Posted on 09/01/2010 5:42:28 AM PDT by Immerito
Magpie writes: Doug Adams is letting us peek inside his upcoming book on the LOTR film music. Check out musicoflotr.com.
(Excerpt) Read more at theonering.net ...
I always loved the books and thought a fairly good job of translation was done, although there were a lot of problems.
The music was good and the casting excellent.
Some movies have great scores. My personal favorite was The DaVinci Code. Bad movie, excellent music.
Better Ring music, from Sally Oldfield’s 1978 album Waterbearer.
Sally Oldfield - Songs of the Quendi & Night Theme
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ffpqI97rCM
The LOTR films were far better than I would have expected — although I am still irked by the portrayal of Aragorn as unsure of his role and unsure of his love for Arwen. Goes completely against Tolkien’s vision of the world.
Jackson butchered most of the male characters; Frodo was more assertive and had more leadership qualities, and he certainly never told Sam to take a hike. Theoden and Denethor were weakened, and their characters became (in the eyes of my friends who had not read the book prior to seeing the movies) basically identical.
I still think that someone should make LOTR into a television series. That’s the only way to have enough time to do it justice.
All good points. The portrayal of Aragorn irritated me the most, but what you say about the other male characters is exactly right.
I didn’t like the story liberties taken with Merry and Pippin. The whole theme of the thing was friendship, and in the book, Merry, Pippin, Sam and Fatty conspired from the beginning to protect Frodo. They took that totally out of the movie, and I think it was poorer for it - making it seem just an accident the hobbits all went along.
The continual “slo-mo” scenes throughout the movie were too much, also. Having Arwen cast a “spell” over the river struck me as wrong also - there was no “witchiness” associated in the book with the fellowship.
The scene with Galadriel and the pool was off. In the book she is kind, and involved - she warns him not to touch the water. In the movie she’s like a malevolent zombie in that scene, just staring at Frodo while he’s struggling.
You know, it’s the small things that get you and make you say, I don’t know if they understood the character at all. Leaving things out to condense time is one thing. Having characters do something that just seems essentially wrong is what bothers me, like they lost some basic essence.
Oh, and Sauron - well, he’s just all wrong. I don’t know what I really expected, but what I got wasn’t it.
I agree. Being able to digest it for a few years, I’m really not happy with the movie in relation to the books. It’s good within itself but misses the essence of Tolkein.
Ironically some of the more subtle things it got right, especially the scenery, so it wasn’t a total waste. But the main characters were off.
later
I'd have to say the same about two sleepers: PeeWee's Big Adventure and A Series of Unfortunate Events (especially the ending credits).
I particularly missed “The Scouring of the Shire” from the movie. In my opinion, the whole basis or moral of the trilogy was directed to that, and it was completely left out ...
I was disappointed (though not surprised) that Jackson left it out; I recall hearing somewhere (one of the cast interviews or director’s commentaries???) that Jackson “didn’t like” the Scouring, and so that was reason enough to remove it.
I think that Christopher Lee ought to have directed; he, at least, would have better respect for the source material (I understand that Christopher Lee was responsible for the movies sticking to the book at certain points).
That is an awesome picture.
“It’s good within itself but misses the essence of Tolkein.”
Exactly! Well said!
I remember PeeWee’s Big Adventure (an instant classic in my house, for reasons other than simply the music - it’s quotability to my young kids has to be the main one). I don’t have to look it up to remember at least some of the music was by Danny Elfman. He also did some music for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the new Alice in Wonderland. You are right, it was standout.
Series of Unfortunate Events was very good also. I do remember the music. I’ll see you that and raise you a big one -anything Henry Mancini did.
I am often amazed at the talent of people who score movies. The movie may be horrid, but often the music is magnificent. Sometimes the music actually makes the movie.
I saw Breakfast at Tiffany’s for the first time in years the other day on my big screen. It was beautiful, the way the mood was set by Audrey Hepburn wandering around downtown to Moon River. It elevated the entire movie.
Peewee’s Big Adventure was one of Elfman’s first scores I think, so no wonder it has great music :)
He also did the score for Back To School, and I love the theme to that, but I can never find the music for that anywhere, I think it was never reissued on CD.
For further review you might consider: “ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2346317/posts?page=1 “ , which has 1 to 3 million comments on this subject, along with some additional chitchat.
By the way Lembas are like vanilla wafers.
mmmm Lembas
I give him a "D" for not including the Extended Version with the Theatrical Version of the DVD in Blu Ray, and did not buy it. I'll wait for the EV. There's just so much money I'm giving you, Pete.
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