PJ's Sauron

[elfearz1]

What did you think about how PJ showed Sauron go?

[thread titles should have some indication of subject - note that the line for it is labelled that]

[Lindalirien O Lorien]

In my opion it seemed somewhat "comical" in a sense. I could hear the Eye saying "NO!!! I HAVE BEEN VANQUISHED NOOOOO!!!" in my head I really didn't like it that much. I also didn't like how the Eye looked at all in the third movie, it looked totally different in the first two movies, but that's just my opinion...

[ArwenBaggins]

I went and saw RotK for the forth time last night and just now noticed how much the Eye looks like a giant spotlight or lighthouse. It seemed to be scanning the land in a giant circle.

[kboleen]

It was okay, but I did miss seeing the "black shape" rise into the air over the battlefield and then blow away into nothingness.

[Knight of Gondor]

I kind of didn't like the Lighthouse approach. It's like, first it's only an eye, then suddenly it's capable of shining light? How strange is that? I did also wish that the wraith-like cloud would have emitted from the dark tower to blow away, but no go. Besides frantically looking around, there wasn't a lot to indicate Sauron's end. Strange, since the whole title is about him, and the whole plot centers around defeating him.

[Gorwingel]

I thought it turned out good... But just good. It could have been better. But I do have to give the filmmakers credit because it was one of the most difficult scenes (in my opinion) to translate into visuals. It is a very descriptive scene, with a lot going on, so I can understand why they went the way they did. But I did find the whole eye moving around franticly after the destruction of the ring quite amusing

[Elentári_O_Most_Mighty_1]

I didn't think it was particularly spectactular, but good enough...at least, I didn't notice anything wrong with it. As for it looking different...that's nothing to the transformation Gollum made from in the mines of Moria to how he was in TTT and ROTK...

[Duncariel]

It looked sort of like it was trying desperately to hang on, and that just didn't work very well. He was a great big Eye, for heaven's sake! It all looked a little too cheesy for my liking. I always sort of pictured the Eye of Sauron as more of a figure of speech than an actual literal eye...

[Essex]

Look everyone, I've read dozens of posts about this lighthouse eye since the film's come out.

Live with it!

Just imagine if we had Sauron v Aragorn (which WAS filmed I've been informed) at the end of the film, EVERYTHING else 'wrong' with Sauron would have been forgotten.

Just be thankful, that like Arwen at Helm's Deep, Jackson was swayed by public opinion and re shot the scene (obviously the big nasty troll replaced Sauron at the Black Gate)

How else could Jackson show Sauron hunting for the Ring other than having a light beam show where he was looking? I think it explains quite well the line from ROTK where Sam puts on the Ring

Immediately he felt the great burden of its weight, and felt afresh, but now more strong and urgent than ever, the malice of the Eye of Mordor, searching, trying to pierce the shadows that it had made for its own defence, but which now hindered it in its unquiet and doubt.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

They could have shown it in a way where Sauron was not a giant flaming eyeball.

However, I did like Sauron's physical form at the battle at Mount Doom (you know, the physical form he couldn't take after he lost the Ring *groan* )

That was good and frightening.

[Lindalirien O Lorien]

I agree with you Eomer,
I loved Sauron in the prolouge. For after, when the ring was found again, I think it would have been cool to NOT show what Sauron looked, you know like Tolkien did, not really mentioning Sauron's appearence. Then again, it might have been hard to do and I did like it when the eye would flash on screen when Gandalf bent down to touch the ring and when he covered the Palantíri.

[DarkRose]

I thought the Eye was effective in the way that it made the audience realize how dangerous it was for Frodo and Sam to be scuttling about in Mordor, trying to reach Mt. Doom. I mean, they could have been caught at any moment! I think the way the Eye was portrayed emphasized that quite nicely.

[Kath]

Actually did anyone else find that when the Eye was turning, it looked like it did see Frodo before he fell over?

[Lindalirien O Lorien]

I did, why?

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I actually didn't mind the way they portrayed Sauron... could have been worse. Can you imagine if they carried the whole lighthouse thing and then when the Ring was destoryed, the Eye started to flicker and then go out like a lightbulb? That would have been infinately humourous.

