Confused about Quotations!! - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Tuor of Gondolin · 07-29-2004, 10:11 AM

It's clear why some lines were changed or used by different speakers. I am irritated when "some fool of a scriptwriter"

makes pointless changes. The worst may be "Let us hunt some orc" when it could have been:

Gimli or Leggy: "Can we catch up to the orcs?"
Aragorn: "Come. We will make such a chase as shall be accounted a marvel among the Three Kindreds: Elves, Dwarves, and Men. Forth the Three Hunters."

Or even just: "Let's hunt Orc. Forth the Three Hunters!"

Reg Pither · 07-30-2004, 06:48 AM

The two that really stuck out for me when watching the films were Gandalf's plea to Frodo to 'keep it safe, and keep it secret', which PJ changed to 'keep it secret, and keep it safe' - thus destroying the emphasis on the secrecy.

The other one was the missing out of the word 'altogether' twice in Treebeard's explanation that he is 'not altogether on anyone's side, as nobody is altogether on my side'. Again, nuance, depth and characterization are lost.

If PJ had been just a bit braver with taking more lines directly from the book, it would have helped the films feel immeasurably more 'Tolkien-esque', rather than the strange, clumsy hybrid of old and new dialogue that we hear so often.

Elianna · 07-30-2004, 09:27 PM

To Encaitare: (We seem to be spreading Gríma posts everywhere!

)

You're right, it does give him character development, and I'm happy that somebody says it. In context, Aragorn thinks that she is "fair, fair and cold, like a morning of pale spring, not yet come to womanhood." If you think about it, to Aragorn, that's what it would seem like: He is four times her age! Still, I wish Aragorn had gotten to say it...

Another mangled line is when Pip and Treebread are talking about the Entwives:
Treebeard: We lost the Entwives.
Pip: Oh, I'm sorry. How did they die?
Movie-Treebeard: Die! No, we lost them and now we cannot find them.
Book-Treebeard: They did not die. I never said that they died. We lost them...

I think the only reason why I care about that is because I thought it was really funny, and memorized it before the EE came out without two of the sentences I had memorized. Still, it's more characteristic of Treebeard to say those two sentences...

Yeah, I'm just a whiny nit-picker.

07-30-2004, 09:27 PM	#3
Elianna Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Ad finem itineris Posts: 384	To Encaitare: (We seem to be spreading Gríma posts everywhere! ) You're right, it does give him character development, and I'm happy that somebody says it. In context, Aragorn thinks that she is "fair, fair and cold, like a morning of pale spring, not yet come to womanhood." If you think about it, to Aragorn, that's what it would seem like: He is four times her age! Still, I wish Aragorn had gotten to say it... Another mangled line is when Pip and Treebread are talking about the Entwives: Treebeard: We lost the Entwives. Pip: Oh, I'm sorry. How did they die? Movie-Treebeard: Die! No, we lost them and now we cannot find them. Book-Treebeard: They did not die. I never said that they died. We lost them... I think the only reason why I care about that is because I thought it was really funny, and memorized it before the EE came out without two of the sentences I had memorized. Still, it's more characteristic of Treebeard to say those two sentences... Yeah, I'm just a whiny nit-picker. __________________ Enyale cuilenya, ú-enyale mandenya.

07-29-2004, 10:11 AM	#1
Tuor of Gondolin Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Pennsylvania, WtR, passed Sarn Gebir: Above the rapids (1239 miles) BtR, passed Black Rider Stopping Place (31 miles) Posts: 1,548	It's clear why some lines were changed or used by different speakers. I am irritated when "some fool of a scriptwriter" makes pointless changes. The worst may be "Let us hunt some orc" when it could have been: Gimli or Leggy: "Can we catch up to the orcs?" Aragorn: "Come. We will make such a chase as shall be accounted a marvel among the Three Kindreds: Elves, Dwarves, and Men. Forth the Three Hunters." Or even just: "Let's hunt Orc. Forth the Three Hunters!"

07-30-2004, 06:48 AM	#2
Reg Pither Pile O'Bones Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: London Posts: 23	The two that really stuck out for me when watching the films were Gandalf's plea to Frodo to 'keep it safe, and keep it secret', which PJ changed to 'keep it secret, and keep it safe' - thus destroying the emphasis on the secrecy. The other one was the missing out of the word 'altogether' twice in Treebeard's explanation that he is 'not altogether on anyone's side, as nobody is altogether on my side'. Again, nuance, depth and characterization are lost. If PJ had been just a bit braver with taking more lines directly from the book, it would have helped the films feel immeasurably more 'Tolkien-esque', rather than the strange, clumsy hybrid of old and new dialogue that we hear so often.