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It does look like a bone of some sorts. Here's a bigger version of this
screencap in case you're interested: http://www.framecaplib.com/...es/hauj/hauj1302.jpg.

AUJ Chapter of the Week: Brass Buttons

1. We hear Gollum before we see him. Do you find it an effective way to build up tension and create a sense of being followed (as the viewer is clearly meant to identify him/herself with Bilbo in this scene)?

Oh, heck yes! This is an aspect of LOTR I wish had been used perhaps even more. Who better than Gollum to creep me out in a theater? That feeling of being followed--especially when one is lost and doesn't know the way out--ack, that's creepy and builds wonderful tension.

2. How well do you feel the actors convey the characters’ emotions in this scene?

One of the film's best moments. Bilbo gives an exasperated wheeze of some sort, which I found myself doing while watching this the first time. I loved how well MF and AS conveyed Bilbo's sense of horror at this experience. Both contributed amazing emotions, creating a moment that stands out in memory.

3. On a scale from 1 to 10, how tense do you find this moment?

8 or 9. I think the moment from before, when Gollum screams and throws the rock at Bilbo is a pure 10. That moment still amazes me two years later as it did in 2012.

4. What we have here are two examples of what I’d like to call "moving plot pieces": plot details from the book that have been placed in a different context in the film (Bilbo getting stuck and losing his buttons, the Ring "accidentally" slipping onto his finger). What do you make of this?

Interesting thoughts! While I would have loved to see the original buttons scene, I like how it was incorporated here. Yes, the location and context has been altered, but the spirit of the moment remains just as thrilling. And for the Ring, I think this is also a very good alteration. Sure, it feels like a callback to LOTR. Callbacks aren't bad things, IMO, as some would make it sound. But anyway, I think it's a neat way of leading to the book moment of having Bilbo follow Gollum while wearing the Ring. Again, the same spirit as the book, just different circumstances allowing for it to shine through.

5. The shots of Bilbo falling and the Ring sliding onto his finger clearly mirror the famous scene with Frodo and the Ring at the Prancing Pony from FOTR. Do you like the connection that is made here or do you think it’s excessive/annoying?

I like it. It's from a different angle, giving it a different feel to the action. I think it hints to the idea of the Ring having a will, without complicating things and confusing the viewer by bringing up all of the questions associated with the concept of the Ring and its relation to Sauron and it's bearer. So yes, I think it's a well-done moment and doesn't seem cheesy or like a rip-off.

(Did you know that the Ring slips onto the index finger of Frodo’s right hand at the Prancing Pony, whereas it lands on Bilbo’s middle finger of his left hand in this scene? ) Yes, actually! I did notice that one.

6. "The shadow world" looks a lot different in AUJ (and DOS) from what we saw in the LOTR films, much less distorted and blurry, more "serene". Putting aside the obvious "technical" reasons (much more time is spent in "the shadow world" in TH, this includes scenes which feature dialogue – "the heaviness" of the old version simply wouldn’t have fit here), do you think there might also be an in-story explanation to this? Could it have something to do with the fact that Sauron "has not regained his full strength" yet?

I like your explanation. And also, I think, it shows that the experience is not exactly the same for each bearer. Bilbo and Frodo dealt with it, but saw the experience in their own unique way. Visually, this is shown through a different lens of subjectivity. Similar, but different; the world is relative to the viewer (like the film itself--oops, drifting off topic again).

7. What do you make of Bilbo’s reaction to this unexpected turn of events? How well do you feel Martin Freeman conveys Bilbo’s confusion in this scene?

I'm curious as to how viewers not familiar to LOTR would have seen this. I wonder if they, like Bilbo, are seeing the shadow world for the first time, and were just as confused-looking. Frodo's moment on Weathertop, then, will be its own experience. Wow, I've used the word 'experience' far too often here.

8. Any thoughts on the cinematography, editing, scenery, score etc.?

Lots of Hobbit's-eye-view shots. I think it's a way of showing as much through Bilbo's perspective as possible, whilst keeping the hobbit in shot.

I still find the set here interesting, in how it differs from my imagined Goblintown tunnels. I completely understand why PJ would choose to film this in a more open space. But, part of me wonders how the tunnel-like aspect would have contributed to the tension here (as well as the darkness). No complaints, just playing my imagination out and wondering how it differs.

9. Is there anything else you’d like to say about this chapter? Any additional comments or observations?

There, made it! Sorry for being...four months late. A Cat is never late, BlackFox; nor is he early. He responds to CHOW precisely when he means to!


Shoot!