Reactions to ROTK the movie

[dreamflower]

Unlike shirebound and claudia603, I did not have an LJ when RotK came out in the theaters. But I was on the tolkien newsgroups, alt.fan.tolkien and rec.arts.books.tolkien. A bit of searching helped me find the post I made with my own early reactions to the last movie-- I had forgotten this post, but I'm glad I found it. Here it is:


Hullo
Been lurking here ( a.f.t. & r.a.b.t. ) off and on for a couple of years,
only rarely posting, but enjoying myself immensely reading the various
threads on topics both frivolous and serious. I am amazed at the depth of
Tolkien esoterica from many, and amused or exasperated by the different
debates and flamewars. However, one reason I seldom post is that I don't
much care to be flamed myself. I realize that this post may open me to
such, but I need to share this with others who love Tolkien. It's probably
going to be a bit long, I apologize in advance.
Caution: lots of spoilers.
S
P
O
I
L
E
R

S
P
A
C
E


36 years ago, when I was 15, I read the Hobbit, followed by LotR. I checked
them out of my H.S. library. I read FotR and TTT in one weekend, and then
had to wait a week for someone else to turn in RotK; I was in agony to know
the ending. When I finished the trilogy, I wept.
My reaction to the trilogy was a deeply visceral and emotional one. In FotR,
I *believed* Frodo had died at the Ford, that Gandalf was truly gone forever
when he fell at Khazad Dum. Although I could see it coming, I was still
shocked by Boromir's betrayal, and saddened by his death saving Merry and
Pippin. In TTT, when Gandalf came back, I actually dropped the book and
danced around the room, and when Frodo was captured, I was in a panic.
Unlike some, I was aware from the start that "Dernhelm" was Eowyn, but I was
*sure* she had died when she had killed the Witch-King. Gandalf's saving of
Faramir and Aragorn's arrival with the hosts of the dead had my heart in my
throat. When Frodo put the Ring on and claimed it, I was so dismayed and
dumbfounded that I had to put the book down awhile, just to breathe. I felt
greatly betrayed by the Scouring of the Shire ( how *dare* they cut down the
Party Tree! ) and when Frodo departed Middle Earth at the Havens, I cried so
hard I did not know if I was happy or sad.
All through H.S. those 4 books were my constant companions, read and re-read
until they were in tatters. I taught myself to write in Elvish runes,
though not how to speak it, and drew up detailed plans for my dream home (
the little house at Crickhollow ). In college, I met my husband, who caught
my attention by our mutual reading of Tolkien.
As the years passed, I re-read less frequently, but developed an
appreciation for Tolkien's poetry and language, and for the depth of his
creation of Middle Earth.
I read the Silmarillion when it came out, followed by some of the other
works as they became available. I still loved LotR, but it was a mellower,
more intellectuall enjoyment, punctuated by smiles or sighs, rather than
laughter or tears.
36 years later, the emotions are back. I've wept again, and laughed out
loud and held my breath. My heart has pounded, as I squeezed my dear one's
hand as hard as I could.
I'm feeling all those feelings again!
Now I know that those films are not perfect; I can see several nits to pick
myself.
I know that PJ has used all the technical tricks at his disposal to
manipulate the audience.
You know what? I don't care.
For me they hit all the right notes.
Since the first movie came out, I had avoided the LotR, instead re-reading
the Silm. and getting acquainted with the BoLT.
But now I'm re-reading the Fellowship. And guess what?
The feelings that were awakened by the films are still there. I'm
re-connected to the characters and can look at the plot with a fresh eye.
The wonder and the awe are back.
I have read the arguments that the good thing about the films is that they
are getting people to read the books for the first time...but there is also
a good thing in giving back the joy to those who've loved the books for
years.
YMMV; obviously for many it does, or there would not be so many blasting the
movies. For *ME* the verdict is in: PJ gave the books back to me renewed.
Go on back to arguing over how good/bad the movies are; depending on the
reactions here, I will probably go back to lurking, or may start to post a
bit more. I don't know.
Sorry. This is even longer than I originally imagined.
Thanks for being here.
Happy New Year!
Barbara

Comments

[shirebound]

36 years later, the emotions are back. I've wept again, and laughed out loud and held my breath. My heart has pounded, as I squeezed my dear one's hand as hard as I could. I'm feeling all those feelings again!

