Is Aragorn as you pictured him?

[MatthewM]

Originally Posted by alatar

What I liked about Sean Bean's Boromir is that the actor exudes a natural charisma that makes him appear 'approachable.' You could see yourself drinking or fighting alongside this Boromir. Viggo's Aragorn is less so. I like Viggo's work, but he comes off as reserved, as does his character. Note that it is he that sits and watches as Boromir interacts with the Two Fools when they learn a bit of swordplay while journeying south towards Caradhras.

However, book wise, both Boromir and Aragorn have a noble air about them, and most likely both of them would seem to the common folk less approachable - I credit Tolkien artist Catherine Karina Chmiel with this opinion that is now also my own. You could picture Boromir walking about the streets of Gondor, respected, but not somebody you could just go up to and pat on the back, as Jackson portrays Boromir in his Two Tower's deleted scene at Osgiliath. Same with Aragorn, he was definitely not approachable in Bree. Aragorn wasn't supposed to really be everybody's pal. Neither was Boromir.

On the subject of Bean portraying Aragorn- I can't see it working. I think Viggo fit the part better. Sean Bean did an amazing job with Boromir, I just can't see him as Aragorn. I like Viggo's portrayal, but if we are to start saying names on who would make a great Aragorn, I would suggest Liam Neeson. He has an Aragorn like face (from the books as I picture) and I think his acting would have been great for the character.

[MatthewM]

Check out Liam Neeson's biography and pictures here- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000553/

[Sir Kohran]

Originally Posted by MatthewM

Check out Liam Neeson's biography and pictures here- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000553/

Hm, choosing Qui-Gon Jinn for Aragorn might have generated too much gossip (remember the whole 'Agent Elrond' thing?).

[Morthoron]

The thing most everyone is missing is Aragorn's nickname: Strider. He was very tall and lanky as the name implies (his ancestor, Elendil, was said to be 6'11'' and tallest of all the Dunedain). This is not a physical quality Viggo posesses (I believe he's 5'11"). In fact, it seemed other characters were taller than he. Also, he did not portray the grimness Tolkien instilled in Aragorn (and the rest of the Dunedain, like Halbarad, for instance). Viggo came off wishy-washy and irresolute, which were not characteristics of Aragorn either (this I blame on the script mostly).

I would agree that Liam Neeson fits Tolkien's description much better, but unfortunately, Hollywood cuteness prevailed.

[MatthewM]

Originally Posted by Sir Kohran

Hm, choosing Qui-Gon Jinn for Aragorn might have generated too much gossip (remember the whole 'Agent Elrond' thing?).

Lol, it's true. Although I still think he would have made a good Aragorn, looks and acting wise.

[MatthewM]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

The thing most everyone is missing is Aragorn's nickname: Strider. He was very tall and lanky as the name implies (his ancestor, Elendil, was said to be 6'11'' and tallest of all the Dunedain). This is not a physical quality Viggo posesses (I believe he's 5'11"). In fact, it seemed other characters were taller than he. Also, he did not portray the grimness Tolkien instilled in Aragorn (and the rest of the Dunedain, like Halbarad, for instance). Viggo came off wishy-washy and irresolute, which were not characteristics of Aragorn either (this I blame on the script mostly).

If interested, Tolkien gives a (pretty much) accurate height for both Aragorn and Boromir in an unpublished note located at the Bodleian Library in Oxford-

"Aragorn, direct descendant of Elendil and his son Isildur, both of whom had been seven feet tall, must nonetheless have been a very tall man…, probably at least 6 ft. 6; and Boromir, of high Númenorean lineage, not much shorter (say 6 ft. 4)." (p. 229 of The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion)

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by MatthewM

If interested, Tolkien gives a (pretty much) accurate height for both Aragorn and Boromir in an unpublished note located at the Bodleian Library in Oxford-

"Aragorn, direct descendant of Elendil and his son Isildur, both of whom had been seven feet tall, must nonetheless have been a very tall man…, probably at least 6 ft. 6; and Boromir, of high Númenorean lineage, not much shorter (say 6 ft. 4)." (p. 229 of The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion)

Precisely. Thanks for the timely back-up (there is also a concise summary of Gondorion/Dunedain heights and measurements in the UT)! However, watch the movie...it seems several of the other characters are slightly taller or of the same height as Aragorn. I guess P.J. just wanted all the Hollywood-handsome faces in the same headshots, camera angle-wise.

