Come Visit Bree: a terrible land filled with toothless giants and muddy alchoholics! - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Iarwain · 04-26-2003, 09:59 PM

Bree was, well, interesting. (I won't say different for fear of the "artistic liscense" activists) PJ made some clever choices in his production of that quaint little town. He decided that it would not be a dry resting place filled with civilized folk, but rather, a more disturbing place (hobbitless of course) filled with stumbling drunkards, ferret-petting toothless giants, and hysterically laughing muddy men, apparently straight from a local gutter. What is up to us movie goers/Tolkien fans is to interpret the reasons for PJ's, ahem, "interpretation" of Tolkien's work. Here's my amateur prospective of the situation:Our beloved Mr. Jackson has felt the need/desire to shorten the story told in Part One of the Lord of the Rings. We cannot criticize him, because this is his job as a director/writer. He saw the story of Frodo's journey to Rivendell as a slightly dull, and definately drawn out section of the tale, and so, to keep the audience attentive while shortening the overly complex plot Professor Tolkien wrote, he felt the need to change it. Here are a few changes that took place to accomadate the the condensation of Book I: 1. Manner of Frodo's departure, i.e. the fact that he did not deliberate, and that the choice did not seem to be even his own. Also the directions Gandalf gave to him, which greatly affect the Hobbits' perception of Bree.2. The removal of Tom Bombadil. Tom was an assuring character that comforted the Hobbits and gave them valued advice as to the nature of Bree, its inhabitants, and the Prancing Pony itself. Without him, Bree became a mysterious, if not terrifying town of various unknowns.3. The blasted rain. A trivial factor, but still one which has an enourmous effect on mood and setting. The bumbling hoboes with carrots that wander the streets of bree with wet hair and faces have a revolting effect on audiences, compared to the comfortable, dry, and (mostly) friendly town that Tolkien describes in "At the Sign of the Prancing Pony".When viewing these changes, we see the mood and plot background of Book I collapse, leaving the shallow mess that Peter has (unintentionally, no doubt) given us. Rediscovering my hatred for FotR, IarwainP.S. I hope that's better, Mattius and Ransom! [ April 27, 2003: Message edited by: Iarwain ]

04-26-2003, 09:59 PM	#1
Iarwain Pugnaciously Primordial Paradox Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Birnham Wood Posts: 800	Come Visit Bree: a terrible land filled with toothless giants and muddy alchoholics! Bree was, well, interesting. (I won't say different for fear of the "artistic liscense" activists) PJ made some clever choices in his production of that quaint little town. He decided that it would not be a dry resting place filled with civilized folk, but rather, a more disturbing place (hobbitless of course) filled with stumbling drunkards, <B>ferret</B>-petting toothless giants, and hysterically laughing muddy men, apparently straight from a local gutter. What is up to us movie goers/Tolkien fans is to interpret the reasons for PJ's, ahem, "interpretation" of Tolkien's work. <P>Here's my amateur prospective of the situation:<P>Our <B>beloved</B> Mr. Jackson has felt the need/desire to shorten the story told in Part One of the Lord of the Rings. We cannot criticize him, because this is his job as a director/writer. He saw the story of Frodo's journey to Rivendell as a slightly dull, and definately drawn out section of the tale, and so, to keep the audience attentive while shortening the overly complex plot Professor Tolkien wrote, he felt the need to change it. Here are a few changes that took place to accomadate the the condensation of Book I: <P>1. Manner of Frodo's departure, i.e. the fact that he did not deliberate, and that the choice did not seem to be even his own. Also the directions Gandalf gave to him, which greatly affect the Hobbits' perception of Bree.<P>2. The removal of Tom Bombadil. Tom was an assuring character that comforted the Hobbits and gave them valued advice as to the nature of Bree, its inhabitants, and the Prancing Pony itself. Without him, Bree became a mysterious, if not terrifying town of various unknowns.<P>3. The blasted rain. A trivial factor, but still one which has an enourmous effect on mood and setting. The bumbling hoboes with carrots that wander the streets of bree with wet hair and faces have a revolting effect on audiences, compared to the comfortable, dry, and (mostly) friendly town that Tolkien describes in "At the Sign of the Prancing Pony".<P>When viewing these changes, we see the mood and plot background of Book I collapse, leaving the shallow mess that Peter has (unintentionally, no doubt) given us.<BR> <BR> <P>Rediscovering my hatred for FotR,<BR>Iarwain<P>P.S. I hope that's better, Mattius and Ransom! <p>[ April 27, 2003: Message edited by: Iarwain ] __________________ "And what are oaths but words we say to God?"