Movie Characters Revisited: Frodo

[Nerwen]

Aw, Nog, you're not being fair. It's well known Keanu can only act "faintly smug vacancy", whereas Elijah can portray "petulance" "nausea" *and* "frozen horror". What a thespian!

Boro, as G55 says, in the "Go away" scene he's simply throwing a tantrum. However, you do make an interesting suggestion– yes, it's probably not fair to blame everything on the script and director– it may be that they had to work around the star's limitations.

[Boromir88]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

It's so true it's not even funny...

Oh, but it's so true, it's even funny!

Well, what might be funny is I re-watched the scenes in the Shire up through "The Shadow in the past" part...and I think it's the eyes. Wood doesn't sell anything through the eyes, more everything is expressionless, because most everything is a vacant stare, whether he's smiling or whatever. For example, even in this one, that you pointed out in your first post...

This is when Frodo is at Bilbo's party, and Bilbo is giving his speech, before the weird disappearing part. He's trying to smile and portray gladness, but the eyes are conveying blank day-dream staring and instead of portraying happy emotion, which just makes Frodo look creepy. (But I suppose creepy is more of an expression out of Elijah Wood then most other times? ).

I was paying particular attention to Bilbo's and Gandalf's scenes, since those had been done so well, and Ian Holm (which is not surprising at all) makes you believe in every emotion because he sells it with the eyes. I wish there was some way I could post a screen shot of pictures, but whenever anyone gets the chance, watch when Bilbo disappears from his party and is confronted by Gandalf in Bag End. This was discussed somewhat by Nog and Inzil in the Gandalf discussion, but both actors really sold their part. As opposed to Frodo's actor who doesn't seem cognizant, or at all aware of the present situation.

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Boro, as G55 says, in the "Go away" scene he's simply throwing a tantrum. However, you do make an interesting suggestion– yes, it's probably not fair to blame everything on the script and director– it may be that they had to work around the star's limitations.

Ah, right, and it's funny because I had just rewatched the films last week, but still forgot about the entire lembas scandal. "He doesn't eat them! He can't have taken them!" *headdesk wonderful logic Jackson, and I don't want to get started on the whole destruction for the purpose of lembas, being high and magical elf-food that sustains you for long periods to "mmm yummy elf cakes! I want to stuff a faceful of them!"* (this bit about the lembas comes courtesy of Form, but sadly he is absolutely correct). I think I wanted to believe a rational explanation to a complete Jackson-drama invention, that I forgot Frodo's movie motivations is actually a tantrum and over "yummy elf cakes."

And really I'm not sure if it is a script or actor's limitations, because Frodo could be one of those characters that just fails on every level. I had just been thinking, the lines are there to show Frodo's courage in accepting and taking on the burden of the Ring, as well as showing Frodo's resistance to the Ring gradually breaking down his will...but with the actor being completely unconvincing the "script" argument may be too easy. Then again, with distortions such as the ones we've discussed here, it looks like Frodo just failed completely as a strong lead character.

Which makes me wonder, if anyone thinks, the focus on Aragorn going through his own journey of "returning King" sort of pushes aside the importance of Frodo's journey, the actual "get the Ring to Mount Doom and find a way to destroy it." Although, this is more talking about plot decisions than characters...or maybe Wood being a poor choice for Frodo, that's what makes it seem as if Aragorn is the better developed, and his story is the "main" story?

[Morthoron]

I think Elijah, more so than the other Hobbit actors, actually looked like Frodo, or at least my perception of Frodo; whereas, Sean Astin neither looked nor acted like Samwise at all (the most egregious casting error in my book).

Now, just because E. Wood looked like Frodo, does not mean he acted the part. Like Elrond in the movie, Frodo was far too whiney and effeminate. How Frodo managed to get from the Shire all the way to Mordor in one long unrestrained whine seems remarkable. I would have killed him myself right around Bree. But we do get brief snatches of Frodo every once in a while, particularly when Wood is not consciously acting the part. When Wood does not emote, he is fine, but the minute P. Jackson asked for fear or anguish or anger or sadness, Wood offers the same expression of a six year-old girl who fell off her bike and skinned her knee.

[alatar]

I'm going to get this out before going any further: If a tree falls in a remote part of the universe, I'm blaming Peter Jackson until other evidence comes forth.

