Chen G.
Mithlond
Apr 9 2019, 10:03pm
Views: 22091
|
Talk about an Unexpected Journey!
I was going through some Hobbit behind-the-scenes material when the call-sheets seemed to indicate that a scene in the second film, regarding one the subplots, was in fact shot early in principal photography, when only two films were planned.
This got me thinking: how different was the two-film version going to be, anyway? Would it have been any better? Would it have been worse?
Contrary to popular opinion, the choice to split the films into three wasn't the studios', it was Jackson's. He sat down with co-writers Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh and "worked out enough a structure" to pitch the idea of a trilogy to Warner Brothers, who were previously unaware of the idea. Only when executives came to visit at the end of principal photography, was this idea brought the awareness of the studio, who were "shocked", per Jackson.
An Unexpected Journey
Now, the first film was going to follow the form of An Unexpected Journey very closely indeed. The framind device, prologue and early Hobbiton and Bag End were all part of the script and were shot in principal photography. The Bree scene which ended up at the top of The Desolation of Smaug was concieved of during the writing of the prologue, but wasn't fully realized or photographed until pickups.
The first difference regards Azog. While he was always going to send Orcs after the company, originally his backstory was to be revealed much more gradually. The prologue was to include a quick glimpse into the battle, the scene in the lone-lands was going to include cryptic hints ("Thorin has more cause than most to hate Orcs") and probably establish the death of Thror and disappearance of Thrain. It was extended during a few extra days of shooting performed in late July 2012, mere days after principal photography wrapped.
The brief scenes of Azog on Weathertop and after the trail of the company at the feet of the Misty Mountains were absent. Instead, he would be revealed to have been alive when he confronted Thorin on the mountainside. The full account of the Battle of Moria was to be revealed in Beorn's House, right after Azog is revealed to be in league with the Necromancer.
Otherwise, the story would continue to follow An Unexpected Journey. The Dol Guldur subplot, including the presence of the Nine and the involvement of Radagast were present. The main difference was that the High Fells were going to follow the White Council almost immediately: the Storm clouds which Gandalf sees at the end of that scene were going to be the ones that force the company into shelter on the High Pass.
The setpiece in the Pine Trees was the same, but ended about a minute sooner: right when Thorin was felled by Azog the eagles would swoop in. The carrock was present, and was going to be where Thorin would start developing an appreciation of Bilbo, but the climax of their friendship was to come at the end of the film.
The film would continue through Beorn's House, through Mirkwood and into the Woodland Realm. Tauriel was present, as was her romantic interest in Kili. Legolas, too, was present. Bolg was going to be present, but during principal photography the volume of his involvement was not fully determined.
The barrel scene was designed to be an action climax, during which Kili was to be wounded by a poisonous arrow, sending Tauriel after him, and Legolas after her. The montage of the thrush flying to Erebor was going to figure in here somewhere, before the film ended on a cliffhanger as Bard towered over the company with his bow and arrow.
There and Back Again
The second film was going to open in medias res on Bard's boat. Thorin being ferried to Erebor was to be the end of Act I, and the death of Smaug was to be the midpoint. It was always going to be a dark film. Bard, his family, The Master and Alfrid were as they are on-screen.
The company was going to separate over Kili's injury, with Orcs tracing them to Bard's House, and Tauriel and Legolas killing them, and Tauriel healing Kili (it was Lilly's first scene). Legolas would go off after other Orcs, but his fight with Bolg was a later addition.
In Dol Guldur, Gandalf was going to encounter Thrain (who appears in the first trailer of An Unexpected Journey) but he was going to be killed by Azog, right before Gandalf confronts Sauron.
Bard was going to conceal the Black Arrow from the Master's henchmen, and eventually fire it over Bain's shoulder (Also Luke Evans' first scene).
Inside the Mountain, Bilbo was going to have a shorter encounter with Smaug, where the dragon would become enraged and fly out of the mountain. His confrontation with the Dwarves would amount to him trying to crush them on the mountainside, and them taking shelter within the hidden door.
Thorin's descent into madness was very much the same. Missing scenes include his conflict as to help Bilbo or not (shot in pickups) and his delusions in the Gallery of the Kings: the script had Thorin see his distorted reflection in a golden plate.
Scenes such as the negotiations on the rampants and the crushing of the bridge were part of principal photography. The narrative of the battle and surrounding events wasn't shot during principal photography, but existed in the script, including the Ravenhill skirmish, the death of Kili in front of Tauriel's eyes and Azog dealing Thorin a mortal wound before he died. Dain's involvement, and some of the fighting in the streets of Dale was shot during principal photography.
The rest was done in pickups during May-July 2013, based on script revisions from May or July 2012 and previz work performed in February to May. By the time the extended cut of An Unexpected Journey was completed, most of the additions required to create the trilogy were formed on the page.
I don't think Gundabad figured in the original script, but the idea that conquering Erebor is a strategic move to reclaim Angmar was. Alfrid's role in the battle as the comic relif was also part of the original shoot: the scene where he tells Gandalf off was shot in principal photography.
While the actual coming about of the deaths of Thorin, Fili and Kili was shot in pickups, the funeral and following scenes were part of the original shoot, as was Bilbo's return home and the flash-forward to the framing device.
So...
So, I don't think the two-film version would have been any better. It was probably only going to be that much more overstuffed and undercooked. Splitting the piece into a trilogy meant that Jackson had a whole extra year to come to grips with the last portion of the narrative, which he wasn't fully satisfied with during principal photography.
Yes, some of the subplots which people begrudge would have probably taken up less screentime. But on the flipside their inclusion probably would have felt that much more rushed, to boot.
I especially dislike where the first film was going to end and the second one would have begun. It doesn't sound like a very dramatic ending, because the cliffhanger (Bard) is entirely unrelated to the climax, unlike the Smaug cliffhanger.
Also, in the two film version, The Necromancer was going to be revealed to be Sauron in the first film. Whereas, in the trilogy, I really like that the first film, An Unexpected Journey, is free of the scorge of Sauron, and can therefore be much lighter.
(This post was edited by Chen G. on Apr 9 2019, 10:14pm)
|
