LotR1-FotR-Seq12

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by alatar

And Essex (and others), why do you suppose that Aragorn is portrayed thus? I not going to concede 'material' yet. Was Boromir's part enhanced as his was the shortest for the trilogy? Is Sean Bean just 'better' at getting what he wants out of the script/script writers? Or did PJ want to make Boromir a more sympathetic Judas-goat whereas Viggo's one note is to be 'from rags to riches'?

I would firstly vote for Seans' superior presence, but would readily admit, that Mr. Bean had a better-built role with better chances of being credible. So, who knows?

Surely Boromir has been symphatized, a little bit at least. Although I'm not sure, which one has the more sympathetic look on him, Tolkien or Jackson. But a big difference comes with Aragorn - as has been eloquently argued on this discussion. I would just continue with my less eloquent babbling about Aragorns' inwardness in the movie. His real battles are inside him, so what the actor can actually do to express this, is mainly to stare half-focused to somewhere and look serious - shedding an occasional tear every once in a while. Not so much great drama, but succesful idols-posturing? Shouldn't blame Viggo, though. He did his best, I suppose. A Great Actor might have some other options, at least with a help of A Great Director, of course, but...

[Elladan and Elrohir]

alatar, I don't really see it as far as Aragorn and Gandalf acting like they don't know each other. I think their relationship is deep; we just don't really see it in this film. Later, in TTT and ROTK, they'll have heart-to-heart conversations that Gandalf could not have with anyone else, except maybe Frodo.

I still think Aragorn's more heroic than Boromir in this film. He's kind of like me, though, introverted and often unsure of himself. He's actually more heroic than in the book. Book Aragorn becomes a member of the Company because he's going to Minas Tirith to become king, and his path happens to cross with Frodo's. Movie 'Gorn apparently has no such ambition, and so when he goes with Frodo, he truly means to go to Mordor, and give up his life if need be. This is surely more heroic than Boromir, who just wants to go home, and if possible, take the Ring with him.

I agree that Bean gets far better material than Mortensen in this film, but I would say that Viggo can match him line for line in their one-on-one scenes that we'll be looking at in our final FOTR sequence. The Anduin campsite and the death scene at Amon Hen, make me stand in awe at both of those guys.

[Boromir88]

This is surely more heroic than Boromir, who just wants to go home, and if possible, take the Ring with him.

Well, I will say I agree with everything you've said except that. (But it's ok to disagree right ?)

You have to take into account why Boromir's going back to Minas Tirith. It's not that he's simply going home because he misses daddy and doesn't want to have anything to do with The Fellowship anymore, but he's going home because it's his duty. Boromir is given several "titles," one of which is Captain-General (Commander-in-Chief would be a term similar to it today). He's the "Commander-in-chief" of Gondor's forces, the one that leads them. He's going back to Minas Tirith because it's his duty to defend his country and lead the army, not just simply like..."Ok guys I don't feel like going any further with you, I'm going home."

So, to me, that makes him honorable in that, he has other duties that he has to do.

I'm reminded of the thread Why Does Aragorn Let Frodo Go? Sure Aragorn would have been a help, but his task was different from Frodo's. Frodo's was to destroy the Ring and the Fellowship was around to help him for as much or as long as they could. Aragorn didn't go with Frodo (this of course being from the movie), because he had duties elsewhere, the more urgent one being making sure Merry and Pippin were safe and doing the best he could to save them.

So, it's just not the case that "Boromir isn't honorable because he wants to go home." But the reasons why he wants to go home, which was his plan even before The Fellowship was made. It's his own duty that drives him home, the way it was Aragorn's duty to "let Frodo go."

If I am totally off base with the discussion, I apologize.

[Lathriel]

One thing I would like to mention is that Boromir's character is more rounded then Aragorn's in FOTR because he has only one movie to do so. Aragorn however, has two more movies in which his character can develop.
I am fien with the way Aragorn was portrayed in FOTR. I especially liked the way he was introduced, that was just a little piece of genius.

[Essex]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

He's the "Commander-in-chief" of Gondor's forces, the one that leads them. He's going back to Minas Tirith because it's his duty to defend his country and lead the army, not just simply like..."Ok guys I don't feel like going any further with you, I'm going home."

So why did he leave Gondor's defences for a couple of hundred days cos he had a Dream about 'some bint with a Scimitar' (whoops, wrong film) - I mean a dream about a Broken Sword? His brother said he'd go to Imladris, but Oh No, our Commander in Chief reckons it's much more imoprtant to travel a few hundred leagues (and get lost in the process!!!!) than to protect his City........

And then his poor brother gets it in the neck for his stupidity in trying to take the Ring.

Some people may be aware that I'm not a Boromir Fan..........

[Elladan and Elrohir]

Well, Essex, in the movies he leaves home because Daddy orders him to go get the Ring.

Boromir88, I'm not saying that Boromir is not honorable or heroic. I'm just saying I think Aragorn is more so.

It's interesting because Aragorn is going to almost switch roles in TTT. He'll go to being the more heroic guy while Theoden sits, stews, and tries to kill Wormtongue.

[Boromir88]

Essex, I will be more than glad to continue the debate in PM (or even in a new thread?) if you wish, but I think the discussion will veer too far off track from the purpose of these Sequence-by-sequence threads. As one, we are getting away from the actual movie, and two getting ahead of ourselves and not even on the right sequence anymore. Which again, was probably my fault.

Boromir88, I'm not saying that Boromir is not honorable or heroic. I'm just saying I think Aragorn is more so.

My mistake, I misread what you intended...it seemed that you simply said Boromir wanted to go home and therefor Aragorn was the more honorable. I just wanted to point out that we have to look at the reasons as to why he wanted to go home.

Ummm, so ya, how about Lorien?

[Boromir88]

Ok, I'm posting again because I forgot something (about Boromir of course) that I didn't mention before.

It's here in Lorien where he opens up to Aragorn and I think accepts him as his King. I know on his deathbed he calls Aragorn his King, but really it's here that he opens up to Aragorn and realizes Aragorn is just like him.

It's interesting to see this change in Boromir because of course when we first meet him he vehemently declares "Gondor has no King. Gondor needs no King." So, he's basically telling Aragorn we don't need you, buzz off. But, in Lorien (and he reiterates this same thing with his dying words) he accepts Aragorn as his brother, his countrymen. It's in his own words...

"My father is a noble man, but his rule is failing and our people lose faith. He looks to me to make things right, I would do it, I would see the glory of Gondor restored...One day our paths will lead us there and the tower guard shall take up the call. The Lords of Gondor have returned."

What gets me wondering is what causes this change in Boromir. He goes from "Aragorn we don't need you" to calling Aragorn a lord, and even later accepting that he is subsequent to Aragorn and Aragorn is "his king." Is it at this point does he realize that he alone can't save Gondor and that they really do need Aragorn? Does he come to realize that his father is failing and his people are losing hope and that afterall Gondor does need a King, they need Aragorn? What causes him to realize this? Is it something that Galadriel showed him? Ahhh, so many questions running through my mind.