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Kim
Valinor
Jan 24 2014, 1:36am
Post #26 of 251
(1276 views)
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I was thinking of starting a thread like this
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but thought people might be tired of me talking about Thorin and his hair. Silly me!
As you can see from my avatar, Thorin indeed had me at "Gandalf", and kept me enthralled throughout AUJ. When we first encounter Thorin in DOS, all I could do was stare, thinking "There's Thorin! He just smiled at the barmaid! There's Thorin! He's back! We're back!" There are so many moments in DOS that I'll get to in a moment, but I do agree with another poster upthread, I feel like we didn't get as much of Thorin as we did in AUJ and I want more.
There are so many favorite moments, I could probably recite most of his scenes, but will go with: in Mirkwood, when he breathes, "we're being watched" and later when he glares at Legolas (spiderwebs do wonder for giving Thorin's hair extra body). His confrontation with Thranduil, finally getting to give vent to his feelings towards his enemy, and later, telling Balin what he said with that little smirk. Escaping in the barrels (dwarf wet t-shirt contest anyone?), and the drenched look on the rocks when they encounter Bard. As Avandel says, talk about smouldering. In Bard's house, looking out the window at the windlance and telling the story of Dale. "If the aim of men had been true that day, much would have been different." On the steps of the master's house, "I have the only right." On the boat heading to Erebor, looking every inch the majestic king, wind blowing in his majestic hair. Searching for the hidden staircase and that smile when Bilbo finds it. The whole sequence with the map and key, and utter dismay at not being able to find the door, and wow, that smile when they do and he holds up the key.
 When did he steal my heart in DOS? Entering Erebor. "I know these walls, these halls..." It's the expression on his face, he's come home.
Continuing with more favorite moments: "That, master burglar, is why you are here." The lighting inside Erebor highlights him so well, dark yet golden at the same time. Standing outside the door waiting for Bilbo, "I am not my grandfather" while his profile mirrors his grandfather's statue. Stopping Bilbo with the sword - again the lighting here just works so well to emphasize not only his good looks, but a change in his persona. Seeing Smaug for the first time and standing to confront him, even while a dawning look of fear emerges. Entering the west end guard room and seeing his people, swallowing hard and determining his plan. When they get to the forges and he sends Bilbo up to the water level, he puts his arm around Bilbo and guides him towards where to go, the moment with the sword forgotten. Confronting Smaug.
All of this brought to life by the wonderful Richard Armitage. What an inspired casting choice - when I first saw his audition sequence in the AUJ EE, my first thought was "Wow!". He's brought this character to life in ways I couldn't even imagine, and appreciate so much every time I watch these movies.
I could go on and on, but I think I'll just end with this.
Thanks Ro! 
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Roheryn
Tol Eressea
Jan 24 2014, 1:47am
Post #27 of 251
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Having seen him perform live last week, that range is such a pleasure to watch. 
*cough* Range? Yes, yes I think his "range" is rather pleasant to watch too, if that's what you want to call it...
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Brethil
Half-elven
Jan 24 2014, 1:52am
Post #28 of 251
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Did you notice, in that picture...
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...the ear cuff? I have only seen it twice - wonder if its on Gramma's Geeky List yet.
Have an idea relating to the world of JRR Tolkien that you would like to write about? If so, the Third TORn Amateur Symposium will be running in the Reading Room in April, 2014. We hope to see you there!
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Ham_Sammy
Tol Eressea
Jan 24 2014, 1:54am
Post #29 of 251
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What?? Who?? Where?? Oh pardon me I needed to wipe the foolish drool off my sweatshirt. Now let me put down this picture of Thorin while I re read this thread and see if I can provide some cogent commentary..
Oh wait..nevermind..back to fangirling...
Thank you for your questions, now go sod off and do something useful - Martin Freeman Twitter chat 3/1/13
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Brethil
Half-elven
Jan 24 2014, 1:54am
Post #30 of 251
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Range...yes. *cough* Range. Just that.
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You are a wicked girl, which is why I love you. Should we bring up 'range' as it relates to black leather pants too? 
