View Single Post
Old 07-20-2016, 07:48 AM   #6
Boromir88
Laconic Loreman
 
Boromir88's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 7,559
Boromir88 is wading through the Dead Marshes.Boromir88 is wading through the Dead Marshes.Boromir88 is wading through the Dead Marshes.Boromir88 is wading through the Dead Marshes.Boromir88 is wading through the Dead Marshes.Boromir88 is wading through the Dead Marshes.
Send a message via AIM to Boromir88 Send a message via MSN to Boromir88
Tolkien refers to the eagles as a 'machine' in his Letters.

Quote:
The Eagles are a dangerous 'machine'. I have used them sparingly, and that is the absolute limit of their credibility or usefulness.~Letter 210
Referring to the latin phrase "deus ex machina," a device authors/story tellers will use to help their heroes out of a sticky situation, or to solve a plot by using the supernatural. Along the lines of Aaron's post, Tolkien understood writing fantasy and the Eagles are used to their "absolute limit."

There is a powerful, up-lifting emotion in The Hobbit when Bilbo sees the Eagles "The Eagles! The Eagles! The Eagles are coming!" And this is echoed by Pippin in The Lord of the Rings.

I actually think it's not the way the Eagles are presented in the movies which leaves fans with the question "why couldn't they fly the Ring into Mordor?" It's the way the Army of the Dead is presented in the movies, as some indestructible, unstoppable wave of neon green snot. I was wondering why couldn't they just clear the path to Mordor as they did for Aragorn to Minas Tirith? They are the deus ex machina that created a plot-hole in the movies.

I don't think any explanation for the Eagles is needed in the movies, if anyone asks, I would just point them to this fan video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZrJPiq9QGM
__________________
Fenris Penguin
Boromir88 is offline   Reply With Quote