[MatthewM]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

it seems several of the other characters are slightly taller or of the same height as Aragorn. I guess P.J. just wanted all the Hollywood-handsome faces in the same headshots, camera angle-wise.

Perhaps...how tall was Legolas supposed to be, in the books? I believe Bloom is as tall as Viggo...not sure though.

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

I would agree that Liam Neeson fits Tolkien's description much better, but unfortunately, Hollywood cuteness prevailed.

Ah, but Mr. Neeson is as cute as a rather large button, though perhaps not a stern enough or grim enough one.

[Lalwendë]

You guys would like the new entry I found while poking around on Encyclopedia of Arda t'other day to see what was new. This is about "Man-High":

An informal unit of height among the Dúnedain, referring to the height of a typical Man of Númenórean descent. It was based on the ranga, a Númenórean measure of length corresponding to thirty-eight inches, or a little less than a metre. A height of two rangar was referred to as 'man-high', so a typical Dúnadan would be 6' 4" in height, or 1.93m.

The term comes from later usage, when the Dúnedain of Middle-earth had dwindled somewhat. In earlier times they had been taller on average. Elendil, for example, was famous for his height (and indeed was often called Elendil the Tall). He was said to have been nearly half a ranga more than man-high, which would make his approximate height an incredible 7' 10", or 2.39m.

Fascinating. So the average height of a Ranger was two ranga.

Here's what they say for Ranga:

A measure used by the Númenóreans and their descendants in Middle-earth. One ranga was defined as the length of the stride of a man walking at ease, and seems to have corresponded to a length of thirty-eight inches, or 0.97 metres. A height of two rangar was conventionally referred to as 'man-high', representing (approximately) the average height of a Dúnadan as 6 feet, 4 inches, or 1.93 metres. The Halflings were named by the Dúnedain as being half their own height on average, so if two rangar were 'man-high', then one ranga can be considered roughly 'Hobbit-high'.

Measurements of longer distances were also based on the ranga. A distance of 5,000 strides was named a lár, signifying a point where a rest-stop should be held. By convenient coincidence, 5,000 rangar also corresponds almost exactly to three miles, so a lár described a distance essentially equivalent to a league.

Hilde - Liam Neeson cute? What about his big ol' broken nose?

[Estelyn Telcontar]

...one ranga can be considered roughly 'Hobbit-high'.

...which must refer to Trotter, the Hobbit Ranger!

[MatthewM]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

Fascinating. So the average height of a Ranger was two ranga.

Thanks for that info! That's quite interesting indeed.

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

That is a wonderful and strangely imprecise measurement! As the long years drew down, did the lár become shorter, I wonder.

And I also wonder if a hobbit gait would be measured in halfrangas... or perhaps cubits are a corruption of hobbis, the length of a hobbit's stride.

[ninja91]

Of course, I saw the movies before I read the books. But even if I had read the books, I pictured someone like Viggo playing him. Not necessarily and English noble warrior type, but more like a loner fateful type with something to prove. And I think Viggo fit that ticket quite nicely, if I do say so myself.

[Laurinquë]

I never really have a very clear pictures of book characters in my head, so they are easily replaced by movie characters. I suppose I thought of Aragorn as being, well, darker I guess is the right word, more mysterious-looking, rather aloof. I do however think that Viggo Mortensen is a great Aragorn, he is not quite what I thought I thought he would be but still, he is really good.

[Groin Redbeard]

I pictured Aragorn just as Viggo looks, but with a slightly thicker beard.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

I like to think of Aragorn more mysterious than Viggo!

[Laurinquë]

Mmm...yes...mysterious....

[Groin Redbeard]

Originally Posted by TheGreatElvenWarrior

I like to think of Aragorn more mysterious than Viggo!

