Eowyn's Cup and Alan Lee - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Lush · 07-06-2005, 01:39 PM

I'm sorry if this has been brought up a billion times, but I did a search, and methinks it hasn't.

Or perhaps it's only been brought up about 999 million times, which is Ok with me.

I was watching the beginning of "RotK" this afternoon, and it dawned on me that the little scene where Eowyn hands Aragorn a cup to drink is modeled exactly after the ALAN Lee illustration, seen here

Of course, this is old news, considering that ALAN Lee participated in the making of the films and his work was widely used throughout, but you couldn't believe just how touched I was that they chose to do it this way, to highlight this moment in such a subtle fashion. That image alone made up the dissatisfaction with how truncated Eowyn's character was in the theatrical version of "RotK."

To me it was a kind of "Ok, we couldn't do everything, but we tried" sort of message, encapsulated in a particularly touching detail.

It also helped me realize the full scope of Eowyn's character in the films, how she is at once understated (due to lack of space) and yet finely drawn and performed.

Anyone else notice this? Any more ALAN Lee-like character interactions you might have noticed?

**edit**
Danke, Easty. Bis gleich!

Estelyn Telcontar · 07-06-2005, 02:23 PM

(Lushie, m'dear, you do mean Alan Lee, don't you? If not, then the fact that Ang Lee had anything to do with the LotR movies is definitely new to me!)

Lush · 07-06-2005, 02:40 PM

D'oh!

(Well, they both work in film, so that's sort of Ok...Ok, not really, it isn't)

Estelyn Telcontar · 07-06-2005, 03:14 PM

Being able to draw on (oops - pun not intended, but I'll leave it there just for fun) the previous artwork of Alan Lee and John Howe was one of the biggest advantages of taking those two artists onto the movie team. I'd have to look up specific pictures for details, but I know that Howe's Gandalf was pretty much taken over as he had previously drawn him, for example. Hmmm, I should rewatch the Extended DVD extras to remind myself of those things...

Essex · 07-07-2005, 02:54 AM

get out your £40 Centenary edition of LOTR for more examples of Ang's

work being used on screen.

rivendell (opposite page 240)

door of moria (32)

dwarrowdelf (336)

galadriel's mirror, well the jug at least! (384)

merry and pippin being carried by the orcs (448)

edoras (528)

most strikingly of all, helm's deep (560)

exactly the same, orthanc (608)

sting at gollum's throat (640)

the black gate (672)

mumakil (688)

ruined osgiliath (704)

stairs up to cirith ungol from shelob's lair (752)

close up of minas tirith (800)

steep passage way up to theoden's encampment, and his tents (832)

minas tirith (912)

idea of eye at the top of barad-dur (929)

Jackson saved a fortune getting Alan Lee on board for the films. A large amount of the design work was lifted direct from Alan's drawings. Peter Jackson is a very astute man.

Lush · 07-08-2005, 02:08 PM

Essex, thanks so much for the info. Makes me want to run out and spend the last of my money on the book, honestly (so it's your fault if I end up not eating for a couple of days

).

Is this list something you came up with independently, or is it mentioned somewhere on the EE DVDs?

Door of Moria is probably one of my favourite moments in the entire film trilogy.

Esty, thanks for the Gandalf tidbit. I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination when I thought about that, or if they just went for the stereotypical "wise wizard" sort of thing.

07-06-2005, 01:39 PM	#1
Lush Fair and Cold Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: the big onion Posts: 1,770	Eowyn's Cup and Alan Lee I'm sorry if this has been brought up a billion times, but I did a search, and methinks it hasn't. Or perhaps it's only been brought up about 999 million times, which is Ok with me. I was watching the beginning of "RotK" this afternoon, and it dawned on me that the little scene where Eowyn hands Aragorn a cup to drink is modeled exactly after the ALAN Lee illustration, seen here Of course, this is old news, considering that ALAN Lee participated in the making of the films and his work was widely used throughout, but you couldn't believe just how touched I was that they chose to do it this way, to highlight this moment in such a subtle fashion. That image alone made up the dissatisfaction with how truncated Eowyn's character was in the theatrical version of "RotK." To me it was a kind of "Ok, we couldn't do everything, but we tried" sort of message, encapsulated in a particularly touching detail. It also helped me realize the full scope of Eowyn's character in the films, how she is at once understated (due to lack of space) and yet finely drawn and performed. Anyone else notice this? Any more ALAN Lee-like character interactions you might have noticed? edit Danke, Easty. Bis gleich! __________________ ~The beginning is the word and the end is silence. And in between are all the stories. This is one of mine~ Last edited by Lush; 07-06-2005 at 02:42 PM.

07-06-2005, 02:23 PM	#2
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	(Lushie, m'dear, you do mean Alan Lee, don't you? If not, then the fact that Ang Lee had anything to do with the LotR movies is definitely new to me!) __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

07-06-2005, 02:40 PM	#3
Lush Fair and Cold Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: the big onion Posts: 1,770	D'oh! (Well, they both work in film, so that's sort of Ok...Ok, not really, it isn't) __________________ ~The beginning is the word and the end is silence. And in between are all the stories. This is one of mine~

07-06-2005, 03:14 PM	#4
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Being able to draw on (oops - pun not intended, but I'll leave it there just for fun) the previous artwork of Alan Lee and John Howe was one of the biggest advantages of taking those two artists onto the movie team. I'd have to look up specific pictures for details, but I know that Howe's Gandalf was pretty much taken over as he had previously drawn him, for example. Hmmm, I should rewatch the Extended DVD extras to remind myself of those things... __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

07-08-2005, 02:08 PM	#6
Lush Fair and Cold Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: the big onion Posts: 1,770	Essex, thanks so much for the info. Makes me want to run out and spend the last of my money on the book, honestly (so it's your fault if I end up not eating for a couple of days ). Is this list something you came up with independently, or is it mentioned somewhere on the EE DVDs? Door of Moria is probably one of my favourite moments in the entire film trilogy. Esty, thanks for the Gandalf tidbit. I wasn't sure if it was just my imagination when I thought about that, or if they just went for the stereotypical "wise wizard" sort of thing. __________________ ~The beginning is the word and the end is silence. And in between are all the stories. This is one of mine~

07-07-2005, 02:54 AM	#5
Essex Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Essex, England Posts: 886	get out your £40 Centenary edition of LOTR for more examples of Ang's work being used on screen. rivendell (opposite page 240) door of moria (32) dwarrowdelf (336) galadriel's mirror, well the jug at least! (384) merry and pippin being carried by the orcs (448) edoras (528) most strikingly of all, helm's deep (560) exactly the same, orthanc (608) sting at gollum's throat (640) the black gate (672) mumakil (688) ruined osgiliath (704) stairs up to cirith ungol from shelob's lair (752) close up of minas tirith (800) steep passage way up to theoden's encampment, and his tents (832) minas tirith (912) idea of eye at the top of barad-dur (929) Jackson saved a fortune getting Alan Lee on board for the films. A large amount of the design work was lifted direct from Alan's drawings. Peter Jackson is a very astute man.