(no subject)

[bubosquared]

Have just returned from semi-improntu meeting with sileas and rane_ab to watch RotK (fourth time for me, second for them). Had much fun, but must learn to control urge to babble when in slasher company.

Anyway. Notes:

When Aragorn and co ride up to Orthanc, Théoden is the only one who has to keep spurring his horse on. Poorn Théoden King, everyone else's horses obey freely and he's stuck with the one stubborn one. ("Move, damn horse, move!") I am easily amused.

In the Hall of Methuseld, when Théoden gives his "Hail the victorious dead" speech and makes me wibble every time, I noticed that while Éomer is standing right next to Théoden, Éowyn is standing off way to the side. This could just be because Éomer was the one who saved the day at Helm's Deep, but still. Just some food for thought.

The pain in Elrond's eyes when he says "The life of the Eldar is leaving you." Ow. Owwwww.

I have something down on "Gondor needs no King" vs "The rule of Gondor is mine", and I'm not sure if I really remember what I meant by that, but I think it was something about the difference between Denethor and Boromir. This isn't really apparent in those lines, but that's what made me realise it. Boromir's resistance to Aragorn as the King of Gondor seems to me to be much more about not wanting some scruffy-looking Ranger from the North to come in and declare himself King of a people who've been fending for themselves for ages, whereas for Denthor, it's more about not wanting to give up his own power. I may be totally off-track here.

When Éomer leaves the Hall to go gather the Rohirrim, he gives Éowyn this condescending little pat on the shoulder and it makes me want to hit him. Preferably with Gandalf's staff.

Speaking of the Rohan royalty, and I should really reread TTT and RotK and pay special attention to this, but it seems that Éomer and Théoden have had minor personality transplants. In the books, IIRC, it's Théoden who says the "I only doubt the reach of his arm" line, and book!Théoden does have a bit of condescension going on towards Éowyn, but it doesn't bother me as much with him because he's her father figure, so it's more understandable than coming from (movie!)Éomer, when it kinda destroys the sibling relationship they had in the books. (Movie!Théoden also would not let either Éowyn or Merry fight, but it'smore concern for them, especially for Éowyn, than condesension.)

Moving on, during the catapulting of Minas Tirith, someone shouts"We need more rubble [for the trebuchets]!" and sure enough, the wall gets hit and bam! More rubble! I continue to be amused by this.

The charge of the Rohirrim at the orcs remains a breath-taking moment. Fuck, but it's like a tidal wave sweeping away the orcs, and then the orcs run away and Théoden regroups his army to attack the Elephaunts, such a hopeless, suicidal charge at those huge creatures, yet to a man, the Rohirrim obey, and oh, but it breaks my heart. And yet it isn't until he catches sight of the Witch King that Théoden loses hope and shows despair, and I love Bernard Hill for that moment alone. The man is a genius actor.

And okay, I have some nitpicking to do about the scene at the Black Gate. When Aragorn and co. ride up to the Black Gate to call out Sauron's army, they're on horses, but a bit later, as the orcs close in on them, all of them are on foot. What happened to the horses? On a smiilar note, you can see several riders in the crowd, but they're all at the back. Which strategic genius put the cavalery at the back, people? Huh? (All right, they might be Gondor's mounted infantry, but still. Putting horses behind foot soldiers? Who thought that up?) And on a different note, when Aragorn's being attacked by the troll, why isn't anyone but Legolas even trying to help him? Come on, people, help your King, here!

Legolas continues to annoy me with his Random Elf Wisdom. More on that over here.

Comments

[ruby-fruit.livejournal.com]

"Poorn Théoden King, everyone else's horses obey freely and he's stuck with the one stubborn one. ("Move, damn horse, move!") I am easily amused."

Erm, this is actually because his horse is..answering the call of nature. Horses slow and try to stop when they go.

"The charge of the Rohirrim at the orcs remains a breath-taking moment. Fuck, but it's like a tidal wave sweeping away the orcs,"

YES. I love how at first, the swords and spears are unneeded, they're just this hammer of horseflesh and men.