In the Fellowship of the Ring he was really mysterious, but once you find out who he really is there's nothing left.

[Laurinquë]

Well yes, but in my mind he always retained an aura of mystic about him.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

One of the downsides of being young and watching the movies first because you couldn't read something of the awesome power as LotR, you start picturing Viggo as Aragorn... it really sucks! But I love the mysterious Aragorn, in fact sometimes Aragorn for me isn't even Viggo at all, but someone I cannot describe!

[Gwathagor]

I never pictured Aragorn with long hair. Shaggy, yes. Long, no. I also envisioned him as being significantly less greasy. And taller and leaner.

I had the good fortune to read the books first.

[Sauron the White]

From head to toe, the look of Aragorn in the films was extremely consistent with how a person would look having spent long periods of time in the wilds. Such social conventions as having ones hair properly cut and trimmed, or frequently washed and styled, or having their clothes looks as if they just were ordered from the Minas Tirith branch of Nordstroms are not in keeping with the realistic look of the films. Once upon a time, many decades ago, Hollywood would have given Aragorn a perfectly crisply pressed and cleaned outfit, had his hair looking as if he just did a commercial for Breck shampoo, and made sure he was a good four inches taller than all those he came in contact with to make sure the audience got the idea that he was a king. Thankfully, Cecil B. DeMille and his like are no longer around to give us that sanitized, very unreal version of a hero.

[Volo]

Hmm... You're right, Sauron, but to me Aragorn still looked too clean and properly cut. The whole film shows that long hair was in fashion, so Aragorn was no dirty exeption. Movie Aragorn wasn't wild enough.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

I like the fun side of Aragorn, the side where he laughs at jokes and in the Prancing Pony, there were times that he laughed and I liked that, he was a grim man yes, but he had to be, I of course like it when people are smiling a lot! So he needed more laugh lines!
That's my opinion!

[skip spence]

I think the casting of Viggo as Aragorn was spot on. He's just as I had imagined him: grim, resolute, serious and with the weight of the world on his shoulders, as he knows he has to accomplish more than anyone has done before to get what he desires, and that he's very unlikely to succeed. The extended interplay between Arwen and Aragorn was also great to better understand his character and what drove him on, although they meddled with the background story a bit too much. Viggo's rugged good looks and sword fighting skills are also fitting I'd say.

Whether he's tall enough is a small concern to me.

[Gwathagor]

Actually, a good hunter would clean himself regularly (e.g. bathe in stream) to reduce his scent, thereby making it more difficult for him to be detected by his quarry. The Native Americans, for example, were very conscientious about being clean before they went hunting; the sweat-lodge was part of this process. Aragorn, as we all know, was one of the greatest hunters of that time period in Middle-earth. It is therefore not unreasonable to assume that he would have managed his grime-levels better than he did in the films. He certainly did not have the same gritty, modernist sensibility that Jackson and Co. do, and would have had no qualms about tidying up whenever possible. (In fact, he probably thought: "Gee, I'm an important protagonist here. I should be more presentable before I go into town/meet other important protagonists.") Certainly he wouldn't have been impeccably clean; but you see my point.

[Mithalwen]

Viggo is not my idea of Aragorn but I accepted him as Aragorn in the films - his first appearance at Bree was one of the few things that tallied with my mental image. However Daniel Day Lewis is much closer to my mental image especially in this picture - though perhpas a little young

http://www.perfectduluthday.com/Dani...20-%20Bild.jpg

[Gwathagor]

Ah! Daniel Day-Lewis, of course! He'd be PERFECT, as anyone who has seen The Last of the Mohicans would have to agree.

