Lord of the Rings Discussion Group (The Green Dragon Inn) II

[HairOfTheDog]

and looks like he's remembering the time someone pulled his spine out and beat him with it

GAH! - That was a vivid picture Dan!

Agreed... that is a fun dialogue... and true... many times the real evil looks fair and feels foul.

[JenB]

Pulease! Everybody hug your lonely Ranger today!

Um, you might want to rephrase that or you may have some problems in here. I think Aragorn treats the Hobbits nicely and does want to be friends, but he does sound whiny. Not as whiny as Boromir does later though.

[HairOfTheDog]

Come and go as you please! though I hope you can join us often... and I am glad that we no longer have to be overly worried about spoilers. We shall try to behave on our own accord, but at least we can't wreck any surprises for you now.

[BibChr]

Funny, that line works all right for me. One of the things missing in the movie, wonderful as it is, is more of a sense of Strider's history. You don't get much of the fact that he's been out in the Wild for years (and years and years), and has had many exploits.

Even more, what I miss is his history with Gandalf. In the book, he and Gandalf have travelled many miles together. In fact, they went through Moria together, and it was Strider who was reluctant to repeat the experience, not so much Gandalf.

In the movie, it's as if Strider hardly knows Gandalf at all. "Wait no longer for the wizard [—can't quite place his name...], Frodo."

I know, I know, I really do — Jackson had to keep up the pace, and if he'd shot the movie I'd most have preferred, it'd've been eight hours long and made about $4937.00 — mostly from my family!

Dan

[BornOnTheFourth]

I'd hug him...sigh...

[HairOfTheDog]

Hehehehe Jen... I am not bashing Aragorn in general! But that was a wimpy moment. One wimpy sentence in the middle of a fabulous dialogue.

Yes Dan, missing (or "off-screen" as Jackson explains it) in the film was the great histories of a lot of the characters, including Aragorn... The fact that the Rangers had long protected the lands of the heedless who had long forgotten them, and the history of Aragorn's friendship with Gandalf, and the role he played tracking Gollum down and getting the real story out of him.

[HairOfTheDog]

[sigh]

[Penny1]

Even more, what I miss is his history with Gandalf. In the book, he and Gandalf have travelled many miles together. In fact, they went through Moria together, and it was Strider who was reluctant to repeat the experience, not so much Gandalf.

I really missed that too, and wish they had kept the part about it being Aragorn who was reluctant to go through Moria and especially WHY--because Aragorn was worried about Gandalf's safety. There are a couple of moments in the movie, though, where you get a sense that Gandalf and Aragorn know each other well-when Gandalf insists Aragorn "lead them on" and when Gandalf falls. Perhaps we will get more of their "history" in the next installment? I hope.

[Penny1]

I wonder if they left out a lot of the history of the characters because they had to pack so much history into the prologue. Perhaps in movies 2 and 3, with the necessary history filled in already in FOTR we can get more character-history filled in for us. I can hope, anyway...

[allthatisgolddoesnotglitter]

I'm hoping they'll be more history in general in the next one as well, since TTT isn't as big of a book. The characters aren't really that well developed, they just move and move and move from here to there. You find out a good bit about personalities from dialogue but no real history. I did think the history of Middle Earth in the beginning was nice.....

[MozartLover]

"Pulease! Everybody hug your lonely Ranger today! "

Okay!!!:) :) :)

[HairOfTheDog]

Perhaps there will be more history revealed to the movie audience, but my guess is that much of that depth will be understood only by the readers of the books.

Books... I think I shall settle back with my books now and re-read all this material I have opened up for conversation, so I am prepared to talk about it. I have been good, and not reading too far ahead!

[allthatisgolddoesnotglitter]

Hehe, this is a good three chapters for me, I know more about Strider than any other part or character in LOTR.:-) sad, isn't it? lol

[300winmag]

I would have been fine with it, except shoving him up the stairs and then shoving/throwing him across the room onto the floor was a bit much...especially since Frodo is so much smaller than Aragorn.

I can see a good reason for Aragorn to do this, as distasteful as it seems. After seeing the little "show" put on in the common room, Aragorn probably had a vision of the entire enterprise failing right on the spot.

He had to impress on Frodo that not only was Frodo's life at stake, but the fate of all the free peoples, too. With stakes that high, a good, healthy shove would not be out of place as a way of emphasizing the point. It certainly got Frodo's attention.

[HairOfTheDog]

We may have gotten some verse from you then, had I not stole your poem... Perhaps there is some other story or verse you would like to tell us?

[allthatisgolddoesnotglitter]

lol, such as? I can't think of any ya'll wouldn't already know......hehe

[JenB]

Great interpretation! Also, what if Aragorn was trying to make it clear to the unsavory types at the Pony that the Hobbits were his business? If you're a part-time Doer of Evil, are you going to want to mess with a Ranger who's obviously concerned with this mess? Aragorn got Frodo out of the common room without fuss, and into his protection. Who cares if Frodo's feelings are a little hurt, it'll prepare him for his long journey.

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh we hobbits love to hear stories we already know! I am told you can tell a rare tale when you have the mind!

[allthatisgolddoesnotglitter]

hmmm, let's see....how about a tale of Aragorn's life before he met the hobbits? or have you heard that one too many times? After all, one must not get bored you know.

[HairOfTheDog]

That would be grand indeed, and I can't say that I know all of it! I think now would be a good time for it too... now that my work is finished for the day and I can settle in with a pint and listen!