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Voronwë_the_Faithful
Tol Eressea
Jun 14 2009, 2:53am
Views: 2055
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Another unfilmable paragraph?
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Can't Post
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Back in December, N.E. Brigand started a thread called An Unfilmable Paragraph in which he quoted what many (including myself) consider to be the key paragraph of The Hobbit and posited the question of whether it could be filmed faithfully.
I want to posit a similar question about another key paragraph, one that not only is important to The Hobbit but also sets up one of the most important moral themes of The Lord of the Rings.
Bilbo almost stopped breathing, and went stiff himself. He was desperate. He must get away, out of this horrible darkness, while he had any strength left. He must fight. He must stab the foul thing, put its eyes out, kill it. It meant to kill him. No, not a fair fight. He was invisible now. Gollum had no sword. Gollum had not actually threatened to kill him, or tried to yet. And he was miserable, alone, lost. A sudden understanding, a pity mixed with horror, welled up in Bilbo's heart: a glimpse of endless unmarked days without light or hope of betterment, hard stone, cold fish, sneaking and whispering. All these thoughts passed in a flash of a second. He trembled. And then quite suddenly in another flash, as if lifted by a new strength and resolve, he leaped.
Does anyone have any thoughts about how the filmmakers might be able to show Bilbo's sudden understanding, his pity mixed with horror, that led him to go from being about to stab Gollum to attempting the desperate leap over the pitiful figure?
Does anyone else feel -- as I do -- that the failure to successfully portray this moment would be an almost fatal flaw in adapting The Hobbit?
'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'
www.arda-reconstructed.com
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Time
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Another unfilmable paragraph?
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Voronwë_the_Faithful
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Jun 14 2009, 2:53am
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How about this?
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Finding Frodo
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Jun 14 2009, 3:45am
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That's better than anything I can think of
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Voronwë_the_Faithful
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Jun 14 2009, 4:03am
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well, if they had an actor as good as Jimmy Stewart . . .
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Annael
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Jun 17 2009, 3:27pm
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Great example!
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Darkstone
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Jun 17 2009, 4:10pm
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Well done!
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sador
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Jun 14 2009, 6:00am
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Think of it from another perspective.
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Silverlode
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Jun 14 2009, 7:43am
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Yes - if the actor can show
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dernwyn
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Jun 14 2009, 4:41pm
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The thing that really makes it possible
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Silverlode
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Jun 14 2009, 7:50pm
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You don't film paragraphs.
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FarFromHome
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Jun 14 2009, 9:02pm
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You don't film books either.
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N.E. Brigand
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Jun 14 2009, 9:55pm
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Oh, I thought that was the issue...
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FarFromHome
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Jun 15 2009, 10:31am
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But you might film "moments"
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squire
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Jun 14 2009, 10:32pm
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Yes indeed.
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FarFromHome
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Jun 15 2009, 10:04am
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Film is a visual medium. A filmmaker should not, I judge,
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Curious
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Jun 15 2009, 5:48am
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The darkness is a serious problem.
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FarFromHome
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Jun 15 2009, 10:26am
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interesting question
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Jettorex
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Jun 15 2009, 3:12pm
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It depends on the actor.
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Darkstone
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Jun 15 2009, 4:52pm
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Well Said
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Voronwë_the_Faithful
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Jun 15 2009, 5:24pm
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Lots of hammers in "The Hobbit", none proverbial.
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N.E. Brigand
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Jun 15 2009, 5:52pm
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It took me a while to figure out what you were referring to
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Voronwë_the_Faithful
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Jun 15 2009, 9:06pm
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How were the clothes in the troll-cave hanging from the walls?
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sador
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Jun 16 2009, 6:36am
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Snails, too.
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N.E. Brigand
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Jun 16 2009, 1:03pm
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And trails. Lots of trails
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Voronwë_the_Faithful
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Jun 16 2009, 1:17pm
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"Why Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world, but for...?" //
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N.E. Brigand
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Jun 16 2009, 3:48pm
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That's way beyond my pail.
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sador
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Jun 16 2009, 1:18pm
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And quite a tale.
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N.E. Brigand
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Jun 16 2009, 3:35pm
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and a Jail
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Jettorex
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Jun 16 2009, 1:56pm
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Yes, but not by that name. //
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N.E. Brigand
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Jun 16 2009, 4:03pm
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Only one?
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FarFromHome
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Jun 16 2009, 4:27pm
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try's to think of a rhyme
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cameragod
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Jun 17 2009, 10:20am
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But aren't you begging the question?
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FarFromHome
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Jun 17 2009, 1:29pm
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The answer is "no".
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Darkstone
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Jun 17 2009, 3:16pm
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Okay.
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FarFromHome
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Jun 17 2009, 3:57pm
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