LotR1-FotR-Seq10

[alatar]

The longest journey begins with the first step.

Elrond sends the Fellowship of the Ring (catchy, that) on their journey with more words. Love that PJ included those from the books. “No oath or bond…” Initially, I wasn’t thrilled when Gimli’s rebuttal of the ‘no oath-taking’ wasn’t included, but more clear thought knows that we needn’t have an argument/discussion to slow the scene down.

Get out of Rivendell already!

I like how Elrond blesses the group. Nice touch, and I actually warm to Elrond a bit.

Now everyone is waiting for Frodo to start the journey. Why? Isn’t this Frodo Baggage? Sure, PJ was thinking, “we need more Elijah,” but to me it’s a bit inconsistent and heavy-handed. Yes, Frodo leads and yes, Frodo needs guidance. But after lying prone at Weathertop, offering no resistance, and being carried by Arwen to the Ford, Frodo isn’t really the leader-type.

An aside: a tuxedo rental company has a billboard stating their business. When enough suits are rented/dollars are spent, the company helps out by providing some of the traditional rentals for free. So the billboard reads, “Free Ringbearer!” I saw it and thought, “how nice,” and wouldn’t that be convenient if I were going on a journey to destroy the One Ring. No fee for the tux, and so I’d get one.

It’s kind of like Frodo here. He’s ‘free’ and is only here to carry the Ring. Others will be doing all of the paying…

Aragorn glances back at Arwen and her elvish backdrop. Arwen doesn’t look as angelic here, and the other elves look snooty. Viggo gives her that nod/salute thing, and I just think that it’s great as it’s pretty subtle.

Arwen’s response to Aragorn’s departure could have been a bit more demonstrative. I’m not saying that she should be on the ground, crying and smashing her fist into Arda, but a little more than a dip of the head was warranted.

Now Howard Shore kicks in as we see the Fellowship walk various paths. And here comes the ‘hero shot’ - the one were we see all Nine Walkers in their primped-up best. The shot intrigues me, as I know that not all of the actors are the right size, and as we don’t see any obvious CG, I think that some trick is played with the camera and surroundings. Except that everyone appears to be walking on a Paris catwalk, I like the shot.

And note that the wide shot just before the hero’s strut is not the same type of landscape as in the shot (no rocks), but seemingly is sync’ed up afterwards.

40 days? And I thought that everyone zipped around Middle Earth in a day or two.

It’s just as I feared. Gandalf the Black has arisen! Okay, G, I know that Saruman thumped you about the head a bit, but to take the One Ring through the Gap? Not very smart, that. Maybe you’re just looking to refill your tobacco pouch from the stores at Orthanc, perhaps? Saruman was right - that hobbit weed is affecting your judgment.

I really like the camp scene. We have no exact book reference, but PJ creates one that shows us the Nine interacting with each other. Sam cooks for Frodo, who sits idly by. Boromir teaches Merry and Pippin the fine art of sword fighting, which must have been too much trouble for Aragorn. This little snippet shows Boromir in a friendly likeable light, and Aragorn seems more standoffish and moody.

Gimli, our proud dwarf, suggests that the Fellowship cross the Misty Mountains via the Mines of Moria, and Gandalf the Black is against it. Did I hear that right? Is there a possibility that the actors read the wrong lines from the cue cards?

G: We should get out of sight for a while. Why don’t we go through the Mines?
G: The Mines? There’s like no way I'm going through there unless Leader Frodo makes us!

Hmmm.

By the by, PJ states that the camp scene sight looked interesting, with the odd rock formations and all, and so chose to use the location in the movie. Good choice - different, yet real world and not CG.

Legolas’ spider sense tingles and he starts scanning the horizon. A dark wisp of a cloud is seen, and as we know, black clouds bode no one well.

But back to the sword practice: Boromir stops as he is concerned that he may have inadvertently hurt one of the hobbits, and they seize the moment to attack him. Very cool scene. Boromir cares, is friendly, the hobbits and he mix it up a bit (like brothers) and we learn that not all hobbits are helpless.

Daddy Aragorn steps in to break up the boys’ fun. Bam! He gets upended. And there are those apples!

If I remember correctly, the apples appeared when Merry/Pippin stole the dragon firework, when they tried to stop for a second breakfast, now when they topple the King, and later when they find some flotsam at Isengard. Just what is it with this two and this fruit?

PJ - what message can I not hear? It’s like cinematographical crop circles.

But anyway, that dark cloud is getting closer. Boromir, unlike Gimli, detects a threat. Legolas’ eyes see the crebain from Dunland. Hide!

