Did your View of the Characters change after seeing the films?

[Quirkette]

I'm glad the 4 hobbits are handsome men in their 20's and 30's! When I first read the books, I pictured them as being vaguely middle-aged, and sort of dumpy and quirky looking.

[Lobelia]

Originally Posted by Quirkette

I'm glad the 4 hobbits are handsome men in their 20's and 30's! When I first read the books, I pictured them as being vaguely middle-aged, and sort of dumpy and quirky looking.

Actually, go back and have another read. I think you'll find Frodo is the only middle-aged Hobbit and his youthful appearance has been preserved by the Ring. Pippin, the youngest, is 29. Merry and Sam are in their 30s and coming-of-age in Hobbit society is 33, so, really, it's quite appropriate to have them played by young men (and poor Sean Astin took all that trouble to put on weight so he could be a fat Sam only to have you call him handsome! ) [g]

Have a look, too, at the paintings by the likes of the Hildebrandts and Alan Lee and you'll find that they, too, portay their Hobbits as youthful.

That said, though I think Elijah Wood was very good in the role and I am happy to accept him, it was hard for me to imagine his Frodo as having the life experience of the one in the novel. I still play my recording of the BBC play and listen to a 24-years-younger-than-today Ian Holm in the role, and think, yes, that's Frodo!

[Quirkette]

Wow, that makes sense. Maybe I got my impressions of what hobbits look like from the animated "The Hobbit". I must protest, it is my belief that fat guys can be handsome, too!

[Lathriel]

I agree Quirkette sometimes you see pictures that are drawn the hobbits do look rather unattractive and dumpy looking. I guess hobbits must be difficult to draw because they are so small and it may be difficult to keep the proportions straight.

[Pippin Pondlily]

The one character that I absolutely adored in the books was Eomer and I was somewhat disappointed to see that he had much less of a role in the movie than he did in the books and it wasn't really the same Eomer.

I thought they did a fantastic job with Eowyn, she was definitely not, in my opinion, giggly or whiny. And her whole scene with the witch king was absolutely brilliant. I am very glad to hear that there will be some House of Healing scenes in the extended edition of Return of the King and I really hope that they elaborate Faramir and Eowyn's relationship--in the book that was one of my favorite aspects.

The hobbits I thought were all very well done. I loved Pippin and Merry in the books but I liked their movie characters, eh, not better, but they were certainly pretty fantastic. Pippin, in the Return of the King movie, I mean wow, Billy Boyd really did a brilliant job.

But my absolute favorite character in the movies that I was very very pleased with how he turned out since he was my favorite character in the books too, was Gandalf. Sir Ian McKellen absolutely took that role to its most extreme level of total brilliance and I loved him!

But to actually answer the question, when I read the books now, I am completely visualizing the cast from the movies instead of my original, imagined characters, and it is not a disappointing thing.

- P. Pondlily

[ninlaith]

I totally agree with your thoughts on Eomer. I also wish he had more of a role. Eomer was different in the movies it seemed. He seemed very spiteful you might say, at least that was my impression of him. The written Eomer seemed a little more true, for lack of a better word. But actor Karl Urban was absolutely splendid. He has so much passion in his acting it just radiates from him off the screen.

[Encaitare]

Well, I'm supposed to be doing summer homework (there's an oxymoron for ya) and I'm shirking as usual, so I don't have time to read the whole thread or write anything overly complex. I think the character that was the most different between the books and the movies, though, was Aragorn.

In the book, he has set out to regain his kingship and set things right in Gondor and all of Middle-earth, but in the movie he's portrayed as so reluctant. Book Aragorn is always saying things like, "I can't wait to get back to Gondor" (okay, not that exactly, but you know what I'm talking about ), whereas Movie Aragorn seems to want nothing to do with it (aside from saying "Long have I desired to look upon the kings of old, my kin" when they pass the Argonath. And speaking of the Argonath, does anyone know which is Isildur and which is Anárion?)

However, Book Aragorn is also somewhat cocky. He thinks that just because he's heir to an enormous kingdom he can boss people around... now, whatever put that idea in his head!

[Encaitare]

I just thought of something else...

