 Oin K Rivendell  Nov 15 2012, 6:50pm Views: 1121 |
To start with, the Radagast theme shows up quite early, in fact before the trolls even, far too early for him to actually be interacting with our heroes in real time. That tells me that his story will run parallel to the main storyline, and for that to work, the two lines will have to intersect at some point. And if I'm recalling correctly, the Radagast motif resurfaces during "The Hill of Sorcery" and again towards the very end. What it sounds like, then, is that Radagast will be moving the Dol Guldur plot forward through the first film. Perhaps he will be doing some scouting on behalf of the Council and discover that dark deeds are afoot in Mirkwood. Perhaps he tries to send a message to Rivendell about the urgency of the matter so that the White Council can begin formulating their plans. But we already know that Radagast himself isn't at Rivendell, so he must be otherwise occupied - perhaps with the Spiders, who have begun to stir and expand their territory in and around Mirkwood. Once he's dealt with them, he ventures west to try to meet up with his 'cousin' Gandalf, whom he has heard is on his way over the Misty Mountains. On the way, he touches base with his fellow master of shapes Beorn, who has noticed increasing numbers of goblins and wargs in the hills under the mountains, and the Eagles. The three of them happen to notice smoke in the distance and head towards it to investigate. Now, we won't need to see any of their meeting, but it will be implied retroactively when they arrive in force just in time to rescue Gandalf, Bilbo, and the dwarves from becoming well-cooked meals for the wolves below. Then Radagast, riding precariously on the back of his gracious Eagle host, will finally be able to rendezvous with Gandalf and inform him of the sudden increase in threat from Dol Guldur. Radagast will take the part of speaking for the Eagles after the party is rescued and brought to the eyrie (perhaps replaced by Rhosgobel?). Now why do I think Beorn might be involved? Several reasons. The first is the brand-new horn theme that crops up for the first time around the "Out of the Frying Pan" track. My theory is that this is the first we hear of Beorn's theme, as we see him in bear form only, which will return in film 2 as he assists with the attack on Dol Guldur and again in film 3 when he hurls goblins across the rocks at the Battle of Five Armies. Also, let's not forget that Beorn and Radagast are linked in the book, if only by a single line. I suspect Peter Jackson will seize upon this tenuous connection to make Radagast the go-between from Gandalf to Beorn. It may be on his recommendation that the party goes to visit Beorn in the first place. And what better way to set up the mystery of the Great Bear than to show a brief glimpse of him in his rage batting wolves and goblins around just before the dwarves are snatched up by the Eagles? No direct explanation would be necessary here for the presence of the bear, just a few fleeting shots of a great dark shape mowing through the goblins below. Later, when they are recovering at the eyrie, Bilbo can ask Gandalf about it, and Gandalf, with a twinkle in his eye, can reply, "I'm not sure, Bilbo, but I take it as A Good Omen." Exhausted then, Bilbo falls asleep and begins to dream of his home, as is described in the book. I can't help but imagine here an insane camera shot that moves from Hobbiton up over the Misty Mountains, down past where they are sleeping, and then up and over the massive forest of Mirkwood, past the ominous hills of Dol Guldur and the elf-king's hall, and as the Lonely Mountain rises up in the distance, the camera passes through the smoke pouring out of the front gate and into darkness, and then, after a beat, a great yellow eye snaps open, and the credits roll. "The Naugrim were ever, as they still remain, short and squat in stature; they were deep-breasted, strong in the arm, and stout in the leg, and their snouts were long. Indeed this strangeness they have that no Man nor Elf has ever seen a snoutless Dwarf - unless he were rhinoplasted in mockery, and would then be more like to die of shame than of many other hurts that to us would seem more deadly. For the Naugrim have snouts from the beginning of their lives, male and female alike..." (History of Middle Earth, volume 11, The War of the Truffles, p. 205) |
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