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

[Mithalwen]

http://www.tolkienradio.com/twotowers.html

This episode I imagine may be a little different in the more recent version since Frodo and Same remain in "The Two Towers" while the others have moved on in to "The Return of the King".

Having found the length of time that the paths diverge the barrier to finishing the book the first time I tried to read it - I was only nine and remembering what had gone on hundred of pages before was an unequal struggle and gave up at the rather gloomy end of The Two Towers - I wouldn't presume to say that you improved on Tolkien but it certainly provides variety and in this case enables parralels to be drawn more easily.

We start with Faramir and Frodo & co in Ithilien. Much of the dialogue is more or less straight from the book, skilfully edited including that wonderful bit where Sam is a far from servile servant and not withstanding that he is effectively the man's prisoner, gives Faramir a piece of his mind.

Faramir is very eloquent, almost poetic, and Andrew Seear's voice suits it well, as he moves from inquisitor, to bereaved brother, to loreman and judge.

Appropriately we then switch to Eowyn and Aragorn as she attempts to dissuade him from taking the paths of the Dead or at least take her along, and her feelings for Aragorn, hinted at in her few words last episode are made much more explicit.

We follow Aragorn and the Grey Company through the haunted mountain then return to Frodo and the capture of Gollum, and another much needed moment of humour to lighten the gathering darkness "Don't want Fish!", before Frodo embarks on his journey toinas Morgul despite Faramir's forboding.

Then we go to Gandalf and Pippin being a most unquenchable hobbit and more little references to things that are not essential to the plot but gladden the hearts of the book devotee (no dumbing down for Radion 4!!! - cannot see gratuitous references to Armenelos being allowed in Holywood.) We meet the last major player - Denethor. Another great performance hear from Peter Vaughan, famous as "Grouty" from Porridge but a great character actor in many other things. Pippin offers the Steward his service.

We then rejoin Eowyn, this time with Theoden and Eomer. She has received the Red Arrow - the formal summons of Gondor for the aid of the Rohirrim.

We briefly rejoin Frodo in a nightmarish landscape as the darkness literally spreads across the land - not only in Morgul Vale but spreading out to be sighted from Rohan "eating up the stars" . Theoden is fatalistic but for Frodo there is a moment of optimism at the crossroads and the statue of the fallen king a crown of trailing flowers like white stars. They cannot conquer for ever..

The Rohirrim depart and Merry is released from his short service but accepts Dernhelm's offer to bear him to battle.


I haven't much time now but one of the things that the juxtaposition of the threads throws in to relief is this question of duty and keeping oaths, obeying orders. Theoden is fulfilling the Oath of Eorl while Aragorn leads an army of Oathbreakers - the price of breaking an oath is clearly a terrible doom. Merry and Eowyn disobey orders and abandon duty but ... well we know how that will end. Faramir speaks twice about lives being forfeit - yet he uses his discretion to allow Frodo on his way. Then there is Frodo and the oaths Gollum swears on the precious, and Frodo tricking Gollum to save his life.

Critics often say that the book is black and white, Good v Evil...but there is a lot of moral ambiguity here (which is I need to go back to on the Age of Anxiety thread!).

The other thing which crops up here again (as with the Ents) is how men have become detached from the other races of middle earth. This is really the last hurrah of the free peoples before they disappear into folklore.

Sorry it is a Mith style ramble rather than a Dave style essay but it is a start.

[Bêthberry]

I haven't had time to follow this excellent thread but today for the first time I had a chance to look at the transcripts. Aside from the very unique study of the BBC radio show (which I do promise to catch up on, hopefully, as long as my garden allows me), I was quite surprised by something else.

What was that you ask? (Well, assuming anyone is reading/listening ). Well, Wellinghall is not only the website for the radio drama, but it is also the website for the Toronto chapter of the Tolkien Society, called actually Wellinghallsmial.

