Verisimilitude
Moderator: caedmon
Verisimilitude
It all comes down to that.
Does it feel real? This is why I am a hard-core reenactor.* This is why I loved PJ's FOTR, and walked out of Two Towers.
When I first read LOTR, I was sucked into a world that I believed in. Was it fantastic? Yes, but I believed. The Hobbit was slightly less believable, it's a fairytale. But even so it has substance and weight.
I was scared of FOTR, but it felt real, and I was sucked in. Most of that was because of the attention to the material culture that I attribute to John Howe, one of the world's preeminnent medieval reenactors. http://www.companie-of-st-george.ch/cms/intro.html
So far, the Hobbit movie does not have that feel. Dwarves without beards, aviator caps, and now Orcrist's absurd dimensions gives me the feeling of Hellboy's comic book hyperbole, and not the gravitas of FOTR.
I will go, but my expectations are low.
*Standard disclaimer: Not to disparage others with alternate approaches. I fully realize that most people on the outside can't tell the polyester t-tunic SCAdian and I apart. I also know that I started in silver lamee' chain mail and thought I was the bee's knees. If that's where you are, I'm fine with that. This is the approach that makes me happy.
Does it feel real? This is why I am a hard-core reenactor.* This is why I loved PJ's FOTR, and walked out of Two Towers.
When I first read LOTR, I was sucked into a world that I believed in. Was it fantastic? Yes, but I believed. The Hobbit was slightly less believable, it's a fairytale. But even so it has substance and weight.
I was scared of FOTR, but it felt real, and I was sucked in. Most of that was because of the attention to the material culture that I attribute to John Howe, one of the world's preeminnent medieval reenactors. http://www.companie-of-st-george.ch/cms/intro.html
So far, the Hobbit movie does not have that feel. Dwarves without beards, aviator caps, and now Orcrist's absurd dimensions gives me the feeling of Hellboy's comic book hyperbole, and not the gravitas of FOTR.
I will go, but my expectations are low.
*Standard disclaimer: Not to disparage others with alternate approaches. I fully realize that most people on the outside can't tell the polyester t-tunic SCAdian and I apart. I also know that I started in silver lamee' chain mail and thought I was the bee's knees. If that's where you are, I'm fine with that. This is the approach that makes me happy.
-Jack Horner
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Impression: Cædmon Reedmace | bronze founder living in Archet, Breeland. c. 3017
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Impression: Cædmon Reedmace | bronze founder living in Archet, Breeland. c. 3017
- Mirimaran
- Thangailhir
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Re: Verisimilitude
At what point did you walk out of TTT?caedmon wrote: Does it feel real? This is why I am a hard-core reenactor.* This is why I loved PJ's FOTR, and walked out of Two Towers.
Ken
"Well, what are you waiting for? I am an old man, and have no time for your falter! Come at me, if you will, for I do not sing songs of dastards!"
Re: Verisimilitude
Mirimaran wrote: At what point did you walk out of TTT?
Ken
When Frodo was making moon eyes at the Witch King in Osgiliath.
-Jack Horner
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Impression: Cædmon Reedmace | bronze founder living in Archet, Breeland. c. 3017
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Impression: Cædmon Reedmace | bronze founder living in Archet, Breeland. c. 3017
Re: Verisimilitude
If you literally walked out of TT, then I am very impressed with your deep inclination to the reality of Tolkien's Legendarium.
I pretty much feel the same as you. I did enjoy the Lord of the Rings movies very much, but I also hated their guts. I am very much looking forward to the Hobbit movies and I will also enjoy them, but I know that I will hate their guts as well. Much more than just not being visually realistic a lot of the time, what most bothers me is the departure from the true, deep, beautiful, real, cultural, and enchanting Faërian nature of the whole thing (if you've read Tolkien's On Fairy-Stories you are sure to know what I am referring to).
This topic reminds me of a very recent interview that Christopher Tolkien gave for the French paper Le Monde, in which he remarked (translated from French, of course):
Tolkien has become a monster, devoured by his own popularity and absorbed by the absurdity of our time. The chasm between the beauty and seriousness of the work, and what it has become, has gone too far for me. Such commercialisation has reduced the esthetic and philosophical impact of this creation to nothing. There is only one solution for me: turning my head away.
