Major Movie Announcement - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

***Mithadan*** · 09-21-2022, 07:47 AM

Touted as the "inspiration for the Lord of the Rings," a new movie has been announced! Yes, a movie version of the Silm... errr, no.

Actually, a movie version of the Nibelungenlied. Older fans will recall that in the late 1960s and 1970s, various writers opined that the Nibelungenlied (or the later operatic version, The Ring of the Nibelung which, purportedly was based upon earlier Norse versions of the Nibelungenlied) was the source and inspiration for Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. After all, it featured a dragon, and epic heroes, and good versus evil and dwarfs (not Dwarves) and fighting families and a ring! Very obviously the source of LoTR! But didn't Tolkien dislike Wagner...?

Anyway, marketing blitz soon to follow...

Legate of Amon Lanc · 09-21-2022, 10:09 AM

Who is the director? Peter Jackson? Given that Wagner managed to do his opera cycle in a manner that takes around 17 hours to perform, I'd wager PJ would single-handedly manage the same in 70. If we are being minimalistic, of course.

But appropriately for this forum (and to keep this on-topic), the first question that crossed my mind (after the abovementioned one) was: how much is this going to draw visual inspiration from LotR?

You know what I mean - there are certain expectations nowadays, ever since PJ, majority of high fantasy films, video games etc tend to try to (consciously or uncousciously) borrow the visual style of PJ's LotR. Half the towers of any "noble civilisation" look like Minas Tirith and its monuments look like the statues of Argonath, evil spiky fortresses look like Morannon or Barad-Dur, noble defenders look like the soldiers of Gondor with those shiny pointy helmets.

So how much will the dragon look like Smaug? How much will the Dwarves follow the default Dwarf-stereotype and how much will it try to be unique? And will the Ring look like... the Ring?

It would be an interesting "full circle" (well, if we trust that there was any inspiration at all).

Bêthberry · 09-21-2022, 12:37 PM

Can Fritz Lang be improved upon? And never mind Wagner, could Tolkien have seen Lang's movie?

Andsigil · 09-22-2022, 03:38 AM

I'm already imagining some horrible casting decisions and action choreography. I hope I'm wrong, unlike with The Current Thing.

09-21-2022, 07:47 AM	#1
*Mithadan* Spirit of Mist Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Tol Eressea Posts: 3,374	Major Movie Announcement Touted as the "inspiration for the Lord of the Rings," a new movie has been announced! Yes, a movie version of the Silm... errr, no. Actually, a movie version of the Nibelungenlied. Older fans will recall that in the late 1960s and 1970s, various writers opined that the Nibelungenlied (or the later operatic version, The Ring of the Nibelung which, purportedly was based upon earlier Norse versions of the Nibelungenlied) was the source and inspiration for Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. After all, it featured a dragon, and epic heroes, and good versus evil and dwarfs (not Dwarves) and fighting families and a ring! Very obviously the source of LoTR! But didn't Tolkien dislike Wagner...? Anyway, marketing blitz soon to follow... __________________ Beleriand, Beleriand, the borders of the Elven-land.

09-21-2022, 10:09 AM	#2
Legate of Amon Lanc A Voice That Gainsayeth Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: In that far land beyond the Sea Posts: 7,431	Who is the director? Peter Jackson? Given that Wagner managed to do his opera cycle in a manner that takes around 17 hours to perform, I'd wager PJ would single-handedly manage the same in 70. If we are being minimalistic, of course. But appropriately for this forum (and to keep this on-topic), the first question that crossed my mind (after the abovementioned one) was: how much is this going to draw visual inspiration from LotR? You know what I mean - there are certain expectations nowadays, ever since PJ, majority of high fantasy films, video games etc tend to try to (consciously or uncousciously) borrow the visual style of PJ's LotR. Half the towers of any "noble civilisation" look like Minas Tirith and its monuments look like the statues of Argonath, evil spiky fortresses look like Morannon or Barad-Dur, noble defenders look like the soldiers of Gondor with those shiny pointy helmets. So how much will the dragon look like Smaug? How much will the Dwarves follow the default Dwarf-stereotype and how much will it try to be unique? And will the Ring look like... the Ring? It would be an interesting "full circle" (well, if we trust that there was any inspiration at all). __________________ "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

09-21-2022, 12:37 PM	#3
Bêthberry Cryptic Aura Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 5,996	Can Fritz Lang be improved upon? And never mind Wagner, could Tolkien have seen Lang's movie? __________________ I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.

09-22-2022, 03:38 AM	#4
Andsigil Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: The Deepest Forges of Ered Luin Posts: 733	I'm already imagining some horrible casting decisions and action choreography. I hope I'm wrong, unlike with The Current Thing. __________________ Even as fog continues to lie in the valleys, so does ancient sin cling to the low places, the depression in the world consciousness. Last edited by Andsigil; 09-22-2022 at 04:10 AM.