The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Movie Discussion: The Lord of The Rings: Emotion and Reflection

The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Movie Discussion: The Lord of The Rings:
Emotion and Reflection

Ziggy Stardust
Gondor

Aug 4 2013, 4:54am

Views: 665

Emotion and Reflection

For the past three weeks, I've been watching The Lord of the Rings film trilogy instalments. I just finished watching The Return of the King by myself. I've watched each film by myself for the first time (usually I watch them with mom, dad and brother, but I wanted to see what the films looked like on my portable DVD player, which has a flat screen. It looked great! )

Anyway, I found when watching the films by myself, I found that I was emotional, especially at the climax and end of The Return of the King.
(I'm actually rather emotional, but when I'm around others, even my own kin, I will not shed a tear.)
When I was by myself, I was shedding tears near the end. And after the film was over, and the credits rolled, I was murmuring to myself "Bravo, Bravissomo. Beautiful, so beautiful." as the tears came down. Blush

I felt such a profound feeling. I always did when I've seen these films, but I guess when watching the films with others, I didn't get to reflect and release the feeling, ya know?

I have seen them before, several times before. But everytime, I was with people. This time, I saw them by myself, and found such emotional feelings. It was great. It was like a release. People can say what they want about the film adaptation, but if it got a reaction like that out of me, they did something right.
Am I the only one who has felt this way after seeing the films? At least by oneself? The novels give a similar, if not exact feeling, maybe even more, but since this was visual, perhaps that's why the tears were triggered.

(This post was edited by Ziggy Stardust on Aug 4 2013, 4:56am)

Starling
Half-elven

Aug 4 2013, 5:10am

Views: 466

Interesting thoughts

I have probably watched the LOTR movies in a fairly equal split between being alone and being with others. In the last couple of years I have mostly either watched them by myself or with a good friend who loves the films as much as me, but usually falls asleep, so I usually do my crying while she is sleeping!

I find watching ROTK very emotional every time, and I've been known to completely skip the Grey Havens as it makes me feel too sad. I think part of is that feeling of nostalgia, knowing that we have reached the end not only of the film, but of the whole trilogy, and everything associated with it. Sometimes I think that's why I like to watch the appendices to get my LOTR fix. I can get the lovely MIddle-earth feeling without having to get the tissues.

Isn't it a wonderful thing that we can still watch these films after so many years and still find something new, and appreciate them in a different way? I'm glad you had this experience.

Totally off topic, what's your favourite Bowie album / period?

cats16
Half-elven

Aug 4 2013, 5:24am

Views: 447

You're not alone.

From what you wrote about your emotions when alone versus with others, I would say I'm quite similar to you in that regard. About half of my viewings are with other people, I would say. When I'm with them, I stay pretty composed (and actually start thinking a lot of the film technical bits along the way, for whatever reason). I think it's because I love watching everyone's reactions as the great moments of the films happen. Whether it's their first time, or they enjoy the films repeatedly, I find it awesome to be an observer of the entire experience. Which, in effect, reduces some of my outward emotions.

But alone, I'm quite different. I'm not a wreck the entire time, or anything like that. There are those certain parts that get me every time, however. Sometimes I actually get emotional at parts I've never had much of a reaction to before. That's not a usual thing, but it has happened. You mention the end of ROTK...there is the emotional avalanche, lol. In part, I believe, because it's the same feeling for me as finishing the book (one of the feelings, of course): I start to slow down my reading pace drastically, in a sort of "oh my gosh it's almost over" realization. With the film, of course I don't watch it frame by frame or anything like that. Wink

But that realization that the end is near still happens every time.

Your post has actually gotten me really excited, as I'm planning to watch the films in the next couple of weeks for the first time since I did a little marathon when AUJ came out on dvd. And after just finishing rereading the books recently, I know I'll have some emotion. The films actually feel a little fuzzy, in some parts. I'm ready to go back and spend some time in film ME. So you're definitely not alone there. Glad to hear that you were able to experience that release. I'd guess you found out there was a little more built up in there than you realized.

