Denethor's madness. - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Eomer of the Rohirrim · 03-28-2005, 07:38 AM

Exactly. For Gandalf, physical violence is always the answer.

Seriously though Lathriel, they wouldn't have needed extra time to make Denethor how he should have been. They already took up a fair bit of time making him a complete jerk.

Beanamir of Gondor · 04-08-2005, 06:54 AM

This might sound naive, but in the chapter The Siege of Gondor in ROTK, which I read waaaaaaay before I ever saw the movie, I really saw Book!Denethor as a thoroughly unpleasant character. As soon as you meet him, you feel his distaste for Gandalf, his coldness towards Faramir ("Yes, I do wish that! For Boromir was loyal to me, and no wizard's pupil!"), and his utter obsession with Gondor. I only really started liking Book!Denethor AFTER he went nuts and silently sat at Faramir's bedside, white-faced.
So in one respect, I think that PJ messed up: Book!Denethor was unpleasant, all right, but essentially he really did love Faramir. That never, ever made it into Movie!Denethor's character, even if Gandalf said it out loud. That little putzy "Faramir?" at the end, right before he jumped off the Wall in flames, was nothing like what Book!Denethor said or did. I feel a little bit the same way about Movie!Denethor as I do about Movie!SiriusBlack.

As far as I'm concerned about Gandalf beating up the Steward, that was comic relief. Gimli wasn't there, so it was up to Gandalf.

Eomer of the Rohirrim · 04-09-2005, 09:20 AM

So much comic relief...

03-28-2005, 07:38 AM	#1
Eomer of the Rohirrim Auspicious Wraith Join Date: May 2002 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 4,859	Exactly. For Gandalf, physical violence is always the answer. Seriously though Lathriel, they wouldn't have needed extra time to make Denethor how he should have been. They already took up a fair bit of time making him a complete jerk. __________________ Los Ingobernables de Harlond

04-08-2005, 06:54 AM	#2
Beanamir of Gondor Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: the Shadow Gallery Posts: 276	This might sound naive, but in the chapter The Siege of Gondor in ROTK, which I read waaaaaaay before I ever saw the movie, I really saw Book!Denethor as a thoroughly unpleasant character. As soon as you meet him, you feel his distaste for Gandalf, his coldness towards Faramir ("Yes, I do wish that! For Boromir was loyal to me, and no wizard's pupil!"), and his utter obsession with Gondor. I only really started liking Book!Denethor AFTER he went nuts and silently sat at Faramir's bedside, white-faced. So in one respect, I think that PJ messed up: Book!Denethor was unpleasant, all right, but essentially he really did love Faramir. That never, ever made it into Movie!Denethor's character, even if Gandalf said it out loud. That little putzy "Faramir?" at the end, right before he jumped off the Wall in flames, was nothing like what Book!Denethor said or did. I feel a little bit the same way about Movie!Denethor as I do about Movie!SiriusBlack. As far as I'm concerned about Gandalf beating up the Steward, that was comic relief. Gimli wasn't there, so it was up to Gandalf. __________________ The answer to life is no longer 42. It's 4 8 15 16 23... 42. "I only lent you my body; you lent me your dream."

04-09-2005, 09:20 AM	#3
Eomer of the Rohirrim Auspicious Wraith Join Date: May 2002 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 4,859	So much comic relief... __________________ Los Ingobernables de Harlond