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

[davem]

The Ring is Mine..... Indeed. Now, I don't know how well others feel the climax at the Sammah Naur is done. Frodo seems completely intoxicated by the Ring once he has claimed it fro his own, so that he does nothing to fight Gollum - even when Gollum actually tells him he is going to bite his (Frodo's) finger off:

Frodo: So now the Eye can see me.

Gollum: Give us the Precious, hobbit. The Precious. We wantss it.

Frodo: No.

Gollum: Yesss! Yes, we will have it.

[Frodo laughs quietly]

Gollum: Where's its handses? Got it!

[He hisses]

Gollum: Now, give us the Preciouss.

Frodo: No, Sméagol. It is mine!

[Gollum hisses and laughs]

Gollum: Well, if it won't give it usss, then we'll bites it and takeses it.

[Gollum bites down and Frodo screams]

Gollum: Lost its finger, has it, hm? Silly hobbit! Now, we've got the Precious! Precious, precious! My Precious!

I'm not sure about it - but it must have been an impossibly difficult scene to write & to perform. If you aren't going to have the Narrator describe the events (which would kill the dramatic impact of the events) how do you depict the events with voices alone? It doesn't work as well as in the book, obviously, but it is far, far superior to the silliness of the movie. I also think that Peter Woodthorpe's magnificent performance of Gollum's exultation at finally winning the Ring back is so powerful that any slight sense of 'awkwardness' one might have felt at the lead up to it is forgotten. This is Gollum's moment & he should have the glory of that scene. Ian Holm's performance is superlative, once you accept his/the writer's decision that Frodo is so drunk with his surrender that he is incapable of registering what is happening. What follows, with Sam's amazement at the achievement of the Quest, & the sudden magical resurgence of hope - Bill Nighy plays that so well - Sam's sudden belief that they may make it out of there after all, that he may see the Shire again.

And then Frodo tells him he can;t manage to go any further, dashing Sam's hopes...Frodo has given up (Tolkien stated in one of the letters that Frodo had expected to die at the end of the Quest, & Ian Holm captures this perfectly - you almost feel that he is not interested in going on now.

But then the Eagles come & it is Sam's wish that is granted, not Frodo's . The appearance of the eagles is not accounted for, & we are not told what happened at the Black Gates. I still don't know whether this is a lack. But its not really important - at least the Lighthouse was absent!

I love how the Field of Cormallen was handled, Sam's joy, the merry meetings, the praise of the Ringbearer & his servant. Stephen Oliver's struggles with the Ambrosian Singers have been alluded to at the beginning of this discussion, but he succeeded admirably, & the whole scene captures the power & joy of the event perfectly.

The Eagle's song, intercut with Faramir & Eowyn's pledging their love for one another, the crowning, & marriage of Aragorn & Arwen & the discovery of the White Tree in the snows of Mindolluin is beautifully done, tying up many loose ends, & closing off that part of the tale, & setting up the final scenes - Frodo receiving the White Jewel from Arwen, with the mention of Bilbo & his final journey. We are being prepared for the ending of the long tale. The Hobbits are going home, via Rohan & then on to Rivendell (Oh, & let's not forget that unfinished business at Isengard!)