20 Minute Press Preview

[HCIsland]

Here are some comments from some folks who got a twenty-minute preview of RotK.<P><A HREF="http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/1066104923" TARGET=_blank>OneRing</A><P><A HREF="http://www.chud.com/" TARGET=_blank>CHUD</A><P>The person at OneRing won't spill much, but the guy at CHUD is more forthcoming.<P>I know there a purists that may hate this but this discription of Faramir facing the incoming orcs sound fabulous to me.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Faramir heads out with his men to charge upon the orc army that is hanging out in the ruins of the city across the future field of battle from Gondor. Inside the great hall - at the same time - Faramir's father continues to eat a sloppy meal of meat and fruits, popping a tomato in his mouth and slobbering out half of it as his son rides to his doom. He turns and, looking at him like a slave, asks Pippin - who ended up there for some reason - to sing him a song. Pippin, feeling the weight of the situation, doesn't feel much like singing, but finally does so anyway, calling forth a tragic sounding dirge that's intercut with Faramir's attack on the orcs. As the riders near the ruins, we see first a handful of orcs rise up with their bows and arrows... <P>...but as they get closer, that "few" turns into dozens which turn into hundreds. Slowly, we realize that it's obviously a suicide mission and always has been, a charging of the cannons in the style of Glory. We watch as the orcs ready their arrows as Merry continues his sad song. As the arrows fly, Pippin seems to feel the pain of loss while the tomato-eater merely continues gorging himself.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>It's stuff like this that helps me feel these films are in good hands.<P>H.C.

[Essex]

Why would ‘purists’ be worried about this scene? The ‘charge’ of faramir DID happen in the books, and if we get Pippin singing some Tolkien verses, then excellent!<P>The bit I’m now worried about (after reading CHUD) is to do with his description of Elrond giving Aragorn his sword.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Anyway, it's been re-forged and Elrond gives it to a skeptical Aragorn. Like any good movie king, Aragorn is a bit wary of the responsibilities of supreme rule. But, he takes up the sword regardless - convinced by Elrond <B>(who tells him the bad news - seems the orcs aren't only where Aragorn think they are, but are actually surrounding them at the same time, coming up by the river to flank 'em)</B> <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Orcs surrounding them? I need some help here, but I think this scene is then set when Aragorn is nearing or has got to the Pellenor Fields? Ie ‘ orcs…coming up the river to flank em’. Does this mean Aragorn and his cohorts arrive at the pellenor fields before the battle actually starts, and thus do not save the day and have to rely on the rohirrim charge to finally win the day, which is the opposite of what happens in the book? <P>Or could Elrond have traveled down to the Port where Aragorn gets his ships?<P>I don’t think this could be near the black gate, as Aragorn has been shown in the trailers leaving minas tirith with his full gondorian armour on. In the scene in the tent, he has his old Aragorn clothes on. <P>Sorry for my disparate thoughts on this, but I’m getting worried about another massive plot change coming up! Arrggghhhhh!!!!<P>Please can someone throw some light on Chud’s comments above? Please help!!!!!!

[Meela]

It'll be good to see Pippin singing. It sounds very moving.<P>Ugh. Denethor needs a wife. Fast. *speeds off to Gondor*<p>[ October 14, 2003: Message edited by: Meela ]

[The Saucepan Man]

Nice links, HC. I had seen the report at TheOneRing, but not the other - which adds a lot more detail.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Orcs surrounding them? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>This concerned me too, Essex, when I first read it. But I remain firmly convinced that Elrond will deliver Anduril to Aragorn before he walks the Paths of the Dead. I seem to remember some previous reference to this tent scene taking place in Rohan. And it makes sense that Elrond reminds Aragorn of the prophecy concerning the Oathbreakers at the same time as handing over Anduril.<P>While the guy who gives this report is undoubtedly informative, he is clearly not exactly the most clued in on matters Tolkien. I would speculate that Elrond makes some general comment about the forces of Sauron moving on Minas Tirith (or Gondor, as he refers to it ) and he interpreted this as meaning that Aragron was facing an imminent attack on his tent. <P>Oh, and ...<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Theoden gives a rousing speech about the danger they're about to face, but then rides up and down the line, bopping his sword against the tips of the many lances in a salute of sorts before leading the charge down the hill to the orcs … It's a hell of a rousing speech and really gets you ready for "whatever" comes next. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Now, anyone still want to take that bet with me about who makes the speech featured in the trailer?