This gives me chills! I'm so glad you were able to locate this post.

[dreamflower]

I had no idea at the time how much difference it had really made. Only a few short weeks after writing that, I began to write my own first fanfic! Then came LJ--

Truly, that renewal of my love for LotR has not waned this time, and it has had nearly as profound an effect on me as when I first found the books-- for my life has been so changed by all of the friendships I have made through it!

(((hugs)))

[labourslamp.livejournal.com]

If nothing else, the movies were an injection of caffeine into the fandom's vein.

I've mentioned this before, but a lot of my fanfic inspiration can be traced directly back to the movies, simply because they did so much of the (good) emotional manipulation. (There are still moments that PJ never sold me on... Frodo faceplanting into the Marshes in TT is hilarious; Denethor's plunge likewise. The angsty Pippin singing elicited more of a "gross" than an "Oh my gosh it's so ARTLIKE!.) There are still a ton of things I dislike, but show me those ten minutes in Mordor where Elijah Wood actually acts like Frodo Baggins and I stop caring about those.

Ultimately the movies remind me of what would happen if I redid all of LotR in my brain while I was dreaming... some moments of true beauty and power; other moments where the best question I can ask is, What the [expletive] went wrong here?

Which, six years later, is still what I find myself asking. It's because they got the parts they got right so right that the parts they got wrong hurt so much--because in my mind I can see how much better it could have been.

I'll have to try to see if I can get some friends together for a marathon on a weekend next year. It's been a while since I've seen any of the movies and I think my emotions could use another jump-start.

[dreamflower]

If nothing else, the movies were an injection of caffeine into the fandom's vein.

Absolutely. Over the years, discussions of LotR had become intellectual and philosophical in nature-- even the flamewars were over obscure points like whether Balrogs had wings. The passion for the things that had drawn many of us in to begin with had waned into mere fondness, and we remembered our early passion and thought it would never be that way again.

There seem to be four camps of LotR fans: Those who unabashedly adore the movies, and see little or nothing wrong with them. Those who hate them, and call curses down upon PJ for the sacrilege of making them. Those who see both the greatness and the flaws, and are disappointed that they weren't better-- and are more disappointed than pleased with them. Those who see both the greatness and the flaws, and feel that while some things could be better, overall they are probably the best we are going to have for a generation or more, and are more pleased than disappointed.

I tend to be in the last camp. I suspect you are in the third.

Still, I wonder-- there was one guy on r.a.b.t who thought that there should never be a film version--the very idea was blasphemy, and he ranted about the terribleness of them before they were ever released. And every time another movie came out afterwards that topped the opening box office gross, he'd post a big congratulations on it! I wonder if he's still doing that...

I don't think I will try to dig in the archives to find out though...

[labourslamp.livejournal.com]

It's hard to say... I prefer describing my relationship with the movies as love-hate because it really encompasses all of the sheer confusion that's in my brain when thinking about them. It's a lot easier to point out the flaws than it is the good things, especially when the good things end up turning into bad ones because they've delimited the books too much.

Then I rewatch the movies and fall in love with them all over again (I remember when I first watched RotK that I even tried defending/understanding that "go home" atrocity), and then I look back at the books and it flips again.

I think I'll be able to better understand what camp I'm in once there are more accessible visual interpretations out there. Currently all of Middle-earth looks too much like Lee and Howe and New Zealand... nothing wrong with that (especially since Lee, Howe, and Nasmith were really the top illustrators in the fandom up to this point), except that I don't think a good many people realize there are other options out there. Until fanfic-writing fandom starts treating the movies more like interpretations that we can play around with to get new ideas about canon and less like interpretations that are just there, I think I have to come in on the negative side! Which is a real shame, honestly, that I can't just judge the thing for what it is. *sigh*

That guy on rabt, though... LOL!

