LotR revisited – what Peter Jackson got right and what he didn't

[wolfie65Participant 1238xp 0]

For many years, it has been kind of a tradition at my place to re-watch these movies around this time of year and I think they held up very well overall. The only other fantasy movie series that comes close to comparing in size and scope would be Harry Potter.

Having said that, I do have to see them as something separate from the book, they are, as Philippa Boyen very correctly states in the appendices to the extended edition, one group of fans’ version of the story.

I think they nailed the Hobbits, being more or less based on 17th/18 century Irish and West Country gentry,Bree looks good, so do the Nazgul. Aragorn is well done, so are Boromir and the Gondorians, being sort of a Lombard/Italic/Hellenic Mediterranean mix. Professor Tolkien would have been pleased with Rohan as Saxons on horseback, pretty much what he intended them to be, Orcs also seem appropriate as a mixed rabble of unmentionable origin…..

Landscapes are beautiful, animals also well depicted.

Where they fail, in my opinion, are the Elves and Dwarves.

Elves don’t look nearly ‘ethereal’ enough, they just look like humans with long hair and pointy ears. They move way too slowly – except Legolas, of course – aren’t Elves supposed to be really quick ? – Celeborn talks like he’s a little mentally challenged, the Elves, conjured out of thin non-Tolkien air by Mr. Jackson,  who come to relieve Helm’s Deep are far too lockstep for my taste, there should be much more fluidity in their drill maneuvers. Ralph Bakshi’s cartoon version did much better Elves.

The only Dwarf we see (alive) is also a little bit of a disappointment, Gimli is NOT comic relief in the book and I’m still not sure about the Scottish accent done by a Welshman…..I think this may have something to do with the fact that movie audiences – at least in America – might have trouble seeing short people as heroes.

[pagan8thParticipant 10876xp 0]

I think Liv Tyler was good as Arwen. She always seemed to tall and thin to me to be a human. In Armageddon looked ‘gangly’!

Elrond seemed to stern. Galadriel didn’t look elven really.

Often in films they portray the wise and elderly as being slow speaking and that just makes them seem slow witted.

Although the films are different from the books, the spirit of them is there and I do like them. Watched them all several times.

I don’t have prime, but I’ve heard little good said about that variant of middle earth.

[onlyonepinman 18065xp 0]

I think with the Elves they went with grace and elegance rather than speed.  But they do show the quickness of the Elves with Legolas – not just the rapid fire but also the quick draw when he pulls an arrow against Eomer.  So I think they got the Elves right.

Sure, Gimli comes across at times aasa bit of comic relief, but he isn’t really a comical character.  I don’t know whether they quite captured the spirit of the book with him,  but he is still a fine character and he still has depth in the film.  I think we have to accept that you do need that lighter hearted character in a film, especially of that length.

[wolfie65Participant 1238xp 0]

None of PJ’s Elves look like Elves to me. Another thing that bothers me about them is that Tolkien used Welsh and Finnish as inspiration for his Elvish languages, which goves us an idea of what he was thinking, while PJ’s Elves have a vaguely Japanese flavor. Maybe that has something to do with PJ being from the Pacific region, not Europe, as well as a big fan of East Asian martial arts movies and video games.

Personally, the real existing people I would picture as closest to Elves would be Scandinavians, especially Swedes and Finns. I’ve known some Swedish and Finnish people who could easily play believable Elves, little makeup required.

[onlyonepinman 18065xp 0]

The problem with making the Elves looks “Scandinavian” is that they would not look much different to the Rohirrim.  However,  having never seen an Elf for real, I couldn’t possibly say for certain what one looks like.  However I have met a fair few Swedes and Finns, having been there several times.  They don’t look too different to other central Europeans.

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