Sibley adapted the Bombadil/Barrow Downs episode seperately some years after this one as an hour long drama, using different actors (but with Michael Hordern who plays Gandalf in this adaptation) as the Narrator. What some who dislike Bombadil may find surprising is how effective the episode is when presented dramatically.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

I have the '79 US adaptation (a present). It's pretty lame, nowhere on a par with the BBC.

The first (50's) BBC version's tapes were wiped, as was standard Beeb practice at the time, and and far as anyone knows no longer exists.

[ArathornJax]

I listen to them going back and forth to work probably once or twice a year. I love the adaptation here. I find that the dramatizations of these bring out a more visual representation in mind, then listening to the books on audio (which I own and also listen to in the car).
My children from about age 8 up (especially my son whom I have successfully raised and a Tolkien fan) prefer the dramatizations to the movies! It is the dramatizations that got my children to read the book from beginning to end.

My one critique, and I'm sure I'll hear about this, is Ian Holm's version of Frodo. Overall, I really admire and like his representation. There are parts though, were I thought he came across almost like a spoiled teenager, and they stick out to me.

I wish that Peter Jackson had followed along with the flow of the script in the movies that the BBC presentation/script had. I felt they edited the parts that they needed to, while still retaining truer to the story than the movies. Overall, like I have said, I am very, very happy with the production.

One last note. If your looking for them to listen to, check your local library if you live in a semi-decent metro area. Most libraries have or can get a copy to check out.

In terms of knowing what you can and cannot post on a place like YouTube, I would invite anyone to understand and know the Fair Use Laws of the U.S. This site from Texas provides some basic guidelines:

http://www.utsystem.edu/OGC/intellec...y/copypol2.htm

Cheers,

AJ

[Macalaure]

While it was definitely interesting to hear those parts from The Hunt for the Ring (Saruman again was great: I'm really looking forward to the end of Book Three by now), from my point of view it did more harm than good. The mystery of the Black Riders is one of the key elements of the First Book for me. This mystery is now entirely gone, and somehow this leaves me with an incomplete impression. Of course we are told the Black Riders are scary, and we hear the Hobbits are frightened, but while the reader is scared, too, the listener here is not (or at least I am not).

It has been said earlier, that the BBC adaptation proves Peter Jackson wrong in claiming that he didn't have enough time to tell the whole story. I think this is a little unfair, considering the different media. A radio adaptation is all dialogue and all plot, and I don't think a screen adaptation this dense could have worked. The screen has other benefits the radio has not. I'm not saying that Jackson didn't waste a horrible amount of time, but his argument remains valid.
However, one thing the this episode showed was, that it is possible to include the Crickhollow section into the adapted story in reasonable time, thus giving Merry and Pippin a decent introduction. I really liked this part and missed it very much in the Jackson Trilogy.

One thing that was a bit of a let down to me in this episode were some of the voices, which all seemed to be perfect in the first episode. I'm afraid, I think Gwaihir sounds involuntarily funny, the Witch-King simply fails to be scary, and the praised Aragorn absolutely doesn’t fit my mental image.
I agree that Butterbur was excellent, though.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

One thing that does irk me about the BBC is that the Ringwraiths apparently spend all their time chanting the Ring-verse over and over and over...

[davem]

Originally Posted by Macalaure

One thing that was a bit of a let down to me in this episode were some of the voices, which all seemed to be perfect in the first episode. I'm afraid, I think Gwaihir sounds involuntarily funny, the Witch-King simply fails to be scary, and the praised Aragorn absolutely doesn’t fit my mental image.
I agree that Butterbur was excellent, though.

Well, what should a talking eagle sound like? I know what
you mean though. Perhaps its something that can only work in a book. I have to admit that I've listened to the series so many times now that I just accept the voices without thinking about whether they sound right or not...