Smell this, I think it's expired... - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

alatar · 06-10-2005, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gurthang

Well, PJ, being the expert Tolkien scholar that he is, decided that Pippin didn't have a big enough part, and so had him do many more things, like light the beacons. There is definitely reasoning behind it, if very faulty reasoning.

Oh, I knew what the real reason was for Pippin's part, but when watching the movie for the first time, couldn't get a handle on the 'Theoden's not coming unless he saw some fire on the hilltops' and Denethor was short on matches or something.

It made no sense, but it looked good.

davem · 06-10-2005, 03:22 PM

Sorry if this has been pointed out before, but did anyone else get the feeling from the writers/directors commentaries on films 1&2 that on the first one they all seemed to be very pleased with themselves & their achievement while on the second one they seemed to spend a lot of time apologising & making excuses for the changes they'd made to the story?

Don't know if this was self doubt creeping in or whether they were just trying to placate the book fans, but either way they seemed a lot more defensive on the second one.

Eruanna · 06-10-2005, 03:40 PM

Quote:

It made no sense, but it looked good.

It did look good, Alatar!
I can clearly remember sitting in the cinema and feeling the 'goosebumps' at that running shot of each beacon being lit, one after the other. It brought tears to my eyes.
The next time I saw it, however, I was struck by more practical considerations, like how on Earth the beacon-lighters (for want of a better title) managed to cling to the top of those extremely high peaks!
Maybe it's just a case of changes being made purely to elicit an emotional reaction. Like the Elves arriving at Helm's Deep, it didn't happen in the book, but it makes me want to cheer every time

Kath · 06-10-2005, 04:56 PM

This isn't so much a 'mistake' it just broke the mood of the film for me. We have the amazing tracking shot of the beacons being lit and we see the final being lit on the outskirts of Rohan and then we focus in on Aragorn - who immediately gets up and runs like some kind of crazed, I don't even know what, to the king. It's just such a mad movement! It made me laugh out loud in the cinema and I still giggle at it even now!

Gurthang · 06-11-2005, 09:50 PM

Hey, that's another one! It really disturbed me how Theoden initially said he would not go to Gondor's aid. Even putting the book aside, I hated that part!

Lathriel · 06-12-2005, 01:43 PM

I guess they added that part in to add suspense but I didn't like it either. There seemed to be no good reason for it, and they could have used those few seconds to show something else that was much more important. (Maybe an extra scene of Minas Tirith etc.)
However, I didn't mind Aragorn sprinting up the steps to tell the others that the beacons had been lit.

alatar · 06-15-2005, 10:02 AM

Was listening to the FOTR soundtrack this morning, and realized yet another reason why I prefer this movie over the other two.

The end song, "May it be" by Enya, is just great as it is just melancholy enough for me to think about my fellowship (the group of people with which I survived my teenaged years). TTT has Gollum's Song (performed by Emiliana Torrini), which is hauntingly good, yet it only brings to surface all of those 'other' personalities clamoring inside my head that I'd thought that I'd shouted down years ago.

And I can't even remember the ROTK Annie Lennox song.

06-10-2005, 03:22 PM	#2
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	Sorry if this has been pointed out before, but did anyone else get the feeling from the writers/directors commentaries on films 1&2 that on the first one they all seemed to be very pleased with themselves & their achievement while on the second one they seemed to spend a lot of time apologising & making excuses for the changes they'd made to the story? Don't know if this was self doubt creeping in or whether they were just trying to placate the book fans, but either way they seemed a lot more defensive on the second one. __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."

06-10-2005, 04:56 PM	#4
Kath Everlasting Whiteness Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Perusing the laminated book of dreams Posts: 4,533	This isn't so much a 'mistake' it just broke the mood of the film for me. We have the amazing tracking shot of the beacons being lit and we see the final being lit on the outskirts of Rohan and then we focus in on Aragorn - who immediately gets up and runs like some kind of crazed, I don't even know what, to the king. It's just such a mad movement! It made me laugh out loud in the cinema and I still giggle at it even now! __________________ “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

06-11-2005, 09:50 PM	#5
Gurthang Sword of Spirit Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Oh, I'm around. Posts: 1,401	Hey, that's another one! It really disturbed me how Theoden initially said he would not go to Gondor's aid. Even putting the book aside, I hated that part! __________________ I'm on a Mission from God.

06-12-2005, 01:43 PM	#6
Lathriel Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Wandering through Middle-Earth (Sadly in Alberta and not ME) Posts: 612	I guess they added that part in to add suspense but I didn't like it either. There seemed to be no good reason for it, and they could have used those few seconds to show something else that was much more important. (Maybe an extra scene of Minas Tirith etc.) However, I didn't mind Aragorn sprinting up the steps to tell the others that the beacons had been lit. __________________ Back again

06-15-2005, 10:02 AM	#7
alatar Doubting Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Heaven's basement Posts: 2,466	Was listening to the FOTR soundtrack this morning, and realized yet another reason why I prefer this movie over the other two. The end song, "May it be" by Enya, is just great as it is just melancholy enough for me to think about my fellowship (the group of people with which I survived my teenaged years). TTT has Gollum's Song (performed by Emiliana Torrini), which is hauntingly good, yet it only brings to surface all of those 'other' personalities clamoring inside my head that I'd thought that I'd shouted down years ago. And I can't even remember the ROTK Annie Lennox song. __________________ There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it.