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Figwit
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Post Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: June 05, 2003 03:26
Taking a whole load of scenes together once again: this thread is meant to discuss everything about the Hobbits' journey to Bree.

You can find the screencaps of the sequence here and caps of the EE (with the Elves) here

And then the question: what is your favourite part?
Eothain222
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Post RE: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: June 05, 2003 04:31
Well it's quite close but i've got to say the hiding from the Nazgul part. I remeber sitting in my seat and shuddering when the screamed. Plus i could imagine myself there and i knew what was going to happen when they started moving and i was like "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" when the Nazgul appeared. And i kind of felt the seen from the halflings point of view and i remeber feeling really relieved when they got onto the boat.

I also liked the passing of the elves as it really shows the grace of the elves and i loved the song they where singing. I also agree with Sam that it 'makes me sad'.

One time i had a dream where i was in a entertainment complex in Singapore and i saw LoTR there and the Nazgul came out of the screen and started chasing me then i met Merry and Pippin...
Simbelmyne
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Post RE: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: June 05, 2003 06:24
I voted for the passing of the elves, as I felt it was something that had to be shown, and it was done beautifully, from the music to the lighting.

The encounter in the cornfield makes me smile, every time I watch it. It's one of the moments that, that reminds you why you like the films. It's sort of typical M&P.

Just my opinion,

~*~Simbelmyne~*~
Lintelómiel
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Post RE: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: June 05, 2003 07:54
I voted the encounter in the cornfield. I also liked the passing of the Elves but I only saw it once, and it just doesn't beat the Hobbits frolicking in farmer Maggot's crop! My favy Sam is so cute in that scene, and I also like the running and the "He's clearly overreacting!"-line. And the grand finale: four Hobbits tumbling down a little hill. Merry music, merry Hobbits... I love it!
drunken_elf
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Post RE: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: June 06, 2003 09:14
The Encounter in the Cornfield! The first time I saw the film (having not read the books), one of the lines I specifically remembered was
Sam: A shortcut to what?
Pippin: Mushrooms!
It's become a life motto. Hobbits and vegetables - I love that scene!
Faramirs_first_kiss
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Post RE: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: June 07, 2003 04:03
This, although still a great part of the movie, is the section that I've had most bones to pick with so far:

~The Sam and Frodo bits are touching and I like what's done with their relationship in this scene. You see Sam's little fears, but that he's willing to face them for Frodo, to follow and protect his master with fierce loyalty. Also, I like the Bilbo voice over.
~The passing of the elves seemed a bit unnecessary to me. I liked it, and it was very nicely done, and I don't begrudge it screentime for anything else, but it just seemed a bit pointless to put in that one glimpse of them. I suppose it set up for (part of) the elf storyline in TTT, but still...
~The shortcut to mushrooms was good fun, but Merry, Pippin and Farmer Maggot were all a bit characatured in it.
~The bit where they hide is really tense and I could feel my heart pounding even though I'd been told they didn't get caught, because of how unconvincingly they were hidden. I also didn't understand the bit with the creepy crawlies until I heard the director's commentary on the DVD. PJ said they were supposed to give the impression that the Nazgul are feared by all nature's creatures and that they were running away, but he didn't sound to sure it had worked, and I originally though the Nazgul was somehow creating them.
~The next bit's exciting enough to forget this, though, which is why I voted for the Buckleberry Ferry. I really like the way you get a look at what Merry is actually like, shrewd, level-headed, knows the area.

Wow, don't I sound negative? Don't get me wrong, I still love it...
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Legolas{Greenleaf}
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Post RE: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: June 07, 2003 11:59
I voted for the Buckle Berry Ferry scene, because that was what really got me at the edge of my seat the first time I saw it. You see the fear in all four hobbits' eyes, and the Nazgul silhouette...It evokes anticipation and fear in the audience...

What also caught me was the dramatic music Jackson used to make it seem like, if Frodo got caught, that would be the end of Middle Earth...Loved it! I felt like yelling, "Run Frodo!"

Peace~
Frodo_007
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Post RE: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: June 08, 2003 10:13
You gotta luv the Cornfield Scene!!!So funny!!!
Figwit
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Post RE: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: June 09, 2003 02:30
Believe it or not, I had a rather difficult time trying to pick my favourite here. So, when I'm writing this, I don't know yet what I'll vote.

First of all, I have to say that I really liked the Passing of the Elves. It was, as someone said, a bit unnecessary, but it was really nice. I especially liked it because it's a hint to something that was in the books, but couldn't be included because of the lack of time.
It also shows the sadness of the elves, the tristesse as the Dutch would say, very well. There's a lot of talk about the fact that the Elves are leaving Middle Earth, that their time has come, but it is never clearly explained why they have to leave, why they were there in the first place, where they're going... But this kind of sets the tone: whatever it is with these Elves, it's a sad thing and they don't seem to enjoy it either.
It's also a slight reminder of Glorfindel and the light Frodo sees that comes from him.
It's also a contrasting scene: PJ has a lot of scenes which anticipate to later moments, prefigurations so to speak, and this one is like the negative side of the scene at the Black Gates in TTT, where Sam and Frodo from a similar position watch the Passing of the Easterlings. The Elves go west into Valinor, the Easterlings go East into Mordor.

