Your Gríma - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

MatthewM · 12-15-2007, 10:41 PM

So how do you picture Gríma?

Is he as PJ portrays him, dark haired, black garb, gothic...screaming "I am a dark traitor"?

Is he more of a Rohirric decent, blonde haired and regularly dressed?

Is he like Bakshi portrayed him? Do you see him as an ugly graveling mindless little thing with a hunchback?

Is he a combination of all three?

I'm interested!

Lalwendë · 12-16-2007, 06:41 AM

Grima is described as "wizened" so he is either old or has an illness or is simply what they used to call a 'weakling'. Given what we know of Rohan, men who were tall and strong were obviously valued as the 'ideal' so any man who did not fit that bill would have to find some other way of getting ahead than hunting and fighting. Grima must have found his way by becoming an advisor to the King. I also like to think that he was easily corrupted by Saruman because he had high ambitions for himself - Saruman gave him the ability and skill to twist the King's mind so adeptly, and this must have been something Grima saw as a way to advance himself.

I don't see him as 'old' in age, merely in appearance - and I think his lack of good looks was also a way for Saruman to tempt him with promises of having Eowyn for a wife, as there had to be some reason why she would not consider her Uncle's trusted advisor a decent match. She actively finds him repulsive so there must have been something unfortunate about his appearance - and note that even Saruman seems to taunt him about this fact.

There's something quite sad about him in a way, in that he felt the need to submit himself to such treachery as his only way of 'getting on'.

Farael · 12-16-2007, 02:37 PM

Before the movies, I never imagined Grima as possitively ugly. He was less-than-beautiful, that's for sure, but I felt that to be the King's advisor he must've won over not only the King himself but other nobles/advisors and it's that much harder to win people over if you are repulsive to look at, like PJ's Grima was.

Also, I believe it's stated that Grima served Theoden before turning to his evil ways, so I'm not sure Saruman would've given him the "power to convince", it must've been something Grima had on his own.

Thinlómien · 12-17-2007, 10:59 AM

I really don't know how I imagine him nowadays. It depends a lot. It is a mixture of PJ's monster-like dark Gríma and a blonde acne-faced version I have for some reason. And it is very difficult to totally banish my childhood image of him, which was something like this:

Yes, I pictured him with green skin with pink and yellow spots or warts.

I think I maybe imagined him to look a bit less reptilian than in that pic but I never was good at drawing profiles, especially not when I was a child.

And he is also intentionally depicted as short and crouchy.

Rikae · 12-18-2007, 01:08 PM

I pictured him looking much like Brad Dourif actually looks, without the bizarre makeup/shaved eyebrows/contact lenses/wig. Light brown stringy hair, scrawny, pale (but not goth-makeup white), and rather intense/insane looking, with a lot of nervous tics.
This, of course, was long before the movies came out and before I know who Brad Dourif was, too.

Iras Sabir · 12-23-2007, 11:19 AM

I saw him as a sickly blonde man. Very bitter, and easily swayed. Power hungry. Bitter because of his sickliness in what is obviously a physically powerful nation. Since he is bitter, he is easily swayed and power hungry. Any thing to get back at those who hurt him.

Legate of Amon Lanc · 12-23-2007, 11:58 AM

I cannot get a "clear view" now, but I definitely pictured him something like short, also it could be said old man, definitely not with blonde hair and probably not even with black ones. He could have been even bald (though when I saw his picture on one I.C.E. card where he is really bald, I was quite startled). Normal skin-colour. Yup, but one of these short, old men with high voice, in movies they sometimes have glasses almost on the end of their nose and they work in libraries and similar. You know what kind of person I mean? Not that I would picture him being really an old man, but...
But I doubt he had beard. Definitely not. He couldn't.

The Might · 12-23-2007, 07:23 PM

Do you know the Igor characters from Dracula movies...well something like that, maybe not that monster-like and without the strange Russian accent.

