How have you seen it?

[Bêthberry]

I thought of putting this link in littlemanpoet's Books thread about LotR, "How have you read it?", but the research is about the movie, so here am I in what I hope is the correct forum.

This link is to an article in Saturday's Guardian about research done to determine who watches the movies and why or how. Apparently one of the main findings was that viewers consciously attempted to imagine or make themselves think they were watching the movies for the first time, trying to forget the known ending. This would appear to be very different from our book discussions here, where, if I am not mistaken, people claim that rereadings give them greater information and appreciation rather than re-enact the origianal first reading.


Research reveals spiritual journey of Tolkien fans

One hesitation about this article is that, while it does name Professor Martin Barker of the University of Wales as the author of the research, it does not provide any information on where Professor Barker published his research, so we cannot follow up the journalist's summary.

So, what do Downers say? Why do you rewatch the movies and what do you do when you rewatch them, other than eating popcorn of course!

[Boromir88]

Good idea Bb...

I think there are a couple decisions on why I rewatch the movies. Some of the biggest are they are good and entertaining, I like the battles, I like the acting, and maybe it's just because I've taken several film classes in my high school/college life. I watch a lot of movies, and rewatch a lot of movies, basically the reason I reread the books I always find something knew. What I'm looking for is different then in the books. The Books I'm looking for understanding, information, and maybe to try to find something. The Movies I watch to see how good Jackson portrays and shows Tolkien's Middle-earth. Othertimes, from the less scholarly self I just watch because I feel like seeing a good movie.

I wonder if this sort of goes along with the thread too, so I'm going to bring it up. When people start rereading the books the general concensus seems to be they start skipping through chapters of the books. Possibly they just want to find something and don't need to read through the entire book, just a section, other times they do reread it but skip through chapters they find slow.

So, now I'm going to ask do viewers (in general) skip parts of the movies? And why? I do often skip through parts of the movie, as I've seen it dozens of times and like the books there's just things that I'm drawn to at certain times. I'd say FOTR is the one I least skip, I usually watch that one in full if I end up rewatching. I think this was the best made of the three (not entertaining) but best made, and it always keeps me interested. From the very beginning (which some see as slow) to Boromir's death and off to hunt the orcs. TTT and ROTK I start skipping through parts I don't like. Mostly parts that I don't agree with and wish they had not been in the movies. (Example, Faramir taking the hobbits to Osgiliath in TTT, and Frodo sending Sam away in ROTK). So, I'm wondering if people on the downs skip parts of the movies? and their reasons.

Also, I'm interested in what movie have you rewatched the most and why? For me (if you can't tell already) it's FOTR. Again, I think this was the best one done by Jackson. The focus is on the actors and the characters not large scale battles. He has an excellent cast for these movies and he sorts of gets away from that aspect of the films in TTT and even more in ROTK. Also, I just happen to love the scenery (although Rohan and Gondor are done great as well). It's a splendid movie to watch, that keeps my eyes open from just seeing the scenery, the Shire, Lothlorien...etc, to the Hobbits in the beggining of the movie, and the Fellowship members.

P.S. Bb, hope you don't mind that I've thought of some more things. I just sort of ran with it and some few things I'm interested in seeing about the downers and their perspectives on the movies. Again, great thread.

[Mister Underhill]

Ah, Google, how I love thee. Bb, if you're really interested in learning more, I found these links: complete contact information for Barker, including e-mail address and contact numbers, can be found at the site of the council that funded his research, here. They also have a page with a description of the research grant award, which has a heading for "Award Output and Documents", but nothing to download; perhaps Barker's findings haven't exactly been published yet.

Apparently one of the main findings was that viewers consciously attempted to imagine or make themselves think they were watching the movies for the first time, trying to forget the known ending.

Off the top of my head, I'd say this is how I rewatch most movies that I like. Come to think of it, it's probably how I reread favorite books as well. Some books I'll return to just to savor favorite passages, just as there are favorite scenes in movies that stick in the imagination and can be watched and rewatched out of context.

LotR (the book) is rather unique in that I go back to it for information or analysis as often or even more often -- since I became a member at the BD -- as I do to experience it as a story.

[Bêthberry]

Now Boro, why am I not surprised that you would find the death of Boromir your fav movie? Good questions you add.

Thanks for the links, Mr.Underhill. I couldn't find any published research articles on this in some of the online sociology journals but one of your links explains why:

The ESRC confirms the quality of its funded research by evaluating research projects through a process of peer review. Sometimes the ESRC publishes research before this process is finished so that new findings can immediately inform business, Government, media and other organisations. This research is waiting for final comments from academic peers.

