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Arannir
Valinor
Mar 6 2015, 9:02am
Post #1 of 7
(1029 views)
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Smaug's demise
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I was browsing through the tumblr of Alan Lee and John Howe this morning and found this picture:
http://41.media.tumblr.com/...ck1t3vj62o3_1280.jpg
It is exactly how I imagined the moment Smaug hits the water. It always seemed like such a great cinematic moment... I am still baffled this was not done. Instead the moment is overshadowed by the demise of the Master.
I really do not get it... the moment builds up great with Smaug trying to fly away... it all looking like he is drowning in the air, with his kingdom in the background.
And then this moment that does imho not only lessen Smaug's death but also the Master as a character. A character who gets such a death scene is hard for me to take seriously as I do not get the feeling the filmmakers took him very seriously to begin with. A slapstick death during what imho could have been one of the most epic scenes of the entire saga.
It feels like a big "LEGEN... wait for it..." with the "DARY" never coming.
I know that Smaug has caused enough damage by that time and that he causes even more while crashing into the town after being hit by the arrow and before trying to fly.
But it simply felt anti-climactic not to have a finale big bang here that destroys what is left of the town in a big cascade of fire and water. What I am also missing here is shots of the fleeing people reacting to Smaug's death. The whole last sequence and showdown between Bard/Bain and Smaug is so separated from the inferno below and the people there fighting for their lives.
A problem for me with the last movie was that I didn't feel Smaug's arc worked spread over two movies. But I think this might have been lessened a bit if I actually felt his fate was portrayed as it could have been. IMHO, it wasn't.
Anyone else feel the same? Or how do people who like that part feel about it and see it? Thanks for your thoughts :)
"I am afraid it is only too likely to be true what you say about the critics and the public. I am dreading the publication for it will be impossible not to mind what is said. I have exposed my heart to be shot at." J.R.R. Tolkien
We all have our hearts and minds one way or another invested in these books and movies. So we all mind and should show the necessary respect.
(This post was edited by Arannir on Mar 6 2015, 9:03am)
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CathrineB
Rohan
Mar 6 2015, 11:02am
Post #2 of 7
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I think that art doesn't look so far from what we get in the movie. Just more up close in the movie. Maybe a little more destruction, but we are too close up to see where his wings lands and such. I dunno. I have a few issues with the movie, but this isn't one of them.
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Goldeneye
Lorien
Mar 6 2015, 12:33pm
Post #3 of 7
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That's a very cool illustration, too bad there wasn't a comparable shot in the film like that. It reminds me of (don't laugh) a shot in Little Mermaid when Ursula is sinking into the ocean and her tentacles are wrapped around a large ship.
I agree they should have shown some more of Smaug and Laketown right after he is killed. Some reaction shots of the fleeing townsfolk in boats would have been great.
Again, this is something we must hope is addressed in the Extended Edition. I feel like we're putting a lot of hope into the EE to fix the flaws of the third film!
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Skaan
Lorien
Mar 6 2015, 12:48pm
Post #4 of 7
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I agree with mostly everything you said. The whole attack on Laketown was great IMO, i didn't even have any problems with the Bard/Bain vs Smaug scene. But all that buildup ultimately leads to, as you said, a very anti-climactic death scene. I was expecting him to fall onto Laketown with thundering force, but it felt so weak and petty instead. Also, i think his death scene could've been way more effective if they put more focus on the music instead of sound effects. I did like the shots of him in the air with a burning Laketown below, though.
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QuackingTroll
Valinor
Mar 6 2015, 1:04pm
Post #5 of 7
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I assumed you'd registered mostly to discuss your fan edit. Cool to see you joining in with the community discussions. So a late welcome to the boards from me  Hope you continue to hang around.
(This post was edited by QuackingTroll on Mar 6 2015, 1:06pm)
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dormouse
Half-elven
Mar 6 2015, 1:15pm
Post #6 of 7
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The illustration's beautiful....
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I love Alan Lee's work.
But I don't have a problem with the way Smaug died. In fact, on screen I think it worked better because the illustration shows the escaping people watching a thing crash into the water. Translate that directly onto the screen and it's a wide shot. And that works fine for the book, because in the book Smaug doesn't speak. He doesn't interact directly with Bard or anyone else. In the book we're told what he's thinking but we don't see him in close-up. In the film we do. He's big, powerful, in-your-face - we see him taunting Bard and moving in for the kill, so I think it was a wise decision to show his death in close-up too, and the light leaving his eyes. He's not a distant thing landing on the burning town: he's Smaug, and we see him die.
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Arannir
Valinor
Mar 6 2015, 1:19pm
Post #7 of 7
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... you are speaking about the moment he is dying. But I would not want that part to be changed. I am only speaking about the part after he starts falling.
"I am afraid it is only too likely to be true what you say about the critics and the public. I am dreading the publication for it will be impossible not to mind what is said. I have exposed my heart to be shot at." J.R.R. Tolkien
We all have our hearts and minds one way or another invested in these books and movies. So we all mind and should show the necessary respect.
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