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Cenor
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Post Merry and Pippin in the Movies
on: June 16, 2014 09:40
I just wanted to know what people on CoE thought about the differences between Merry and Pippin in the movies and Merry and Pippin in the book.

I have heard people complain that Merry and Pippin in the movies didn't make the brave decision to follow Frodo to whatever end like they did in the books. I think at least Merry did when he told Frodo that the Black Riders were hunting someone and then Frodo tells him that he is leaving the Shire Merry gets a determined look on his face and says "Brandybuck Ferry."

What I think PJ did wrong with Merry and Pippin (mostly Pippin) is that he made them seem more foolish than in the books. In the movie when they lite the fire it makes them seem stupid when in the book Aragorn (a.k.a Strider) tells them to lite a fire.

Any thoughts?
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tarcolan
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on: June 16, 2014 04:19
Firstly it should be accepted that watching a film is a different experience to reading a book. Whatever we might feel about the fidelity of the film we have to accept this difference.

Secondly much of the book was left out, including the scene at Crickhollow. Those who have read the book will understand that there is a large gap between the ferry scene and Bree. So Merry and Pippin did make that brave choice, but it is left unsaid. Instead it's transplanted to the end of the council scene. I think perhaps that in the book they were well aware of the dangers they may face while in the film Pippin at least appears a bit clueless.

As to fire-lighting, a cinematic trick to add tension and hurry the story along. Maybe Sam lit the fire. In the book of course it was Aragorn himself who gave their position away by standing atop Weathertop.

[Edited on 06/16/2014 by tarcolan]
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~nólemë~
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on: June 17, 2014 03:10
I think it's fair enough to compare a book to its adaptations. After all, not everyone notices the differences on the first sight. I've even seen people claim online that TH movies are exact copies of the books. That makes me glad to see others wanting to compare the two media, and pinpoint the differences.

Whatever we might feel about the fidelity of the film we have to accept this difference.


Yet we can still discuss it, and prefer one or the other.

Are there differences in characterization between Tolkien's and Jackson's Merry and Pippin? Oh yes. It boils down to individual tastes. Some prefer PJ's version, some JRRT's. There may even be some who prefer Bakshi's, for all I know. And various combinations of the three versions, down to people who love all 3 equally or don't care for any of them.

Tolkien's Merry and Pip may seem dull to some, because they are acting more mature and less entertaining than in the movie, and are less distinguishable in characterization from Frodo and Sam.
Bakshi makes them more childlike in face and voice, but their conduct is still more or less following the book.
PJ makes their characters stand out more. I must agree with the original poster that PJ's Merry and (especially) Pippin are made sillier than in the books, and are presented as much bigger jokesters than either in the book or in Bakshi. Their humour in PJ's LotR isn't my cup of tea, except for the lembas joke and 'mission, quest, thing', so I'm in the book-preferring camp. But PJ also gives Merry and Pip scenes that are not in the book, and are meant to show their cleverness (persuading Treebeard to fight) and bravery (Pippin saving(?) Gandalf's life by stabbing an Orc in Minas Tirith, and pushing Faramir off the pyre; Merry fighting Easterlings along with Éowyn; both protecting Frodo from the Ringwraiths on Weathertop).


[Edited on 06/17/2014 by ~nólemë~]
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Cenor
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on: June 17, 2014 05:01
What I like is that PJ didn't leave out the "Coming of age" theme.
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Gandolorin
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on: June 22, 2014 04:59
~nólemë~ said:and are meant to show their cleverness (persuading Treebeard to fight)


Here I must say that this scene is almost on a par with PJ's abominable mistreatment of Faramir in the movie (or Gandalf's scene with the witch-king). The most brain-dead inversions of what is in the books. I find them absolutely putrid. I would beat PJ about the head with my 34 inch baseball bat for five minutes for these idiocies. The Ents took a good long time in the Entmoot to decide to fight, including their realisation that it would not help them in their situation (finding the Ent-woves), far to the contrary. Here, again, I must savagely revile PJ for an unpardonable falsification.
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Cenor
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on: June 23, 2014 01:42
My big problem with the movies is Faramir taking the Ring to Gondor. I'm with you Gandolorin but 10 minutes. I'm straying from the topic.
Image "Every good pirate has an alias" Felix glanced down, looking at contraption around the stump of his wrist. "Hook," he answered. "My name will be Hook."
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