Have an idea relating to the world of JRR Tolkien that you would like to write about? If so, the Third TORn Amateur Symposium will be running in the Reading Room in April, 2014. We hope to see you there!
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Eowyn of Penns Woods
Valinor
Jan 24 2014, 2:09am
Post #31 of 251
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Nope. Handsome, handsomer, and handsomest are straight out of the dictionary.
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Not gonna debate who's who in what order among them, though! I'll just believe that my choices are the 'right' ones. ;)
**********************************
NABOUF
Not a TORns*b!
Certified Curmudgeon
Knitting Knerd
NARF: NWtS Chapter Member since June 17,2011
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Kim
Valinor
Jan 24 2014, 2:10am
Post #32 of 251
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especially in contrast to the lost hair clips replaced by string. I was wondering how he managed to keep the cuff after losing the rest of his ornamentation.
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Eowyn of Penns Woods
Valinor
Jan 24 2014, 2:13am
Post #33 of 251
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Hoooome, home onnn the raaaange! //
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**********************************
NABOUF
Not a TORns*b!
Certified Curmudgeon
Knitting Knerd
NARF: NWtS Chapter Member since June 17,2011
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Avandel
Half-elven
Jan 24 2014, 2:15am
Post #34 of 251
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Love this:
"Such a range of feeling, for the most part previously hidden; mid quest is no time to think with tears upon the dead but here he cannot escape it. It is like we watch him hit an impassable wall. Performances like his (and we can name so many others) do justice to the source material, even if it has been adapted."
I think you cut to the heart of things for me - on the one hand, I do take a kind of pure joy in the physical aspects of the character (which also evokes so much of the mythology and folklore and history that I love to read). But for me I doubt it would be THAT enthusiastic without the performance - even the image I mention, think the photographer captured pain and power in a single image, and that comes from RA himself, not a costume.
I was also thinking with the many creative Ringers - we MAKE stuff - so we notice color, texture, line. It's not as though many of us, I suspect, wouldn't notice the carvings of Beorn's home, the beauty of the ponies, the lushness of the Shire - and then I'm not going to notice the way Thorin's hair cascades like an inky waterfall down his back or the way the light glinted off the metal plates of his costume at Bag End? I don't shut my mind off like that.
Envy that you saw this actor in person, and hope I can one day *cross fingers*. It would be amazing. And of course if I ever met RA I would treat him with the real respect I believe he deserves, for what the cast has called his commitment to the character and passion for his work - for giving us an extraordinary, heartbreaking, Thorin.
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Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea
Jan 24 2014, 2:36am
Post #35 of 251
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from a performance that is stellar from beginning to end.
Thorin confronting Thranduil - He turns and points and that classically-trained voice booms and it gives me chills. He looks almost Shakespearean. I don't think many elves talk back to Thranduil, so having this short dwarf verbally smack him upside the head must have been a bit of a shock. That scene from Richard Armitage made me appreciate his training even more. It's hard to get that kind of emotion through all that costume and makeup. I simply cannot see the wheels turn. I *know* it's him, but when I watch it I forget the actor and see only the character. He is not acting, he is Thorin.
Entering Erebor - Phillipa talks about how he played that scene so simply and I have to agree. There could have been lots of dwarf breast-beating, a victory lap or two, more of the Rue this day type of emotion but instead he is just glad to be home. It adds such depth to the character, someone we've already seen can be stubborn, brave, wise, loyal, ruthless and deadly. He has the makings of the leader he could be, but at that moment, he is all-at-once a child coming home, a young prince seeing familiar walls and breathing familiar air, a would-be king looking once more on his homeland. With Aragorn, we didn't have this kind of moment, this coming home, but we feel every single nuance of emotion from Thorin at that moment. What I think is amazing is how he runs his hands over the stone walls like a tactile memory but at that particular moment, RA could not feel the walls. His hands were encased in prosthetic. Think about that. No real physical feedback for the actor to work with- is it cold, rough, smooth, cracked? He is trussed up like a chicken in all the accoutrements of the costume but there is not the slightest indication that he is anything but a 5'2" stocky dwarf. When he turns and invites Balin into his memory, I cry. Every. Single. Time. They are home and so are we.
