Only those that are lost can never go home.
There’s movement in the cornfield, and we find Sam hiking along. But where’s Mr. Frodo? Sam's panic may be due to having seen
Children of the Corn as you're just never sure what walks between the rows. But really, were Sam and Frodo walking so far apart that Sam would lose sight or 'ear' of him? But it sets up a great line - "I thought that I'd lost you." Gollum's song at the end of TTT eerily talks about being lost, and here we see that Sam and Frodo may make it through as with each other, neither is lost. And we will see and hear Sam say something similar later in the movie, but at that time he won't be treading stalks…
And is this cornfield flat or on a hillside? Looking over Sam’s shoulder, it appears slanted. Looking towards Frodo, it appears flat.
No! It's Merry and Pippin trampling though the cornfield. Can't anyone hear? Pippin comes off not only as a thief but also a glutton. No sympathy being generated for this character. And later, when Gandalf hears of this merry meeting as they all are sitting around in Minas Tirith at the beginning of the Fourth Age, he will say surely something like, “and you were
meant to crash into Sam and Frodo…” Farmer Maggot as the hand of Eru.
And did you notice the sun disappearing and reappearing behind Frodo?
We then have four hobbits caterwauling over the hillside, which looked like a cliff but I guess that it really wasn't - as the real fall would have killed them all. Pippin's near miss is a real miss, joke-wise. What is it with PJ, short persons and slapstick? Wow! Those are some dirty feet. It never hit me until now how dirty these shoeless travelers must be. The book hobbits always washed their feet thrice daily (that’s how I read it, though without my books I won’t be able to provide a source
). Finally we see a mysterious vegetable – the carrot. Get a good look, as a cousin of this carrot is going to play an important part in plot development in a few minutes. And of course you caught the cleverly added chapter title from the book.
Luckily we get back to some more seriousness as 'something' is coming down the road, as sensed by Frodo. The mist further down the trail, the mottled sunlight, the use of the camera lens and a leaf blower (or whatever) to distort the scenery - nothing overdone here to set up that something wicked this way comes. As the hobbits hide like little children playing, we glimpse a bit more clearly what is riding those black horses. To me, this is a better thrill than the beheading or the Gandalf-grab. You hear the horse's footfalls before seeing it. The Black Rider doesn't jump off the horse, or slither down the tree; it dismounts noisily (all of that metal armor) and starts sniffing for Frodo. There’s a build-up, and that's cool. Nice camera angle when the camera rotates groundward. Makes the Nazgul appear even larger. Children and the boogeyman, that’s what I see.
One nitpick here – does the horse pass behind the right side of the tree? To me it looks like the horse appears to the left of the tree magically.
The grey metal gauntleted hand above the hobbits has sharp pointy edges. Now just where did we just see something like that recently? PJ states that he added the bugs and arachnids to the scene in order to show that even these were fearful of this Nazgul. Initially when I saw the scene, however, I thought that the insects weren't fleeing but just trying to creep the hobbits out so that they would betray themselves.
Sam helps Frodo defy the siren song of the Ring, and this puts off the Nazgul somewhat. The pack or whatever thrown by Merry confounds the creature even more...which seems a bit silly. Must have been sunny and 12 PM (hope that I don’t have to explain that).
Now we finally get to some chills. Darkness always helps the boogeyman. The Nazgul hunt the hobbits in the fog-lit forest. I can just taste the adrenaline rush. We see that Merry
does have a serious helpful side with his suggestion to cross the river at the Buckleberry Ferry – and I think that he knows something of Frodo and the Ring, just like in the books. Pippin yells for the four to hit the dirt, which he said more than loud enough. We see the silhouette of the Nazgul stalking horse, which I think was a desktop picture or screensaver. Note that
the Nazgul you fear is better than the Black Rider you...hmm. Or was it
where the Nazgul prows the… Anyway, think that shortly we’re all going to realize that there are more than one of these creatures.
