Second-guessing Peter Jackson: The Two Towers

[Marileangorifurnimaluim]

Well, there is more to work with this year, isn't there?<P>Add your changes to The Two Towers Here. Remember the rules: you have the same budget as PJ, but also the same run-time constraints (sorry, no 'I'll keep everything the same as in the books' allowed). The movie has to be comprehensible to an audience that has never heard of Tolkien. Please keep your suggestions constructive. This isn't intended to be a critique (or sarcastic slam) of the movie. There are several threads for that.<BR><UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI> We shall keep the beginning shall we? Let's add the collapsing of the endless stair, close-ups of inlay, a work of surpassing beauty; fire; blood; collapsing under Gandalf as he barely escapes. His face as he turns to face his enemy on the mountaintop. The scene cuts away, before we know what happens.<BR><LI> The chase is excellent.<BR><LI> We need a sense of real danger for Merry and Pippin in the crossing of Rohan. <BR>M&P are forced to run with the Uruk-hai whips at their heels. Merry collapses and you see him nearly overrun by the orcs. The company of orcs runs on a bit, like they're going to leave him for dead. Pippin looks back. Then a commander notices, roars, and Merry is hauled up painfully by one arm, unconscious (the way a child picks up a doll, carelessly). You see the cut on Merry's forehead. Camera on Pippin's fear (this is shown from his perspective), then Pippin is shoved forward, forced to run, clearly exhausted. He loses sight of Merry between the orcs' legs.<BR><LI> Cuts to their three pursuers.<BR><LI> back to the orcs, Pippin collapses. You see him hauled up, blinking. Camera is smashed right into the dirty, bug-infested hairy neck of the orc. Black out.<BR><LI> The Gollum/Sam/Frodo... god, there's so much to be done. The entire interaction needs to shift to character development. Not just developing Gollum as a sympathetic character, but we need to take the opportunity to do some <I>very important</I> Frodo character development. <BR>We need to see Frodo's attitude towards his Quest change (through conversations with Sam and Faramir), his growing acceptance and determination. <BR>We need to establish his hate/fear towards Gollum, then watch it change to pity.<BR>Frodo needs to show some strength, threaten Gollum into promising as he does in the book. We need the 'I do pity him.' But when Sam tells him not to trust Gollum, he should say 'of course not!' and agree Gollum be tied up. I will get back to this section. It's late and I'm tired, and this is the most important change. It sets up Frodo's courage in Mordor.<BR><LI> The Dead Marshes need to happen at night. It doesn't work during daylight.<BR><LI> Leave in the additional scenes with Wormtongue, and the Eowyn/Aragorn interaction. Excellent.<BR><LI> Remove entire subplot of Aragorn going over the cliff, et al. Arwen scenes can be edited in on the battlements of Helm's Deep, Aragorn as a soldier thinking about what he could lose if he dies.<BR><LI> We need to indicate the treachery of Saruman to Sauron, Isengard/Mordor orcs fight over Pippin and Merry. (Replaces the 'Hobbit as food' scene.) 'They go to Mordor!' 'They go to Saruman!' Saruman's treachery and double dealing is not too complicated for the audience. And if they don't get it, they will at least see the orcs don't really get along. <BR><LI> Instead of Elves arriving to help at Helm's Deep, it's the Dunedain, many rangers. It makes more sense that Aragorn's extended family shows up. 'Theoden King... a company of... rangers... have come. Shall we let them past our defenses?' Shows the distrust of the times, and echoes Butterbur's 'one of them rangers' comment. (Great visual image, too, all those scruffy seasoned rangers moving professionally between Theoden's suspicious but admiring green troups.) With some elves 'Our father couldn't keep us away!' Big hugs. Indication that the elves supported men individually, not as a public gesture of support. Echoes Arwen's individual choice. <BR><LI> Remove Haldir from Helm's Deep. No prior indication the elves would help. Plus the death of Haldir doesn't add anything, he's not established enough as a character to have real impact. It feels gratuitous. Showing the little kid getting armored up was impactful. More shots of kids on the battlements, looking scared as the orcs approach, now that would work.<BR><LI> Build fear of coming orcs, closer shots of their marching on Helm's Deep. Chilling, to see orcs marching in order.<BR><LI> Treebeard complains of orcs cutting down trees as he walks with Merry and Pippin, during the 'no one is on my side.' Merry and Pippin tell him Saruman is a traitor. Treebeard is surprised. And angry. Calls Entmoot as a result. During Entmoot, you hear the word 'Saruman' and the Ents fall suddenly silent. Merry and Pippin turn to each other. They heard that part. Merry and Pippin are brought forward, told to tell what they know of Saruman's treachery. They fumble with what they know, they get it sort of confused, but it's enough. The trees make low, angry rumbling sounds. <BR><LI> Helm's Deep: we need confusion, mayhem. Not knowing where Gimli is as the defense crumbles. Needing to ask where the king is. Turning corners, and suddenly finding orcs where you don't expect them - in the castle. The orcs are just as confused and split up. Bodies in the halls, orcs and men. Trip hazard.<P>Aragorn 'Legolas. Where is Gimli?' <BR>Legolas 'I thought he was with you.' <BR>Another soldier, 'I saw him last on the wall.' <BR>Aragorn 'Where is the king?' <BR>Soldier 1 'I'm not sure.'<BR>Soldier 2 'We have him well defended. Deep within the Keep.'<BR>Aragorn 'You mean <I>trapped</I>.' Goes to find the king.<BR><LI> The king needs to be a better soldier. Aragorn suggests the sortie, a calvary charge, follows Theoden around the corner - only to see the horses all ready. 'I have your horse saddled, if you care to join us.' Smile from Theoden. <BR><LI> Remove Osgiliath scene in its entirety. People were confused where Frodo was, it wasn't particularly scary as the audience all knew Faramir wouldn't take the ring (and if it were a danger, it was repetitive of Boromir anyway). It just didn't work. It also required commanders at Osgiliath that were not introduced as characters but had important lines. And it required that odd narration from Galadriel in the middle of the movie to 'explain' it. We can get rid of that, and use Faramir for character development instead, a replacement for Gandalf and Galadriel for Frodo to confide in. Gandalf gives him moral guidance. Galadriel insists on Frodo having a backbone - you are alone. And Faramir treats Frodo as an equal, a leader (with a following of two). Cuts Frodo's self-pity, gives him an example of soldiering on regardless.<BR><LI> Replace tension from Faramir maybe taking the ring with tension of Frodo nearly getting caught outside Mordor by Nazgul at Minas Morgul.<BR><LI> Remove long Sean Astin soliloquoy and Andy Serkis soliloquoy. <BR></UL><P>Okay, that's a start. I'll get back with more detail on Frodo/Sam/Gollum character development, and Faramir/Frodo character development.