I felt so horribly sorry for them both in these scenes. Frodo had been struggling to make his decision, but when Boromir attacked him, he knew he had no other choice but to go before the Ring corrupted all his companions. And Boromir lost his very self here. I know that he would never have attacked someone so much smaller than himself without the influence of that thing clouding his mind.
Yes, you are right. I even added an "ETA" to the last entry, because your remark spurred another thought about how Frodo would have felt to be attacked by Boromir. How awful to see the Ring taking Boromir. Frodo being Frodo, he may even have stewed over it after he escaped, "If only I had left sooner, Boromir might not have succumbed and suffered this!"
This is a truly great scene. One of those oh-so-true-to-the-book scenes that make one want to shower PJ with rose petals.
The depiction of the torment in Movie Boromir's soul as he slowly, unwittingly gives in to the terrible pull of the Ring is one of the best things in PJ's FOTR. I actually prefer Film Boromir to Book Boromir. Or perhaps it's better to say that Film Boromir helped me appreciate Book Boromir more. Tolkien's characterisation of Boromir has always struck me as rather obvious: all that 'biting his fingermails' stuff, it's quite obvious that the author is setting Boromir up for a fall. The film's portrayal of Boromir, thanks to Sean Bean, is actually more subtle (probably the one and only time when PJ is more subtle than Tolkien!! *grin*)
But Tolkien's portrayal of the confrontation between Boromir and Frodo is very fine - oh, and how Book Frodo rocks. The film does this scene justice. Because isn't Film Frodo just the most delicious little piece of feisty gorgeousness?
*showers Elijah and Sean with rose petals*
PS. In the Harem thread, we christened that scene The Angry Kitten scene. When Boromir wrestles Frodo to the ground, Frodo kicks and fights back with fury. Resembling for all the world an angry kitten. Here, kitty kitty! *pets angry kitten, smooths his ruffled curls - smirk*
PPS. Can't help remembering that priceless quote from Cassie Claire's Very Secret Diaries. From Legolas's diary: "Boromir so irritating. Why must he go about with that big shield looking like a dinner plate?" :D
Hi, Pearl! Yes, it was a gorgeously played and conceived scene. But I wonder if a lot of the credit goes to Sean Bean directly? Since they rewrote scenes daily, and since the writers themselves said they adjusted scenes according to what they saw the actors doing, perhaps they so liked what Bean was doing, they just continued to write Boromir better and better, in the vein in which Bean was delving?
I agree about book vs. film Boromir, as we were discussing in the Pt. II comments. I think Sean Bean and the filmmakers actually improved on what Tolkien wrote -- lot. They made Boromir into the prime example of what the Ring could do to a basically good, very committed man, working on his major weakness: an overriding desire to rescue his city. Book Boromir came off to me (and still does unless I read my film-viewing into it, which I now do) as haughty, even conceited, more concerned with making sure his will prevailed, as "Main Man of Gondor." Bean's performance made of Boromir a man who was more driven than driving, right from the beginning. A good man, but a driven man; a man under a great deal of pressure. They made sense from that -- rather than from Boromir's pridefulness -- that Boromir should be the one who would crack up and try to take the Ring.
And because Boromir's motivation was shifted from pridefulness, to there being too much pressure that bearing down upon him to deliver for Gondor, how much more moving was his scene to save the two hobbits! And he'd already been shown as someone who cared for them, in the swordfighting scene. When Merry and Pippin were under attack by the Orcs, it wasn't just a matter of Boromir going back to do his duty as a soldier or even to reclaim his honor (which was how I saw him in the book), he was defending his friends.
P.S. I still haven't read the Diaries. It sounds like a scream!
Oh, what wonderfully perceptive comments on Film/Book Boromir, Mechtild!
I totally agree.
His sacrificial hero's death in the film was so incredibly moving. It moved me to tears, whereas I never wept over Book Boromir's demise (nassty ev0l man, threatening my cutesy courageous hobbit! We hates him, precious! :p) And Movie Boromir's relationship with the Hobbits was wonderful. It then makes sense of Pippin's later reflections in the book, that he had admired Boromir's nobility and basic kindness. (At which my reaction was, originally: "Huh? Are we talking about the same guy?" :p)
"I would have followed you, my brother ... my Captain ... my king."
Their fame spread far beyond the fandom: one day in February 2002, a work colleague emailed them to me! (She had no clue that I was already well acquainted with fandom excess. :p)
To give you a taster, from Aragorn's Very Secret Diary:
Day 1 Ringwraiths killed: 4. V. good. Met up with Hobbits. Walked forty miles. Skinned a squirrel and ate it. Still not King.
Day 28:
Beginning to find Frodo disturbingly attractive. Have a feeling if I make a move, Sam would kill me. Also, hairy feet kind of a turn-off. Still not King.
Day 32:
Orcs killed: none. Stubble update: subtly hairy.
Legolas told me that a shadow and a threat had been growing in his mind.