Most predatory birds would have already seen the Fellowship along with the apple skins stuck in their teeth. The group scampers for cover just as the digital birds fly by. Whoa now. Suddenly Gandalf the Black reconsiders the Gap Theory, and I guess that the birds delivered some message to him from his Boss, and so he decides that all should now attempt the pass of Caradhras. And that looks like it’s going to be some fun.

We next see a wide shot of some excellent scenery. Snow as far as one can see on mountaintops, and Shore’s score is just so fitting. This is the real deal folks. But PJ has to interject.

Frodo Baggage takes a tumble, and the Ring leaves its bearer. How convenient. I assume that we are to assume that it was the Ring’s doing, as it left Gollum too. Now, this scene is not found in the books, but is interesting and well shot, visually.

Boromir retrieves the Ring, and stares at it dangling from its chain. His words show you that he is caught in the Ring’s web, and it is calling to him. Aragorn shakes him, keeping him from acting upon his desire. He actually gives the One Ring of Power back to Frodo, who appears to be a whiny sobbing child. Boromir's heart still resists.

Luckily for “leader” Frodo that Daddy Aragorn was there. Say something! Master Baggage…Boromir adds to Frodo’s diminution by rubbing his head. Here kid, here’s your Ring back, so stop yer crying.

The shot of Aragorn’s hand on his unnamed sword shows you that at least someone is taking Boromir and the Ring seriously.

While our Fellowship continues up the mountain, Saruman gets a birdgram. We see more of his work; metal, fire and wheels. He, speaking fluent crebain, learns of Gandalf’s new course and knows that if that fails, that Saruman will have effective steered the Ring into the hands of another Maia and orc group. Smart work that, He-who-is-both-wise-AND-powerful.

We return to our trip over the mountain. Gandalf leads the way, using his ‘icebreaker’ staff to carve a path. It’s a poor road, even without all of the blowing snow and ill feelings of a wizard, as it seems to slant off to the precipice. Legolas walks on seemingly unaffected by snow, and PJ makes sure to add that this otter swims like an otter should. Aragorn and Boromir have more hobbit baggage, and they are really enjoying themselves. Having carried three children at once, I feel for these two men.

But what’s that? More Legolas tinglings, and we find out that someone is chanting away in the blizzard. That’s Saruman, and unless this is a coincidence, seemingly he can create weather at a distance. Wow! He is powerful. Too bad he couldn’t have snowed or rained on Sauron’s parade, or even when attacked by large trees, but anyway…

Gandalf the Black attempts another assassination. Big snow covered cliff above. To yell or not to yell? Incoming!!!

Is Aragorn yelling at or to Gandalf when he says something like “…tried to bring down the mountain!” Either way, Aragorn wants to turn back, but Gandalf the Black isn’t done scheming yet. Is it true that Gandalf tells Saruman to ‘sleep?” Isn’t that how the Borgified Captain Picard wiped out the Borg ship that threatened Earth?

We see that, indeed, Saruman is creating bad weather with words. And then our duel comes to a head with the lightning strike. Was it a counter to Gandalf’s spell, or did Saruman plan to strike the mountain anyway?

Incoming!!!

Surely the Fellowship is no more.

Surprise! Orlando sprouts up through real snow. His fellow actors had the joy of working with the synthetic kind, which seemingly worked itself inside costumes and crannies and just was a bunch of fun. More of the Fellowship emerges, and Boromir states the obvious. Aragorn now counters Gandalf the Black’s original road. Gimli gives us option #3.

At the mention of the Mines Gandalf has a flashback via Saruman. We know what awaits him there too. Gandalf now gets back to being himself and lets the Ringbearer decide the next course. Lead, Frodo, lead.

He chooses the path, and Gandalf ominously states, “So be it.” The die is cast.

What are these Mines that even Gandalf fears to tread and that Saruman seems so happy to trap our troop in? That would be for next week.

[Elladan and Elrohir]

Hey cool, I get to be the first to reply!

I've never really understood why they changed Gandalf so that he is now reluctant to go to Moria, instead of being the one to suggest it with Aragorn playing cautious. Of course, I haven't seen any BTS documentaries or commentaries for FOTR EE, so I don't know whether PJ and Co. explain the reasoning behind the change, or not.

Howard Shore's score is awesome throughout this sequence, especially, of course, in "The Ring Goes South."

As alatar has pointed out, Frodo is made the little kid once again in this sequence. He's a great candidate for "character who has changed most from the book". I may actually go start a poll like that in the main forum.

I love the scene with Boromir, Merry and Pippin. Not only is it heartwarming, but it also establishes a connection between this Man and these two Hobbits, which will come back later as he heroically runs in slo-mo to save them from Uruk-Hai.