The encounter with Merry and Pippin in the Cornfield, well, I have slightly double feelings about that.
On the one hand, it's wonderfully light, it's true comic relief. You have this slight moment of panic when Sam can't seem to find Frodo; but then it's all sunshine and shiny happy people again, for quite a long time... Which, in light of the following scenes, is very necessary because it's all downhill from there on.
But, what troubles me, is the portrayal of Merry and Pippin. I wrote more about it in this thread, but what I'd like to repeat is that I don't at all like the idea of these two just kind of rolling into the story (literally) and into this quest. It's my firm believe that the main quality of the Book Hobbits (all of them) was loyalty, to their friends and a word given. In the movie, however, you never get the impression that these two know what they're getting themselves into, that – despite the fact that it's a gloomy idea to be hunted by Ringwraiths all the way from the creepy woods to the mysterious and faraway Rivendell – they are willing to risk their safety and their lives for a friend. This is not at all clear in the book: though Merry sort of makes a knowledgeable impression, Pippin just goofs around and trots along.
Also, I hated the way Farmer Maggot was written into the story. I know PJ meant well, as a sort of little hint to the bookies that he hadn't forgotten about him, but I liked Maggot a lot in the book and the caricature that we see in the film... well, PJ should've called him Mr. Smith or something.

One of the creepiest scenes in the whole movie, imho, is the scene where they hide from the Ringwraith. I just loved that one. It was not at all as I imagined it from the books, but it was perfect. Especially the moment where Sam sees what Frodo's about to do and stops him from putting the Ring on. It's something that will annoy me later (Sam being wiser than Frodo), but here it was a nice touch.
And the wraith itself, wow, what can I say? I remember this old movie version of A Christmas Carroll by Dickens, and the Ghost of Christmas Future was portrayed as this walking cloak. That was all it was, a grey cloak. It's also like that in the novel (but I never pictured it that way), and in the Muppet version (but that's not near as scary as the one I saw hen I was a kid). I know the art department probably didn't even come close to intending this, but it reminds me of how the Wraiths are in a way the ghost of Frodo's future: he too can become as consumed by the Ring's power as they, he too can become a creature of the shadow world, only visible to mortal eyes through the clothes he wears...

Then, the Buckleberry Ferry bit, I loved too. It was very exciting, and it also brought out the bright side of Merry, which is something he deserved really. And the fact that it's filmed in an almost monochrome blue is... well, it adds to the tension and the atmosphere. And I was most impressed with the Frodo jump, though I did find it quite unbelievable that the Hobbits would get the platform moving before Frodo was on it, it just didn't seem right.


Of this entire sequence, however, my very favourite moment is when Sam says: "This is it. If I take one more step it'll be the farthest from home I've ever been." I loved that! It was such a tiny little thing, but it was just perfect for the portrayal of Sam, and what he is willing to do for Frodo's sake.
Diva
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Post RE: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: June 09, 2003 05:23
I liked the passing of the Elves and hiding from the Nazgul, because I really like the way they did them. I have to say that I voted for "is the hobbit stuff done yet?" because I remember thinking to myselr the first time I watched my EE that there had been less of that 'hobbit stuff' in the theatrical version.

Yes, you can kil me now...
Londe
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Post RE: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: September 22, 2003 03:34
My favorite beyond a shadow of a doubt is:

Hiding From the Ringwraith
I was (and still am) most impressed with Peter Jackson's portrayal of the Ringwraiths. (and yes Figwit they do look like something out of the Christmas Carol don't they?) They aren't decorated in anyway, they aren't overwhelmingly tall, they aren't heavily armed, and they don't spout fire. Yet, their very presence makes your heart beat faster than when the Balrog or the orcs appear on screen.

As Figwit says, I liked the part when Sam prevents Frodo from putting on the ring. It adds to the tension well. It is a simple act that prevents a huge disaster.
Roheryn
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Post RE: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: September 22, 2003 05:55
There are a couple things I like in this sequence, but my favorite is the passing of the elves. I loved all of it, the music, the color, the beauty of the elves and their horses, the looks on Sam and Frodo's faces. It introduces the elves and their departure from M-E in a very soft yet quite powerful way. I instantly felt as Sam did, there was something so very sad about it. It also was a peek into the book scene that is missing from the movie where the hobbits travel and stay with the elves on their way to the Buckleberry Ferry. We don't get Gildor Inglorion and his advice but we get to see the elves early on.

I also love the Buckleberry ferry scene and that Ringwraith scared the *&!* out of me. Soooo creepy. But my second favorite part is Sam taking that big step into unknown territory.
Neneithel
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Post RE: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: September 22, 2003 10:38
I liked the passing of the elves, although I would have preferred to see Gildor, but I voted for hiding from the Nazgúl because, no matter how many times I watch it, my heart still thunders.

Neneithel
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Post RE: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: November 12, 2005 10:32
While I really do like the passing of the Elves, I voted for hiding from the Nazgul. Like Neneithel my heart thunders everytime I watch this scene.
MerryandPip
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Post RE: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: November 14, 2005 12:11
I voted for Passing of the Elves, though I have always loved Frodo and Sam meeting the other hobbits. It's sad that the Elves were cut out of the original movie...For some reason I didn't realize it was Gildor until awhile later... :banghead:
Sassyfriend
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Post Re: Sequence by sequence #6: A Shortcut to... Bree
on: September 21, 2012 08:28
The pretty shots
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