Sir Ian as Gandalf

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by davem

Sorry, but G. was ever a bit of a babe..

So the discrepancy lies with Tolkien who wanted a Brangelina for Lothlorien. (tsk. I shall be flailed for that. Legions of estimable Downers past shall suddenly appear and attack my audacity for criticising The Professor.)

Originally Posted by Many Meetings

The face of Elrond was ageless, neither old nor young, though in it was written the memory of many things both glad and sorrowful. His hair was dark as the shadows of twilight, and upon it was set a circlet of silver; his eyes were grey as a clear evening, and in them was a light like the light of stars. Venerable he seemed as a king crowned with many winters, and yet hale as a tried warrior in the fulness of his strength. He was the Lord of Rivendell and mighty among both Elves and Men.

Now this description captures the essential nature of the long lived elves so well, it seems to me. Tolkien is able to hint at Elrond's ages of experience while still presenting a character in full and hearty physical prowess. Not so with the Lothlorien Royal Couple. Does the difference hint at some defining distinction between Rivendell and Lothlorien, that one maintained links and associations outside its dwelling while the other cut itself off from outside communication? Galadriel tried the old Girdle trick.

Frankly, I find the description of Galadriel and Celeborn (poor consort, no wonder he is ridiculed if he is denied a manly expression of experience) really weird. Possibly Tolkien wanted something to appear off kilter for his perilous realm, but the state of Galadriel and Celeborn reminds me more of the effect of the Ring, something altogether unnatural. If you've read Wilde's The Picture of Dorien Grey, the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien are even ickier.

Maybe Tolkien just had trouble coming up with a second major description of elven immortality? 'cause elves start out as babies/kids and so they must show some kind of change over time.

So, to keep this on topic, I suppose CGI techniques can be used where 10 years of actors' aging must hidden.

[Mister Underhill]

Originally Posted by Bb

Does the difference hint at some defining distinction between Rivendell and Lothlorien, that one maintained links and associations outside its dwelling while the other cut itself off from outside communication?

There's something there, I think. Don't forget that Elrond is half-elven too.

The problem with portraying Elves on film is that you have to find real human beings who can carry off ageless and unearthly beauty and still convey the weight of centuries of life experience. Or you could go CGI, I guess, but oy vey, what an expensive headache.

For me, the Elves are one of the more disappointing aspects of the films. Weaving is totally miscast as Elrond, IMO. Liv Tyler is too callow and angsty to really pull off Arwen. And words by the gross have been spilled about Orly, so I'll leave that alone. Cate Blanchett doesn't match up to G for me, but at least she's able to convey a sense of mature intelligence behind the beautiful face.

[davem]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

So the discrepancy lies with Tolkien who wanted a Brangelina for Lothlorien. (tsk. I shall be flailed for that. Legions of estimable Downers past shall suddenly appear and attack my audacity for criticising The Professor.).

I don't think the Prof. was quite as enamoured of the Eldar as some of his readers (& certainly not as much as the makers/viewers of the movies - hence his 'embalmers' comment. I suspect that Lorien would grow something of a Hotel California experience after a while. Perfect Elven bodies everywhere, & an increasing lack of meaningful conversation to be had - once you'd got tired of being told how great things were in the 'old days' & how things had just gone continually downhill since the First Age - or really since the death of the Trees.. (to quote Marvin the Paranoid Android from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: 'The first ten million years were the worst... & the second ten million years were the worst too....after that things just went down hill.'). Galadriel stated to Celebrimbor that she wanted to live in a land where the flowers & trees didn't die - a frozen, entirely plastic 'perfection'. The disconect between physical perfection & inner ennui, is by far the most interesting aspect of the Elves. They cannot grow old physically, & a reading of the Sil confirms that most of them are equally incapable of growing up.