I didn't really know about the differences in appearance when the movies came out as I read FotR and TTT after seeing the movies, and already had the movie characters in my head while voraciously reading RotK the summer before the movie. But now I'm rather conflicted, for example: Boromir and Faramir were stated to have dark hair, and Legolas' hair color is debated. My head almost explodes sometimes because I picture the lovely Boromir and Faramir as they appear in the movies, and then have to check myself and think "NO! DARK! THEY HAD *DARK* HAIR!" I have already decided that Legolas had dark hair, and this is fine with me because it will upset the hardcore Orlando Bloom fangirls ^^ ... plus blond Leggy is a bit pansy-ish and I find the thought of a raven-haired Elven archer far more appealing than Orlando in a wig.

But anyhow, these are the main debates that go on in my head. Maybe I'll make my own hybrid versions of Boromir and Faramir that will finally leave me in peace

[Pippin Pondlily]

I find the thought of a raven-haired Elven archer far more appealing than Orlando in a wig

I didn't think of Legolas when I wrote earlier but I had always pictured him with dark hair, never blond hair. And luckily since I didn't respond very well to Orlando Bloom's character, I still picture a dark-haired Legolas when I read the books.

- P. Pondlily

[Lathriel]

I always thought of Legolas as blond.
About Faramir's hair colour change, I didn't care cause I got a crush on him. I already liked him a lot in the book and I liked him even more in the movie.

The only person I had envisioned completely differently was Elrond. Hugo Weaving acts well but I don't think he looks like Elrond.

[Snowdog]

Originally Posted by Encaitare

... I'm rather conflicted, for example: Boromir and Faramir were stated to have dark hair, and Legolas' hair color is debated. My head almost explodes sometimes because I picture the lovely Boromir and Faramir as they appear in the movies, and then have to check myself and think "NO! DARK! THEY HAD *DARK* HAIR!" I have already decided that Legolas had dark hair

Way to go Encaitare! Legolas always had dark hair since I first read the books(which was way before the movies). The Dúnedain lineage of Gondor would tend to the dark hair as stated in the text, and this bugged me a little with Boromor when I first watched the Fellowship in Dec 2001, but there was alot of mingling of blood in Gondor (as opposed to Arnor in the north) and the influx of the Northmen (from where the Rohirrim descended from), and the more southerly climate could have lightened their hair as well, so this didn't bother me as much later with the mix of complexions of Gondorain soldiers in Return of the King.

... a raven-haired Elven archer far more appealing than Orlando in a wig.

Yeah, PJ screwed this up bad. leave him with his own hair color at least... or better yet, find a different actor.

But anyhow, these are the main debates that go on in my head. Maybe I'll make my own hybrid versions of Boromir and Faramir that will finally leave me in peace

Yes, our visions of the characters are the best. Thanks for your post because I wondered if someone who first saw the movies then read the books could break the movie mold on how the characters looked.

[Encaitare]

About Faramir's hair colour change, I didn't care cause I got a crush on him.

A little bit of a late response on my part, but... me too.

The only person I had envisioned completely differently was Elrond. Hugo Weaving acts well but I don't think he looks like Elrond.

Ah, well, I'm a Hugo fanatic, so I can't help but see him as Elrond. I think he fits the description pretty well.

Yes, our visions of the characters are the best. Thanks for your post because I wondered if someone who first saw the movies then read the books could break the movie mold on how the characters looked.

Thanks, I try. Bottle-blond Legolas is finally leaving me alone.

[Lobelia]

You're perfectly entitled to imagine the character of Legolas as either dark or blonde, because we're never actually told what he looks like at all! I know, I went crazy over the matter when I read a book about the Hildebrandt Brothers' calendars, On his first appearance in Rivendell, we're only told his clothes colours: green and brown. Later, we occasionally hear that his eyes are bright or his face is fair, but that's it. Personally, I like my Legolas blonde and imagined him that way and Orlando Bloom fits the role beautifully as I see it.

BTW, if it ever says the Elves have pointed ears, I haven't come across it. We just assume - but Tolkien only says you can recognise Elves because of the ancient wisdom in their eyes or some such. Hobbits, on the other hand ... in one of his letters, he said their ears were sort of pointed. (g)

[Elentári_O_Most_Mighty_1]

Ok, I could have sworn I had posted on here before...but apparently I haven't .