It's a very small site and has had its ups and downs, but this spring it is sponsoring something which I think it kinda cool. So, for anyone within sewing or volunteering distance of the big, bad TO, here's the project: helping the Children's Aid Foundation prepare prom clothes and acessories for girls who are unable to afford the formal celebration of as they reach that milestone, graduating from high school.

Here's the link to Wellinghallsmial Tolkien Society.

And here's the link to The Corsage Project.

Somehow I think that somewhere there's a spirit like Rosie Cotton's at work here, or maybe it is the spirit of Rosie and Sam's daughters.

EDIT: Having said that about Rosie, I must not fail to acknowledge the prime seamstress in Middle-earth, Arwen. Of course, she devoted her skills to battle insignia and gave up her life eternal for a mere Man. And according to the Appendix she did not leave any special remembrance for her daughtes. Ah well. Perhaps I shall catch up with the BBC radio show in time to hear her words at her wedding. I don't suppose the BBC show included the Appendices?

[ArathornJax]

A few items that I really noticed in this episode. I love the interaction of Faramir and Frodo and Frodo's reaction when Faramir informs him of the death of Boromir. Ian Holm continues to really portray Frodo here as one whose despair is growing, and who sees little hope in fulfilling his quest, but his duty, his obligation as given to him at the Council is to continue.

Andrew Seear's portrayl of Faramir here is as I imagined he would be. He is able to show Faramir's power of perception in his dealings with Frodo when they are walking with the leaves crunching under their feet. I think this is important because it shows later why Faramir is able to see the evil and corruption of the ring, and to steer a clear course. This is not something outright, but something I have interpreted based on the script the actors are using, and from their own inflection and interactions.

I also think the incident with Frodo, Sam and Faramir while sitting together talking at Henneth Annûn, shows that Faramir acts according to what he feels and knows to be right, and for doing the right thing, one should not be praised for it, for the honor is to oneself in knowing you are doing Ohat is right. I think the scene here reflects that and takes it to a higher level of where Faramir is not looking for praise because he simply acts with what he believes is right and that is enough.

Aragorn in the Paths of the Dead for me shows his kingly nature, and takes it up to do his role in defeating Sauron. I like how Aragorn shows here to Halbarad that if they control their own fear, their horses will pick up on that and go with them on the path. I also admire here, as I did in the book, Halbarad going forth knowing he was going to his own death, yet remaining loyal nevertheless.

The final comment is on the last scene between Faramir and Frodo. Faramir knows from talking with Gollum that he is up to no good. He begs Frodo not to go with him and Frodo turns the table on Faramir. Frodo informs Faramir that he cannot leave Gondor and show him a way over or under the mountains. And if he takes the ring to Minis Tirith it will destroy that city and make it like its twin city, Minus Ithil/Morgul. Faramir concludes with Frodo that the quest is hopeless and that he has not hope to reunite and they embrace and say good-bye. I really enjoyed this interaction and realized in listening to it, why for me, Ian is acting Frodo the way he is. I have to admit that in the past my own critical comment of Ian's portrayal of Frodo, is Frodo gets to cranky and to hopeless. However, I think that is the point. The ring is wearing on Frodo and using only auditory, this is how we the listener pick up on this. I've noticed it slowly increases as Frodo gets closer and closer to Mordor and Mt. Doom. Again, something subtle, but I believe it is there in the adaptation.

On a sidebar; today my son and I were traveling back and forth to a University for some recitals and other things (and it is an hour up and an hour back) and so we got to finish listening to the 1968 adaptation of The Hobbit by the BBC and then listen to the Mindseye version. I won't get into my comparison in depth just to say that in this case, though there are parts of the BBC production I liked, overall, on The Hobbit my son and I agreed that the Mindseye dramatization is the version we enjoy more than the BBC version. However, in for LOTR BBC win hands down.

I'm not sure if this has been asked, and if it has, I'll check back the the thread, but Brian, did you listen to BBC version of The Hobbit that was done I believe in 1968 before beginning work on the LOTR adaptation? Just wondering if that played a part in helping you to determine what would and would not work in your own adaptation.