The entire performance - Every bit of what we see is that seamless performance. There is never a crack in it. I've watched just about all there is out there that I can get my hands on of RA in a very short period of time. While I could say there are some "Richard-isms" that crop up in a few of his roles, mannerisms that he uses in multiple characters, I can honestly say that they are few and far between. This guy not only does the homework, he becomes the character. He's not simply emoting for the camera, he's experiencing what the character is experiencing.
Brethil is correct, watching him on stage, especially in multiple parts was a real joy. We got to see him transform his voice and body multiple times to fit the new character. I was there to see him and the staging was minimalist, with very little in the way of costume and set so it could have been very easy to spot him and say Richard is acting, but that was not the case. He once again disappeared into each part. I only wish I cold see it again to see what he chose to do differently in a second performance!
Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
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Avandel
Half-elven
Jan 24 2014, 2:44am
Post #36 of 251
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When did he steal my heart in DOS? Entering Erebor. "I know these walls, these halls..." It's the expression on his face, he's come home.
That scene (and I'm glad it's one of RA's favorites) is just so perfectly, exquisitely done - the voice, every nuance. Ken Stott as well. (The snarky part of me at times grumbles at least PJ had the great expertise to let that scene run, it was special - Thorin is HOME - after such a brutal journey vs. some of those rushed moments. And you know, I've seen this with all kinds of audiences and it's like everyone is holding their breath, it's so quiet during that scene).
You're not alone - I missed Thorin. I missed these guys. I was so *bleep* happy to see them again - it's one of the reasons I loved the scene with Gloin on the barge, it's one of the few times they are just being "the guys". DOS was like arriving at an oasis after trekking through months of a desert.
PS. Oh no, there is always time to wonder at the insane beauty of the cascading lion's mane, the topaz-blue eyes, a heart-stopping voice, the way Thorin wields a sword.
I've got a nice copy of the PR image of Thorin in the grasslands - kind of a side profile with Orcrist and his axe, plus the "birthday" PR image and the "blue" image. Makes me feel better just looking a them. Don't even get me started about the NZ stamp...just smokin'....
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Avandel
Half-elven
Jan 24 2014, 2:46am
Post #37 of 251
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"but we feel every single nuance of emotion from Thorin at that moment. What I think is amazing is how he runs his hands over the stone walls like a tactile memory but at that particular moment, RA could not feel the walls. His hands were encased in prosthetic. Think about that. No real physical feedback for the actor to work with- is it cold, rough, smooth, cracked? He is trussed up like a chicken in all the accoutrements of the costume but there is not the slightest indication that he is anything but a 5'2" stocky dwarf. When he turns and invites Balin into his memory, I cry. Every. Single. Time. They are home and so are we."
Thank you for posting that.
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Avandel
Half-elven
Jan 24 2014, 2:57am
Post #38 of 251
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There are some incredible writers on this board, for sure
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Brethil
Half-elven
Jan 24 2014, 3:01am
Post #39 of 251
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To be honest, the only thing I had seen Richard in prior to Thorin was playing Harry Kennedy in VoD. I was a bit surprised to find they were the same person ( I seem to have missed that in the pre-production info) and thus was very taken aback when I saw AUJ the first time.
I have seen some other things since then, but after our experience last week I can only fervently hope he chooses to spend some more time on the NY stage. It was such a rushed hello last week, but I wish I had said that!
Have an idea relating to the world of JRR Tolkien that you would like to write about? If so, the Third TORn Amateur Symposium will be running in the Reading Room in April, 2014. We hope to see you there!
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Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea
Jan 24 2014, 3:16am
Post #41 of 251
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A really cute story about a young Make-A-Wish participant who got to compare ear cuffs with RA is here. It's very long (she was very excited about Everything!) but I thought the thing with the ear cuff was cute. Paragraph starts "We walked out of that stage and across the lot to another stage."
It just shows how this group of people, from the SPJ at the top down, really truly cares about their fans.
Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
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Avandel
Half-elven
Jan 24 2014, 3:17am
Post #42 of 251
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Thranduil is something fey and exquiste and deadly
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but for me my heart was lost, months ago....
