I think I'm going to use this blog, for now, pretty much for LOTR (my current obsession). Take me at least the rest of the week just to catch up with those notes! For today, I'll repost my notes from viewings #9 - part of #12 (point of reference; I'll be seeing it for the 15th time tonight).

NOTES FROM #9

If I'd had time after work to get a proper notebook instead of writing on the back of an envelope in the dark, this might make more sense! Thanks to everyone who has pointed out stuff to look for--I love trying to see those things.

I didn't think there would be, but there IS one shot that annoys me nearly as much as the "ring in Frodo's open palm" one (Jesus, Lij, put that damn thing away-what is it, 6 shots of that???)--it's that "trusty loyal Sam" shot. You know the one--Sean with the right side of his face in shadow, left side lit, and that beautiful look of adoration. I tried to keep a record of how many times we got that exact shot, but of course I can't read my writing. I know at least: In Rivendell, just after all the hobbits greet and Frodo spots Bilbo; when Galadriel talks about the Fellowship; I think once on the mountain pass, although I can't remember the context; and of course at the end. Ya know, it's a NICE shot, but enough is enough.


NOTE: I swear, on my 15th viewing of the movie, when we get that last shot of trusty, loyal Sam being so conciliatory and supportive (and delivering both his comments in exactly the same tone), I want to change Frodo's line to: "Sam, I'm glad you're with me. But you're a moron."

And speaking of good ideas overdone, how many times does Frodo fall on his back, legs splayed? 1) Down the hill by Farmer Maggot's field, of course; 2) then there's onto Buckleberry Ferry (which has been noted before), 3) in the Prancing Pony, 4) on Weathertop when chased by the ringwraiths, 5) during the incident with the sea monster outside Moria, 6) when fighting the cave troll (several times), 7) when he backs away from Galadriel's mirror... The only time he seems to fall *forward* is when he's propelled that way (such as by Aragorn when he throws him into the room in Bree). OK, this is a REALLY, REALLY nice image, but again--enough. (Except in my fantasies, of course.)

NOTE ON THE ABOVE NOTE: At viewing #10, we caught at least two more of this-when Pippin smashes into him in Farmer Maggot's field, and sliding down the hill running from the Uruk Hai. We counted 10, so I'm still missing one somewhere, or we got carried away and counted the Boromir tackle (in which Frodo actually lands on his stomach but Boromir rolls him over).

Random comment--Is Frodo ever really young in the movie? There was a comment made on some list about the oldest actor playing the youngest hobbit, and vice versa, but that Frodo seemed the youngest in the movieverse. I never got the feeling of him being the youngest--he's always got a bit of an "old soul." The serious change begins to take place with "What must I do?" to Gandalf, of course, but the scene that always takes my breath away as it shows the change in Frodo is the one in Bree, when the other hobbits awake with a start hearing the screams of the ringwraiths, but Frodo has obviously not been asleep. The look on his face, part despair, part accusation, just drives a knife in my heart every time. I hope I can manage to live through parts 2 & 3...


An even more random note--in FOTR (the book), Frodo has a vision of Gandalf pacing in captivity at Isengard (even though he sees this vision NOT when the event is happening, it is still a true vision). In the movie, Frodo calls out to Gandalf in his extremity after being stabbed by the morgul blade. Interesting how PJ kept the psychic connection but in an entirely different manner.

Things you hear better on the 9th viewing: Boromir's "Frodo! I'm sorry!" heard very faintly through the "static" just after Frodo puts on the ring that Boromir has tried to claim. Even listening for it, it's hard to discern. I like that it's there.

Stupid questions:

*Just before Bilbo gives Sting to Frodo (now there's an image.... especially if he's in the leather from "Dune"--OK, I *meant* the sword) we see an elf go by, looking like he's on an errand. Looks like Leggy to me. What's he up to? Off for a quickie before the Fellowship departs?

NOTE ON THE ABOVE NOTE: Someone later told me that there is a deleted scene (which I've seen photos of) where the fellowship gathers to receive a sort of benediction from Elrond-Frodo joins them there after leaving Bilbo. Leggy is obviously going to meet up with the others. I liked my explanation better.

