John Boorman's Lord of the Rings - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Nerwen · 07-28-2018, 02:35 AM

Huey, all that fits pretty well with other accounts of the script. The thing about the battling bee-keepers is a new one on me, though- and an, ah, interesting take on the "common folk fighting with with improvised weapons" trope.

Morthoron · 07-29-2018, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Huey, all that fits pretty well with other accounts of the script. The thing about the battling bee-keepers is a new one on me, though- and an, ah, interesting take on the "common folk fighting with with improvised weapons" trope.

Perhaps Boorman was thinking of Bruegel (definitely a bizarre image)....

http://theartstack.com/artist/pieter...dnester-c-1568

Huinesoron · 08-07-2018, 03:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Perhaps Boorman was thinking of Bruegel (definitely a bizarre image)....

http://theartstack.com/artist/pieter...dnester-c-1568

Those are absolutely terrifying! I certainly wouldn't want to see them marching towards me.

What's interesting about the Boorman script (again assuming my reconstruction is accurate) is that it has very powerful visual imagery. I'm actually tempted to draw things like thirteen-year-old Arwen splitting Narsil between Aragorn and Boromir, or Gimli defacing the Black Gate, or the Kabuki Council, or Aragorn's 'disguise an army as a giant snake' trick.

But, er... probably not the Seduction of Galadriel, or the Nazgultron (yeah, the Nine combine into a single Nazgul, it's a thing). I'll skip those.

hS

Morthoron · 08-08-2018, 06:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

Those are absolutely terrifying! I certainly wouldn't want to see them marching towards me.

Yes, I was thinking of some of the more grotesque images in Boorman's Excalibur, and thought Bruegel's Beekeepers would set the tone nicely for the scene. Plus, the beekeeper's apparel would be appropriate for a quasi-medieval setting that Boorman seems to prefer.

Aiwendil · 11-14-2018, 09:58 AM

Thanks to Huinerson for that summary; it was fascinating. As noted, it is third-hand information, so it may not be completely accurate, but (and this is entirely subjective) judging by Boorman's other work it definitely feels like him.

The Tolkien purist in me obviously recoils at much of the script. And yet I'd still kind of love to see it. It almost feels different enough that I might be able to enjoy it in its own right - more "inspired by" than "adapted from" The Lord of the Rings.

Huinesoron · 03-25-2022, 04:34 AM

Entirely by chance, I stumbled across a blog post this week which contains the holy grail of, um, this thread:

The Complete Boorman Script!

(Link to my immediately-made copy; there's another in the blog.)

It's all true. The Gimli-abuse. The Frodo/Galadriel scene, complete with "sensual cries". The Kabuki theatre. The bee-cultivators of Gondor. Not a single word of my summary was an exaggeration.

It also quotes from Tolkien a lot, but often in really weird places. It's like they found lines they liked, and just stuffed them in wherever they could.

Oh, and Gandalf saves the Fellowship from wargs on Caradhras by drugging them, poking them in the eyes, and freezing them into a giant block of ice. As you do!

hS

William Cloud Hicklin · 03-25-2022, 01:06 PM

Holy psilocybin trip, Batman!

(Thanks for that, Hu)

07-28-2018, 02:35 AM	#1
Nerwen Wisest of the Noldor Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: ˙˙˙ssɐןƃ ƃuıʞooן ǝɥʇ ɥƃnoɹɥʇ Posts: 6,694	Huey, all that fits pretty well with other accounts of the script. The thing about the battling bee-keepers is a new one on me, though- and an, ah, interesting take on the "common folk fighting with with improvised weapons" trope. __________________ "Even Nerwen wasn't evil in the beginning." –Elmo.

03-25-2022, 04:34 AM	#6
Huinesoron Overshadowed Eagle Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: The north-west of the Old World, east of the Sea Posts: 3,957	Entirely by chance, I stumbled across a blog post this week which contains the holy grail of, um, this thread: The Complete Boorman Script! (Link to my immediately-made copy; there's another in the blog.) It's all true. The Gimli-abuse. The Frodo/Galadriel scene, complete with "sensual cries". The Kabuki theatre. The bee-cultivators of Gondor. Not a single word of my summary was an exaggeration. It also quotes from Tolkien a lot, but often in really weird places. It's like they found lines they liked, and just stuffed them in wherever they could. Oh, and Gandalf saves the Fellowship from wargs on Caradhras by drugging them, poking them in the eyes, and freezing them into a giant block of ice. As you do! hS __________________ Have you burned the ships that could bear you back again? ~Finrod: The Rock Opera Last edited by Huinesoron; 03-25-2022 at 04:45 AM.

03-25-2022, 01:06 PM	#7
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	Holy psilocybin trip, Batman! (Thanks for that, Hu) __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it. Last edited by William Cloud Hicklin; 03-25-2022 at 01:15 PM.

11-14-2018, 09:58 AM	#5
Aiwendil Late Istar Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,224	Thanks to Huinerson for that summary; it was fascinating. As noted, it is third-hand information, so it may not be completely accurate, but (and this is entirely subjective) judging by Boorman's other work it definitely feels like him. The Tolkien purist in me obviously recoils at much of the script. And yet I'd still kind of love to see it. It almost feels different enough that I might be able to enjoy it in its own right - more "inspired by" than "adapted from" The Lord of the Rings.