LotR1-FotR-Seq03

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Darkness comes...even to the Shire.

Anyone wanting a Ring's POV scene, well, here it is.

We see Gandalf reaching for the Ring as if it were a snake, though real or fake, he doesn’t seem too sure. The quick !shock! flash of the Eye stops him from examining it further. Why is Gandalf listed among the Wise you ask? He gets a premonition that the Ring is bad, and he leaves it be. We don't see him repeatedly trying to pick up the Ring. One warning was enough. And did you hear Gandalf mutter "riddles in the dark" and “my precious" as he ruminates on the Ring?

Frodo finally shows up at Bag End. I can't but help but think that as he walks in, he steps in it, so to speak, big time. Frodo finds not Bilbo but his uncle's Ring awaiting him at the door. But before he can explore this mystery, Gandalf scoops it away, almost like a forensic examiner - he never touches it. Did Frodo get a whiff of Sauron when he touched it?

But the Ring is sealed away.

Again we see the compassion of Gandalf as he rushes for the door then to Minas Tirith. Frodo is obviously bewildered, and so Gandalf stops, takes a moment and reassures him with a hand on the shoulder.

The shots of Barad-dûr, and the Riders leaving Minas Morgul are ominous, but not really scary. The lava moat, imported to Barad-Dur from Mount Doom, makes a nice connection between these two towers of power, but can't help but think about how hot that molten rock is. And just where do they get the fuel for all of those torches that line the battlements? And, while on that topic, just why do they need all of that light anyway?

"One doesn't just walk by a river of lava in Mordor...not with 2000 SPF sunblock would I do this."

Gandalf's visit to the Minas Tirith library is exceptional - more detail, and brings to mind the library described in one of Umberto Eco's novels. By the by, is that a glass vessel of kerosene on his desk? Would one really want something like that in a room full of dry parchments? We learn of the tie between Isildur and his heirs, one of whom we will meet later. Another line from the books is included, "...though I buy it with great pain" and it may be misinterpreted here. My reading of the text is that ‘Isildur's pain’ is the loss of his father, not the burn he receives from this ring-shaped gleed. What did Isildur mean here?

A Ringwraith appears outside a hobbit hole and the blood (presumably) on the horse's hooves shows the nature of these creatures. Andy Serkis again provides great vocals. Before we’re too afraid there’s another switch from heavy to light as we enter the Green Dragon. Blessed with more Merry and Pippin, they are less foolish here than when initially seen. Frodo demonstrates ‘good’ characteristics as he’s shown providing others with mugs of ale. And we don't see him arguing with Ted Sandyman, and he takes no offense when he and his uncle are mildly insulted - Frodo has a more "whatever" attitude. The flirting of Sam and Rosie is cute. Somewhere the "Rosie knows an idiot when she sees one" line was touted to be just wonderful, but to me it's a joke that isn't really funny.

Bag End without lights isn't the warm place that we first saw. And you can see that Gandalf just hopes that the fire brings nothing forth on the Ring, yet when Frodo sees the elvish script - the depth of the letters displayed across his face - Gandalf accepts what he long has suspected. It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it.

Gandalf's and Frodo's dialogue yield more information about the Ring, and much is packed into the few minutes. In movie time, that may be an eternity - is that why we hear something in the background before they hear Sam, to keep the tension up? Just think if the prologue information were added here. How many theater-viewers would have started squirming? Did PJ make these movies not for those who could sit for more than a few minutes of exposition, but for those looking for a music video-styled adventure flick?

Anyway, as the dialogue is directly from the books, you just can't but love hearing it.

We see Gollum being tortured. Strangely, I always thought that his ordeal had something to do with his fingers, yet we see that these are free. And just how does Gandalf know that the enemy caught Gollum first, and what Gollum told them? Are we to understand that Gandalf has spoken with Gollum? If so, it’s not demonstrated well in the movie.

