Postby Prof. Tarma Amelia Black » Sun Oct 15, 2017 4:27 am
I am so glad to be reading this book again. How could I have forgotten so much aboutTom Bombadil and Old Man Willow?
The last part we saw, of Chapter IV, Farmer Maggot (who is later on mentioned by Tom Bombadil as someone who is of more importance than the Hobbits had imagined "There's earth under his old feet,and clay on his fingers; wisdom in his bones, and both his eyes are open") has dropped the group off at the Ferry. So far so good and the story of the book is followed in the Jackson movie pretty much. Now, however, the limits of time requirements for a movie came into play and some huge chunks of the book were taken out from the movie. (Yes, I am a huge fan of the movies and of course I'm going to be comparing movie to book ... book to movie.) But the thing is, so much of this segment of the reading is not included in the movie at all.
So first we go into the Old Forest. NO. First we find out that Frodo has moved to another place entirely and we go there. Yes, he sold the Burrow ... Bag's End and yes, he has moved all his stuff. Merry, Pippin, Fatty and Sam were of a conspiracy to make sure that he didn't strike off on his own and all of this came out in his new home. This was sort of heart-warming, and started making this 'history' into more of a story to read, and not just a 'history'. So the hobbits go into the Old Forest and it is very spooky in there. They get caught by Old Man Willow and from there go to Tom Bombadil's place, where they meet River Daughter. All of this isn't in the movie ... but I can sort of see why. One, it's away from the direct story line but two -- Tom Bombadil isn't affected by the Ring. That could sort of be a story killer right there, in a movie. Here's this guy, older than anyone, and he doesn't care about the One Ring of Power and he can see Frodo when Frodo wears it. But it's lovely in the book and it works so well. The Barrowdowns. That is spooky too. Tolkien does spooky well. I love how Tom Bombadil again is there and 'fixes stuff'. I'm sort of amused that he decides to accompany the Hobbits the rest of the way to the edge of his territory.
Then THEY MEET STRIDER! YES! I love how so much of that interaction is kept the same, book and movie. Strider, to me, is sort of the personification of the book, along with Frodo. I don't know why, but there it is. The whole thing of the Black Riders, so terrifying, so deadly. The Hobbits are entering a world which they really couldn't even imagine. (Oh, and yes, now the book is in track with the movie, the movie in track with the book.)
The whole trip from The Prancing Pony to Weathertop to the bridge to Frodo collapsing and they don't know he will live is ... NOT the same. Oh, wait, here is another elf! Glorfindel by name, who had been sent out from Rivendell to help to find Aragorn and the Hobbits. Hmm. However, (to mix stories and movies, Hobbit and LoTR) at least Arwen Evenstar is mentioned in the books and isn't an entirely new, made-up character.
And so, we arrive in ... Rivendell. The Last Homely House. *happy sigh*
*Avatar made by Amy*"You have the inborn natural right to remain silent. Don't think about it, don't talk about it, shuush ....... STILL." ~ Xaris