*On Caradhras, when Legolas is doing his "walking on top of the snow" thing--if he was carrying a hobbit (or dwarf), could he still do that?

*As Frodo is rowing away just before the end, Sam tries to wade after him. OK, I know he doesn't want to take *another* boat from the rest of the party, but geez, couldn't he *threaten* to, to make Frodo just come back for him? Not like he probably isn't the stronger rower, anyway. Of course then we wouldn't get the nummy drowning scene. *sigh*

Additional stupid question after viewing #10: Why does Aragorn keep Frodo for LAST at the bridge in Moria? Ok, I realize he was probably going to carry him over himself, but given the circumstances, shouldn't he have thrown Frodo FIRST?

NOTE ON VIEWING #10:

Some are incorporated above. The only other main note was that Frodo's attitude change really becomes major, IMHO, when he loses a little of his hero-worship of Gandalf (which Sam doesn't share, btw). And in going back and rereading this section of TFOTR, I see that they have changed some little things to make Gandalf even a bit more fallible in Frodo's eyes. Points on this:

* Frodo sets out on his mission with only the word of Gandalf (and a whisper from the Ring). He doesn't really question the necessity of going. He drops everything and goes.
* Gandalf doesn't meet Frodo in Bree, as arranged. In the books, we eventually find out that he DID leave a message there. No such message in the movie. I didn't even get as strong an impression of the close relationship between Gandalf and Aragorn in the movie as I did in the book, so in a way, Aragorn meeting them doesn't make up for Gandalf not being there at all.
* I think Frodo is feeling particularly deserted on Weathertop. No Gandalf, and Aragorn isn't there. His wail of "Gandalf" as Aragorn carries him off pretty much says it all... Gandalf does hear it, but Frodo doesn't know that
* Gandalf doesn't stay out of the debate in Rivendell-eventually he wades in, but neither he nor Elrond really makes a decision that everyone can live with-it's Frodo himself who settles the debate. OK, so we can see in the nonverbal interchange between Gandalf and Elrond that things have probably come out the way they hoped and planned for, but Frodo doesn't know that.
* In the books, it is Aragorn who doesn't want to go into Moria and chooses Caradhras, not Gandalf. In the movie, Gandalf tries to defeat the mountain (and Saruman), and fails. Then he asks Frodo to make the decision between the Gap of Rohan and the Mines of Moria.
* Gandalf can't open the doors of Moria, and Frodo figures out how to do so-but in the books, Gandalf figures it out himself. Another instance of Frodo making the crucial call.
* So, IMHO Frodo is feeling more than a little let down by the time in Moria when he spots Gollum, and this prompts his bitter "It's a pity Frodo didn't kill him when he had the chance."-which has actually been moved from MUCH earlier in the book, and I think works better here. Moved here, it gives Gandalf the opportunity to show how much Frodo still needs him, albeit more in a mentor than a protector role.

Gandalf's "death" is about the last straw for Frodo, and he looks like he's walking into Lothlorien with a huge chip on his shoulder. While in the book he is full of awe and wonder, in the movie he seems to be the one least moved by everything, and he looks at Galadriel more with distrust than wonder. It's almost like "what do YOU want from me?" Like Gandalf, she then redeems herself in his eyes, although you can nearly taste his despair as his last chance of getting rid of the responsibility for the ring slips away.

My only other note from #10 is that Boromir seems to spend a lot of time catching and/or carrying Frodo in Moria, as well as comforting Gimli. Hands-on kind of guy.

Viewing #11

We seem to have totally lost that Strider is a close friend of Bilbo. The only remnant of that is Strider reading Bilbo's book (if that IS Bilbo's book).

Ian McKellen is god. I've never seen anyone else who can actually make their eyes twinkle, but he pulls it off. Watch during Bilbo's farewell speech. I also just adore the little byplay between Gandalf and Elrond in the council, when Aragorn pledges himself to Frodo. I also like the way he takes Tolkien's "You cannot pass" line to the Balrog, uses it once that way, then changes it to "shall not." For some reason, I find that stronger.
GO SIR IAN!