Obviously, the research results have not yet been accepted for publication in any academic journals but the ESRC wanted to get the info out. A nice way around the 'publish or perish' climate in academe.

Apparently this research was based just on the third movie. This is hardly like the situation for most movies, which depend solely on advertising to win audiences. In the case of RotK, there were two previous movies themselves to prep the market.

I'm curious about the focus on 'fantasy' though. Why not question why people watch 'realism'? I wonder how this point jives with what Tolkien wrote about fantasy:

And they are more important and enjoyable to those who work in jobs where they feel they have little control over their lives.

So much depends on knowing just what questions were asked and how people could answer--how much control they had over what they could say.

[Dimturiel]

Why do I still watch LOTR? Probably from the same reason I read the books over and over again. I feel good watching it, I like Middle Earth and I feel lucky being able to actually see it. I do not know which movie I have rewatched most, I think that FOTR because it somehow is my favourite. The only scene that I skip is the one with the Mouth of Sauron from ROTK extended because I hate what they did to it. I do not try to forget that I know how the movie will end, I have watched it so many times, that this is no longer posible.

[Lalwendë]

I have to admit that one of the reasons I watch the films quite so often (at least, excerpts) is that I like to watch TV while I eat and they are always on Sky Movies and amongst the 500 channels of rubbish they are quite often the best thing on!

Now that the full extended edition marathon is behind me I just don't have the 'urge' to watch them in full, but every so often I might stick one of them on to watch a favourite scene again. But like all films I enjoy, I have no doubt that the urge to watch them properly again might take me at some point in the near future.

It would have been impossible to go alongto the cinema and try to forget the storylines, but I did go feeling not only fear but excitement about what each film might be like, and I was open minded and prepared to enjoy them despite what I feared. This is how I approach most films apart from typical action/cop films (which I go along to quite prepared to be bored out of my mind)so its not surprising. What did surprise me is that I'm often cynicqal about anything which remakes books/films etc which I already loved, and yet I didn't have this sense of cynicism about LotR.

[Mithalwen]

I have to admit. that despite meaning to do the marathon, I still haven't watched the ROTK EE all of the way through - just the missing scenes and I still haven't retrieved TTT from my god daughter....... but a friend's husband adores ROTK EE as it keeps him amused while he does the ironing!!!!!

[Azaelia of Willowbottom]

When I rewatch the movies, I rewatch them because I love them, and the action, acting, and cinematography is brilliant. They're just great movies. I am not aware that I make any conscious decision to attempt to convince myself that I am watching them for the first time.

Something I do try to do, though, is to go to a special place mentally and emotionally. This is big especially with the last two. I have to be in the right, Middle-earthy mood to watch them. I can't be feeling too silly or energetic.

I never skip parts. I can't really interrupt the flow of the movie. It's like skipping pages in a book: only to be done in extreme cases.

The movie I have seen most is FOTR. This is mainly because it has been out the longest, so I've had the most time to view it. It's also the lightest and easiest to just sit down and watch. The tone is very different from that of the other movies, and I can casually pull it off the shelf when I'm looking for something to watch, and enjoy it. The same is true of TTT, to a certain extent.

ROTK is a different story all together. It's the best movie I've ever seen, and also is pretty emotionally intense. Because I love it so much, I do need certain circumstances to take place in order for me to watch it: I need to be in a slightly melancholy mood to start with. If I'm feeling too silly, it just won't work. Also, I need to be alone at home. It's so hard for me to fall into Middle-earth the way I want to when everything that takes place in a normally busy household is happening in the background. Especially my brother. He's usually great about movies, but the emotional stuff in LOTR makes him feel a little awkward or something, so he makes himself a nuisance to take his mind off of it.
I haven't seen ROTK since April of '04 right before it left theaters. I have this fear that somehow the movie will lose its magnificence when viewed on my humble home TV. And I just don't want it to happen. I have, however, decided that I need to get over that so I have laid plans to watch it again sometime before the end of the month. It's been over a year since I last saw it.

Another thing for me is spacing. I like to watch any movie sort of independently from other movies. That means that I'd like a space around my viewing of almost any movie of at least a week, so that it's less influenced by other movies I may have seen within the past few days. I find that my enjoyment of all movies that I watch is increased by doing that. (it also keeps me from spending too much time on my bum in front of the TV!)