I pretty much feel the same as you. I did enjoy the Lord of the Rings movies very much, but I also hated their guts. I am very much looking forward to the Hobbit movies and I will also enjoy them, but I know that I will hate their guts as well. Much more than just not being visually realistic a lot of the time, what most bothers me is the departure from the true, deep, beautiful, real, cultural, and enchanting Faërian nature of the whole thing (if you've read Tolkien's On Fairy-Stories you are sure to know what I am referring to).
This topic reminds me of a very recent interview that Christopher Tolkien gave for the French paper Le Monde, in which he remarked (translated from French, of course):
Tolkien has become a monster, devoured by his own popularity and absorbed by the absurdity of our time. The chasm between the beauty and seriousness of the work, and what it has become, has gone too far for me. Such commercialisation has reduced the esthetic and philosophical impact of this creation to nothing. There is only one solution for me: turning my head away.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
- robinhoodsghost
- Silent Watcher over the Peaceful Lands
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Re: Verisimilitude
In my opinion, I thought The TT was much more entertaining than TFOTR. I loved the first movie, but it did drag on a bit in places.
The Rangers suprise attack in TT is my favorite scene in the whole of the trilogy.
But you know what they say about opinions,
RHG
The Rangers suprise attack in TT is my favorite scene in the whole of the trilogy.
But you know what they say about opinions,
RHG
In the darkest part of Sherwoods glade, in the thickest part of the wood, there are those who say, can still be seen, the ghost of Robin Hood.
Re: Verisimilitude
I really did, and what's more impressive is that my date that night still consented to marry me a few months later. But she still teases me about it. (the walking out, not the marrying)Ernildhir wrote:If you literally walked out of TT, then I am very impressed...
There are very few stories that I take that seriously, mostly dearly loved books of my childhood. John Carter was similar.
Wow, Christopher is beginning to sound like Heidegger.Ernildhir wrote:Tolkien has become a monster, devoured by his own popularity and absorbed by the absurdity of our time. The chasm between the beauty and seriousness of the work, and what it has become, has gone too far for me. Such commercialisation has reduced the esthetic and philosophical impact of this creation to nothing. There is only one solution for me: turning my head away.
-Jack Horner
----------------------------
Impression: Cædmon Reedmace | bronze founder living in Archet, Breeland. c. 3017
----------------------------
Impression: Cædmon Reedmace | bronze founder living in Archet, Breeland. c. 3017
- Mirimaran
- Thangailhir
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Re: Verisimilitude
Caedmon, are you prepared to walk out of THREE Hobbit films?
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/07 ... r-jackson/
Hoping to see the War of Orcs and Dwarves, and the Battle of Azanulbizar in full!
Ken
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/07 ... r-jackson/
Hoping to see the War of Orcs and Dwarves, and the Battle of Azanulbizar in full!
Ken
"Well, what are you waiting for? I am an old man, and have no time for your falter! Come at me, if you will, for I do not sing songs of dastards!"
Re: Verisimilitude
It is now official!
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/07 ... hird-film/
We've got a lot of walking ahead of us.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/07 ... hird-film/
We've got a lot of walking ahead of us.
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
- Mirimaran
- Thangailhir
- Posts: 2110
- Joined: Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:38 pm
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Re: Verisimilitude
And the buying back of silver spoons! seriously, alot of stuff to cram into three movies!
Ken
Ken
"Well, what are you waiting for? I am an old man, and have no time for your falter! Come at me, if you will, for I do not sing songs of dastards!"
Re: Verisimilitude
Mirimaran wrote:Caedmon, are you prepared to walk out of THREE Hobbit films?
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/07 ... r-jackson/
Hoping to see the War of Orcs and Dwarves, and the Battle of Azanulbizar in full!
Ken
Nah, I've been preparing to take the Hobbit movies as what they are.
Three movies should be fun.
-Jack Horner
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Impression: Cædmon Reedmace | bronze founder living in Archet, Breeland. c. 3017
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Impression: Cædmon Reedmace | bronze founder living in Archet, Breeland. c. 3017