Big Screen to Small Screen

Big screen to small screen: what will be lost

The Lord of the Rings is an amazing big screen experience. There are many good films and even some great films released into cinemas every year. But with the high cost of movie tickets now, what makes a film worthy to see on the big screen as opposed to waiting for the DVD release? For some it’s to see their favourite actor, or an awaited story, or big budget special effects, or even just for the amazing panoramic scenery. I know for me, before I pay to see a film in the cinema, I first decide whether it will lose much in the translation to the small screen. So when the first of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring was released, it was for me as well as for many, “All of the above!”

There were many scenes in all three films that just weren’t the same when viewed on the small screen. Before I list some of them, I want to add that I find the best position in a cinema for watching big scenery and big effects films, is 2nd row from the front centre stage. In this position, you are forced to move your head around to look in different directions, in order to see the whole screen, as it fills your whole field of vision. This gives you more of a feeling of being there, and lends a more intense realism to what you are watching. This is not something that can be done on even the biggest television screens.

This being said, some of my favourite scenes were:

– The vertigo inducing plunge off the top of Orthanc into the cavernous depths below at the transformation of Isengard.
– The pan back after the escape from Moria.
– The opening scenes of TTT.
– The view from the wall at the beginning of the Battle of Helms Deep.
– And my absolute favourite, the charge of the Rohirrim at the siege of Gondor. This scene on the big screen had so much impact, that you literally felt the force of the horsemen colliding with the armies of Sauron. It took my breath away! This scene more than any other lost most of its impact when viewed on the small screen, and in this alone, without considering all the other scenes, I would recommend watching it in the cinema. (I have seen a pirated copy of RotK on VCD, and believe me the Ride of the Rohirrim just didn’t have the impact).

There are few other films that can compare to LotR for its epic grandeur, and for this reason it is a must to see it on the big screen. I only hope that we won’t have to wait 20 years for the extended edition to be shown in the cinemas, and that perhaps LotR EE marathons can become an annual cinematic experience the world over. Here’s also hoping the Hobbit is made with the same breadth of vision.

by Wulf_Sternhammer