But on to Frodo:

Elijah Wood's eyes can get creepy, depending on the lighting and angle in which they are viewed. But other than that, I see no issue with Wood being the actor playing Frodo. It's one of those things where you never like the person chosen, but really can't tell how well others would have fared in the same film.

In the SbS, I'd named the character "Frodo Baggage" as he was not the everyman going above and beyond like in the books. My take on Book Frodo is that he's on a journey where he leaves bits and pieces of his hobbit self along the way, becoming more and more a leader/elf/wizard. Frodo chooses a hard road, and would have done it alone, and even sacrifice himself if need be - you can't but help of thinking of him as the hero, though not in the mold of an Aragorn.

In the movies, however, Baggage just whines a lot as he's carried by external forces from one situation to another.

- "Get off the Road!" It's stated with an unsaid, "...or I may burst into tears."

- Where's the resistance to the last at Weathertop?

- Being green sick was just wonderful, and when Arwen carried Baggage to the Ford...well, where's the Frodo that tells the Nine to go to Mordor?

- On cruel Caradhras it's Aragorn who gets Boromir to give the Ring back to Frodo...before the Hobbbit cried.

- The Watcher gets the whining going again, and in Moria it's Aragorn again that gets Frodo across the gap in that pre-Bridge scene.

- We get some relief from Baggage until Faramir shows up, and then Frodo starts begging the Steward's son to let him and the Ring go.

- Why exactly was Frodo holding the Ring out to the Winged Nazgul?

- To skip ahead, Frodo's wilting in the rays of the Eye floodlight is so silly sad that it makes me think that one day I too can become an actor.

To me, Peter Jackson took this character and completely changed it for the worse. Book Frodo was strong, under enormous pressure, and determined and persistent. Movie Frodo started weak and never improved but for brief moments.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

I thought the single worst WRITING mistake was in the Flight to the Ford.
1) Frodo was carried like a piece of baggage (rather like Merry or Pippin
thought when they were captured by the orcs) [although giving Glorfindel's
bit to Arwen made sense].
2) And worst, Frodo does nada at the Ford, with Arwen instead using a "nothing"
line "If you want him, claim him' instead of Frodo drawing his sword and
saying: "By Elbereth and Luthien the Fair, you shall have neither the
Ring nor me!" That would have been a chance to show Frodo exerting a
sense of growing courage and resistance.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Tuor in Gondolin

...And worst, Frodo does nada at the Ford, with Arwen instead using a "nothing"
line "If you want him, claim him' instead of Frodo drawing his sword and
saying: "By Elbereth and Luthien the Fair, you shall have neither the
Ring nor me!" That would have been a chance to show Frodo exerting a
sense of growing courage and resistance.

That scene is such an egregious effront to canonicity that a 12 year-old fan-fic writer describing violet-eyed elfesses on pink-maned ponies could've done better. Arwen can call up the flood without a ring just by mumbling some pseudo-elvish gibberish in a Lauren Bacall-like whisper? I am surprised she didn't lead a one-elleth assault on the Morannon with such innate power. Xenarwen cometh!

[alatar]

I know that this is a discussion about Frodo, but the *absolute* worst line in the movie is spoken at the Ford:

Nazgul, "Give up the Halfling, she-elf!"

She-elf?!? Seriously?

Why not, "Give up the He-Halfling, she-elf!"

And those of you interested, the script states that Arwen says, "Non o Chithaeglir, lasto Beth daer: Rimmo nin Briunen Dan in Ulaer!"

Anyway, like when Gandalf hits the floor when pwned by the Witch-King in RotK, Frodo hits the riverbank looking completely helpless. We couldn't have seen him somehow fighting the wound?

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by alatar

Why not, "Give up the He-Halfling, she-elf!"

Because sometimes Frodo resembles a girl more than Arwen does.


It's an interesting thought, though, the "feminine" side of Frodo. It's present in the books too, but not to such extent. Perhaps it's just my mind convoluting his elvish personality, but I see him as a more feminine figure than, f. ex., Sam in the books. This is not to say that he is portrayed as a girl, but that it underlines the subtlety and grace and elvishness of his nature.

In the movies, Frodo whines and moans and faints and cries, and looses most of the characteristics that in the books give him the masculinity. At the same time, he even sometimes looks like a girl, forget about behaving like one.