Saruman being the one to cause the storm on Caradhras is, of course, a change from the book, where the cause is either the ill will of the mountain itself, or just possibly the work of Sauron. This change is, of course, in keeping with the emphasis the first two movies place on White Wizard #1.

I also really love the Boromir-Frodo-Aragorn scene (even though it demeans Frodo), because it's a great way of showing (again) the Ring's temptation of Boromir, and it also builds tension between Boromir and Aragorn.

[Essex]

Originally Posted by alatar

[I]Now everyone is waiting for Frodo to start the journey. Why? Isn’t this Frodo Baggage? Sure, PJ was thinking, “we need more Elijah,” but to me it’s a bit inconsistent and heavy-handed. Yes, Frodo leads and yes, Frodo needs guidance. But after lying prone at Weathertop, offering no resistance, and being carried by Arwen to the Ford, Frodo isn’t really the leader-type.

Whoa there! Where on earth is Frodo a Leader in the books? This is exactly what he DOESN'T want to be! He takes the responsibility of the Ring, yes. But not the LEadership of the fellowship. We all know, as Aragorn tells us, that Gandalf was their leader. Does Frodo try to lead a merry little band into Mordor? NO! He wants to go himself, and relunctantly takes Sam with him. Does he play any 'Leadership' part back in Hobbiton? No, he leaves all this work to Merry Pippin and Sam. He is not a leader, in ANY circumstances, in the book - therefore why be one in the movie?

It’s kind of like Frodo here. He’s ‘free’ and is only here to carry the Ring. Others will be doing all of the paying…

'only here to carry the ring' - the most important, selfless, bravest job of all! So the other 8 have to chip in and 'pay' as you said! Frodo is picking up most of the tab just by carrying the Ring, let me tell you!

Arwen’s response to Aragorn’s departure could have been a bit more demonstrative. I’m not saying that she should be on the ground, crying and smashing her fist into Arda, but a little more than a dip of the head was warranted.

I just LOVE her heavy breathing!

40 days? And I thought that everyone zipped around Middle Earth in a day or two.

I love how this shows the thought processes going on in the scriptwriters' heads - yes, they get a lot wrong, but it's little things like this that make the movie work for me - It took about 20 book days to get to Moria, and that's about half the distance to the Gap of Rohan where Movie Gandalf was heading........

Gimli, our proud dwarf, suggests that the Fellowship cross the Misty Mountains via the Mines of Moria, and Gandalf the Black is against it. Did I hear that right? Is there a possibility that the actors read the wrong lines from the cue cards?

yeah, can't work out why they've made Gandalf the one who DOESN'T want to go through Moria.....

Boromir retrieves the Ring, and stares at it dangling from its chain. His words show you that he is caught in the Ring’s web, and it is calling to him. Aragorn shakes him, keeping him from acting upon his desire. He actually gives the One Ring of Power back to Frodo, who appears to be a whiny sobbing child.

No, Frodo grabs it back petulantly and gives Boromir a look of (hate?) distaste - he is not being passive, nor whiny or sobbing.

Boromir's heart still resists.

No, his HEAD resists, not his heart......

Luckily for “leader” Frodo that Daddy Aragorn was there. Say something! Master Baggage…

Boromir does not see Aragorn's hand on his sword - He is not really answering to Aragorn as he comes out of his trance - Anyone, including Frodo, could have told him to give the Ring back.....

Boromir adds to Frodo’s diminution by rubbing his head. Here kid, here’s your Ring back, so stop yer crying.

But this is showing Movie Boromir's feelings towards the hobbits - that he sees them as kids and easy to manipulate and to cajole - (which he learns to his detriment he is wrong later!) - Frodo shows his mettle by NOT answering back as a kid would no doubt do..........he just does the clever thing and locks away a little mental note in his head about Boromir that he remembers at the end of the movie!

[Boromir88]

I took Frodo's "leading" the Fellowship out of Rivendell as kind of a symbolic thing. As in the torch runner at the olympics...the real journey has now "begun." I doubt anyone expected Frodo to know where the heck he was going, but him leading the first steps symbolizes he is the focus, the purpose, the beginning of this quest, as he will be the end of this quest.

