**RotK - Frodo (Elijah Wood)**

[Kalimac]

I thought Wood was excellent in ROTK, and after TTT I'd been trepidatious, to say the least (as in "How much more can Frodo collapse, anyway?") But he was pitch-perfect; what I especially admired was the way he gradually transformed into someone who was basically insane (like others, I thought he handled the "I see it with my waking eyes" bit very well), but how, after the Ring was destroyed, you could almost see his real self snap back into place. The scene where he and Sam are sitting on the rock, waiting for what they think is inevitable death, somehow it's clear just from looking at his face that the old Frodo is back, if damaged. (And it was nice to see him holding Sam up, for a change!)

[mark12_30]

Superb article on Frodo <A HREF="http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/dalfonzo200312220001.asp" TARGET=_blank>here</A>.

[Theron Bugtussle]

<B>mark12_30</B>, nice link--very well stated!

[BoromirsBeard]

Interesting article, but I don't agree that Sam replaces Frodo as the hero. Sam himself says, "I can't carry it, but I can carry you" - a line to drive home exactly which task is the more difficult. The audience knows that.<P>Elijah is hauntingly good in this role. As has been said, the "naked in the dark" line came from somewhere terrifying within. And I think the weariness remains very much apparent when he returns to the Shire.

[Evisse the Blue]

<A HREF="http://www.petitiononline.com/EliOscar/" TARGET=_blank>Sign the Oscar Petition for Elijah (or don't sign it - in any case here it is)</A>

[aleesa]

It is in my honest opinion that Elijah Wood did a great job playing Frodo. I can't imagine someone else playing him. That part at Mt Doom just blew me away.

[Arwen Imladris]

Elijah Wood was great. I really got to see the turmoil that the ring put him through. I think that he should have looked more worn when he returned to the shire, not much but a little. One other point is that they probably filmed that at the beginning, while they were shooting stuff from the Fellowship, so they probably didn't really have a clear idea of what Frodo was going to be by the end of ROTK. <P>About the opened eyes, I think that it could have worked, but not with EW's eyes. They are too big and too blue for him to look dead with them open. Perhaps if they were just partly shut he would have looked more poisoned. On the other hand they helped make the rest of him look really dead and pale.

[The Saucepan Man]

Interesting article, Helen. But I am not sure that I wholly agree with it. The author says:<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> It’s no wonder that many viewers are thinking of Sam — who follows Frodo at a distance and (as in the book) eventually saves his life — as the real hero of the piece. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>But wasn't that Tolkien's own view, as expressed in his <I>Letters</I>, that Sam is the real hero of the story?<P>Personally, I feel that there is sufficient material in the books to justify Frodo's degeneration in RotK. Yes, even to the extent of him sending Sam home, which set up what was, for me, a great sequence in Shelob's lair. To my mind, the fault with that line was that Sam actually does set off home, which I cannot believe he would ever have done. I would much have preferred it if the film had just left him sitting there in tears.<P>I did think that Elijah's Frodo succumbed to the Ring too much in TTT. But I thought that his degeneration was played just right in RotK. To my mind, it mirrors the way in which Frodo is portrayed during the closing chapters of the book. And, without it, Frodo's final decision to claim the Ring would have seemed too unbelieveable, particularly to film (ie non-book reading) audiences. It is also consistent with the way that Jackson has chosen to play up the power of the Ring.<P>Although I found Elijah Wood's portrayal of Frodo as just a little bit <I>too</I> "wimpy" (for want of a better word) in the two previous films, I thought that his portrayal in the RotK film was spot on. It was a real eye-opener, and I have a lot more respect for Elijah Wood after having seen this film. The expressions playing across his face as he held the Ring over the Crack of Doom were just fantastic, and his delivery of "The Ring is mine" was, for me, just perfect.<P>Oh, and minimal eye-rolling too - did someone have a word with him about that? <P>In this film, I felt that Elijah's Frodo really came of age.

