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Old 07-23-2002, 02:18 PM   #1
mark12_30
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Sting Movie eucatastrophe: tears of joy

Hi, I posted this in Books but I thought the Movie crowd might want to discuss it too. Here's the question:<P>From letter 89 by Tolkien: <BR>"... I coined the word 'eucatastrophe': the sudden happy turn in a story which pierces you with a joy that brings tears (which I argued it is the highest function of fairy stories to produce). And I was there led to the view that it produces its peculiar effect because it is a sudden glimpse of truth... ...joy which produces tears because it is qualitatively so like sorrow, because it comes from those places where Joy and Sorrow are at one, reconciled, as selfishness and altruism are lost in Love..."<P>The question is, where do you see those things happening in Tolkien's work (and in this case, the movie? Where do you see Joy and Sorrow at one; where do you see Altriuism and Selfishness lost in love; and where do you experience tears of joy because of a sudden perception of truth?
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Old 07-23-2002, 03:29 PM   #2
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Sting

In both book and movie, Sam's decision to follow Frodo. I found it even more moving in the film because of the music chosen for it, and for the fact that instead of a panicked scrabbling into the water, Sam is deliberately wading out over his head.
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Old 07-24-2002, 06:38 AM   #3
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I found, in both book and Film, Gandalf's fall into shadow was a real moment of joy and sorrow for me. Even more so in hindsight (I guess I never got first sight with the film). The joy came from "He's saving them all. Its the ultimate sacrifice,(even though) I know he'll come back." The sorrow was from "Oh my god, Gandalf's dead". This was compounded with Sir Ian McKellon's wonderful acting, which I found immensley moving in that scene.<BR>Another similar moment that got me from the film only was Boromir's death. I didn't like Boromir very much in the book, so I wasn't too sorry to see him go. But the film gave more goodness to him: he also makes the ultimate sacrifice (joy and sorrow). He fails (sorrow) but in accepting Aragorn as king he succeeds (joy). Its not that simple, but i couldn't put into words quite what I'm trying to say.
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Old 07-25-2002, 12:51 PM   #4
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There wasn't any particular part that struck me, but from the beginning, I was so overcome with the power and color and life lent to the story-pictures of Middle Earth that there were tears of amazement running down my face. I particularly enjoyed the battle in Moria. <P>As you might guess, I don't get to the movies very often.
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Old 07-25-2002, 01:36 PM   #5
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I was moved when Frodo had the flashback of Gandalf's wise words to him in Moria. I was moved by that entire scene with him and Sam. Another scene like that was when the Fellowship meets Galadriel. She told them that they were *this close* to failing, but there was still hope while they remained true to each other.
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