Last thing on a funny note. We were listening to the BBC version of The Hobbit when Smaug is attacking Laketown and the Old Thrush appears. When the Old Thrush speaks, my 14 year old broke into laughter to the point of tears (while playing that scene over and over again). I asked him what was so funny and he said the Old Thrush had to be Alvin the Chipmunk who had grown wings. Sure enough, I listened to it and I have to admit he is kinda of right. The good thing though is the memory we created and shared on that portion of the adaptation. We'll probably always think of this day when that part comes on.

[Brian Sibley]

Originally Posted by ArathornJax

I'm not sure if this has been asked, and if it has, I'll check back the the thread, but Brian, did you listen to BBC version of The Hobbit that was done I believe in 1968 before beginning work on the LOTR adaptation? Just wondering if that played a part in helping you to determine what would and would not work in your own adaptation.

Yes, I knew the BBC dramatisation of The Hobbit which featured good actors and was directed by one of the BBC's best directors, John Powell, with whom I worked on other programmes. But I never liked it: I found it too fanciful, too fussy and heavily cumbered with too many intrusive sound-effects. We asked if we could make a new version of The Hobbit to precede TLOTR, but the powers-that-be wouldn't approve that idea - way too expensive - so it never happened. However, I think it certainly influenced Michael and I in writing the scripts and Jane Morgan and Penny Leicester in establishing a directing style - on the basis of knowing what we didn't want to do!

[davem]

I suppose the thing that stands out for me in this episode is the portrayal of Faramir. I don't know whether the adaptors went through the same kind of trauma the movie makers did (apparently) over how to make him 'believable', but you have to admire their skill in doing so - as opposed to the 'struggles' the movie writers apparently went through. Andrew Seear gets across the complexity of Tolkien's character (once again, I don't know whether he was familiar with the book beforehand) simply by using Tolkien's dialogue. I found this Faramir far more believable than movie Faramir. This is clearly a man who is prepared to sacrifice himself for what he believes in, but not to sacrifice his ideals - because he actually has ideals, rather than being a bit of a beardy-wierdy with a daddy complex..... anyway... You can certainly see how such a man could inspire loyalty in his troops. He's wise. He knows that in order to have any chance of victory over the Enemy one has to reject all the methods of the Enemy. As has been pointed up already, Ian Holm's performance as Frodo is spot on - his self-sacrificial journey (both inner & outer) to his own death, increasingly focussed on his goal to the exclusion of all else, doing what he knows is the morally right thing, while accepting that he himself will not get anything out of doing it, is heartbreaking - to the point that it is difficult to listen to his performance. William Nighy's Sam, clearly struggling to know how to cope with the dawning realisation of what's happening to his master, & Woodthorpe's Gollum, fighting against his inner fragmentation, because on some level he realises that he must get to that state of one-pointed meditation on his Precious to the exclusion of all else if he is ever to get it back, both bring out elements of the characters which many readers miss.

And Peter Vaughn's Denethor (shades of Olivier's Richard III - or is that just me?). I love this portrayal - subtle, driven, power-hungry, snide, but we cannot help but feel his loss. He may, as Gandalf says, be using his grief as a cloak, but we never doubt that that grief is real. And, again, its nice to be spared the scenery chewing .....

Briefly to the Grey Company. Nice to have an Aragorn who is in command - he tellls the Dead what they're going to do, & they get right down to it. This is another example of how the limitations of the medium actually work in favour of the story - radio doesn't allow you to go in for Indiana Jones style action sequences, so you don't get them, & such sequences aren't in the spirit of Tolkien. And jumping back to the scene with Eowyn - they way her voice breaks slightly when she says "Neither have those others that go with thee. They go only because they would not be parted from thee - because they love thee." is perfect.

