For the past few weeks we've been watching the extended DVD editions of the Lord of the Rings films. I really loved the films when I first saw them at the cinema, although I know some people weren't too happy about changes that were made to the storyline and other things when compared to the books. I'd read the books before I saw the films, but I couldn't remember them in great detail, so I wasn't too bothered by any changes. Avid Tolkien fans like my mum and Mr C were more upset by the changes. My mum was particularly peturbed by the fact that they didn't put 'The Scouring of the Shire' in, because she thinks that this part of the book makes an important point - that evil can happen in your own 'back yard'.
Mum has been a Tolkien fan since she first read The Hobbit as a teenager. She even thought about going on Mastermind and having Tolkien as her special subject! This isn't really relevant to the post, but we have a book at home called Father Christmas Letters, which is a book of letters from Father Christmas, written by Tolkien to his son. I really loved this book as a child. I must have a look at it again when I next visit my parents.
Anyway, we've watched all the extended films now, but I'm still working my way through the extra features about the making of the films. Sometimes watching the 'makings of...' things can take some of the enjoyment away from watching the films, because then you know that the special effects are just that. However, with these films seeing how they shot and made everything has added to my enjoyment of the films as films, because of the amazing detail that was gone into, and the skills that were employed in creating everything. I felt a bit bad when I first saw how much detail was put into the weapons, for example, because I hadn't noticed it when I watched the films, and someone had gone to so much trouble to create it. Next time I watch the films I'll make extra effort to look for all the details.
The documentaries do explain a bit about why they changed certain scenes, dialogue etc, and also tell you a bit about Tolkien and his worldview, which is quite interesting. I'm not sure whether he would have liked everything about the films- he seems like he was quite a 'stickler' and might not have liked some of the changes that were made. Hopefully he would be impressed that someone actually managed to 'film the books', though, as he is (apparently) on record as saying he thought they were un-filmable. I'm not sure if that is the word he used or if it is indeed a word at all!
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I've been a Tolkien fan (of the obsessive, know-chunks-by-heart sort) since I was ten or so. And I adore the movies. I perfectly understand why Peter Jackson and co altered and removed scenes, characters, etc. What works beautifully as a novel (in which the readers are required to join in by THINKING as they read) falls flat on its face in a movie, which usually gives you no time to think (you can think afterwards all you like, of course). I think the movie managed to stay remarkably close to the atmosphere of the books, if not quite true to the exact spirit of them. But then, we aren't all Oxford dons more than half in love with words and the numinous.
And I thought the actors were so good - can I think of a single dud actor? Well, Elijah Wood was a bit irritatingly fey and intense sometimes, but I disctinctly remember thinking the exact same thing about Frodo in the book, so.
Anyway, I'm glad you liked it. Will hush up now. Am getting burbly.
I love the films as well, and have a great appreciation for the deail in them, as over a three weekend period, I watched them with a friend who is blind, which was a rather mammoth audio-description task. This forces you to really look at what's on screen, so I (and therefore she) got to appreciate the horsiness of the Rohan artefacts and architecture, among other wonderful details.
It's a long time since I read the books, but I did read the Simlarillion for the first time relatively recently, and loved it, possibly because I love words and the numinous (though obviously can't use them as well as Tolkien or his Inkling chums).
Yes, I agree, it's hard to think of a bad actor in LOTR. Elijah had his moments, but overall he was great, especially near the end of the trilogy when he's really suffering with the weight of the ring and everything that's happened to him.
I've just started re-reading The Hobbit. I say re-reading, but I have a feeling I might not have read it properly before, but I might just have absorbed it by osmosis from my mum. It isn't seeming very familiar, but maybe that's just because it's a while since I read it.
Describing the films of LOTR must have been really difficult, as, as you say, there is just so much detail in almost every scene. I'm still noticing new things with each viewing. One DVD boxed set I'm glad we bought.
And funnily enough, we spent this evening re-watching the Two Towers. They transferred some poetry that Aragorn speaks much earlier in the book ('Where now the horse and the rider? Where the horn that was blowing?') to Theoden as he arms for war. Makes me blub EVERY TIME and that makes four times I've watched it now.
I'd accuse myself of being sad if I didn't think you chaps'd understand ...
Fear not, you are understood. Although I haven't actually cried at that particular bit, the first time I watched The Fellowship of the Ring I went and sobbed mightily when I got home. Watching it on screen really brought home to me how much Frodo and Sam go through.
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