Favorite/Un-favorie Scenes from films

[Betrayer Of Hope]

Now, it is my opinion that the Lord of the Rings movies directed by Peter Jackson are close to, if not THE best adaptations of literature I have ever seen. He makes the transistion from page to screen beautifully, skipping some scenes of course, but making the ones he DID include absolutely amazing, and thus making up for the absent material.

I now pose to you a question...well, two actually: What was your FAVORITE scene in the 3 films? i.e. Which one do you think was best represented/best cinematics/most moving? Multiple answers are accepted.

On the other hand, which scenes did you think were less than perfect? Were some too mushy/too corny/too fakey? As with question #1, you can answer this one with more than one response, too.

IMHO, the final battle scene outside the walls of Minas Tirith is the most shiver-inspiring part in all the movies. Seeing those orcs gathered in innumerable ranks and all chanting in their obscene tongues was more than my Gothic-inclined mind could handle. I could almost hear the dying screams of the White City ;D

Also, for some reason, seeing Pippin sing in the hall of Denethor touched me. I don't know if it was a song that invoked the remembrance of times past-of times innocent and carefree, or if it was just the actor's (the name evades me) amazing voice that shook me to the core, but I greatly enjoyed the song.

Travelling to the opposite side of the spectrum, I didn't like the end of the movie at all. I thought it much too drawn out and wished I could have saved myself the agony of sitting through half an hour of happiness. Yach! I guess I may have a bit of a bias towards endings involving such happiness, though.

So...what do all YOU think? Hm???

[Taika of Narfell]

Arwen needs to die. Anything that includes Arwen was crap because Jackson changed Arwen's role in ridiculous degrees. Sure they needed a strong female lead - they already had one in Eowyn but she was halfways ignored because Arwen had to be blown up to such a superstar of middle-earth. Did anyone notice in the movie that Eowyn and Faramir got together? Nope - only those who've read the book knows why those two stand together at Aragorn's crown-taking.

Again, have you read the book as thoroughly as have you would recognise Pippin's song in the Hall of Denethor as the merry and jolly farewell song Merry and Pippin sings on their way out of the Shire along with the others. It's a cheerful walking song, and using it like they did as a melancholy boohoo song completely tore it apart for me.

Best scene? Gollum's talk with himself, the most pronounced scene with his multiple personalities being totally obvious. So well-made, such a brilliant way of showing on a movie what only goes on in his head and thus can't be shown in pictures. That was utter brilliance.

Also one of my fav scenes was when the ents march from the edge of Fangorn. That was such a truly epic moment with creatures so old that they really don't care about anything but their own families, but when *they* are threatened - ohhh someone will pay. It was so beautiful. The Last March of the Ents. Probably one of the very best scenes.

[travizzt]

Actually, to be honest with the Movies... I only liked the first one and a little of the second.. I ABSOLUTELY hated the third and how it was so long and it just dragged on and on.

But I did love Gollum's mult personalities fighting. I thought that was well done and great.

Like I said, I hated how the third movie dragged on and on...

Anyways, to throw in some pyschology with Gollum. He is not in anyway schizophrenic. Schizophrenia is when someone goes incoherent thought patterns and confused speech. Also, some have a deep belief someone is out to get him. Gollum always thought that someone was "out" to get his ring so in reality that was the only Schitzo part of him. But he has multiple personalities. And in no way is schizophrenia and mult personality the same. And this is way I major in pyschology... Schitzo's are so funny in a sad sad way. -off topic a little- I watched a movie in pysch that had a real schitzo and she thought "Jesus was out to get her with a shotgun if the eagle seen that she wasn't writing down and if it didn't come at 6pm everynight and the noises out in the alley was the FBI coming to take Jesus away." That is schizophrenia...

-Disclaimer-
I am in no way "attacking" you Jem. I just thought anyone would find this interesting and maybe one day helpful.

[Taika of Narfell]

Hmmm, I always connected the two for some reason. But thanks for the correction. The meaning I intended to convey was that of the MP disorder.

W00t! I learned something today

[Betrayer Of Hope]

Heh, I have to agree that the two-way conversation Gollum had with himself was hilarious and well done.

I actually found out about the Multiple Personalities/Schizophrenia difference last year, when reading up on schizophrenia and finding absolutely nothing I expected in there. I have to say, it was a very interesting revelations, because there aren't many common misconceptions that I fall for. XD

And Jem, I think the transistion from happy-go-lucky to sap song was good for Pippin's little solo. I like the idea that Jackson conveys (I mean, I'm pretty sure it's what he's trying to get across) about an adventure that Pippin and Merry set out on so excitedly and eagerly really turned out to be a long, tiresome one that ended with them missing their home. I think the song did that well, but to each his/her own I guess.