Shall join Gandalf in thwacking Eomer, damnit.

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

Erm, this is actually because his horse is..answering the call of nature. Horses slow and try to stop when they go.

Ahahahahaha! Okay, didn't notice that. But I noticed the magical disappearing horses at the Black Gate! Be proud of me! (And you realise I'm totally watching Théoden's horse closely next time, right?)

YES. I love how at first, the swords and spears are unneeded, they're just this hammer of horseflesh and men.

God, yes. It's just ... WHOOSH, and I do think my original notes said it best: Rohirrim make orcs go SPLAT!

Shall join Gandalf in thwacking Eomer, damnit.

I have dibs. Take a number.

[ruby-fruit.livejournal.com]

"But I noticed the magical disappearing horses at the Black Gate! Be proud of me!"

I am! I totally didn't notice that the first time, then the second time it was just "buh? Where...?"

"(And you realise I'm totally watching Théoden's horse closely next time, right?)"

*groan* I only caught it this time, and nearly snickered. Am TWELVE.

"I have dibs. Take a number."

*takes number* *and crowbar*

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

I am! I totally didn't notice that the first time, then the second time it was just "buh? Where...?"

I vaguely noticed something wrong with that scene during the third viewing, but today, I was suddenly "WTF? Where'd the horses go?" and then it occured to me that putting the foot soldiers in front of the horses (be they cavalery or mounted infantry) is not exactly the smartest thing to do, strategically speaking. I know it was a kind of suicidal mission, but still. Sheesh.

[rane-ab.livejournal.com]

but must learn to control urge to babble when in slasher company.
What, are you crazy?! What else is there to do but babble? *g* No, seriously, you didn't babble too much or anything (not that I noticed, anyway :-) ).

Those notes are... ugh. I didn't notice any of it. I should add I never got past FotR, bookwise, so that probably has something to do with it. *g* Well, some of it, anyway. (I've begun reading it again, though.)

it makes me want to hit him. Preferably with Gandalf's staff.
That was one thing I really noticed this time around. I thought Gandalf thrashing Denethor was quite amusing the first time I saw it, but when I saw that scene today, and saw Gandalf fighting later on, it struck me. Gandalf secretly is a Ninja Turtle in his spare time. :: nods :: That'll explain why he isn't all rusty and creaky.

The charge of the Rohirrim at the orcs remains a breath-taking moment.

Oh, absolutely. Gave me goosebumps both times I saw it. Faramir and his army attacking the orcs while Pippin sings for Denethor is also one of my favourite goosebump moments. The images are perfectly arranged (from the army to the orcs to Pippin to Denethor eating) and the music doesn't fail to have its effect on me.

Which strategic genius put the cavalery at the back, people?

:: laughs :: I so didn't notice this. Nice catch.

And on a different note, when Aragorn's being attacked by the troll, why isn't anyone but Legolas even trying to help him?

Because that'll make all the slashy fangirls much happier? (I can't really see Aragorn/Legolas myself, but apparently a lot of people picked up on that...)
But seriously -- because they're too busy fighting for their own lives? It looked to me as though Legolas never actually quite got to help Aragorn (did he?), so I'm assuming everybody was fighting so hard for their own lives (since they were vastly outnumbered) they would never have made it to Aragorn's rescue, even if they did have the time to notice.

Legolas continues to annoy me with his Random Elf Wisdom.

Uh-huh. Didn't bother me in the two first movies (didn't notice, to be honest), but in RotK... Most of the time he's just this teasing, I'm-breezing-through-life kind of person. This stands in rather stark contrast with his seriousness at other times, and makes it all seem ridiculous, IMO.

No wise hobbit-comments? :-D

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

No, seriously, you didn't babble too much or anything (not that I noticed, anyway :-) ).

Oh, good, I'm relived. :)

Those notes are... ugh. I didn't notice any of it. I should add I never got past FotR, bookwise, so that probably has something to do with it. *g* Well, some of it, anyway. (I've begun reading it again, though.)