"Come on, tell the truth.  He is drool-worthy. What...a...performance. He was mesmerizing."
What interested me is Lee Pace pulling off that performance and it being the first scene he filmed for the Hobbit. Talk about an actor stepping up to the plate and bringing the goods!
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Kim
Valinor
Jan 24 2014, 3:18am
Post #43 of 251
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Well, if you want to get technical about it
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I believe that's "sapphire-blue eyes". I concur on the rest. 
I do love how Richard's favorite scene are always the quiet, emotional ones. They always pack such a punch, even as you're holding your breath watching them.
I love that grasslands shot - the blue sky, the grass and Thorin perfectly framed. And the rest too, of course. I guess this is the place to confess that I got the 2014 page-a-day calendar and I'm saving the Thorin pages with the intent to make a collage later. 
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Kim
Valinor
Jan 24 2014, 3:24am
Post #44 of 251
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when it was posted a while back. Her whole experience sounded so great, and I love how excited so many of the crew were to share their work with her. And yes, the ear cuff incident - can you imagine that happening to you? I often think of her comments about when she first encountered Richard, when at first he was so in character, but jumped right out of it to come meet her.
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Brethil
Half-elven
Jan 24 2014, 3:27am
Post #45 of 251
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Wonderful how they were *all* so nice to Samm. Orlando saying, "Oh darling, you're welcome."
At my job, 17 is a very bad age. I feel this story very much, and wish her all the best. Thanks for posting the link.
Have an idea relating to the world of JRR Tolkien that you would like to write about? If so, the Third TORn Amateur Symposium will be running in the Reading Room in April, 2014. We hope to see you there!
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Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea
Jan 24 2014, 4:01am
Post #46 of 251
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There are blogs out there about RA's eyes. (example here for research sake . Tumblr can be a good or a bad thing.) They change depending on what he wears. (Mine aren't quite so vivid anymore but they do change still.) They can go from almost turquoise to sapphire to grey to almost black the blue is so deep.
I can, in an actor, do without the six pack, the stylish clothes and almost anything else that Hollywood says is "not" but I can't do without the intelligence, the talent or the eyes.
Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
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Old Toby
Grey Havens
Jan 24 2014, 4:47am
Post #47 of 251
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Indeed, DI, even though RA is incredibly good-looking, it's his eyes, the expressions he has in them, that completely carry me away. I think the most romantic moment I've ever had the pleasure of witnessing was his last train station scene in North & South. And it's all because of his eyes. The intensity, the all-consuming passion and depth he can bring to a scene simply with his eyes is astounding. He's an actor who can speak volumes without uttering a word.
Thorin: combine his eyes with that great hair and he's a veritable force of nature, he is!
"Age is always advancing and I'm fairly sure it's up to no good." Harry Dresden (Jim Butcher)
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Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea
Jan 24 2014, 5:48am
Post #48 of 251
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That scene. *sob*
Yes, it is all stillness and eyes. Oh my... 
If it is possible to wear out a DVD, I would have a hole in mine at that scene. Amazing!
His Lucas North eyes too. So much going on. They made me cry for an hour after the last episode. That was after I managed to get my pulse back. All the past that haunted him just below the surface. Again, amazing!
Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
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Nesse
Lorien
Jan 24 2014, 8:04am
Post #49 of 251
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I love when he faces off to Thandruil but when he tells Balin in the cell what he said to him I found that hilarious and he really endeared himself to me then. RA is sexy with or without his prosthetics and his I love his voice, buteven though he is very handsome Thrandruil is the one for me... cold maybe but I would gladly watch each scene he is in over and over again. I always found the male elves to look a little camp especially in their robes but Thandruil WoW! do they work out in the Woodland Realm lol.
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TwirlingThorin
Bree
Jan 24 2014, 9:28am
Post #50 of 251
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RA's audition - Thorin's eyes already in place
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I am so grateful that we got to see part of RA's audition in the AUJ EE. It's strange and amazing to see him look like Lucas North on his way to find Thorin's voice and with eyes that are already Thorin's.
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