[Taika of Narfell]

It may well be because I've heard the song as a walking song. Played by the Tolkien Ensemble I have a very distinct idea of what the song's mood is. And frankly, if you read the entire verse you cannot possibly take seriously Pippin's melancholy song. I know I couldn't.

Upon the hearth the fire is red
beneath the roof there is a bed
but not yet weary are out feet
still 'round the corner we may meet
a sudden tree or standing stone
that none have seen but we alone
tree and flower and leaf and grass
let them pass, let them pass
hill and water under sky
pass them by, pass them by

Still round the corner there may wait
a new road or a secret gate
and though we pass them by today
tomorrow we may come this way
and take the hidden path that run
towards the moon and to the sun
apple, thorn and nut and sloe
let them go, let them go
sand and stone and pool and dell
fare you well, fare you well

Home is behind, the world ahead
and there are many paths to tread
through shadows to the edge of night
until the stars are all alight
then world behind and home ahead
we'll wander back to home and bed
mist and twilight, cloud and shade
away shall fade, away shall fade
fire and lamp and meat and bread
and then to bed, and then to bed

Now, admittedly, I have a penchant for remembering lyrics and Tolkien may not have been a great poet, but he brought forth what he wanted in the songs, there are plenty of melancholy songs in the book, why not take one of those rather than slaughter a cheerful one.

Pippin's song was not melancholy to me. I was sitting there going: "Wait a minute.... isn't that? Yes, yes it is! OMG what the fuck were they thinking?!?!?" and that rather ruined the moment.

If you insist on misplacing songs at least do it like they did with the Lament of the Rohirrim. The song the hobbits hear sung among the Rohirrim that Aragorn translates for them. That song they let Theoden quote when preparing for the battle at Helm's Deep.

Where now the horse and the rider
where is the horn that was blowing
etc (because I can't remember the entirety of this one)

They stick to the actual mood of the song.

I would have suggested using the Song of the Woods for a melancholy piece.

O! Wanderers in the shadowed land
despair not! For though dark they stand,
all woods there be must end at last,
and see the open sun go past:
the setting sun, the rising sun,
the day's end, or the day begun.
For east or west all woods must fail...

Uncertain and timid. Much better for what Pippin needed there. Heck, he could have gotten a snippet of Sam's Song in the Orc Tower and it would've been perfect.

Anyhow, the song Pippin sings only work for those who haven't read the books too thoroughly - or don't remember them. And that sucks since the movies are overall worthless if you haven't read the books. Too many things you don't get.

[ShadowDucky]

I'm with Jem both on the intense dislike of Arwen and the cheering on of the Ents. I loved the Ent scenes - and that song that plays when they're marching, with that boy's clear voice reaching above the tumult . . . oh, it's just godly.

I will disagree, however with your picking of the Song of the Woods for a replacement song - while the tone is more appropriate, there aren't any woods around the place , much less ones that are eerily alive and unfriendly towards hobbits. Also, I was giggling rather inappropriately at the song, mostly because Denethor was chomping tomatoes in a ferocious manner. Hilarious.

I was irritated at the cutting of the Scouring of the Shire and Tom Bombadil, mostly. Ah, and randomly, I went to the midnight showings of the movies (in costume, hehehe), and at the ending of Return of the King, the first time it fades to black, the entire theater gasped. One massive inhalation of breath - because they couldn't end the movie there, they wouldn't. The cheers that sounded when it faded back in were ringing .

[Taika of Narfell]

Yeah I know about the Song of the Woods, but the thing is: Hobbits are inherently cheerful creatures. They have no songs that aren't cheerful. Song of the Woods was composed on the spot by Frodo. It was the best I could think of of hobbit origin.

I disagree about Bombadil, though. He is largely irrelevant to the plot and to movie-goers it would be completely ridiculous to have him anywhere near the movie. A movie is more linear than a book, with a book you can go look something up on earlier pages, you can't with a movie. I hate that they left out the Scouring of the Shire BUT by that time the movie just needed to end. They should have left all the appendices out - and maybe put in the Scouring. But it isn't necessary for the plot after all - just like Bombadil.

As such I try to divide the cuttings into two groups, those that cut away things that were unnecessary for the plot and thus okay even though it might be scenes I would've liked to see, and those that cut away things unnecessarily only to replace it with something someone thought could be cool (or good for an actor) like replacing Glorfindel with Arwen (crime!!!), like bringing Haldir to Helm's Deep instead of Elladan and Elrohir (I want my twins!!!) and completely leaving out Fatty Bolger back in the Shire because he didn't come with the hobbits.

*visualises The Last March of the Ents again*

mmmmm