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Forum Home » Movies Discussion » Discuss the Movies » The Desolation of Smaug... thoughts, anyone? [SPOILER ALERT]
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Lenielestel
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Post Subtitles and brilliance
on: June 26, 2014 08:29
~nólemë~ said:...
- Why don’t the subtitles match the Elvish lines? E.g. Legolas says the blades were made by the Noldor, but the subtitle says ‘by my kin’; he’s not a Noldo. .


I made my cousins run that line about four times to make sure I'd heard it right, and then I gave them a lecture on Elvish history when they asked what I was fussing about!

But I suspect the movie makers figured the average moviegoer wouldn't be as well-versed in the ancient feuds of Elvenkind, and they didn't want to waste precious celluloid (or digital bits, whatever) explaining the nuances of Nolodor versus Sindar. Our loss!

I'm enjoying reading all these thoughts. Some of you are very detailed observers! When I watch a movie, I generally just let it flow over me, enjoy it, and later notice some things that were different than the book (unless they are HUGE changes like newly invented characters or unscheduled canon character death). These analyses and subtle nuances of message that you have noticed are brilliant, and I kick myself for not having thought of them as I read. Thank you all for sharing your insights with us denser folks!
~nólemë~
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on: June 27, 2014 01:38
Haha, thanks for your thoughts.
The Noldo line was actually easily avoidable without going into detail about Elf kindreds - he could have just said 'made by Elves' in Elvish. Problem solved. One could object that they can't pay attention to all details, but aren't the scripts written by scriptwriters who are hailed as having vast knowledge of Tolkien's works?

[Edited on 06/27/2014 by ~nólemë~]
---------- Image "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit
Nevaratoiel
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on: June 30, 2014 02:44
Kin can also be translated as in "my kind" or "my race". So, in essence, he's an elf, the Noldor are elves, they're all elves.

The translation would still be wrong though... One thing should get right in translation. *sigh*
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findemaxam48
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on: June 30, 2014 06:50
Sindarin also has a lot of gaps in it and it is hard to form words based on attested material...so they may have tried to fix that little gap in the language with that.
We were one in the same, running like moths to the flame. You'd hang on every word I'd say, but now they only ricochet.
alatar_pallando
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on: August 12, 2014 08:13
They needed more Beorn, the Woodelves' feast, no Azog and to cut out Tauriel and the love triangle, which completely undermines the friendship of Legolas and Gimli in LOTR, or at least focus on Tauriel less. Plus they needed to include a lot more from the book, why else do a three part movie? But apart from that its great!
“Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
Ireth_Telrunya
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on: August 18, 2014 06:13
Am I the only one irritated/confused by the change of "the last light of Durin's Day" from sunlight to moonlight? It doesn't really make sense. You can't even argue that "it counts because moonlight is just sunlight reflected off the moon", because that is not how it works in Middle-earth. Sunlight and Moonlight are two different things. Though, having to explain about the Trees for the sake of anyone not familiar with the Silmarillion would probably take awhile.
Far over the Misty Mountains cold, to dungeons deep and caverns old. We must away ere break of day, to claim our long forgotten gold.
tarcolan
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on: August 18, 2014 06:52
Golly, Ireth! That's a good point. It's definitely supposed to be the last light from the setting sun so it's wrong anyway. It's a handy plot point though, tension arcs and all that. Hollywood rules.
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~nólemë~
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on: August 22, 2014 02:01
I thought the Durin's Day ploy was actually clever and sly of them. It said just 'light' in the movie, it didn't say if the light of Telperion or of Laurelin was meant. Supposing, of course, that in Middle-earth, 'day' equals everything from midnight till midnight. No idea if it does. So if the moonray really was the last light seen before midnight, I'm not really ruffled over this.
---------- Image "If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world." J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit
findemaxam48
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on: August 28, 2014 12:04
I agree with ~nólemë~. It didn't bother me much, in fact, I didn't have any qualms about the light thing at all.

A friend brought this error to my attention, well, these few. When the Ordcs are hunting the dwarves, after Kili is shot, an Orc sticks his finger in a pool of Kili's blood, then sticks it in his mouth and deems it dwarf blood...Kili's blood. Didn't the Orcs know he was shot with a Morgul shaft? If so, why did the Orc put poisoned blood in his mouth? Or...did they not know it was Kili's?

And another. Bilbo could only hear the spiders with the ring on. He hits the spider with Sting, and it starts looking for him, asking, "Where is it?" Bilbo pulls off the ring and says, "Here." Now fully visible, he proceeds to stab the spider. The spider shrieks, "It Stings!" Before falling. Bilbo then names Sting. How could he hear the spider with the ring off? Or where we over-thinking this?

We were one in the same, running like moths to the flame. You'd hang on every word I'd say, but now they only ricochet.
kerno_baggins
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on: December 04, 2014 12:15
I think it needed more Beorn, less Tauriel, and I can't stand that they left dwarves behind in Laketown. I'm just hoping that it leads to something in battle of 5 armies to make it worth changing the story.
MeliaStormcrow
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on: January 08, 2015 07:33
When I first saw this movie, I thought the politics of Laketown was too long. There was also too much Tauriel, and Legolas would have worked better as a cameo. Really liked the Smaug stuff though, even the Dwarves' odd plan was kinda cool to watch. Especially enjoyed his interaction with Bilbo. Bard was a good new character.
"The King beneath the mountains, The King of carven stone, The lord of silver fountains Shall come into his own! His crown shall be upholden, His harp shall be restrung, His halls shall echo golden To songs of yore re-sung. The woods shall wave on mountains And grass beneath the sun; His wealth shall flow in fountains And the rivers golden run. The streams shall run in gladness, The lakes shall shine and burn, All sorrow fail and sadness At the Mountain-king's return!"
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