LOTR-FOTR - NOW DISCUSSING Chapter 28: Gilraen's Memorial*

The Nazgul are eerie, particularly their shrieks, though it does seem that Frodo avoids them a little too easily, given their swords and stuff.

 

Heck, I'd run too given the choice!

 

Thank you for all your participation in CBC (Chapter by Chapter). LOTR-FOTR Chapter 15: At the Sign of the Prancing Pony DISCUSSION will be made available 12:45 AM EST. Although the discussion timeframe has passed, you may still discuss this chapter at your convienience. However, we will be moving on to the next chapter.

-Moleman1138

 

Due to the success of the PT and CT CBC discussions, I would like to discuss LOTR: FOTR (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring ? Extended Edition) chapter by chapter on the DVD. There are 46 chapters to discuss over the next eight months, excluding Chapter 47: Credits and Chapter 48: Official Fan Club Credits*

Each discussion will last 5 days. At the end of 5 days, the following chapter will be posted.

Chapter 15: At the Sign of the Prancing Pony
DISCUSSION: May 21, 2006 ? May 25, 2006
DVD TIME INDEX: 57:24 ? 63:24

Synopsis:
The hobbits come to Bree. They knock on the entrance gate. The gatekeeper asks of their business. They are going to stay at the Prancing Pony. They walk into the main street of the village where they encounter some scary human folk. They eventually come to the Inn of the Prancing Pony. They come to the bar asking Butterbur if he?s seen Gandalf. Butterbur hasn?t in a long time. The hobbits ask Frodo what should they do. Frodo says that Gandalf will come. Merry and Pippin are getting drunk off pints. Sam tells Frodo about the man in the corner who?s watching them all night. Frodo asks Butterbur who that it. It is Strider. Frodo begins feeling the One Ring. He comes out of it once he hears Pippin say Baggins. Frodo trips and the ring lands right on his finger making him disappear. Frodo has entered the world of shadow. He pulls the ring off. Strider comes over and takes Frodo upstairs. Strider knows that Frodo carries no trinket and wants him to be more careful. The other hobbits come upstairs drawing out their swords. Strider is not an enemy. They cannot wait for the wizard any longer. END OF CHAPTER

Opinion:
This completely takes us out of the Shire. We come to the world of roguish men. Bree is an interesting environment. It reminds me of some little village from Europe with a hint of darkness. The rain definitely adds the effect and helps cover up that some of the characters were on stilts to compensate for height.

The Peter Jackson cameo is pretty cool. This is the first of his three cameos and is definitely somebody you don?t want to mess around with. The Prancing Pony is a pretty cool set, lit enigmatically and different from the Green Dragon in the Shire. The addition of a cat and a rat make it more for rangers and more dangerous than the Green Dragon. They definitely used great lighting on Viggo in the corner, establishing him as Strider.

The shadow world is wonderfully done. I didn?t see the Ralph Bakshi?s Lord of the Rings so I can?t compare this. But I think the effects are amazing here and the use of the flaming eye is done quite well. Viggo Mortensen does a good job as Strider here. He is still enigmatic up at this point due to the unfolding of the story. Is he to be trusted? For someone who hasn?t read the books, it makes or breaks his initial performance.

There?s some foreshadowing here that I like. Sam calls Strider, Longshanks. Longshanks was the King of England from Braveheart and ironically it is Aragorn who becomes a king who is quite opposite of Longshanks at the end of ROTK. Good long chapter.

 

For those who are just joining us or would like to review past discussions:

Chapter 1: Prologue: One Ring to Rule Them All?**
Chapter 2: Concerning Hobbits*
Chapter 3: The Shire**
Chapter 4: Very Old Friends**
Chapter 5: A Long-expected Party**
Chapter 6: Farewell, Dear Bilbo
Chapter 7: Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe
Chapter 8: The Account of Isildur
Chapter 9: At the Green Dragon*
Chapter 10: The Shadow of the Past
Chapter 11: The Passing of the Elves*
Chapter 12: Saruman the White
Chapter 13: A Short Cut to Mushrooms
Chapter 14: Buckleberry Ferry
Chapter 15: At the Sign of the Prancing Pony

Don't forget we are still discussing ROTS and HP-TSS in the PT forum and SFF Film and Television forum

 

Perfect scene. The first big time Hobbit/human scenes and the illusion is beyond flawless.

As you say, lighting is an art form and the shadow world sequence is fantastic.

 

I'm glad they worked in Underhill. I remember in the book Gandalf tells Frodo when he leaves and in the movie he doesn't. But they still managed to get the subtlety in there.

 

I love seeing the Shadow World. Especially when we get to Sauron's eye. I always enjoy the way the camera moves so that Frodo seems to be getting pulled towards Sauron (actually does that happen in this chapter?) and the darkness of it all looks so good.

Seeing the hobbits stnading up to Strider is pretty cool. I like the way that Merry and Pippin are armed with the stool and candlestick while Sam has just his fists. Shows that he's gonna take the fight on a more personal level than Merry and Pippin perhaps?

