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Old 04-13-2008, 09:56 AM   #204
davem
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davem is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.davem is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
Episode 8: The Voice of Saruman

Transcript: http://www.tolkienradio.com/vos.html

This episode covers a lot of ground. We start out in the aftermath of the Battle of Helm's Deep & wnd with the Fellowship once more broken - but even more fractured than previously. By the close Aragorn, Legolas & Gimli have set forth for Dunharrow & thence the Paths of the Dead, Gandalf & Pippin are approaching Minas Tirith, Merry, in the service of Theoden is also heading towards Dunharrow, & Frodo & Sam have finally met Faramir in the glades of Ithilien.

First though, there is a series of reunions - Gimli with Legolas & Aragorn after his night in the Glittering Caves with Eomer, Gandalf with the survivors of the battle & then finally all four with Merry & Pippin at Orthanc.

The highlight of this episode for me is the confrontation with Saruman. And here I must praise Peter Howell's performance. The way he switches from charming councellor to venomous monster with such alacrity actually rivals (to my mind) Woodthorpe's Gollum. Howell is another player who never seems to get the praise he is due. As with Grout's Butterbur this is a performance to be relished. As I listen to this Saruman I'm never actually certain (as with book Saruman) whether he actually believes he is the injured party. You really get the sense that he sees himself as the victim, & that he really believes that he is working for the best of all concerned & simply doesn't understand what everyone's problem is. Michael Hordern's performance as Gandalf carries just the right combination of righteous anger & sheer frustration, mixed with sadness & compassion for the loss of his fellow Maiar.

I'm still not sure about the Palantir incident - maybe its because I'm so familiar with the way it happens in the book, but to have Pippin looking into the stone while they're still in the ruins of Isengard seems a bit 'wrong'. I suppose this was done purely for reasons of time, but the events seem compressed - as if the adaptor (don't know if it was Brian or Michael) wanted to get everyone up & moving as quickly as possible. Certainly the sudden appearance of the Nazgul while the party are still in Isengard seems not to get the serious response it deserves! And I'm definitely not sure about Pippin's expressed desire to have a Palantir of his own to see what Frodo & Sam are up to at that moment - its a nice linking device, but I honestly doubt that at that point Pippin would really want anything to do with Palantiri ever again

Other things?

I'm grateful for the appearance of Halbarad & the Rangers (though sad for the absence of Elladan & Elrohir ) Like Imrahil they are very minor players who do very little but for some reason you miss them. Oddly I think I miss them more than I miss Bombadil.....

I'm glad we got the encounter between Aragorn & Sauron - an invention but one I think is brilliantly done. Listening to Robert Stephen's performance sent shivers down my spine. If I was Sauron I'd have been a bit nervous....

'What's taters, precious?' Perfect. Tolkien's beautiful little scene played to perfection by Bill Nighy & Peter Woodthorpe. Once again I was left wondering why the movie scriptwriters thought they could improve on Tolkien's dialogue. All the Frodo/Sam/Gollum scenes are wonderfully done, subtle & informed performances by all concerned. Ian Holm's Frodo, at once driven & resigned, Nighy's frustrated & narky Sam & Woodthorpe's cunning, infuriated, frightened Gollum in the scene before the Black Gate are wonderful.

Anyway..
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