Bam! We get one of those standard 'jump out at you' thrills as a Black Rider finds the hobbits. Now, you'd think that as it senses the Ring, it's night, the bearer is a foot or two away that it could have accomplished a little more than stamping about nonsensically. Was Merry tossing luggage in the bushes, which as we all know disorients these creatures? Note to Nazgul: Next time you find yourself spinning in circles trying to figure out which of four hobbits to trample, just behead one (you know how…), and your decision will be simpler. Repeat as necessary.
Now this is nitpicky, but a horse cannot keep pace with hobbits? And was that Frodo yelping as he falls off of the fence? Where's that "don't you leave him, Samwise Gamgee” now when you really need it?
That's Elijah Wood doing the leap onto the barge.
So we've made it to the safety of Bree. The hobbits get their first taste of Tallsville, and they're really none too sure that it a good place to be. Ouch! The PJ cameo. Was that carrot colorized so that it stood out from the scenery? As the hobbits stand at Barliman's desk, the 'big guy' walks by like nothing's happening, yet there was some subtle size trickery there.
Yes, Frodo gives the name "Underhill." Okay. So what? He could have said anything, like Gamgee, or even Baggins. Sure, this declaration later would not allow Frodo to attempt to stop Pippin's faux pas, but surely we could have worked something out. And Barliman knowing the hobbit's name is one thing, but the ill-favored looking man that Pippin found as a friend? It’s Pippin, and even if one were nameless, odorless, invisible, etc, the Pip would find some way to sabotage the plan. It’s in his blood.
And wasn't Pippin paying attention when Frodo said that he
was Mr. Underhill? Didn’t they just try to enter Bree stealthily? See what I mean?
But Gandalf hasn't arrived, which is a surprise and letdown to Frodo but not to us, as we know that he’s on his way to the Orthanc penthouse. And how does this tie into some of Gandalf's first words about being neither early nor late? If he were late coming to Bilbo's birthday then couldn’t he also be late meeting Frodo? It might have been more of an event if we thought that Gandalf was there.
Never take a Ring of Power to an inn where patrons keep weasels as pets. Or black cats.
Again we have Frodo comforting Sam regarding Gandalf’s arrival. But before we get too serious there’s the “Fun with Measures” Pippin and Merry show. And who would have thought that there were so many interesting
words regarding volumes? Pip is at it again; are we sure that he’s on our side? If only he could become a wraith so that the Nazgul could benefit from his tomfoolery.
One thing about the Prancing Pony is all of the little and big hand-made artifacts lying around. The mugs etc are real, and so the place looks lived in, not some plasticky set.
Before we learn of the mysterious stranger in the corner, I just wanted to note that Merry and his pint were seated across from Sam when Pippin goes off for his own. When the innkeeper speaks with Frodo, Merry is now across from Frodo. A big deal? Not at all. Just another example of the Pippin effect.
So Strider is one of those Rangers. We get a pipe bowl-lit glimpse of his non-fair face. Didn’t think that he was one of those Black Riders. But before we see more of Strider, we have to watch Frodo become stupid and twirl the One Ring under the table. I guess in Westron the words, “Keep it hidden, keep it safe,” exclude fondling an object of great power and possibly the key to the end of the age in a public room. Every time Frodo goes hazy I just want to reach out and give him a shake.
Now, if there were five Nazgul sitting across from Frodo, feigning to play Texas Hold’em but actually chanting for Frodo to put on the Ring, I could understand what was going on. But as far as we know, the Nazgul are miles distant, and so what possesses Frodo to act so stupidly?
It has to be the weasel or Pippin. Or the carrot.
The close-up of Elijah’s hands beg the question – does he bite his nails? And what’s with the man with the dribble mug? But Frodo’s trance is broken as he hears his name. Thanks Pip. Why don’t you just hold me while the men at the bar rob us? Cousin Frodo, not knowing the inherent power of stupidity, attempts to stop Pippin from making more declarations. Pow! And Frodo goes earthward as the Ring sails overhead, and then, as luck would have it, the Ring would jump onto his finger. And into a hole in the floor goes Frodo.
No cows jumping over the moon here.
