A comparison
Mar. 28th, 2007 08:18 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matrilEveryone's talking about the newly revealed cover art for Deathly Hallows now, and I have of course pored over the pictures and wondered what it all portends for the seventh book, but I figure it'll be more interesting post-read. July can't come too soon!
Anyway, I've been re-reading The Lord of the Rings - I figure it's long been overdue, since I've only read it twice before, and the last time was when the movies were coming out in the (failed) anticipation that it would make the films more enjoyable. I knew the movies didn't do the books justice, but during this read I'm really reminded - good grief the books are so much better. It occurred to me that my main peeve with the films isn't the very strange choices for adaptation (er...Arwen's life is somehow tied to the Ring?? Gimli is little better than a short, fat clown? Faramir tries to take the ring to Gondor?? and so on. Much as I disliked them, my main peeve is the heavy-handed style. Jackson uses close-ups and slow motion like bludgeons. Yech. It feels like he just doesn't give the audience enough credit to appreciate the inherent drama of a scene; he has to push it way over the top. No subtlety whatsoever. You really see his hokey horror movie roots in it. Legolas is ultra-cool, Aragorn is ultra-brooding, Arwen is ultra-breathy, Elrond is ultra-cranky....they're all shoved in your face as Xtreme! characters. And the scenes play out soooooo overdramatically.
For example: Gandalf's death in Moria. It's a pretty dramatic moment no matter how you do it. Being pulled into a chasm by a gigantic fire-creature wielding a whip - yeah, it's huge. But the film draws it out to the point of being ridiculous. Brain-beating music, lots of screams and close-ups of horrified faces, and afterwards, oh, the slow motion as they weep and cry and moan and wail. No wonder the movies go on so freaking long. Compare this to Obi-Wan's death. Different, yes. He's willingly sacrificing himself in a comparatively mild-mannered duel, and Vader is hardly the Balrog. However, they are both the wise mentor figures, and they are both killed at a crucial moment in the quest, much to the heroes' horror. But what a difference! Mournful music in the background, but much less heavy-handed. Obi-Wan has a wise, sad look, but there's no absurdly extreme close-up. It's enough. Luke shouts in dismay, and we feel his shock, but we don't need to dwell on it. We need to move into action. Just one quiet moment on the Falcon with Leia comforting Luke, and then it's on with the story. It's not like he doesn't feel the loss; he's still stinging from it later in the film when he says "I wish Ben were here," but we don't need to dwell on it. And thank goodness, no blasted slow motion.
Now, I'll freely admit that I cried the first time I saw the Gandalf death scene. And I was sniffly the next time. But by the third (I think that was the last time I saw it all the way through) it was becoming a bit eye-rollish. Obi-Wan's scene in ANH, however, never fails to touch me. I don't weep so much, but it's so quietly, subtly affecting. Lucas creates the story, presents it very simply and genuinely, and it works. No need for bludgeon-like gimmicks. Thank goodness for filmmakers like him.
Anyway, I've been re-reading The Lord of the Rings - I figure it's long been overdue, since I've only read it twice before, and the last time was when the movies were coming out in the (failed) anticipation that it would make the films more enjoyable. I knew the movies didn't do the books justice, but during this read I'm really reminded - good grief the books are so much better. It occurred to me that my main peeve with the films isn't the very strange choices for adaptation (er...Arwen's life is somehow tied to the Ring?? Gimli is little better than a short, fat clown? Faramir tries to take the ring to Gondor?? and so on. Much as I disliked them, my main peeve is the heavy-handed style. Jackson uses close-ups and slow motion like bludgeons. Yech. It feels like he just doesn't give the audience enough credit to appreciate the inherent drama of a scene; he has to push it way over the top. No subtlety whatsoever. You really see his hokey horror movie roots in it. Legolas is ultra-cool, Aragorn is ultra-brooding, Arwen is ultra-breathy, Elrond is ultra-cranky....they're all shoved in your face as Xtreme! characters. And the scenes play out soooooo overdramatically.
For example: Gandalf's death in Moria. It's a pretty dramatic moment no matter how you do it. Being pulled into a chasm by a gigantic fire-creature wielding a whip - yeah, it's huge. But the film draws it out to the point of being ridiculous. Brain-beating music, lots of screams and close-ups of horrified faces, and afterwards, oh, the slow motion as they weep and cry and moan and wail. No wonder the movies go on so freaking long. Compare this to Obi-Wan's death. Different, yes. He's willingly sacrificing himself in a comparatively mild-mannered duel, and Vader is hardly the Balrog. However, they are both the wise mentor figures, and they are both killed at a crucial moment in the quest, much to the heroes' horror. But what a difference! Mournful music in the background, but much less heavy-handed. Obi-Wan has a wise, sad look, but there's no absurdly extreme close-up. It's enough. Luke shouts in dismay, and we feel his shock, but we don't need to dwell on it. We need to move into action. Just one quiet moment on the Falcon with Leia comforting Luke, and then it's on with the story. It's not like he doesn't feel the loss; he's still stinging from it later in the film when he says "I wish Ben were here," but we don't need to dwell on it. And thank goodness, no blasted slow motion.
Now, I'll freely admit that I cried the first time I saw the Gandalf death scene. And I was sniffly the next time. But by the third (I think that was the last time I saw it all the way through) it was becoming a bit eye-rollish. Obi-Wan's scene in ANH, however, never fails to touch me. I don't weep so much, but it's so quietly, subtly affecting. Lucas creates the story, presents it very simply and genuinely, and it works. No need for bludgeon-like gimmicks. Thank goodness for filmmakers like him.
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Date: 2007-03-30 01:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-03-30 04:20 pm (UTC)