Oh, and the Very Secret Diaries introduced those two immortal phrases - Pervy Hobbit Fancier and "Sam will kill him if he tries anything" - into the fandom legendarium. :p
Here is another of my favourites: Ringwraith No. 5
Day 1,000,967
Got box of chocolates as Christmas bonus from Dark Lord, again. As per usual, Sauron ate all the toffees and left the strawberry creams. How I detest this life of vile servitude.
Still disembodied.
Day 1,001,107
V. close to nabbing Ringbearer tonight, but head Nazgul suffered attack of giggles while observing excessive cuddliness of Ringbearer and his three “companions.”
Suspect Gandalf chose Ringbearer on account of big blue eyes and pouty lower lip, rather than possession of heroic-type fortitude.
Will catch up with pretty-boy Hobbit and harem of pint-sized boyfriends in Bree. V. much looking forward to post-slaughter booze-up.
Yes, making Boromir a person to love and admire made Pippin's offer to Denethor make far more sense, deeper sense, than him having his pride hurt by Denethor dismissing him as any sort of being to be taken seriously.
I feel sorry for both Frodo and Boromir, two men who are good at heart, one overcome by a weakness and one made to bear a burden no one should have had to bear.
The thing to enjoy about this scene is the skillfully placed kick he delivers to Boromir.. It never fails to amuse in the midst of the angst of it all. Frodo reveals himself here and in all scenes where he is put to it to be a very adroit, barehanded fighter. I assume this surprising ability in such an obviously gentle fellow must be from his worst rascal in Buckland years and from growing up in the "warren" Having come from a rough and tumble large family myself.. I know how THAT can be. Learning how to handle yourself with the other cubs can come in handy later when its needed.
"Other cubs"; awwwww, that makes their youths sound so cute! Like puppies scrapping in a basket over a toy. But he also had good instincts. When under attack, repel your attacker with whatever comes to hand (foot).
It's one of the great scenes of the film, I think. Frodo id at his best: strong, determinate but compassionate and so beautiful!.
And I'm eternally grateful towards Sean Bean. For years I hated Boromir. But after seeing LotR for the first time, I began to understand him. Tolkien says he's a good Man, but I didn't believe him. Sean Bean made me Boromir's goodness believable.
It was the first thing I told my Mom after seeing LotR: she was very curious to hear my feelings about the film, because she loved the book for thirty years and was afraid to see the adaptation. I said:
'You know, I think I understand Boromir...' 'And Frodo?' she said, anxiously. 'Oh! my God...' I answered.
And I'm eternally grateful towards Sean Bean. For years I hated Boromir. But after seeing LotR for the first time, I began to understand him. Tolkien says he's a good Man, but I didn't believe him. Sean Bean made me Boromir's goodness believable.
Yes, I think Sean Bean did more than any other performer to elevate the worth of his character of film, vis-a-vis the books. What other characters lost, he definitely gained. When I read the book now, I always see Bean in the role. What a [positive] difference it has made to my reading of the story.
Yes, he is, Claudia. We didn't get to see that much of this side of Frodo, so it stood out all the more when the film featured his book strengths. EW played this part of the character so well, I wish there had been more. But what he did get to do in the films was exceptional, too.
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Duh... :D He's beautiful.
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Yes.
Beautiful.
(I sound like Ann in "King Kong".)
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(Anonymous) 2006-06-19 04:58 am (UTC)(link)Thanks so much.
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The depiction of the torment in Movie Boromir's soul as he slowly, unwittingly gives in to the terrible pull of the Ring is one of the best things in PJ's FOTR. I actually prefer Film Boromir to Book Boromir. Or perhaps it's better to say that Film Boromir helped me appreciate Book Boromir more. Tolkien's characterisation of Boromir has always struck me as rather obvious: all that 'biting his fingermails' stuff, it's quite obvious that the author is setting Boromir up for a fall. The film's portrayal of Boromir, thanks to Sean Bean, is actually more subtle (probably the one and only time when PJ is more subtle than Tolkien!! *grin*)
But Tolkien's portrayal of the confrontation between Boromir and Frodo is very fine - oh, and how Book Frodo rocks. The film does this scene justice. Because isn't Film Frodo just the most delicious little piece of feisty gorgeousness?
*showers Elijah and Sean with rose petals*
PS. In the Harem thread, we christened that scene The Angry Kitten scene. When Boromir wrestles Frodo to the ground, Frodo kicks and fights back with fury. Resembling for all the world an angry kitten. Here, kitty kitty! *pets angry kitten, smooths his ruffled curls - smirk*
PPS. Can't help remembering that priceless quote from Cassie Claire's Very Secret Diaries. From Legolas's diary: "Boromir so irritating. Why must he go about with that big shield looking like a dinner plate?" :D
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I agree about book vs. film Boromir, as we were discussing in the Pt. II comments. I think Sean Bean and the filmmakers actually improved on what Tolkien wrote -- lot. They made Boromir into the prime example of what the Ring could do to a basically good, very committed man, working on his major weakness: an overriding desire to rescue his city. Book Boromir came off to me (and still does unless I read my film-viewing into it, which I now do) as haughty, even conceited, more concerned with making sure his will prevailed, as "Main Man of Gondor." Bean's performance made of Boromir a man who was more driven than driving, right from the beginning. A good man, but a driven man; a man under a great deal of pressure. They made sense from that -- rather than from Boromir's pridefulness -- that Boromir should be the one who would crack up and try to take the Ring.