Well, keep in mind this was my fourth viewing, so I've had time to digest by now. Notes on previous viewings:
Trilogy Tuesday: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King
The Return of the King, second viewing
No notes for third viewing, as I couldn't take notes when I was with my parents.

That was one thing I really noticed this time around. I thought Gandalf thrashing Denethor was quite amusing the first time I saw it, but when I saw that scene today, and saw Gandalf fighting later on, it struck me. Gandalf secretly is a Ninja Turtle in his spare time. :: nods :: That'll explain why he isn't all rusty and creaky.

Okay, I just spluttered coffee all over my screen. Ta ever so much. And during Trilogy Tuesday, when Gandalf hit Denethor, some bloke in the back of the theatre went "Woooo!" I was very amused, because, well, exactly! Gandalf delivers the smackdown!

:: laughs :: I so didn't notice this. Nice catch.

I noticed something off about that scene during my third viewing, but I didn't actually realise what it was until today. Not too smark, I'm not.

Uh-huh. Didn't bother me in the two first movies (didn't notice, to be honest), but in RotK... Most of the time he's just this teasing, I'm-breezing-through-life kind of person. This stands in rather stark contrast with his seriousness at other times, and makes it all seem ridiculous, IMO.

I think that's what annoys/bemuses me more than anything, the contrast between serious!Legolas and Confucius!Legolas. Does the boy have a split personality or something?

No wise hobbit-comments? :-D

I'm trying to restrain myself on the Hobbitlove. See previous notes for Hobbit comments, though most of them aren't very wise. :)

[deepsix.livejournal.com]

I'm, like, brain dead, but wordy mcword on Boromir and Denethor.

Also, I must see this movie again.

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

You MUST you MUST! And oh, good, I wasn't talking out of the wrong orifice about the Gondorian royalty. That whole family fascinates me, in all its dysfunctionality and fucked-upness.

[sileas.livejournal.com]

When Aragorn and co ride up to Orthanc, Théoden is the only one who has to keep spurring his horse on. Poorn Théoden King, everyone else's horses obey freely and he's stuck with the one stubborn one. ("Move, damn horse, move!") I am easily amused.

*nods and grins*
And Aragorn's horse has very springy backlegs. All the other horses were just walking normally, but Aragorn's horse had ballet lessons.

The pain in Elrond's eyes when he says "The life of the Eldar is leaving you." Ow. Owwwww.

The first time I saw ROTK, I thought that was a bad scene and bad acting performance (could be because my brother was going "awwwwww" during that scene), but the second time I saw it, I was almost crying. The way Elrond tried to rub the warmth back into Arwen's hands. Oh! and the leaves that are visible when that book falls -> beautiful. It really is visible that the Elves are at their end and are going to leave Middle-Earth. And that scene just radiated loneliness and departure. All the other Elves are gone, only Elrond and Arwen are left at the end of their time. *sniff*

When Éomer leaves the Hall to go gather the Rohirrim, he gives Éowyn this condescending little pat on the shoulder and it makes me want to hit him. Preferably with Gandalf's staff.

*heh* I perceived that as a goodbye signal. A "I've got to do my duty / go into battle, sis and I don't know if I'll come back" pat.

Moving on, during the catapulting of Minas Tirith, someone shouts"We need more rubble [for the trebuchets]!" and sure enough, the wall gets hit and bam! More rubble! I continue to be amused by this.

I missed that! I don't think it was in the subtitles.

The charge of the Rohirrim at the orcs remains a breath-taking moment.
*whimpers* I need to see it again.

My fav moment is still the group from Osgiliath riding on horses toward Minas Tirith while the Nazgul attack them. That's just a very desperate moment. Riding home - so close - and hoping they don't get picked up by a Nazgul. And even after that nightmare, Faramir rides out again. *sniff*

[bubosquared.livejournal.com]

but the second time I saw it, I was almost crying.

Me too! Just, knowing that his daughter is lost, that he hsa to let her go, it's so. Oh.

I missed that! I don't think it was in the subtitles.

It was, I looked for it this time. random amusement in the middle of battle!

I will not talk about the Faramir and Osgiliath or I'll just cry again. Sigh.