Finally, Merry's failure to recognise that Dernhelm is a bird - very difficult to do, I suppose (bit like the voice of the resurrected Gandalf in Fangorn) - as soon as you hear the actor speaking the surprise is ruined - as readers we don't know Dernhelm is Eowyn till the confrontation with the Witch King on Pelenor Fields. Here, we know as soon as 'he' says "You wish to go whither the Lord of the Mark goes. I see it in your face." But that's a problem you'd have in any dramatisation, & at least this one attempts it, unlike the movie, where they simply don't bother.

Appendix - a couple of things that occurred to me while listening, first, the Red Arrow. This is a traditional summons to war. I've mentioned a couple of examples of it in another thread:

King Audbjorn sent around an arrow of war as a signal to call men to arms throughout his kingdom & dispatched messengers to powerful men asking them to meet him. (Egil's Saga)

The king split up a war-arrow, which he sent off in all directions, and by that token a number of men was collected in all haste. (Hakon the Good's Saga)

but I've recently come across another example in Saxo Grammaticus' Danish History:

But if any man, from a contumacious spirit, were slack in fulfilling the orders of the king, he should be punished with exile. For, on all occasion of any sudden and urgent war, an arrow of wood, looking like iron, used to be passed on everywhere from man to man as a messenger.

So, clearly another example of Tolkien drawing on traditional lore to add historicity to his stories.

Oh, & while on the subject - 'Shield-maidens'. Saxo also has a good few examples:

Alfhild

Thus Alfhild was led to despise the young Dane; whereupon she exchanged woman's for man's attire, and, no longer the most modest of maidens, began the life of a warlike rover.

Enrolling in her service many maidens who were of the same mind, she happened to come to a spot where a band of rovers were lamenting the death of their captain, who had been lost in war; they made her their rover captain for her beauty, and she did deeds beyond the valour of woman.

Wisna:

a woman, filled with sternness, and a skilled warrior,

Rusla

At the same time the amazon Rusla, whose prowess in warfare exceeded the spirit of a woman, had many fights in Norway with her brother, Thrond, for the sovereignty. She could not endure that Omund rule over the Norwegians, and she had declared war against all the subjects of the Danes. Omund, when he heard of this, commissioned his most active men to suppress the rising. Rusla conquered them, and, waxing haughty on her triumph, was seized with overweening hopes, and bent her mind upon actually acquiring the sovereignty of Denmark. She began her attack on the region of Halland, but was met by Homod and Thode, whom the king had sent over. Beaten, she retreated to her fleet, of which only thirty ships managed to escape, the rest being taken by the enemy. Thrond encountered his sister as she was eluding the Danes, but was conquered by her and stripped of his entire army; he fled over the Dovrefjeld without a single companion. Thus she, who had first yielded before the Danes, soon overcame her brother, and turned her flight into a victory. When Omund heard of this, he went back to Norway with a great fleet, first sending Homod and Thole by a short and secret way to rouse the people of Tellemark against the rule of Rusla. The end was that she was driven out of her kingdom by the commons, fled to the isles for safety, and turned her back, without a blow, upon the Danes as they came up. The king pursued her hotly, caught up her fleet on the sea, and utterly destroyed it, the enemy suffered mightily, and he won a bloodless victory and splendid spoils. But Rusla escaped with a very few ships, and rowed ploughing the waves furiously; but, while she was avoiding the Danes, she met her brother and was killed.

& Ladgerda

Among them was Ladgerda, a skilled amazon, who, though a maiden, had the courage of a man, and fought in front among the bravest with her hair loose over her shoulders. All-marvelled at her matchless deeds, for her locks flying down her back betrayed that she was a woman....

Her second husband didn't fare so well

Ladgerda, who had a matchless spirit though a delicate frame, covered by her splendid bravery the inclination of the soldiers to waver. For she made a sally about, and flew round to the rear of the enemy, taking them unawares, and thus turned the panic of her friends into the camp of the enemy. At last the lines of HARALD became slack, and HARALD himself was routed with a great slaughter of his men. LADGERDA, when she had gone home after the battle, murdered her husband.... in the night with a spear-head, which she had hid in her gown. Then she usurped the whole of his name and sovereignty; for this most presumptuous dame thought it pleasanter to rule without her husband than to share the throne with him.

