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Old 06-18-2012, 08:24 AM   #1
Boromir88
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Movie Characters Revisited: Frodo

Frodo seems to catch some of the most flack for being a badly written and portrayed character in the films. I have to say, though, I think Jackson et alia wrote the part well, but this is one of the times when the choice of actor (Elijah Wood) was not good.

I mean there is the part on Weathertop when Frodo falls down right away, and doesn't show any of that "elvish" courage to make a strike back, but all-in-all, I thought the part was well-written. In The Shire after finding out about the Ring, he quite confidentally takes it, asking "What must I do?" In Rivendell, of course, he stands up amongst the squabling elves, dwarves, men and a wizard to say "I will take it." (The expressions from everyone at the council too, captured the purpose of having the small one amongst warriors and wise-men saying "I will take it.")

There is also the event of Frodo sending Sam away, but I have some thoughts on that, after hearing from others. And can't forget the end of TTT where Frodo waltzes the Ring right up to the Nazgul, in Osgiliath, but that creates more of a major plot hole than actually being a problem with Frodo's movie portrayal. But, I'm also looking at it from the standpoint of trying to show the Ring gradually breaking down Frodo, and changing him. I think that was scripted well, but did not come through the best because Elijah Wood gave a pretty weak performance. I mean the lines were there, for Frodo to show that famous courage in the books, but the actor came up weak and unconvincing.

Some other things of note, the Frodo-Gollum relationship from TTT thru ROTK was great, a lot of which had to do with Andy Serkis. Were you getting the feeling Frodo was not only pitying Gollum, but Gollum physically represented what was quite literally happening to Frodo, or what Frodo felt was happening to him, because of the Ring? Maybe it's just being familiar with the book plot, and it's not something that overtly came through in the films, but I was feeling the dread and terror of Frodo recognizing:

1. What the Ring made Gollum and...
2. What the Ring was actually doing to Frodo, and understanding Gollum on a level that Sam, nor any other non-ring bearer could.

So, I think I rambled enough, let's start there and I've got some more fodder to throw in and we see where this goes.
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Old 06-18-2012, 09:30 AM   #2
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I want to start off by saying that one of my most favourite scenes in the whole trilogy is when Frodo claims the Ring on Mount Doom. That one was very well done in terms of the acting, however shaky it was in other scenes. I suppose it's more credit to the costumes and lighting, though, but I still like it. If you just take this scene compared to the beginning, and ignore some things in between, you'd admire the change from this to this.

I do agree about the overall acting being weak. Frodo is supposed to show pain through courage and strength. In the movie all he shows is pain. Really whenever I imagine Frodo anywhere in between Shire and Mt. Doom, the expression on his face is invariably a variation of this.

Don't get me started on sending Sam away! I know they want to show that the Ring (and Stinker) are working on Frodo, but this is pushing the line just too far.

And Osgiliath too -- but I suppose I detest Faramir's portrayal/role in that part more than Frodo's, so I'll rant about that when we talk about Faramir.

I'm not so sure about the Frodo-Gollum relationship, but my memory is not very clear on that. When/if I watch the movie again I might be able to comment. The one thing I do remember is that there was a moment when Gollum comes soooooo close to repentance in the books - and it's just not there in the movies.
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Old 06-18-2012, 10:15 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Galadriel55 View Post
I'm not so sure about the Frodo-Gollum relationship, but my memory is not very clear on that. When/if I watch the movie again I might be able to comment. The one thing I do remember is that there was a moment when Gollum comes soooooo close to repentance in the books - and it's just not there in the movies.
We can get more into this with Gollum's thread, which after thinking I did some rearranging and bumped Gollum up to the next one. I think it would make the most sense, considering the connected Frodo-Gollum-Sam plot. That way there is some bit of logical flow, instead of hopping from Frodo, to Aragorn, to Legolas and Gimli, back to Gollum...etc. I sort of just haphazardly made a list, and didn't think about the order, so I hope no one minds the re-arranging.

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Originally Posted by G55
Don't get me started on sending Sam away! I know they want to show that the Ring (and Stinker) are working on Frodo, but this is pushing the line just too far.
Ah, but see, what I want to ask you is which character is destroyed more by that invented scene? Yes, Jackson invented this "Go Home" part and maybe just for some cliche hollywood movie tension, instead of actually trying to give us some quality insight into the character. Maybe, I do give Jackson too much credit in this regard, when really he just wants battles, dwarf-tossing jokes, and drummed up movie-melodrama.

Anyways, I think it is very fitting for Frodo's character, think on it some. He is the one that tried to ditch everyone at the end of FOTR (both books and movies). And referencing completely the books, to the barrow-wight scene, Frodo blames himself for the danger his friends are in. Frodo always feels personally responsible for the safety of his friends. It is probably his biggest motivation for accepting the burden of the Ring, because he is the person who will carry burdens if it means helping and lessening the load on those he cares about, or getting them out of danger. So Frodo telling Sam to "Go home" looks fairly consistent with his character (even though it is an invented scene). The real destruction is done to Sam, who would NEVER have listened to Frodo in the first place.