The tension increases as we see the Black Riders coming closer. The sound tells us what happened to the night watchman. Funny (well, not funny like ‘ha ha’), but PJ is big on beheadings, and so I’m not sure why this one wasn’t shown.

Finally the question that everyone who hadn't read the books is asking, "Why doesn't the big guy in grey take it the Ring as he looks competent enough?" is answered. Gandalf’s struggle with the Ring can be seen in his face, and you start thinking that he actually may want it. Elijah Wood expresses the shock at Gandalf’s admonition convincingly ("Well, that's not the answer I was expecting..."). The close up of Frodo clasping the ring was a great way to show that he accepted responsibility for it. The pace quickens as the two prepare for their separate journeys, scrambling about packing. Did you see the apple in Frodo's bag? I can't figure out what the significance is, but this fruit is a major player in the movie. And are we to understand that Gandalf is going to ride from the Shire to Orthanc and back by the time Frodo walks from Bag End to Bree?

Okay...

I just love Gandalf’s reference to Saruman when he states that Saruman "...is both wise and powerful." The intonation makes it sound like Gandalf is remembering it from Saruman's calling card or one of his late-night infomercials…

***CASH!!! for old gold Rings***

Contact:

Saruman the I'm both wise AND powerful White Wizard
-- Orthanc, Suite 501
-- Isengard, Nan Curunir, ME

By phone: I-BUY-JEWELRY
By Palantir: Dial the Mordor Party line for further instructions

Did I mention I’m both WISE and POWERFUL?

Sure, Saruman will know what to do. Seems like Gandalf is really trying hard to convince Frodo that all will be well. Is Gandalf trying to convince himself? And why is leaving the name "Baggins" behind highlighted? As we will see, this doesn't play out as in the books, as there's no letter waiting at Bree, no Underhill clan, etc.

Telling Frodo to duck and cover when they hear a noise outside the window makes it seem that something may shoot him. Sam’s confession, including the "end of the world" item is a bit comical, added perhaps to lighten this scene? The silhouettes in the early morning dawn are wonderful, and you can hear Sam's mess kit banging around as it seems that he packed in a hurry.

"Is it safe?" All we need now is Dustin Hoffman and a maniacal dentist.

Bang! Gandalf is off, and our two hobbits are left in a darker, somewhat less perfect Shire. But at least they have each other. More great ME scenery, and as Frodo and Sam traipse across the country we’re no longer seeing TellyLand.

How does Sam know the exact threshold that bounds his Shire? I like the idea, but as there is just some corn stalks as a marker, I'm not sure how he knows for sure. Was it his pocket GPS? His reluctance along with Frodo's camaraderie is just great. Frodo reassures Sam, who in turn had to be reassured by Gandalf. You start to see patterns. These are the good guys, and you can see why they will succeed.

More direct Tolkien quotes. The movie never fails with these.

Wood elves?!? Are we to assume that Frodo knows the difference between Wood elves and Stone elves (and their assorted cousins) by the sound made by their passing? But we get more information about the elves regardless, and Sam's line is fitting, as the world is a sadder place now that the elves have left. By the way, in these processions/caravans, who decides who gets to ride the horses? Is it always a person of higher station, someone frail, the owner of the horse, what? And what happens to the horses when they reach the Grey Havens? Just something that I've always wondered.

The moment between Sam and Frodo camping has always bugged me a bit, as the dialogue isn't easily heard. Is Frodo saying to Sam that he cannot sleep with all of Sam's rustlings? Or is he amused with some foresight, knowing that in less than a year from now Sam will be able to catch a few winks in Mordor? Or is he smiling about the food that he laid out for Sam to eat as he tossed and turned?

But Sam and Frodo aren't alone in the woods of the Shire this night. Hopefully they will make it to Bree and meet up with Gandalf there, and Gandalf will bring aid. Will Gandalf arrive in time, will he bring help, and just where was the Grey Pilgrim going? That'll be for next week.