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Visit The *EVEN NEWER* Barrow-Downs Photo Page |
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#1 |
Illustrious Ulair
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
Posts: 4,240
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Episode 2 The Black Riders
The transcript of the episode can be found here http://www.tolkienradio.com/blackriders.html.
We ended the first episode with Gandalf imprisoned at Orthanc & Frodo making preparations to move to Crickhollow, & this one will take us as far as Bree. I suppose the first thing many will notice is the introduction of an entirely new scene: Gandalf coming before Theoden & requesting a horse, & being told to take one & begone. And the second thing is the introduction of an episode from The Hunt for the Ring from Unfinished Tales. I don't know whether Brian Sibley (the adaptor) asked permission from Christopher Tolkien to use this episode beforehand, or just took the chance & included it. Either way Christopher approved its use & its in there. Whether for good or ill is a matter of personal opinion - it opens up the story certainly, & introduces the Black Riders not as mysterious figures coming out of nowhere to hunt down the Hobbits, but as a group with a definite agenda. What the scene also makes clear is that Saruman does not fear them, & goes so far as to send them off with a flea in their collective ears. What this addition also does is to add to the sense of urgency - Gandalf has just escaped Orthanc & is headed north to the Shire on Shadowfax, & the Riders are just behind. So there is new material, but there are also some omissions - Fatty Bolger is missed out, as is Gildor - though originally Sibley included him. Unfortunately, time constraints meant that either Gildor or Farmer Maggot had to go, & Sibley felt that the incident with Maggot enhanced the drama & gave more background information to the listener, so Gildor had to go. And, of course, the major omission is the whole Old Forest/Bombadil/Barrow Downs episode - again, time constraints meant it could not be included (though Sibley came back to the episode some years later & dramatised it, once again for BBC radio). One nice thing about this adaptation, & something that makes it feel more 'authentic', is the presence of the poems & songs. Another is the extent to which the adaptors have tried to stick as far as possible to Tolkien's original storyline. Merry & Pippin are introduced into the story as they are in the book, & the Crickhollow/Conspiracy Unmasked storyline are kept. Also kept are Gwaihir (a nice touch which brings home that the Great Eagles of Middle-earth are not just big birds - a failing in the movie), & Gandalf's letter & most of the Bree episode. This is a much more authentic Bree, pleasant, comfortable - a haven from the night: as Tolkien intended. And, as with Nighy's Sam, I think James Grout's Butterbur is the definitive portrayal of that character. So, did Sibley & Bakewell succeed here? Did they capture the spirit of the book - did their 'opening out' of the story to include Gandalf's escape & the Rider's arrival at Orthanc draw you in, or should they have kept to Tolkien's slow revealing of the background?
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“Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects." Last edited by davem; 02-22-2008 at 04:43 PM. |
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#2 |
Loremaster of Annúminas
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,330
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Whoa, whoa, whoa there, Tex!
Isn't posting this material on Youtube a copyright violation? And linking to it a violation of Forum rules?
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The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it. |
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#3 | |
Illustrious Ulair
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
Posts: 4,240
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Quote:
If the transcripts are also illegal I'll remove them. If anything else is illegal I'll remove that. In fact if anyone wants to point up anything I do, have done, or am likely to do at any unspecified point up to, including & after my death, I will happily act upon it to the extent that I am able. It would be nice to have the offences (if such they are) pointed up politely though, rather than doing the cowboy thing..... EDIT Here we go, the BBC's OFFICIAL You tube section http://uk.youtube.com/user/bbcworldwide. Now, you see the problem - if the BBC are putting some of their stuff on YT themselves its a bit difficult to tell, if you find BBC stuff on the site, whether its there legally or illegally. If someone can confirm the LotR series is there legally I'll restore the links.
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“Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects." Last edited by davem; 02-17-2008 at 09:55 AM. |
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#4 |
A Mere Boggart
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: under the bed
Posts: 4,737
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I loved how this episode began with some very bad sound effects for poor Gwaihir! An unintentional laugh
![]() Grima here sounds much more realistic as a King's adviser or counsel. He's not so overly oily as Grima in the films (much as I enjoyed Brad Dourif's uber-Goth Grima ![]() I was pleased with the music in this episode. It sounds so much more like genuine folk music than some of the horrid New Age stuff in the film soundtrack (most of it not by Howard Shore but by Enya - sorry, she's totally not to my taste). And like English music instead of Celtic music too. And there was another funny moment where the Gaffer is being interrogated by one of the Nazgul and he pauses as though he's about to say "P.... Off" but then doesn't! If you listen to it you will know exactly what I mean! ![]()
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Gordon's alive!
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#5 |
Illustrious Ulair
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
Posts: 4,240
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One thing you may like in a later episode is the way the adaptors get away with the fact that Merry doesn't get a Barrow sword. He has to confront the Witch King with an ordinary blade, & unlike in the movie the adaptors take this into account.
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#6 |
Shade with a Blade
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This is the best adaptation, to any medium, ever.
I agree that the sounds effects are weak, but fortunately the series is dependent on the dialogue, rather than the special effects. And the dialogue is VERY strong, lots of it right out of Tolkien, as has been pointed out. Which episode are we on? 2? I think Jack May is awesome as Theoden. I also really appreciate the inclusion of some of Tolkien's poetry, as well as the musical settings, which become, for me, definitive. Let's see... Aragorn is terrific in his first episode. Robert Stephens has such a cool voice, and very distinctive, too, which works awfully well for Aragorn.
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Stories and songs. |
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#7 |
Illustrious Ulair
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties
Posts: 4,240
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We are on Episode 2, & listening to an episode each Saturday or Sunday.
What I've noticed is that while we've had quite a few views for this thread we've got very few participants. I'm assuming that's because not many Downers have the recordings, or have ever heard the production. We plan to go on listening (eleven episodes to go) & will carry on posting as long as there's interest. If nothing else we're hoping this will serve as an advert for the series, & that some who haven't listened to it yet will take the plunge & buy a copy. |
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