12-15-2007, 10:41 PM	#1
MatthewM Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: New York Posts: 628	Your Gríma So how do you picture Gríma? Is he as PJ portrays him, dark haired, black garb, gothic...screaming "I am a dark traitor"? Is he more of a Rohirric decent, blonde haired and regularly dressed? Is he like Bakshi portrayed him? Do you see him as an ugly graveling mindless little thing with a hunchback? Is he a combination of all three? I'm interested! __________________ "Loud and clear it sounds in the valleys of the hills...and then let all the foes of Gondor flee!" -Boromir, The Fellowship of the Ring

12-16-2007, 06:41 AM	#2
Lalwendë A Mere Boggart Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: under the bed Posts: 4,737	Grima is described as "wizened" so he is either old or has an illness or is simply what they used to call a 'weakling'. Given what we know of Rohan, men who were tall and strong were obviously valued as the 'ideal' so any man who did not fit that bill would have to find some other way of getting ahead than hunting and fighting. Grima must have found his way by becoming an advisor to the King. I also like to think that he was easily corrupted by Saruman because he had high ambitions for himself - Saruman gave him the ability and skill to twist the King's mind so adeptly, and this must have been something Grima saw as a way to advance himself. I don't see him as 'old' in age, merely in appearance - and I think his lack of good looks was also a way for Saruman to tempt him with promises of having Eowyn for a wife, as there had to be some reason why she would not consider her Uncle's trusted advisor a decent match. She actively finds him repulsive so there must have been something unfortunate about his appearance - and note that even Saruman seems to taunt him about this fact. There's something quite sad about him in a way, in that he felt the need to submit himself to such treachery as his only way of 'getting on'. __________________ Gordon's alive!

12-16-2007, 02:37 PM	#3
Farael Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: In hospitals, call rooms and (rarely) my apartment. Posts: 1,538	Before the movies, I never imagined Grima as possitively ugly. He was less-than-beautiful, that's for sure, but I felt that to be the King's advisor he must've won over not only the King himself but other nobles/advisors and it's that much harder to win people over if you are repulsive to look at, like PJ's Grima was. Also, I believe it's stated that Grima served Theoden before turning to his evil ways, so I'm not sure Saruman would've given him the "power to convince", it must've been something Grima had on his own. __________________ I prepared Explosive Runes this morning.

12-17-2007, 10:59 AM	#4
Thinlómien Shady She-Penguin Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: In a far land beyond the Sea Posts: 8,093	For your amusement... I really don't know how I imagine him nowadays. It depends a lot. It is a mixture of PJ's monster-like dark Gríma and a blonde acne-faced version I have for some reason. And it is very difficult to totally banish my childhood image of him, which was something like this: Yes, I pictured him with green skin with pink and yellow spots or warts. I think I maybe imagined him to look a bit less reptilian than in that pic but I never was good at drawing profiles, especially not when I was a child. And he is also intentionally depicted as short and crouchy. __________________ Like the stars chase the sun, over the glowing hill I will conquer Blood is running deep, some things never sleep Double Fenris Last edited by Thinlómien; 12-17-2007 at 11:45 AM.

12-23-2007, 11:58 AM	#7
Legate of Amon Lanc A Voice That Gainsayeth Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: In that far land beyond the Sea Posts: 7,431	I cannot get a "clear view" now, but I definitely pictured him something like short, also it could be said old man, definitely not with blonde hair and probably not even with black ones. He could have been even bald (though when I saw his picture on one I.C.E. card where he is really bald, I was quite startled). Normal skin-colour. Yup, but one of these short, old men with high voice, in movies they sometimes have glasses almost on the end of their nose and they work in libraries and similar. You know what kind of person I mean? Not that I would picture him being really an old man, but... But I doubt he had beard. Definitely not. He couldn't. __________________ "Should the story say 'he ate bread,' the dramatic producer can only show 'a piece of bread' according to his taste or fancy, but the hearer of the story will think of bread in general and picture it in some form of his own." -On Fairy-Stories

12-18-2007, 01:08 PM	#5
Rikae Mellifluous Maia Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: A glade open to the stars, deep in Nan Elmoth Posts: 3,489	I pictured him looking much like Brad Dourif actually looks, without the bizarre makeup/shaved eyebrows/contact lenses/wig. Light brown stringy hair, scrawny, pale (but not goth-makeup white), and rather intense/insane looking, with a lot of nervous tics. This, of course, was long before the movies came out and before I know who Brad Dourif was, too.

12-23-2007, 11:19 AM	#6
Iras Sabir Pile O'Bones Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 22	I saw him as a sickly blonde man. Very bitter, and easily swayed. Power hungry. Bitter because of his sickliness in what is obviously a physically powerful nation. Since he is bitter, he is easily swayed and power hungry. Any thing to get back at those who hurt him.

12-23-2007, 07:23 PM	#8
The Might Guard of the Citadel Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Oxon Posts: 2,205	Do you know the Igor characters from Dracula movies...well something like that, maybe not that monster-like and without the strange Russian accent. __________________ “The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike.” Delos B. McKown