SCOD: The Gaze of Galadriel

stormcrow20

stormcrow20

Gondor
The fellowship indeed finds shelter in Lórien, and help from the Lady of Light.

View attachment
Full size image


1. In the commentary, Peter Jackson says “Everybody who reads the book comes away with a slightly different impression of her in their mind.”

What was your impression of book Galadriel? How does the film’s Galadriel compare?

2. Sean Astin on Cate Blanchett: “Cate is Galadriel, she is an elf.”

How well do you think Cate portrayed her character?

3. Sean Astin: “Galadriel emanates this mystic energy and light.” Peter Jackson on the ‘Galadriel light’: “We held up [a device] like Christmas tree lights so that there would be stars reflecting in her eyes.”

How did the lighting and the ‘star effect’ work for you?

4. Please add anything else that comes to mind!

~

Thanks to everyone that participated this week! Thanks also to the lurkers out there! It was fun, and I hope you enjoyed it.
 
Last edited:
The names and titles of Galadriel, from The Encyclopedia of Arda:

1. Galadriel
'Maiden Crowned by a Radiant Garland' (referring to her hair) Given to her by Celeborn.

2. Alatáriel and Altáriel
The Telerin and Quenya forms of the name “Galadriel”.

3. Artanis
The ‘father-name’ of Galadriel
It was the custom of the Elves that a child's father should give a name to his newborn son or daughter, and so when Finarfin's youngest child was born, his only daughter, he chose the name Artanis, meaning 'noble woman'.

4. Nerwen
The ‘mother-name’ of Galadriel
According to the custom of the Elves, her mother Eärwen waited a while to give her daughter a name. From her height and her great strength of body and will, Eärwen chose the name Nerwen, meaning 'man-maiden'. In the end, though, their daughter used neither her father-name nor her mother-name, and instead took the name by which she is known to history: Galadriel.

5. Galadhriel
A rare later name of Galadriel
A name occasionally, and incorrectly, used of Galadriel after she became Lady of Lórien, and meaning 'tree-garland'. As the Lady of the Galadhrim, whose capital was at Caras Galadhon, it is perhaps understandable that her name should have become confused with the Elvish word galadh, meaning 'tree'. Nonetheless, this usage was mistaken - her true name 'Galadriel' actually derived from the word galad, 'radiant', and the false variant 'Galadhriel' was never used in her own country of Lórien itself.

6. Titles: Lady of Lórien, Lady of the Galadhrim, Lady of the Golden Wood, Lady of Light.


From The Fellowship of the Ring - The Mirror of Galadriel:

“On two chairs beneath the bole of the tree and canopied by a living bough there sat, side by side, Celeborn and Galadriel. They stood up to greet their guests, after the manner of Elves, even those who were accounted mighty kings. Very tall they were, and the Lady no less tall than the Lord; and they were grave and beautiful. They were clad wholly in white; and the hair of the Lady was of deep gold, and the hair of the Lord Celeborn was of silver long and bright; but no sign of age was upon them, unless it were in the depths of their eyes; for these were keen as lances in the starlight, and yet profound, the wells of deep memory.”
 
They didn't capture my Lothlorien, but they made up for it, for me, by how well they pulled off this character. I've never seen an artist's interpretation of Galadriel that fit my image of her -- but the films gave me a portrayal that works pretty well, for me at least.

Most artists tend to go for "idealized" beauty -- so she comes off as some kind of Barbie doll...Jackson went for mystery and depth, and elegance over drop-dead gorgeous. Culturally, in America at least, we are sort of biased against extremely beautiful women having power and brains, particularly if they are blond -- I am glad they managed to successfully avoid taking the viewer in that direction...

I love Sean Astin's comments on Cate -- very Sam-like!

Thanks for the bonus trivia, also -- nice addition to your posts!
 
Peter Jackson on the ‘Galadriel light’: “We held up [a device] like Christmas tree lights so that there would be stars reflecting in her eyes.”

How did the lighting and the ‘star effect’ work for you?
Click to expand...


I actually went through a stage where I believed quite a few shots of eyes were meant to look different somehow. I wish I could remember all the examples I had. This was one of them and I was gratified that I was 'right' about it being deliberate.
 
...except for the "nuclear Galadriel" effect, which was just wrong. The "Galadriel light" was subtle but effective, and Cate was just so otherworldly! I particularly loved her walking barefoot with her gown trailing on the ground but never getting soiled. Perfect.
 
was the distant view of Caras Galadhon, which I thought was much too small. I thought they captured the flets (which I had had a lot of trouble visualizing) perfectly.
 
Nice that you put all that out there. Wow! Great stuff!
Tolkien, IIRC, was altering his concept of Galadriel all the time, even up to the end of his life. I'll try to find where I read that.
It just reveals to me that she was a wonderfully complex and infinitely interesting character, and Tolkien found her to be so, as much, or more, than his readers did.
Thanks for all your hard work and all this info. Geeky good.
hob
 
is in TTT when she is conversing with Elrond. It bugs me a bit, but far less that Pippin's bound-unbound-bound hands at the eaves of Fangorn, or Frodo's ring chain hooking and unhooking on a vest button after fighting with Sam in Osgiliath.
 
The one that really bothers me is Boromir's 'hand-disappearing-reappearing-hand' on Aragorn's shoulder during Boromir's death scene. Because I really like that scene, I thought they were both wonderful, and ever since I was made aware of that little oversight (*cough* thank you, TORn Movie Board *cough*) it's hard to forget about while watching it. Although it's a testament to how well-done it was that even knowing about it, the scene still makes me cry.
 
was spectacular. I loved the winding stairs and how brilliantly lit and solid everything appeared.

When I read the books afterwards (movie firster) and I read about the Elves climbing up into the trees on ropes ... I know if I hadn't seen the films first I would have just pictured, tree houses or something.
 
Cate - she took my breath away. I think there are many ways Cate 'could' have looked - she can be girlish and gorgeous, or crone and wise, but she was the Galadriel I saw, and I was so stunned that Peter and wardrobe, art and make-up nailed it.
I think Sean was right - Cate is Galadriel, and she portrayed the essence of Galadriel - she has a steel backbone, an ageless aura and an elvish humour. Her voice change was great as well - the deeper monotones, and the slow timeless delivery ...
Her eyes were starlight.

Thanks for the SCOD stormcrow! Nice choice!
 
Galadriel's make-up, wardrode, etc. as you point out, in addition to the directing and acting, it really is a wonder that they actually did get it so right.

Same goes for Gandalf. His hair and beard, and the condition and styling of his robes were so appropriate to the character. Grey and White.
 
that everyone seemed to enjoy it. I was just "doing my homework" trying to come up with questions, and thought "Hey, why not share this in the thread?"

"Geeky good" (yet somewhat new-person friendly) was indeed my goal! [:)]


Thanks again to everyone for participating!
 
Last edited:
Gandalf is a great example - the change is very dramatic, but for the viewer, an easy transition ... it is still Gandalf!

I think there is something about Cate where less is more, and quality not quantity - she would 'shine' in a hessian sack that woman! [angelic]
 
'I was so stunned that Peter and wardrobe, art and make-up nailed it.':
I would just add that it all worked out perfectly because it was Cate...
She truly embodied Galadriel down to her every graceful and queenly movement as well as facial expression or tone of voice: how she went down those steps to the Fountain, how she poured the water to form that Mirror of hers, everything in her was High Elvish and expressed from within that High Elvishness.
Bravo, Cate!... There must be a Galadriel in you indeed, as Sean said...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top