I do find it rather funny of Gandalf's lack of direction so to say. He just seems rather lacksadaisical. Not that he doesn't know where he's going but, just a lack of leadership as he's like..."umm I'm just gonna go where people tell me to go." I'll yell at Gimli for suggesting Moria, and yell at Boromir for insisting the Gap of Rohan, but I'll just do what a Hobbit says who has no idea where we are at decide. I mean Frodo is the focus the Fellowship, but he admits himself at the Council he has no idea how to get to Mordor, or how to get passed Saruman, so why is it "his decision?" I guess Gandalf just wanted Frodo to chose so he couldn't be blamed if it turned out bad..."Frodo told us to come here! It wasn't my fault!"

No, Frodo grabs it back petulantly and gives Boromir a look of (hate?) distaste - he is not being passive, nor whiny or sobbing.~Essex

I happen to agree with alatar on this, Frodo does come off as babyish. He's standing there with a look like he's about to cry and Aragorn reassuringly grabs his his shoulder and takes him under his wing. I just get this picture of Frodo whining to Aragorn: "Aragorn! He took my ring! Tell him to give it back!"

Boromir does not see Aragorn's hand on his sword - He is not really answering to Aragorn as he comes out of his trance - Anyone, including Frodo, could have told him to give the Ring back.....

I don't think he notices Aragorn's hand on his sword, but he certainly does answer back to Aragorn.
Aragorn: Boromir! Boromir! (Boromir snaps out of trance)Give the ring to Frodo.
Boromir: (looks at Aragorn) As you wish. I care not.

I really don't understand this insertion into the movies at all. Not just because it wasn't in the books, but I think it just goes to beat an idea into our head that we already know. We see at the Council Boromir doesn't agree, Galadriel only later spells it right out for us in Lorien..."He will try to take the ring! You know of whom I speak." Thanks for the heads up and killing the suspense. I really see no purpose in the scene. I guess it's to show his "falling corruption" to the Ring, but I just think it's beat into our head enough in the movies that someone (and most likely this Gondorian) will take the ring. This scene could have been cut and the time could have been used much more wisely.

Which comes to maybe my biggest disappointments with the movies, the addition of needless scenes, that really serve no purpose in the movies. And it's valuable time that could be spent more wisely. A lot of people argue this is a long long movie, there's not enough time to add in everything. Which there isn't, Tolkien would agree, however if you cut out just some of the needless additions, that add nothing further to the development of the movie, then I'm sure plenty of time could be saved to fit in extra stuff...like an explanation of why the Nazgul flee from the words "Elbereth." (I just got done reading the new Sequence 7 posts so this is what first popped into my head).

Umm, let's see what else did I want to say. Oh yea, I concur with alatar with the additions of Boromir teaching the Hobbits to sword fight. (See this addition I don't mind because it goes to set up and show Boromir's love for the two Hobbits and his attempt to save them at the end of the movie).

[Essex]

I really see no purpose in the scene. I guess it's to show his "falling corruption" to the Ring, but I just think it's beat into our head enough in the movies that someone (and most likely this Gondorian) will take the ring. This scene could have been cut and the time could have been used much more wisely.

Boromir's words regarding the ring are taken almost verbatim from the book, just put in a different place. This is a MARVELLOUS scene, showing the power of the Ring, and also setting up Boromir's feelings towards the Ring that culminate in the scene at Parth Galen. It sets this scene up perfectly. It's definately not wasting time!

[Boromir88]

Boromir's words regarding the ring are taken almost verbatim from the book, just put in a different place. This is a MARVELLOUS scene, showing the power of the Ring, and also setting up Boromir's feelings towards the Ring that culminate in the scene at Parth Galen. It sets this scene up perfectly. It's definately not wasting time!~Essex

Yes, that's what this scene does, but if we look at it from a broaderperspective what's the purpose? To show the Ring's power and Boromir's "corruption" towards it. But, my point is we don't need this scene to show this, Galadriel only spells it out for us in Lorien. We already see at the Council what he wants to use the Ring for, we get to Lorien we see Galadriel talk to Frodo about it. There really is no purpose for this scene, as it just goes to show what has already been established, or what later will be established. It adds nothing further to the movie then what has/will be seen, so (in my opinion) it serves no purpose. I think this scene could be cut (without losing the Ring's power in corrupting Boromir-because it's clearly shown later), and the time used could have been used to explain something else.

[Elladan and Elrohir]

I would say keep this scene and cut Galadriel's quote. Lorien's already the worst part of all three films anyway.

I still love this scene. It's a character development scene, which they need more of, and they get to develop Aragorn, Boromir, and Frodo, all at the same time. Remember, we're not looking over the Fellowship's shoulders during their entire journey, so we don't see all the hints Tolkien gives that "there's something wrong with that dude from Gondor." The audience has got to see that yeah, Boromir's a good guy, but he's got the Ring on the brain. Cut Galadriel. Keep this scene.