Suddenly the Nazgul are aware of the Ringed Frodo. Hello! And Frodo seems to be in a shadow world of wind. Not exactly as I pictured the invisible world, but it works as it’s not a nice place to be – there’s a price to pay for wearing the Ring. And something else sees Frodo now.
The voice of Sauron here is a bit too clear. I would think that it should be more Andy Serkis Nazgul-like, or a BOOM! shock speaker-melting voice of a Maia who hopes to straddle the continent. And now we see the Eye of Sauron, close up. Hey, who let the eye in the bar? Now, I know that as this is the first time that Frodo puts on the Ring, and since Bilbo left Bag End less than an hour ago that Sauron has increased in power, but to have the Eye introduced here so overwhelmingly (and then not again) is a little much. Was there a more toned-down approach to making the Eye connection without going full screen?
And “I see you” stated by a large fiery eye? Need I state the obvious?
Frodo struggles through the immaterial inn as the Eye talks to him – can’t make out the words. He removes the Ring and reaches the safety of the visible world. Or so he thinks. Frodo is grabbed away, and then we see that it’s that Strider guy manhandling him out of the bar and up the steps. Thought that a disappearing hobbit would have resulted in more clamor.
I like this next scene – Strider barely visible under his hood, tension, verbal sparing…We learn that Rangers cannot be seen if they so desire. Special abilities; not your average person here. Strider ups the thrill by saying that he knows what hunts the Ringbearer. But before we hear more, the other three hobbits rush to the rescue.
No, no, no! And I was liking this scene too. What is Aragorn doing with an unbroken sword? And didn’t his keen senses note that it was three hobbits at the door and not Nazgul or squint-eyed southerners? And Merry has a stout heart, not Sam – well, Sam does, but…
Strider states that “they’re coming.” We’ll hear this line later in the movie when more than Nazgul are approaching. Does PJ practice ‘conservation’ of dialogue for a reason? The gatekeeper is ridden flat, and the Nazgul burst in on Bree like the four horsemen of the Dagor Dagorath. And they enter the inn as Barliman mutters hiding in the corner. Trip them, you fool!
Speaking of fooling, did anyone think that the hobbits were about to receive acupuncture, Mordor-style? In the books, was it the wraiths or their henchpersons that attacked the beds? But I assume that the cutting back and forth between the beds and the hobbits in their bed tents (just how does one place covers over one’s head so that you have a foot or two of empty space?) works for those who don’t know what is about to happen.
You see Aragorn sitting, looking out the window, and you can just read it in his eyes, “I stayed in a Holiday Inn last night. And this night too.”
Nothing makes Nazgul scream like down. If only it came in barrels…
Finally some information on these Black Riders. I love Viggo’s narration over the images of the Nazgul. It works for me – information via the ear while I get to see eye candy. A little gem from PJ to us. And it continues for a while. Did you see Bree in the background as the hobbits and Strider come up onto the plateau. And there’s Bill! We’re getting back to the book. And there’s another gem – “…feel fouler.” Strider hears the hobbits’ conversation, yet doesn’t jump in right away. He lets them air their grievances and concerns. Again PJ has great scenery shots, where we see the troop traveling on to Rivendell.
More fun with Pippin. Does he have a tapeworm?
There are those apples again. Pippin gets hit with one deservedly. And now on to the Midgewater Marshes. Just like I pictured the place. Aragorn supplies the piranha-spawned hobbits with venison, and I couldn’t believe that this was shown as it may offend vegetarians and those who don’t favor hunting. The hobbits sitting around a non-existent fire with Bill in the background looks like a scene out of a Western movie. The scene looks a bit fake too. But at least we get to hear Aragorn singing, and Frodo clues us in to the content. Tinúviel, an elf wed to a mortal, dies. Think that not only was this scene drawn from the books, but also it may have added some information, however small, regarding the fate of Arwen.
As the hobbits sleep, and Aragorn keeps watch, the Moon overhead travels across Middle Earth, and it sees many things down below. Maybe it sees that traitor Saruman, and what he’s up to. And maybe, just maybe that same Moon sees the Grey Wizard.
Special off-topic update: here are a few pictures of the new addition. Be warned; proud father alert.