Or maybe, I need to remember Frodo's movie-motivation for telling Sam to go home, because if it is in some presumed way to keep Sam away from danger then I've got no problems. But then again, telling someone, especially Sam, to just go home on the edges of Mordor, alone...well that doesn't make sense from the POV of Frodo trying to protect Sam.
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Old 06-18-2012, 12:54 PM   #4
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Or maybe, I need to remember Frodo's movie-motivation for telling Sam to go home, because if it is in some presumed way to keep Sam away from danger then I've got no problems. But then again, telling someone, especially Sam, to just go home on the edges of Mordor, alone...well that doesn't make sense from the POV of Frodo trying to protect Sam.
Frodo's motivation was anything but concern for Sam's safety. What you said is true, for the most part, but not here. From what I remember Gollum threw some lembas crumbs onto Sam when the hobbits were sleeping, and then threw the rest of the lembas from some cliff. When Frodo and Sam woke up, they could not find the lembas, and Gollum said "whatss...whatss zzzisss?" (while shaking some crumbs off Sam's sleeve) - and thus Samwise Gamgee was framed.

Frodo got mad at Sam, since he beleived Gollum, and told Sam to just "go home" (which is a pretty stupid thing to say at that point if he really means it; Elijah Wood makes it sound like a "get lost, get out of my sight, not your business" sort of thing).


Just why?


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Originally Posted by Nogrod View Post
Talking about Elijah Wood's acting reminds me of this old joke.

And it does come quite close... even if the basic expression is a bit different from mr. Reeves'.
It's so true it's not even funny...
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Old 06-18-2012, 06:06 PM   #5
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Aw, Nog, you're not being fair. It's well known Keanu can only act "faintly smug vacancy", whereas Elijah can portray "petulance" "nausea" *and* "frozen horror". What a thespian!

Boro, as G55 says, in the "Go away" scene he's simply throwing a tantrum. However, you do make an interesting suggestion– yes, it's probably not fair to blame everything on the script and director– it may be that they had to work around the star's limitations.
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Old 06-19-2012, 07:48 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Galadriel55 View Post
It's so true it's not even funny...
Oh, but it's so true, it's even funny!

Well, what might be funny is I re-watched the scenes in the Shire up through "The Shadow in the past" part...and I think it's the eyes. Wood doesn't sell anything through the eyes, more everything is expressionless, because most everything is a vacant stare, whether he's smiling or whatever. For example, even in this one, that you pointed out in your first post...

This is when Frodo is at Bilbo's party, and Bilbo is giving his speech, before the weird disappearing part. He's trying to smile and portray gladness, but the eyes are conveying blank day-dream staring and instead of portraying happy emotion, which just makes Frodo look creepy. (But I suppose creepy is more of an expression out of Elijah Wood then most other times? ).

I was paying particular attention to Bilbo's and Gandalf's scenes, since those had been done so well, and Ian Holm (which is not surprising at all) makes you believe in every emotion because he sells it with the eyes. I wish there was some way I could post a screen shot of pictures, but whenever anyone gets the chance, watch when Bilbo disappears from his party and is confronted by Gandalf in Bag End. This was discussed somewhat by Nog and Inzil in the Gandalf discussion, but both actors really sold their part. As opposed to Frodo's actor who doesn't seem cognizant, or at all aware of the present situation.

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Originally Posted by Nerwen View Post
Boro, as G55 says, in the "Go away" scene he's simply throwing a tantrum. However, you do make an interesting suggestion– yes, it's probably not fair to blame everything on the script and director– it may be that they had to work around the star's limitations.
Ah, right, and it's funny because I had just rewatched the films last week, but still forgot about the entire lembas scandal. "He doesn't eat them! He can't have taken them!" *headdesk wonderful logic Jackson, and I don't want to get started on the whole destruction for the purpose of lembas, being high and magical elf-food that sustains you for long periods to "mmm yummy elf cakes! I want to stuff a faceful of them!"* (this bit about the lembas comes courtesy of Form, but sadly he is absolutely correct). I think I wanted to believe a rational explanation to a complete Jackson-drama invention, that I forgot Frodo's movie motivations is actually a tantrum and over "yummy elf cakes."

And really I'm not sure if it is a script or actor's limitations, because Frodo could be one of those characters that just fails on every level. I had just been thinking, the lines are there to show Frodo's courage in accepting and taking on the burden of the Ring, as well as showing Frodo's resistance to the Ring gradually breaking down his will...but with the actor being completely unconvincing the "script" argument may be too easy. Then again, with distortions such as the ones we've discussed here, it looks like Frodo just failed completely as a strong lead character.

Which makes me wonder, if anyone thinks, the focus on Aragorn going through his own journey of "returning King" sort of pushes aside the importance of Frodo's journey, the actual "get the Ring to Mount Doom and find a way to destroy it." Although, this is more talking about plot decisions than characters...or maybe Wood being a poor choice for Frodo, that's what makes it seem as if Aragorn is the better developed, and his story is the "main" story?
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Old 06-19-2012, 07:57 AM   #7
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I think Elijah, more so than the other Hobbit actors, actually looked like Frodo, or at least my perception of Frodo; whereas, Sean Astin neither looked nor acted like Samwise at all (the most egregious casting error in my book).

Now, just because E. Wood looked like Frodo, does not mean he acted the part. Like Elrond in the movie, Frodo was far too whiney and effeminate. How Frodo managed to get from the Shire all the way to Mordor in one long unrestrained whine seems remarkable. I would have killed him myself right around Bree. But we do get brief snatches of Frodo every once in a while, particularly when Wood is not consciously acting the part. When Wood does not emote, he is fine, but the minute P. Jackson asked for fear or anguish or anger or sadness, Wood offers the same expression of a six year-old girl who fell off her bike and skinned her knee.
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Old 06-18-2012, 10:18 AM   #8
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Talking about Elijah Wood's acting reminds me of this old joke.

And it does come quite close... even if the basic expression is a bit different from mr. Reeves'.
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