[dreamflower]

His name was Louis or Lewis or something, and before they came out, he ranted on and on how no one could perfectly translate JRRT's vision to film, and if it could not be perfect it was blasphemous to even try. At first people tried to discuss it rationally with him, but he kept turning every discussion into a rant and a flamewar.

Afterwards, every time a new blockbuster came out, he'd make a post with the subject line "Congratulations, Harry Potter!" (or whatever the new movie's name it was) and then post about how nice it was that the new movie would take up everyone's attention and make everyone forget all about PJ's atrocity! LOL!

[mews1945.livejournal.com]

I loved reading this. The movie had a lot more right with it, than wrong, I thought, and all I have to do is think of how it might have turned out in the hands of another director, say George Lucas, and I'm so grateful PJ and company did it, and that they did it in New Zealand.

[dreamflower]

Or the guy JRRT originally sold the rights to! *shudder*

I can rant with the best on the things I found wrong-- but in the overall picture it was a brilliant accomplishment, and I can forgive the flaws for the moments of brilliance and the overall awesomeness and love that went into the work.

[ansostuff.livejournal.com]

It's six years? 6 years? Oh, wow. I didn't have a journal then either but I got one just after. I remember thinking about getting one for a long time before I finally did so early in 2004.

Wow. :)

[dreamflower]

I know. SIX!

Isn't it amazing?

[claudia603.livejournal.com]

I know that PJ has used all the technical tricks at his disposal to
manipulate the audience.
You know what? I don't care.
For me they hit all the right notes.

So so so so true!

Oh, thank you so much for sharing this!

[dreamflower]

Thanks to you for sharing your own! It's what made me go fishing in the r.a.b.t archives to find out what I'd said! I'm glad I did-- it was nice to re-live my reactions.

[coneygoil.livejournal.com]

Darn! I had an LJ, but didn't write a review! How phewy is that?

[dreamflower]

*giggle* Well, not everyone did, I'm sure! (((hugs)))

[periantari.livejournal.com]

Beautifully written and conveyed~
36 years later, the emotions are back. I've wept again, and laughed out
loud and held my breath. My heart has pounded, as I squeezed my dear one's
hand as hard as I could.
That is so wonderful~ i can't imagine how those feel who read their favorite books in the past and then see it in the movies-- and what PJ did was just a magnificent job even though it's a fanfiction by itself.

What a lovely post-- i love the description you gave of how you reacted to the different occurrences in the book. I felt the same way as you did...though i wasn't sure that Eowyn was Dernhelm nor thought that Gandalf was gone forever when he fell.

Thanks fro sharing this.

Cheers to you and i hope to see many more of you in fandom with all your lovely fics. :)

[dreamflower]

While there were parts of the films that made me gnash my teeth, there were many more parts that made me think that PJ had a direct link to my brain, so perfectly did he capture the world of M-e as I imagined it!

And, as I have said over and over-- I can forgive any number of PJ's gaffes just for the sheer genius of choosing Howard Shore to write the score!

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

I wasn't here then. I was still wandering around reading fan fiction everywhere that Marigold recommended it every single Friday and reading onering.net and checking out photos on The BagEnd Inn site that is now gone.
I didn't get an LJ until I starting posting for the Marigold's Challenges and then I got one so I could review the other stories without having to put my name in each time!
I saw ROTR at a midnight showing opening night, then slept in my car for a few hours in a snow storm in the employee parking lot at work. LOL
Then worked a full shift and saw the movie at 4pm and again at 8pm. I saw it three times in 24 hours. That was my day.

[dreamflower]

I had just begun reading fanfic-- I guess I started reading it about the middle of that November. I'd yet to "meet" Marigold online, and at that point had not even thought of writing my own.

I got my LJ the following August, when Marigold and her mom came to Mississippi, and she set it up for me. I didn't think I'd use it much, LOL!

[grey-wonderer.livejournal.com]

You know, I think a whole lot of us can trace out beginnings in Fan Fiction and on LJ back to Marigold in one way or another. She was such a part of my introduction to Fan Fiction and I don't think I can thank her for it enough. : )

Surprising how much a person can use the LJ, isn't it?