Sunday, April 6, 2008

Battle Scenes

Its kind of ironic how the LOTR trilogy was on television this weekend. While I watched some of it, I realized that reading the battle scenes just isn't as good as watching them.

9 comments:

Just A Knit Wit said...

The battle scenes, yes, but I have to say that I was so annoyed with how they changed the dynamic between Sam and Frodo for the movies.

Nina Miller said...

I agree after reading and seeing the movie I like the movie better because I feel like i can understand the battle better. It also gave me a sense of realism of what it might of been like at that time. It also help me in my paper to help define honor

mrs.hendo2b said...

I've been having so much difficulty reading these books and usually have no clue what is going on. I finished the first movie and I'm half way through the second movie and it makes so much more sense now. I usually never say that a movie is better than a book, but in this case I think I have to say it.

Steve Atteberry said...

The movies are good, but I don't like all of the little changes that they made to the story. It's these little things that annoy me. The battle scenes are great though.

Also, I've tried to read these books two or three times before, but I could never push my way through them. Some of the scenes seem to drag on and on and on, but I wouldn't say that the movies are better than the books.

amstrope said...

I agree about the battle scenes. But when it comes to just the characters talking I get bored during the movie but my attention is kept more when reading then.

Megan Becker said...

I agree with Just a Knit Wit :) I hate the way they portray Frodo in the movie, because I don't get that impression at all from the book. I had never read the books before, but have seen the movies many times. Now that I am reading the books, I agree with Steve in saying that there are many things that annoy me. First off, Aragorn doesn't know that Frodo is leaving the fellowship. Second of all, Theoden isn't mourning his son when he is speaking of the young dying and the old living on, he is speaking of Boromir. But the biggest thing that bothers me is how they portray Faramir in the movie compared with how he is portrayed in the book. He is a honest, wise, caring man, whereas in the movie he is portrayed exactly like Boromir, until he hears Sam's little speach in Osgiliath. I definitely like the books better now, and I never thought that I'd say that :)

dustin said...

when the movies first came out I automatically fell in love. I knew that they were based off the books by Tolkien, but never really wanted to read the books. Now that I have the class and have to read, I've really gained a lot and enjoy the works themselves from a readers aspect.

Heidi Harshman said...

I think the books and the movies are both beneficial. Previous to the class, I had never read the books or watched the movies. Now having read the books, I felt that the relationships are explained in much more detail. For example, it seems to me in the book, that Sam and Frodo's relationship was about trust and Sam loved Frodo more than anything else- even the shire. In the movies though, (I have only watched the first and part of the second so far) it seems that they are more just traveling companions, not such good friends. So I like that the book gives an in depth explanation to things like that.

However, I do think it's nice to watch the movies just to be able to visualize some things. With so many places and characters, I think it helps to put a face or an idea with different people and places.

seth swanson said...

i agree that the movie battle scenes are depicted very well compared to the book and i t most importantly helps to put names to faces: ex. names of people, cities, groups, weapons. But it takes away your imagination...especially if you read the books first. The faces change and you have to relearn since it is not as you imagined. It is a learning experience when reading that may take you from your mind in a small bedroom to the center of a giant battle. This is of course done in the films too but it is mostly auditory and visuals that capture us. Once we begin to get our own wheels turning is the point where we learn more about ourselves and our imaginations.