(you know, the physical form he couldn't take after he lost the Ring *groan* )

Actually........... if you will please remember Gandalf at the Council of Elrond (straight from the book, page 281 in my edition):

Some here will remember that many years ago I myself dared to pass the doors of the Necromancer in Dol Guldur, and secretly explored his ways, and found thus that our fears were true: he was none other than Sauron, our Enemy of old, at length taking shape and power again .

Unless Gandalf means the shape of a giant floating eye, than most people are mistaken when they think Sauron was formless.

Fea

[The Only Real Estel]

Well, first off, you can find my opinion & losts of other people's too at this thread. But I guess I'll re-state mind here anyway (briefly ):

I thought that Sauron being symbolized as an eye ontop of Mordor was a little iffy, but I could work with it. I thought that their original idea of Sauron fighting Aragorn in front of the Black Gate was totally lame, fortunatly, they decided against introducing that. I was very disappointed in RotK's portrayl of Sauron, because they:
a. Limited Sauron's vision to this little beam of light.
-and-
b. Completely destroyed what they said earlier about how Sauron's gaze could pierce earth, cloud, shadow, & flesh. Kinda makes you wonder why Sauron couldn't see the hobbits, then, who hid behind flimsy rocks & elven cloaks that, althought they were powerful, could never have stood up to Sauron's gaze. Much less a highly concentrated gazy sight beam . Please. It was pathetic, pathetic, pathetic.

Unless Gandalf means the shape of a giant floating eye, than most people are mistaken when they think Sauron was formless.

I believe that Gandalf means that he wasn't just a spirit, but wasn't quite a physical form, who knows? The main thing is that PJ changed it to he 'could not yet take physical form, so that's what the movie Sauron is judged by...the movie version of Sauron.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Feanor, the *groan* that I inserted into my post was supposed to indicate my exasperation at the film's mistake, which has contributed greatly to many book fans being confused about Sauron's physical form.

But I guess irony doesn't travel well in cyberspace. Maybe I should have put one of these;

Trust me. I know that Sauron had physical form.

[Saraphim]

I thought the way they did Sauron was quite good, but I had to laugh at the end of RotK. He just became quivery and twitched around. It would have been better if PJ had put in the cloud-shadow-hand thing, because the way it turned out was like:

"Oh, pizzle, I'm going to the Void."

It was just humorus, not impressive, like the book is.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Ah, Eomer, allow me to apologize. I've had my own bit of trouble with the transferring of sarcasm and irony to the web... It usually doesnt work. Still though... I really did kind of like the giant eyeball thing. Since there is no description anywhere of Sauron's physical form in the 3rd Age, yet there is a very detailed one of his eye-shape, it did make sense to just use that.

Fea

[Lhunardawen]

Actually, I was wondering why Sauron the Spotlight did not seem to respond to seeing Frodo in Mordor...yes, I did see his "light" shine upon him.

I really hated the spotlight idea, but I agree that it was probably to give emphasis to the fact that he swayed his attention from Frodo and Sam to the army mustering at his gate.

The White Lady of Lindon

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Apology accepted Feanor.

Even if I do take the opposite view from you, that Jackson's Sauron was poor.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Let me clarify: I like the eyeball spotlight thing because of how else it could have been. Just think of all the other ways PJ could have portrayed Sauron... I won't even go into detail, but think along the lines of a really big ringwraith with a very deep voice and sparkly powers.

Personally, I never thought of the Eye as being a tangible thing... I always saw it as his "inner eye", so to speak. Sauron's power, in concentrated form. His spiritual side more than anything... so when I first saw an actual firey eye floating above Mordor... Needless to say I was shocked. But after I got used to it, it started to make a bit of sense. Of course... We , as dedicated Tolkienites (ie: obsessive addicts) could have done a better job...

Fea

[Carlas]

I'll have to agree with Feanor on this one. I like the eye, rather than the cloud that looked like sauron or something like that in the books. (I can't seem to remeber exactly what happened in the books...) But I thought it would have been better if the eye wasn't squirming around like it was, for all of the first two movies it never moved, and all of a sudden it's jumping about.

[Lord of Angmar]

I found Sauron's ending in the movie to be unfortunate at best and ridiculous at worst. Not only did the shifty imploding eye look strange and almost laughable, but it was also deceptive to moviegoers not familiar with Tolkien's works. Why couldn't PJ just have had Sauron in physical form for his demise, or at least stick with the text in "Mount Doom" by having the ghastly shadow of Sauron rise up and be swept away by the wind?