Seeing a couple of animals in the bar works well too and I agree that it looks a lot darker and more dangerous. Strider's hood over his face is quite cool too and makes him look a bit more menacing. I like the way he grabs and pulls Frodo away with ease.

 

I enjoyed the introduction of Aragorn in this scene.

"He's one of them Rangers" - doesn't really tell what the Rangers are, but you know by the way he says it that they aren't to be trifled with; add that to the shadowy lighting as Aragorn sat watching...very effective.



(I never thought about the King of England aspect. No doubt Tolkien enjoyed tossing that in there and providing a double meaning, but I thought that the name was primarily due to his stature: the men of Númenor were taller than the average man. In the novel, the innkeeper Butterbur said to Frodo: "Goes about at a great pace on his long shanks;".

As the company left Bree a man watching them leave also uttered the nickname. ?Morning, Longshanks!? he said. ?Off early? Found some friends at last??)

 

Ditto on Aragorn. That shot of him puffing in the corner under the shadow of his hood was exactly how I imagined him in the book.

 

Due to moving, CBC will be on a short hiatus (a week to a week and a half). Please enjoy the extended discussion.

-Moleman

 

aw, ****! I missed the Nazgul chapter (stupid internet)! Let me just say, it was one of the greatest moments in the cinema, especially in the first half. I like it a lot better than their appearance in Bree or at the Fords.
Especially that one SHRIEK completely out of nowhere. My first viewing was with two girls, so I definitely noticed that effect


Prancing Pony... eh... whatever It's one of the few changes from the book I noticed. I guess it works, but maybe it's a bit too pseudo-mysterious. Dunno.

 

I <3 the introduction of the Nazgul. Done brilliantly. I don't think it quite reached the level of the scene in the book as far as fearfulness, but it was scary.

Strider's introduction was my favorite part of the Bree Scenes. Looking back on it, the scene in the hobbits' bedroom after the whole "The Ring landed on my finger!!!!!!111" thing is disappointing... I love the expanded dialogue in the book and the small subplots left out.

 

Thank you for all your participation in CBC (Chapter by Chapter). LOTR-FOTR Chapter 16: The Nazgul** DISCUSSION will be made available 8:30 PM EST. Although the discussion timeframe has passed, you may still discuss this chapter at your convienience. However, we will be moving on to the next chapter.

-Moleman1138

 

Due to the success of the PT and CT CBC discussions, I would like to discuss LOTR: FOTR (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring ? Extended Edition) chapter by chapter on the DVD. There are 46 chapters to discuss over the next eight months, excluding Chapter 47: Credits and Chapter 48: Official Fan Club Credits*

Each discussion will last 5 days. At the end of 5 days, the following chapter will be posted.

Chapter 16: The Nazgul**
DISCUSSION: June 10, 2006 ? June 14, 2006
DVD TIME INDEX: 63:25 ? 67:09

Synopsis:
The Nazgul charge into Bree and the Prancing Pony Inn. They make their way to the hobbits room and draw out the swords. Sam, Merry and Pippin are asleep and each stabbed by the Morgul blade. In truth only pillows made to look like hobbits were stabbed. The hobbits are in Strider?s room. Strider gives the history of the Nazgul and their relationship to Sauron. They leave Bree the next morning with the Nazgul hunting them. In the woods, Sam wonders if they can trust this Strider. Frodo says if Gandalf can trust him, they should too. Later on, the hobbits stop and Strider says they cannot delay. Pippin is hungry and wants second breakfast. He hopes Strider understands elevensies, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, supper and second breakfast. Strider finds some fruit for the hobbits. One piece of fruit hits Pippin the face. END OF CHAPTER

Opinion:
From beginning to end, this was one of my favorite parts of Fellowship. The fake murder of hobbits is genius as the editing makes it look like our heroes are being killed in the first act. This will echo in Balin?s Tomb in the second act.

Definitely a great use of Mordor music here by Howard Shore that carries over the departure of Minas Morgul earlier in the film. The cinematography in Aragorn?s room is pretty good. Viggo Mortensen gives an underrated delivery here explaining the history of the Nazgul and how they fell under the power of the One Ring.

The scenes of the next morning leaving Bree are done well. It?s basically a scene about trust. They have to trust Gandalf?s judgment to trust Strider, even if he does smell a bit odd. The latter was added as the extended scene here. Not much but still something credible enough to warrant and extended chapter.

The humor at the end is well executed as we know that hobbits love to eat. I think Pippin?s line mentions eating ten times a day. It?s some humor amidst the seriousness of the Nazgul pursuit. And to add to it even more Pippin gets hit in the face with fruit. Great scene and chapter all together.

