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.
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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!
From:
no subject
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.
From:
no subject
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.
From:
no subject
V. much looking forward to post-slaughter booze-up.
HAW HAW HAW!
From:
no subject
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.