[Theron Bugtussle]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>But wasn't that Tolkien's own view, as expressed in his Letters, that Sam is the real hero of the story?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>Perhaps, so, <B>Saucepan Man</B>. But to me, Sam is the hero in the supporting role. It is clear that Frodo HAD to have Sam's company and assistance all along. He would never have made it into Mordor, let alone to Mt. Doom without him. <P>That said, the article seems to indicate the movie denigrates Frodo's nobility and the development of his maturing process. The rejection of Sam was not needed to set up any scene, each of which were fully capable of being handled with the right finesse as Tolkien originally did--all effective, all believable.<P>Frodo's nobility is evidenced, I think, in his acceptance of Gandalf's wisdom highlighting Bilbo's pity on Gollum. <I>"Now that I see him, I do pity him."</I> Sam is much more practical in repeatedly wanting to do away with Gollum. Only at the end, on Mt. Doom, does Frodo's consistent example raise Sam's sight as he (Sam) decides to spare Gollum himself.<P>Nobility does not mean sinlessness or unending strength, though, so Frodo falling completely under the influence of the ring at the Cracks of Doom still fits the story well.<P>Tolkien clearly needed these two heroes for different roles. However, I think I well agree with the article. PJ has cheapened Frodo--unnecessarily. And perhaps it is a comment on the culture today.

[mark12_30]

I've said this before elsewhere, but briefly: I admire Wood's interpretation of the role he was handed by PJ & co; but I think PJ & Co handed him a diminished role. Too bad!! <P>There are those who disagree, but I think Wood could have handled more than they offered him. <P>McKellan patrolled his scenes book-in-hand, and fought for many of the Professor's lines. Bravo. Too bad E. Wood did not have that solid reading background behind him. He had to depend on PJ & CO; and I think they oversimplified the role.<P>That said, I still think Sammath Naur was excellent.<P><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> Tolkien clearly needed these two heroes for different roles. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Yes. I highly recommend Ane Petty's book, "Tolkien in the Land of Heroes", for a discussion of just who is (or how many are) the hero(es) in LOTR. Fabulous book.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> PJ has cheapened Frodo--unnecessarily. And perhaps it is a comment on the culture today. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I think so. It also reflects on PJ's own youth, I think. And I think that (unfortunately) is as it must be; if he were not young and energetic, he would not have had the drive to produce the work he did. Wisdom, or ambition? In this case, ambition was what got the job done. I do wish he'd had added age and wisdom on his staff of writers, but there it is.<p>[ 3:30 PM December 29, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

[Lily Bracegirdle]

I think Elijah Wood did a very good job of bringing Frodo to life. He's an excellent actor, though I think Sean Astin outshone him in this movie. I agree with Mark12_30 that missteps in Frodo's characterization were more due to PJ and the writers than the actor himself.<P>As for Frodo's "youthful and rosy" appearance at the end, I think that was due to those scenes being filmed at the beginning of the shoot when Elijah was still young and didn't know what was in store for his character. They would have been more effective if they had been filmed at the end of the shoot when Elijah had had a chance to grow up more and understand what happened to his character.<P>-Lily

[Evisse the Blue]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> I admire Wood's interpretation of the role he was handed by PJ & co; but I think PJ & Co handed him a diminished role. Too bad!! <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I agree. You could indeed see the difference between his performance and McKellen's or Lee's or Mortensen's. He did well, but minimally well - with only as much detail and subtlety of performance. It was as if he was playing a single musical note, with the same dedication and talent, but over and over again. At least that's how it was in FOTR and TTT. In ROTK, he's evolved. Like someone said before, 'a lightbulb appeared over his head, and realized how Frodo is supposed to be'. The scene at Mt Doom was pure perfection, and despite the eye-candy provided by visual effects, it could not have achieved perfection without Elijah's matching performance. <P>Let's face it, he did well in this entire enterprise, he did not fail PJ's trust and proved wrong all those who did not see him as Frodo. It's a remarkable thing, considering the pressure and especially at his age (ahem - I sound like I'm 20 yrs older, in fact I've the same age! ). Anyway - give Elijah that nomination! He deserves it!