 

For those who are just joining us or would like to review past discussions:

Chapter 1: Prologue: One Ring to Rule Them All?**
Chapter 2: Concerning Hobbits*
Chapter 3: The Shire**
Chapter 4: Very Old Friends**
Chapter 5: A Long-expected Party**
Chapter 6: Farewell, Dear Bilbo
Chapter 7: Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe
Chapter 8: The Account of Isildur
Chapter 9: At the Green Dragon*
Chapter 10: The Shadow of the Past
Chapter 11: The Passing of the Elves*
Chapter 12: Saruman the White
Chapter 13: A Short Cut to Mushrooms
Chapter 14: Buckleberry Ferry
Chapter 15: At the Sign of the Prancing Pony
Chapter 16: The Nazgul**

Don't forget we are still discussing ROTS and HP-TSS in the PT forum and SFF Film and Television forum

 

I love the Nazgul - basically any part of the LOTR series with them in it is a favorite of mine. The music was excelelnt in this portion of FOTR, and the way they protrayed the movements of the black riders using "hushed" audio was almost chilling.


EDIT: Oops, the rest of the chapter - I liked the way the story transitioned from sort of hiding to running and then to traveling. It was neat to see how the presence of a ranger changed things.

 

Aragorn definitely does a good job here playing the guide and guardian which will carry over to Weathertop.

And for a ranger he seems to know a lot about the Nazgul. Wonder why? [coughs]Raised in Rivendell[coughs]

 

The Nazgul entering the inn is spectacular, sailing through the door as the innkeeper shivers in the foreground. And, as mentioned previously, the sound work on the Nazgul is brilliant.

And I might just mention that the 'elevenses' discussion is quite hilarious, as is the apple to the head.

 

THis is a pretty sweet chapter. Seeing the Nazgul storm in is damn cool and the bit where you get the impression that Sam is stabbed is awesome.
The guy shivering behind the corner is also very cool and you know these Nazgul are complete monsters.

The later bit with Pippin and the many meals is comedy gold. I love the look on Aragorn's face as Pippin asks where his second breakfast is.
The apple hitting him is quite cool.

Roll on the next 2 chapters - Gandalf stuck on the tower watching the Orc's destroy the local trees, and then the Nazgul attempting to kill the hobbits again with Aragorn saving the day.

 

Thank you for all your participation in CBC (Chapter by Chapter). LOTR-FOTR Chapter 17: The Midgewater Marshes DISCUSSION will be made available 10:20 PM EST. Although the discussion timeframe has passed, you may still discuss this chapter at your convienience. However, we will be moving on to the next chapter.

-Moleman1138

 

Due to the success of the PT and CT CBC discussions, I would like to discuss LOTR: FOTR (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring ? Extended Edition) chapter by chapter on the DVD. There are 46 chapters to discuss over the next eight months, excluding Chapter 47: Credits and Chapter 48: Official Fan Club Credits*

Each discussion will last 5 days. At the end of 5 days, the following chapter will be posted.

Chapter 17: The Midgewater Marshes*
DISCUSSION: June 15, 2006 ? June 19, 2006
DVD TIME INDEX: 67:10 ? 68:46

Synopsis:
The hobbits and Strider trek through the Midgewater Marshes. It is murky and flies are eating them up. Pippin falls in the muck. At night, Strider brings a deer to camp for food. The hobbits are sleeping and Strider is singing the song of Lady of Luthien and an elf who gave up her immortality for a mortal man. Strider tells Frodo to get some rest. END OF CHAPTER

Opinion:
We have the Dead Marshes in Two Towers so this was easily an omission for the theatrical cut, but the small moments do add something to foreshadow this film as well as the following two. First of all, this is less fantastical than the Dead Marshes. There are no ghosts or flying Nazgul.

It?s also good to see the hobbits not in a perilous situation but a crappy one. No pun intended. The hobbits are getting bit up, which is far from their precious Shire life. They even go as far as for Pippin to fall in the muck. Great expression by Billy Boyd here. Dom gets a few short shots as well.

The night scene pretty much foreshadows Aragorn and Arwen later in this film as well as the other two. An elf gives up her immortal life for a mortal man. At this point we don?t know much about Strider/Aragorn, but I think it work in terms of the story. I think they even used a shot from this scene as a flashback of Aragorn thinking of Arwen mid Two Towers.

Definitely one of my favorite additions, adding more to the elves culture as well as Aragorn, who the second half is really about as the first half is about the hobbits and the flies. Very good chapter.

 

For those who are just joining us or would like to review past discussions:

Chapter 1: Prologue: One Ring to Rule Them All?**
Chapter 2: Concerning Hobbits*
Chapter 3: The Shire**
Chapter 4: Very Old Friends**
Chapter 5: A Long-expected Party**
Chapter 6: Farewell, Dear Bilbo
Chapter 7: Keep It Secret, Keep It Safe
Chapter 8: The Account of Isildur
Chapter 9: At the Green Dragon*
Chapter 10: The Shadow of the Past
Chapter 11: The Passing of the Elves*
Chapter 12: Saruman the White
Chapter 13: A Short Cut to Mushrooms
Chapter 14: Buckleberry Ferry
Chapter 15: At the Sign of the Prancing Pony
Chapter 16: The Nazgul**
Chapter 17: The Midgewater Marshes*

Don't forget we are still discussing ROTS and HP-TSS in the PT forum and SFF Film and Television forum

 

just another chapter for me. nothing to moving for me

 

They say Boyd accidently fell in while shooting it, so it's "real".