LotR2-TTT-Seq08 - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

**The Saucepan Man** · 07-13-2006, 10:02 AM

As is starkly shown here, the style of the towers and wall is very similar to the famous Alan Lee illustration. I would be surprised, therefore, if Lee was not invvolved in the design of the Gate, and Howe too, given that they were working together.

Personally, I don't care about the physics or other practicalities of such matters. I just care whether it looks good. And it looks good to me (yes, including the Trolls).

alatar · 07-13-2006, 10:20 AM

I saw those same pictures, and didn't see the movie Gate as it appears in the concept art, so not sure exactly where the idea came from. And regarding our day trolls, just how was the Gate opened when it was under Gondor's management?

Hmm, the Brownlands once were the abode of the Entwives, and so maybe the Gates were opened by Ents. Will have to ask Fangorn the next time that I see him - at least that would explain why he and his brothers were reluctant in TTT to go to war, as the last time they ended up being door wards afterwards, and poor ones at that.

Note that while rereading the books I'm finding more reasons why certain things in the movie stick out as odd.

**The Saucepan Man** · 07-13-2006, 10:42 AM

It's a general point really, but it often occurs to me on reading these threads.

I do think that the process of watching a film is different from that of reading a book. Watching a film is generally a rather passive process - you can sit back and let the film wash over you - whereas reading requires much more active involvement. Perhaps, as a matter of psychology or biology I am wrong, but it just seems that way to me.

Because of this, I suspect that a good film-maker is unlikely to pay as much attention to internal consistency, practicality etc as a good author will. Slips are generally less noticable by film audiences (who - young children apart - generally only watch a film once or, if more, at infrequent intervals). That was particularly so before the advent of videos and, more recently, DVDs (and I can remeber a time before VCRs

). However, similar slips will be a lot more noticable in books, where increased concentration and interpretation is demanded of the reader, and the reader can also easily check back or pause to think things through. So film-makers are able to get way with a lot more. Added to that, in the context of films such as LotR, is the ability to explain it by reference to anything being possible in fantasy.

The reason I think this is that I have watched the films a lot less, I think, than many (possibly most) contributors to the Films forum and so never noticed most of the "slips" that have been brought up. I think I would have noticed much more had they been in the book, even on a first read.

Or may be I am just a much more passive (and easily satisified) viewer than everyone else...

07-13-2006, 10:02 AM	#1
The Saucepan Man Corpus Cacophonous Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: A green and pleasant land Posts: 8,390	As is starkly shown here, the style of the towers and wall is very similar to the famous Alan Lee illustration. I would be surprised, therefore, if Lee was not invvolved in the design of the Gate, and Howe too, given that they were working together. Personally, I don't care about the physics or other practicalities of such matters. I just care whether it looks good. And it looks good to me (yes, including the Trolls). __________________ Do you mind? I'm busy doing the fishstick. It's a very delicate state of mind!

07-13-2006, 10:20 AM	#2
alatar Doubting Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Heaven's basement Posts: 2,466	I saw those same pictures, and didn't see the movie Gate as it appears in the concept art, so not sure exactly where the idea came from. And regarding our day trolls, just how was the Gate opened when it was under Gondor's management? Hmm, the Brownlands once were the abode of the Entwives, and so maybe the Gates were opened by Ents. Will have to ask Fangorn the next time that I see him - at least that would explain why he and his brothers were reluctant in TTT to go to war, as the last time they ended up being door wards afterwards, and poor ones at that. Note that while rereading the books I'm finding more reasons why certain things in the movie stick out as odd. __________________ There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it.

07-13-2006, 10:42 AM	#3
The Saucepan Man Corpus Cacophonous Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: A green and pleasant land Posts: 8,390	It's a general point really, but it often occurs to me on reading these threads. I do think that the process of watching a film is different from that of reading a book. Watching a film is generally a rather passive process - you can sit back and let the film wash over you - whereas reading requires much more active involvement. Perhaps, as a matter of psychology or biology I am wrong, but it just seems that way to me. Because of this, I suspect that a good film-maker is unlikely to pay as much attention to internal consistency, practicality etc as a good author will. Slips are generally less noticable by film audiences (who - young children apart - generally only watch a film once or, if more, at infrequent intervals). That was particularly so before the advent of videos and, more recently, DVDs (and I can remeber a time before VCRs ). However, similar slips will be a lot more noticable in books, where increased concentration and interpretation is demanded of the reader, and the reader can also easily check back or pause to think things through. So film-makers are able to get way with a lot more. Added to that, in the context of films such as LotR, is the ability to explain it by reference to anything being possible in fantasy. The reason I think this is that I have watched the films a lot less, I think, than many (possibly most) contributors to the Films forum and so never noticed most of the "slips" that have been brought up. I think I would have noticed much more had they been in the book, even on a first read. Or may be I am just a much more passive (and easily satisified) viewer than everyone else... __________________ Do you mind? I'm busy doing the fishstick. It's a very delicate state of mind!