(Great comment on how they must have done something right, if it got that wonderful reaction from you. I'm the same way. And I maintain that thought with AUJ's mixed reception. It's a great film to me, because of my emotional experience with the film. )

Ataahua
Forum Admin / Moderator

Aug 5 2013, 12:07am

Views: 454

To be honest, the Grey Havens scene

is why I don't read the book more often - it leaves me feeling melancholy and it takes a while for me to shake it off.

My eyes get a little sweaty when watching the scene in the film. ;)

In Reply To

I've been known to completely skip the Grey Havens as it makes me feel too sad.

Celebrimbor: "Pretty rings..."
Dwarves: "Pretty rings..."
Men: "Pretty rings..."
Sauron: "Mine's better."

"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauron’s master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded beggar with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.

Ataahua's stories

Starling
Half-elven

Aug 5 2013, 6:18am

Views: 379

Yes, melancholy

is the perfect term.
Sweaty eyes? Please do not apply deodorant to your eyes in an attempt to fix the problem. Wink

Ataahua
Forum Admin / Moderator

Aug 5 2013, 7:40pm

Views: 352

Concords reference!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGes7FDmHAM

;)

Loresilme
Valinor

Aug 5 2013, 10:53pm

Views: 332

Oh absolutely

I am much more swept away by the films, and much more emotional, when I watch them by myself.

When I watch the films with other people I tend to be the question-answerer ("But where are the Elves going??", lol) and also, I like to observe their reactions to various scenes. So I am in a much more technical mindset then.

But when I watch the films alone, I turn off that part of my brain, and just get lost in the story, the events, the scenes, and particularly - especially - the music, and I get very emotional, indeed.

They're beautiful films, they just really, really are.

Ziggy Stardust
Gondor

Aug 6 2013, 2:30am

Views: 327

So true

of what you said.

And my favorite David Bowie albums are a toss up between The Man Who Sold the World, Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars, Aladdin Sane, Station to Staion and Heroes.

Ziggy Stardust
Gondor

Aug 6 2013, 2:38am

Views: 375

Glad to hear it

Have fun in the next couple of weeks. I certainly look forward to seeing the films again around the DOS release. Next week, I'm watching AUJ.

cats16
Half-elven

Aug 6 2013, 4:52am

Views: 297

Thanks! You have fun too with AUJ. //

Starling
Half-elven

Aug 6 2013, 7:35am

Views: 343

Oh of course

I thought you were just cutting up some onions.... Wink

RangerLady23
Lorien

Aug 7 2013, 4:39pm

Views: 308

Oh, totally feel the same way.

My mother and I watch them together a lot but I find when I get a hankering for them before she does and I watch by myself I find I cry at a lot of different places. Sam and Frodo on the Nen Hithoel lake, music is playing, the two Hobbits are sticking by each other, dare I say... Boo-Hoo. Another scene is Aragorn's coronation, the Grey Havens, where Sam gets the nerve to ask Rosie his question, Boromir's death where Aragorn stands and says : "They will look for his coming from the White Tower, but he will not return." I adore that scene, Aragorn's words and Viggo's performance. To continue- the Ride of the Rohirrim at Pellenor Fields and especially Aragorn saying: "For Frodo" at the Black Gates. I cry at them all but only when I am alone. I don't like to cry in front of people about things like movies, even if they are the best movies ever. I even cry at my watching the Special Features. All the dedication that the cast and crew gave, their relationships with each other, it really touches and speaks to me. I have to really prepare myself for the Grey Havens chapter in the book and most of the time my mother won't watch the film past the Hobbit's return to the Shire. I see why but still like to watch it. Know this: You are not alone.

Ziggy Stardust
Gondor

Aug 8 2013, 1:36am

Views: 276

Those scenes make me tear up too

Especially the "For Frodo" at the Black Gates, and the Grey Havens. Just thinking about Frodo boarding the ship, and turning to smile at his friends...so emotional! No emoticon can express that last sentence!
Thanks for letting me know that I am no alone.

arithmancer
Grey Havens

Aug 14 2013, 2:31am

Views: 269

yup!

I do cry some during movies I watch with others (if they move me), but do tend to be more emotional if I am watching alone. I;m less self-conscious, I suppose. And no movie gets to me like the end of RotK. Especially on those occasions, like you did, when I watch the three EEs in order, in a relatively short timeframe. But I think I would tear up watching the Grey Havens scene even if I watched just it , out of context.