[Sauron the White]

Gwathagor

Actually, a good hunter would clean himself regularly (e.g. bathe in stream) to reduce his scent, thereby making it more difficult for him to be detected by his quarry. The Native Americans, for example, were very conscientious about being clean before they went hunting;

Is this something that all hunters would do in every culture that you know of?
How often do you think this process would have been used by a hunter?
Does this not go against what we know of bathing practices by people during the Middle Ages and agrarian times?
How do you know that Aragorn did not bathe? Even when he was doused in the river after going off the cliff in TTT he certainly did not have benefit of soap and shampoo, hair conditioner, and a good blow dryer.

addition: just had my daughter and her husband over for dinner and he is a big hunter who was raised in a family of hunters going back several generations. He also teaches science. He said that bathing is not going to get you any results because your normal scents begin to emerge almost as soon as you dry off. He said a good hunter uses wind and learns how to stay downwind of an animal. Or, old school hunters used to use anjmal urine to cover their scent with fox or skunk being the preferred scent.

[Gwathagor]

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

Gwathagor



Is this something that all hunters would do in every culture that you know of?
How often do you think this process would have been used by a hunter?
Does this not go against what we know of bathing practices by people during the Middle Ages and agrarian times?
How do you know that Aragorn did not bathe? Even when he was doused in the river after going off the cliff in TTT he certainly did not have benefit of soap and shampoo, hair conditioner, and a good blow dryer.

addition: just had my daughter and her husband over for dinner and he is a big hunter who was raised in a family of hunters going back several generations. He also teaches science. He said that bathing is not going to get you any results because your normal scents begin to emerge almost as soon as you dry off. He said a good hunter uses wind and learns how to stay downwind of an animal. Or, old school hunters used to use anjmal urine to cover their scent with fox or skunk being the preferred scent.

I agree. The wind is very important, too.

Did you really bring this up at the dinner table?

[Sauron the White]

pre-dinner conversation. And asking him a question about hunting is like asking Bill why Hillary should be president.

[Folwren]

Nope. 'Fraid not. Neither so hansome nor so rugged as I pictured Aragorn. Sorry.

EDIT: Just looked at the picture Mith linked to. That's a great pictures and very Aragorn-ish to my mind. Thanks for the link.

[MatthewM]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

Viggo is not my idea of Aragorn but I accepted him as Aragorn in the films - his first appearance at Bree was one of the few things that tallied with my mental image. However Daniel Day Lewis is much closer to my mental image especially in this picture - though perhpas a little young

http://www.perfectduluthday.com/Dani...20-%20Bild.jpg

Yeah, I do agree. I like Viggo but each time I watch the films I think about how different the Aragorn I picture actually is. Oh well. That guy in the picture looks like he would have fit the part well.

[Alonna]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

Viggo is not my idea of Aragorn but I accepted him as Aragorn in the films - his first appearance at Bree was one of the few things that tallied with my mental image. However Daniel Day Lewis is much closer to my mental image especially in this picture - though perhpas a little young

http://www.perfectduluthday.com/Dani...20-%20Bild.jpg

Daniel Day-Lewis was offered the role of Aragorn several times, but he turned it down. Unfortunately, Day-Lewis tends to be very picky about what roles he takes. He's only done four films in the last ten years. He would have been excellent in the role of Aragorn if he had taken it.

[Manwathiel]

when i first read the books i imagined him as a bit rougher looking than he was portrayed in the films, a bit older, more worn out looking.

[Eönwë]

[QUOTE=Alonna;546399]Daniel Day-Lewis was offered the role of Aragorn several times, but he turned it down. Unfortunately, Day-Lewis tends to be very picky about what roles he takes. He's only done four films in the last ten years. He would have been excellent in the role of Aragorn if he had taken it.[/QUOTE

And it would probably also have given him a good reutation (though I suppose he likes to be THE main character)

[HerenIstarion]

No

[Rikae]

Day-Lewis does have more of the right facial structure, but he's still not quite as I pictured him.

Actually, though, I think Macalaure should have played Aragorn. His eyes have more wisdom than Viggo's, and his goatee is scruffier!

[Snowdog]

Viggo did ok as 'Strider' but there should have been a scene where he challenged Sauron through the Palantir, and afterward appeared older, more strained, but more kingly. To me there wasn't enough difference between the Ranger and the King, but then I never could understand the movie's reason that the 'heir to the kingship of Gondor' ran away to the north, since there was no mention of the two sundered lines of Elendil.