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Black Breathalizer
Rohan
Dec 29 2012, 4:34am
Views: 1024
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"The Burglar" Bilbo Baggins Takes On a Whole New Meaning in AUJ
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Can't Post
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One of the most inspired screenwriting decisions of AUJ was to have Bilbo witness Gollum dropping his ring rather than accidentally finding it in the dark as in the book. When Gollum left and Bilbo snatched the ring up from the cave floor, it gave Bilbo's role as the Company's "burglar" a dramatic new meaning. It was an unexpected--and some might say radical--departure from Tolkien, but each time I've watched that scene, the more I'm convinced of its brilliance.
How to present Bilbo's 'magic ring' always going to be a problem for Pete, Fran, and Phillipa. Because their film characterization of the One Ring was so much more corruptive than in Tolkien's books, they'd put themselves in a potential bind. How could they depict it in the new Hobbit films as simply a magic ring when it would take on a radical new characterization in the LOTR? It seemed to me prior to seeing the first film that while they had no choice but to depict it exactly as Tolkien depicted it--however---I thought there still needed to be at least some subtle foreshadowing of its evil for an audience.
By having Bilbo Baggins, who publicly declared earlier in the film that, " I've never stolen anything in my entire life," steal the golden ring he observed fall from Gollum's pocket, the audience was given its first clue that our good-hearted Hobbit hero was doing something that was not in character for him.
It's the type of retroactive alterations that Tolkien himself made to his Riddles in the Dark chapter of the Hobbit after he was well on his way to finishing his master work, the Lord of the Rings. With their own Riddles in the Dark revisions--highlighted by their depiction of "Thief Baggins"--Pete, Fran, and Phillipa have successfully followed in the Professor's footsteps.
Agree? Disagree? Your thoughts?
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"The Burglar" Bilbo Baggins Takes On a Whole New Meaning in AUJ
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Black Breathalizer
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Dec 29 2012, 4:34am
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I agree.
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Mooseboy018
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Dec 29 2012, 4:45am
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That scene was insanity
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stoutfiles
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Dec 29 2012, 4:53am
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Bilbo not using invisibility
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Mahtion
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Dec 29 2012, 4:53am
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He didn't witness it...
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jtarkey
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Dec 29 2012, 4:45am
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Stolen or found?
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Black Breathalizer
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Dec 29 2012, 4:54am
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He doesn't seek the ring out
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duats
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Dec 29 2012, 4:55am
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This is one thing I find a bit disconcerting, as it removes some of Bilbo's innocence here, and thus changes many principles surrounding the occasion :s //
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Xanaseb
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Dec 29 2012, 11:01am
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You can rest easy
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jtarkey
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Dec 29 2012, 11:16am
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ok good good. It is a -bit- hard for me to remember, haven't seen it in over a week LOL //
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Xanaseb
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Dec 29 2012, 7:12pm
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Put me in the
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sauget.diblosio
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Dec 29 2012, 5:23pm
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I agree that Bilbo doesn't put two and two together until Gollum makes a big deal about having lost something.
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Bladerunner
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Dec 29 2012, 5:45am
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Perspective
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Rostron2
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Dec 29 2012, 10:07pm
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This
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DanielLB
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Dec 29 2012, 10:13am
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oops
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Black Breathalizer
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Dec 29 2012, 2:06pm
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Question is ....
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DanielLB
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Dec 29 2012, 4:30pm
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Because Bilbo was meant to find it....
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dormouse
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Dec 29 2012, 5:04pm
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He tries to steal the Troll's knife
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stoutfiles
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Dec 29 2012, 4:50am
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Pocketses
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Joe-Mathews
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Dec 29 2012, 5:07am
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I looked for this the last time I saw the film
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Lissuin
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Dec 29 2012, 9:57am
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Movies vs books
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RalphDamiani
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Dec 29 2012, 12:00pm
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"Thief! Baggins!"
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Ruxendil_Thoorg
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Dec 29 2012, 2:01pm
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It really wasn't Bilbo's decision to keep the Ring,
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Aragalen the Green
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Dec 29 2012, 5:30pm
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The Ring likely had influence, sure.
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Ruxendil_Thoorg
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Dec 29 2012, 7:04pm
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Decisions, decisions!
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Aragalen the Green
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Dec 30 2012, 3:06am
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Distinctions, distinctions :-)
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Ruxendil_Thoorg
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Dec 31 2012, 2:59am
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The only thing that spoilt such a great scene was
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Arandir
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Dec 29 2012, 7:12pm
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Wow.
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flameofudun
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Dec 30 2012, 2:50am
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No, sorry, didn't work for me - at all
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Pousette
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Dec 30 2012, 4:45pm
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