And because Boromir's motivation was shifted from pridefulness, to there being too much pressure that bearing down upon him to deliver for Gondor, how much more moving was his scene to save the two hobbits! And he'd already been shown as someone who cared for them, in the swordfighting scene. When Merry and Pippin were under attack by the Orcs, it wasn't just a matter of Boromir going back to do his duty as a soldier or even to reclaim his honor (which was how I saw him in the book), he was defending his friends.
P.S. I still haven't read the Diaries. It sounds like a scream!
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I totally agree.
His sacrificial hero's death in the film was so incredibly moving. It moved me to tears, whereas I never wept over Book Boromir's demise (nassty ev0l man, threatening my cutesy courageous hobbit! We hates him, precious! :p) And Movie Boromir's relationship with the Hobbits was wonderful. It then makes sense of Pippin's later reflections in the book, that he had admired Boromir's nobility and basic kindness. (At which my reaction was, originally: "Huh? Are we talking about the same guy?" :p)
"I would have followed you, my brother ... my Captain ... my king."
Meeeep meep meep meep meep. MEEEEEP. *Pearl weeps*
You've never read the Secret Diaries?! I love 'em. For your reading pleasure:
http://www.ealasaid.com/misc/vsd/
Their fame spread far beyond the fandom: one day in February 2002, a work colleague emailed them to me! (She had no clue that I was already well acquainted with fandom excess. :p)
To give you a taster, from Aragorn's Very Secret Diary:
Day 1
Ringwraiths killed: 4. V. good.
Met up with Hobbits. Walked forty miles. Skinned a squirrel and ate it.
Still not King.
Day 28:
Beginning to find Frodo disturbingly attractive. Have a feeling if I make a move, Sam would kill me. Also, hairy feet kind of a turn-off.
Still not King.
Day 32:
Orcs killed: none. Stubble update: subtly hairy.
Legolas told me that a shadow and a threat had been growing in his mind.
I think Legolas might be kinda gay.
Nope, not King.
Well, it makes me laugh.
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Here is another of my favourites: Ringwraith No. 5
Day 1,000,967
Got box of chocolates as Christmas bonus from Dark Lord, again. As per usual, Sauron ate all the toffees and left the strawberry creams. How I detest this life of vile servitude.
Still disembodied.
Day 1,001,107
V. close to nabbing Ringbearer tonight, but head Nazgul suffered attack of giggles while observing excessive cuddliness of Ringbearer and his three “companions.”
Suspect Gandalf chose Ringbearer on account of big blue eyes and pouty lower lip, rather than possession of heroic-type fortitude.
Will catch up with pretty-boy Hobbit and harem of pint-sized boyfriends in Bree. V. much looking forward to post-slaughter booze-up.
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V. much looking forward to post-slaughter booze-up.
HAW HAW HAW!
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Yes, making Boromir a person to love and admire made Pippin's offer to Denethor make far more sense, deeper sense, than him having his pride hurt by Denethor dismissing him as any sort of being to be taken seriously.
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Thanks again for the pictures.
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Frodo reveals himself here and in all scenes where he is put to it to be a very adroit, barehanded fighter. I assume this surprising ability in such an obviously gentle fellow must be from his worst rascal in Buckland years and from growing up in the "warren" Having come from a rough and tumble large family myself.. I know how THAT can be. Learning how to handle yourself with the other cubs can come in handy later when its needed.
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It's one of the great scenes of the film, I think. Frodo id at his best: strong, determinate but compassionate
and so beautiful!.And I'm eternally grateful towards Sean Bean. For years I hated Boromir. But after seeing LotR for the first time, I began to understand him. Tolkien says he's a good Man, but I didn't believe him. Sean Bean made me Boromir's goodness believable.
It was the first thing I told my Mom after seeing LotR: she was very curious to hear my feelings about the film, because she loved the book for thirty years and was afraid to see the adaptation. I said:
'You know, I think I understand Boromir...'
'And Frodo?' she said, anxiously.
'Oh! my God...' I answered.
Well, I become nostalgic. I'll stop here!:)
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Yes, I think Sean Bean did more than any other performer to elevate the worth of his character of film, vis-a-vis the books. What other characters lost, he definitely gained. When I read the book now, I always see Bean in the role. What a [positive] difference it has made to my reading of the story.
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Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) deemed sadness to be the highest manifestation of beauty.
"Beauty of whatever kind in its supreme development invariably excites the sensitive soul to tears".
--E.A. Poe.
I'm inclined to agree.
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I have never noticed Frodo’s tears in that scene before. Again I thank you Mechtild.
I never noticed, either. The frames go by too quickly. It was only when I was making the caps that I saw those tears. But they definitely are there.
*sniffle*
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He's just so beautiful and noble and strong here.
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