Anyway...Legolas- I loved him! I thought he looked a hell of a lot better than Haldir with that wig, in any case (not that that was hard...) *ducks from Haldir fans*. He seemed a bit like a person of only about two facial expressions, but there you go...I certainly can't imagine anyone else in the role. Also, I never succeeded imagining him at all from reading the books...so Orlando fits the bill just fine .

Éowyn- I loved her in the movie, she really brought the character to life in a way that I had never appreciated from reading the books. I did have a grudge against one of the aspects of her character though, but it has been so long I can't remember what it was! Something to do with her not despairing enough or something.

Treebeard- I retain my original vision of Treebeard. The film one...well, to be honest, I never really imagined it having legs as such, only feet. I kind of envisioned him walking in a way where you would never quite see his legs moving, as though they were surrounded by mist. I'm sorry, that was a terrible explanation! But yeah...more like the Huorns than the way Treebeard walked around in the film.

Aragorn bugged me a bit too. I thought Aragorn was more noble than arrogant in the book though...but I suppose there can be a fine line between the two. I certainly don't know where they got the idea of him being a reluctant hero from though. I prefer my vision of him from the book.

[Annalaliath]

Let's just say that before the movies I hated Sam. I couldn't stand him! Funny my cousin Audrey felt the same way. Any way I think I envisioned most of the characters like people around me. I also had a lot of help from the Hildebrandt Brothers and the OLD OLD gross movies. But then again, Merry and Pippin were and still are my favorite characters. Although I think that they seem to wise up more in the movies than they did in the book, but of course this could just be my own misconception. I also loved Tom Bombadil, and Goldberry, I was greatly disappointed in not seeing them in the movies.

Treebeared was totally different than what I imagined!!!!! I mean he was huge. I thought he would be more of a stump. Don't know why just did. And I thought he would sound more like a wood wend, and such.... ga! I am digging myself into a whole here.

I can't do too much grumbling about PJ and how he wrote the script and how he wrote the characters. I took a script writing class this summer, and I realized how hard it is to describe people and things just the same way as in books. But the whole Yrich come out of goo thing just ****ed me off. I guess he had to keep the PG 13 rating somehow and not show the real X rated stuff.... that and I don't think that I don't think people would have understood seeing a baby orc....

Back on Topic (at least for my post... Bla...) I can't understand what he did to the Wizards. I did not like the wizard fight, as far as we know they didn't routinely use "Magic" in the same since as we understand it today. Yes, they had powers that were allotted to them from Iluvitar but they didn't use them all the time... It seems that in the movies VS the Books the Wizards were using more magic in the movies. Although, you have to admit that Sauramon was using some sort of persuasion in his voice even in the book.

Now that I have shoved my foot halfway down my throat I think I shall leave it like that.(for the time being)

[Encaitare]

Lobelia-- Whatever works! My Legolas just has dark hair...

I actually don't have very defined images in my head about most characters. It's pretty vague most of the time. I have ideas of what they look like, but if I were to try and draw them or something it just wouldn't work.

[Gothbogg the Ripper]

The main thing the films changed for me, in the way I percieved the characters, was Shelob. In the Two Towers (book), it was creepy and claustrophobic but when you actually see the chapter played out in Return of the King, it's horrible!
Before I only thought of Shelob of a threat to be bypassed but after seeing the film they mere idea of its huge, bulbous body is both sickening and unsettling.
Great work by Peter Jackson!

[Snowdog]

But about Boromir, the movie did help to change my view on him. I read the books a year or two before the movies. When I read them, Boromir seemed like a real, plain bastard to me ( but then again, I was still in the 'oh-I-love-the-fantastic-elves-so-much!'-stage ).
Sean Bean's portrayal of him changed my view forever. Why, I don't really know. I think it's the emotion that he gives to the character. I didn't just viewed him as a 'soldier who wanted the Ring', but perhaps that has to do with the knowledge that I have from the books.
When I read the books again, while waiting for TT, Boromir seemed like a different man to me.

I have to agree with this. To me, Boromir was fleshed out with personality in the movie which added to, not changed, the book character. The rest of the characters, my minds eye retains their original characterization.