[HCIsland]

I'm still in Saucy. I recongized the rider in that shot as Theoden from the trailer (he's about to lead a cavalry towards a burning Minas Tirith - who else could it be). I still say it sounds like Aragorn, but we'll have to wait and see.<P>His comments regarding a "hell of a rousing speech" certainly scored on for your side though. I guess I'm banking on two rousing speeches. *** And as HC's head goes down again, he continues to desperately grasp at straws. *** <P>I agree with your assesment of Elronds words too. Recall Faramir's words while he looked over his map in Ithilien. "Isengard comes at us from the west, Mordor from the east." If had that bit before the movie, everyone would be screaming that Saruman is attacking Ithilien instead of Helm's Deep.<P>As for the purists comment. In the book Denethor is very subtle but it appears that in the movie he is anything but. I figured that may bother some people, but I just so much liked the description of that scene that I didn't care.<P>H.C.<p>[ October 14, 2003: Message edited by: HCIsland ]

[HCIsland]

Shortly before the film comes out we should get a minute or so sequence for all the entertainment shows to have as their "exclusive" preview. I wonder what we will get?<P>With Fellowship it was a bit of the Cave Troll sequence.<P>With Towers it was the prelude to the Warg attack.<P>I find it interesting that both were not only action sequences (not surprising) but were scenes that were major deviations from the book.<P>I also wonder if it will be one of the sequences described in the preview talked about above.<P>There they got:<P>1. Gollum by the pool.<P>2. Denethor, Pippin and Gandalf combined with Faramir's battle.<P>3. Aragorn receiving Narsil.<P>4. Theoden talking to Eowyn about what he sees in their futures.<P>5. Theoden rallying the troops before riding onto Pelennor.<P>6. Shelob and Frodo.<P>Personally, I'm hoping we will get a glimps of the prelude to Pelennor. I think it would make a great show piece, exciting, visual, and likely great acting.<P>H.C.

[Eurytus]

I still think that the speech in the trailer is Aragorns. In fact I have listened to it perhaps a dozen of more times and the voice is Viggo’s.<BR>The description of Theoden’s speech does not necessarily negate this. As I see it there a couple of scenarios. <BR>The first and most likely is that there are several ‘rousing’ speeches in the film. I have no doubt that Theoden makes one but I would guess that Aragorn will make one before going to the Black Gate too. Lets face it, one Hell of a rousing speech would be required before I would go to certain death at the Black Gate.<BR>The other and less likely possibility is that the Viggo says the speech in the trailer and yet in the film it is Theoden. I recall another film (I forget the name of it) wherein certain lines in the trailer were spoken by the ‘name actor’ and not the person who said them in the subsequent film, maybe due to audience recognition of some such. As I say not likely but possible.<P>Having listened to the trailer so closely I still believe that the likely option is that it is Aragorn and that Theoden’s speech is a different one.

[Arwen1858]

This morning I thought of another reason it would more likely be Aragorn. He says, 'I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.' Wouldn't they be terrified before going to the black gate?? Definitely more so than at Pelennor, where some of them might be scared, but not all of them terrified. Anyways, just thought I'd mention that!<BR>Arwen

[Thenamir]

SaucepanMan:<P>I'm still in for the wager. I can't place the wherefores of the speech or the circumstances, I'm going solely on the sound of the voice, the recognition of which, as I noted in another thread, I seem to be exceptionally skilled. What say you? Your analysis versus my golden ear -- name your stakes. <P><throws down gauntlet><P>Thenamir

[The Saucepan Man]

Thena<P>If it's Aragorn, I'll stand you a virtual beer. If it's Theoden, you stand me two (given the weight of opinion against me on this). <P>By the way, look <A HREF="http://forum.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=4&t=002397" TARGET=_blank>here</A> for my further thoughts on this (and for further overwhelming support for the opposing view).

[Thenamir]

Done.<P>Although, there are a couple of other possibilities:<P>(1) The quote is cut from the movie altogether. This happened with the trailers for both FOTR and TTT, including scenes which did not make it to the final theatrical cut.<P>(2) The speech is delivered by someone different than the actor's voice used in the trailer. This actually happened in one of the StarWars trailers.<P>In either case, I'll consider the wager null.<P>Thenamir