& this got me thinking - as the term 'Shieldmaiden' seems common in Rohan (both Eowyn & Eomer use it in this episode) could there have been others in the Rohirrim?

[ArathornJax]

Originally Posted by Brian Sibley

Yes, I knew the BBC dramatisation of The Hobbit which featured good actors and was directed by one of the BBC's best directors, John Powell, with whom I worked on other programmes. But I never liked it: I found it too fanciful, too fussy and heavily cumbered with too many intrusive sound-effects. We asked if we could make a new version of The Hobbit to precede TLOTR, but the powers-that-be wouldn't approve that idea - way too expensive - so it never happened. However, I think it certainly influenced Michael and I in writing the scripts and Jane Morgan and Penny Leicester in establishing a directing style - on the basis of knowing what we didn't want to do!

I would totally agree with you that it is too fussy and very cumbered with too many intrusive sound-effects. The trumpets that go off are annoying as is the sound of Bilbo putting on the rings. I would have LOVED to have heard an adaptation by your team of The Hobbit and I think the cost over time would have been made back and with profit, but sometimes in business decisions can be short term based.

I suspected that it may have shown you and your team what you did not want to do. Thanks for the response.

[davem]

I liked parts of the BBC Hobbit - the interaction between Bilbo & the Narrator (or 'Talebearer') & some of the comments by various characters - like Gandalf's at the end on Bilbo's memoirs ("He'll never get a publisher!").

Of course, this is an adaptation that Tolkien could have heard, but I'm not sure that he did - or what his reaction was. Can't remember it being mentioned in the letters ....

[Brian Sibley]

Originally Posted by ArathornJax

I would have LOVED to have heard an adaptation by your team of The Hobbit and I think the cost over time would have been made back and with profit, but sometimes in business decisions can be short term based.

I suspected that it may have shown you and your team what you did not want to do. Thanks for the response.

It was probably a short-sighted decision, but no one knew that TLOTR would be the success that it was - only when it was a hit did they decided to issue The Hobbit on audio books as a companion piece - even though they were so different.

It is worth remembering that not everyone thinks so highly of our LOTR; for instance I recently stumbled on a review of the CD set by Amanda Craig in The Independent on Sunday, Dec 15, 2002:

I have often wondered why so many intelligent people loathe Lord of the Rings (BBC Radio Collection pounds 50, boxed set) with such passion. Had my first introduction to it been through the radio, then I too would despise it. Brian Sibley has updated his classic radio version, first broadcast in 1981. He should be forced to wear prosthetic feet in atonement for the ponderous mess he's made of both story and prose. There's scarcely a single line here that belongs to Tolkien. All the humour, tension, poetry and life have been jettisoned for plonking dialogue that sounds like something left over from The Archers. Furthermore, one of the book's greatest pleasures, that of working out the mysterious past through the unfolding events of the present, has been bypassed by means of a new framing device, presumably to bring it in line with the film. The whole exercise is an embarrassment.

Of course Ms Craig is perfectly entitled not to like it, but "There's scarcely a single line here that belongs to Tolkien..." does beg the question of whether she has actually ever read the book!

[Estelyn Telcontar]

I've concentrated on the episode of The Hobbit with the Dwarven music in these past weeks, so I did listen to the BBC Hobbit radio play. I was not enthused over the version which was played and sung there - it lacked enchantment as far as I was concerned. Interestingly, the German radio adaptation has excellent Dwarven music, following the description in the book more faithfully and sounding much more fascinating. AJ, you mention another adaptation - can you give me more information on that, please?

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Brian Sibley

Of course Ms Craig is perfectly entitled not to like it, but "There's scarcely a single line here that belongs to Tolkien..." does beg the question of whether she has actually ever read the book!

I have to say I doubt it .... I am amazed continually as I compare the two for this how little dialogue has been created.