Sam doesn't seem to share Frodo's hero-worship of Gandalf. This is played for laughs early on, but it's the case nonetheless. Sam is more admiring of Aragorn, who has a power and authority he can understand and appreciate. Sam overcomes the worst of his fear of Gandalf, but I don't think he ever really trusts him.

What's with Frodo when Boromir picks up the ring from the snow? What is that expression? It's not quite pain, or resentment, but he's very upset. I don't think it's just a precursor of Boromir wanting to take the ring-I think it's also the beginning of ringlust in Frodo. He can't stand anyone else touching the ring, already. It's physically uncomfortable, and emotionally unsettling.

This week's silly questions: Does anyone know what it is that Aragorn yells when the troll goes after Frodo? I never can make it out. Does Boromir realize he's calling more orcs than friends with that damn horn?

OK, so I've had this problem with the way Orlando moves as Legolas. I've finally decided that I just expected longer strides from an elf. So I made my own little determination that he was trying to match his strides to his littler and mortal companions. I'm all right with it now...

I'm still hanging onto my Galadriel theory: that she precipitated the ring crisis between Frodo and Boromir, by pushing ideas at both of them that might have taken considerably more time to come to fruition on their own. To Boromir, she talked about the death of his father and the possibility that there was still a way that Gondor could be saved-we already know the only hope he sees of THAT. Frodo she warned that someone-you know who-would try to take the ring. Why did she do this? Certainly she didn't CAUSE it to happen, but I think she caused it to happen as quickly as it did-I assume because Frodo needed to go on his way without the others at the earliest possible time. After all, "to bear a ring of Power is to BE alone"-and she should know, since she also is a ringbearer.

Viewing #12

They were playing a Depeche Mode song just before the movie on Sunday at the Century Evanston. Considering there are TWO stories featuring Depeche that I've read so far in LOTR, pretty funny.

Stupid questions: Why does the ring make mortals invisible? Would it make an immortal invisible too? Obviously, it didn't do that to Sauron. Does Pippin and/or Billy Boyd have green eyes, or blue? I'm thinking green. Why is it that I find Frodo's tears more believable than Arwen's? Both look like glycerine when you look closely. I guess because no child actor could succeed without the ability to cry on demand. Why is no-one careful of Frodo's shoulder when he first gets out of his sickbed in Rivendell?

I finally caught that the children following Gandalf's cart were actually asking him about fireworks. Took me **12** times to catch that...

Frodo's giggle. SO nice to hear, for such a brief time. Too bad the one at the party was obviously dubbed in-I guess they had a lot of sound problems in New Zealand.

Thanks to Jean and Karen for directing me to the shot of Sam and Frodo with their pipes (in the shire, during the Bilbo flashback concerning going out your front door). There are so many still shots of Elijah with a pipe available, but I couldn't remember ever seeing him with one in the movie. Too bad, in a way, because it helps to emphasize that he is not a child.

When Sam momentarily thinks he's lost Frodo, what is the deal with Frodo's "WHAT did he say?" about Gandalf? It seems to bother him that Gandalf said something to Sam that he (Frodo) didn't know about. Very protective of his relationship with the wizard, isn't he?

Iffy editing moments: The positions of both Frodo and Sam on the Buckleberry Ferry change in the different shots. On Weathertop, at times the hobbit doubles have their hoods up and the hobbit actors have theirs down.

Favorite Billy Boyd/Pippin moment: When they enter the Prancing Pony and he lowers his hood and shakes his curls. I've got to make up a webpage with favorite moments for everyone (already have the Elijah one). And, of course, "It comes in PINTS?"

Favorite Council moment: The moment of dead silence after Elrond says "One of you must do this." Second favorite moment, Frodo's obvious distress when Gimli strikes the ring. Third favorite: Legolas' long-suffering look at Gimli when the dwarf joins the fellowship.

Is it just me, or does Orlando positively GLOW at times in this movie?