Smell this, I think it's expired...

[Ainaserkewen]

The Soundtracks were a huge influence on each movie for sure. I'd forgotten about that.

FoTR's was very, very noticable the first time I saw it. It just totally added beautiful depth and emotion and it kind of let you along by the hand into which situations were dangerous, sweet, funny or perilous. I think by the time TTT roled around I was less impressed by the original themes for each character group. Though the theme for Rohan was beautiful and the best of TTT. You could begin to get the story roughly through the music as well. Frodo and Sam's theme was now truly their own and the Fellowship theme had pretty much died.

Come to think of it, the main Fellowship theme (I think it was called "The Ring Goes South" on the CD), especially right when the Fellowship top that hill one by one was the biggest emotional spill-over in the movie, one that was so unique to Fellowship.

[Kath]

The soundtrack was a reason I liked RotK less than the others because the 'theme' music wasn't there anymore in some places. For example in FotR and I think TTT there was a specific bit of music that came on everytime the Nazgul appeared that was really creepy and dark, and then in RotK it suddenly wasn't there anymore!

But I did love the song at the end of RotK - the Annie Lennox one, it was beautifully haunting and descriptive.

[Gurthang]

Yes, I agree thoroughly! This brings to mind one specific scene from FotR. Sam and Frodo are just starting off on their journey. I don't think that Pippin and Merry have joined them yet. (sorry, it's been a little while) Well, anyway, Frodo and Samwise are walking through the lush green fields of the Shire, beautiful mountains are in the background, and that just-started-out-on-a-fantastic-journey music is playing. The camera shows another view of scenery from atop a hill, but without Frodo and Sam in the picture. Suddenly, the music grows dark and a black horse steps into view.

That part really says a lot. It's so subtle yet very meaningful. Sam and Frodo are really excited about the journey and have little thought for danger, and so the music is cheerful. But then that tone changes. This change is completely smooth; it suddenly went from cheerful to haunting without simply ripping the viewer from one side to the other. It really just let the audience know that the pair were in far more danger then they thought.

That part says a lot. I really enjoy watching that each time, because it is so unexpected and yet flows seemlessly.

[Ainaserkewen]

That's it! Subtely! It's like why Jaws was such a great movie. The crew couldn't get the gigantic mechanical shark to work for most of the shooting so the movie ended up with less actual cheesy shark scenes and just heart-gripping suspence. It's why FOTR was so magical for me. I didn't know what any of the creatures were or where they came from and my imagination just latched onto anything different.

[Gurthang]

I agree with you Aina, but that's not all. I too had only just read the Hobbit when I watched FotR, so the movie was completely new to me.

But now that I've seen all the movies, read all the books, I still have that feeling of awe when watching the Fellowship. That's just not there with the other two movies.