The Good and The Bad - a Quick Look at the Movies

[Boromir88]

Well, Bb, I knew that you knew that quote (and you probably knew, that I knew, that you already knew that quote), so here's my rebuttal.

'Let me think!' said Aragorn. 'And now may I make a right choice, and change the evil fate of this unhappy day!' He stood silent for a moment. 'I will follow the Orcs,' he said at last. 'I would have guided Frodo to Mordor and gone with him to the end; but if I see him now in the wilderness, I must abandon the captives to torment and death. My heart speaks clearly at last: the fate of the Bearer is in my hands no longer. The Company has played it part. Yet we that remain cannot forsake our companions while we have strength left. Come! We will go now. Leave all that can be spared behind! We will press on by day and dark!'

Aragorn delivers that same message in the movies, just not in monologue form. Remember after Legolas and Gimli find out Aragorn does not intend to follow Frodo and Sam, Aragorn says:

"Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands."

Gimli says something about the Fellowship failing and Aragorn replies: "Not if we hold true to eachother. We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death, not while we have strength left. Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light. Let's hunt some Orc."

So, Aragorn virtually delivers the same message in the movies as he does in the book, just a shortened version of it, and Gimli's tiny interruption. And lookie how the chapter Departure of Boromir ends:

"Yes," said Aragorn, "we shall all need the endurance of Dwarves. But come! With hope or without hope we will follow the trail of our enemies. And woe to them, if we prove swifter! We will make such a chase as shall be accounted a marvel among the Three Kindreds: Elves, Dwarves, and Men. Forth the Three Hunters!"

There Aragorn goes on about hunting his enemies again, and he's with his two companions, not the macho Rohirrim. Jackson just decided to shorten that monologue pep talk down to "Let's hunt some Orc." Aragorn must be Tolkien's version of Hamlet, always wanting to hear himself talk.

P.S. I happen to think Jonas Armstrong makes a very handsome yet ruggedly capable Robin Hood, by the way.

[Mithalwen]

Ah but like Aragorn, Hamlet is struggling to make a decision...

I think book Aragorn can be a bit of a prig *hope Fordim isn't around with his gauntlet* and despite not being particulary dark and tall, I liked Viggo Mortenson's performance very much - he was excellent at Bree and Weathertop. However I thought it was very wrong to have him kill the Mouth of Sauron.

You just don't kill emissaries - even if they are slimey creeps who are extracting the Michael. It just seems craven and unworthy of the rightful leader of the free world.

[Lalaith]

The Good: The lovely music. The splendid scenery, both real and CGI. The battles.


The Bad:
Mainly this.
Tolkien: "Theoden is a kindly old man. Denethor is of another sort, proud and subtle, a man of far greater lineage and power."

Jackson: "Theoden is a bitter old man with a massive chip on his shoulder. Denethor is of another sort, drunk and deranged, a man of far greater propensity to poor table manners and pyromania."

[Groin Redbeard]

I've noticed that nobody has mentioned Gimli. I liked what PJ did with making Gimli tough, but it seems as if PJ has left out the loyalty and couragous side of Gimli, and has replaced that with comical relief. He also down plays the bond that Legolas and Gimli had. In the Return of the King I got so mad that PJ didn't make Gimli's and Legolas' final words more touching, instead it was right out of the blue.

Legolas: We're gonna die! Do you want to be friends, Gimli

Gimli: Sure, why not?

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

Well, Bb, I knew that you knew that quote (and you probably knew, that I knew, that you already knew that quote).

Who's on first?

Originally Posted by Boromir88

Aragorn delivers that same message in the movies, just not in monologue form.

See, for some of us (well, maybe just speaking of myself, and not using the royal we) poetically speaking, "the same message" involves all of the ways that a message can aspire to meaning. So, if certain aspects are changed, then the message changes. Notice that Forth the Three Hunters lacks a direct object. Sometimes even the omission of a few small words can change nuance. And in writing such as Tolkien achieves, nuance is valuable, no?

Originally Posted by Boromir88

Aragorn must be Tolkien's version of Hamlet, always wanting to hear himself talk.

What Mithalwen said. The allusion to Hamlet is significant for the character development of Aragorn and to omit it by shortening the monologue is to take away from Aragorn's character rather than to enrich it. JMHO.

Originally Posted by Boromir88

P.S. I happen to think Jonas Armstrong makes a very handsome yet ruggedly capable Robin Hood, by the way.

And I absolutely promise not to make any cracks, wise or otherwise, about closets and leaving them, lest I be once again accused of crossing lines or taking away from the conversation.