![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
HA # 7 of 7: “The Ring is taking me, Sam" ~ Faramir succumbs to the Ring.
~*~
Henneth Annun, Pt. 7: Frodo tells Sam of the power of the Ring, then Faramir enters, threatening him at swordpoint.
Note the opening in the rock wall through which the rest of the chamber can be viewed.
~*~
Related Entries:
Other screencap entries:
Henneth Annun, Pt. 7: Frodo tells Sam of the power of the Ring, then Faramir enters, threatening him at swordpoint.
This is the last of the posts for The Two Towers. I'm sorry it took so long. I hope to start presenting the RotK screencaps next weekend.
I really don't have anything to say about this film scene I didn't say in the previous post (Pt. 6, The Goons of Gondor). It is well-played, it works as drama, but it's not Tolkien. I am including the book scene to show how Faramir actually behaved.
The film scene makes for nice screencaps, though.~*~
Book scene: The interrogation of Sméagol, cont'd,, from The Forbidden Pool:‘Are you satisfied?’ said Faramir?
‘Yes,’ said Frodo. ‘At least, you must either accept this promise or carry out your law. You will get no more. But I promised that if he came to me, he should not be harmed. And I would not be proved faithless.’
Faramir sat for a moment in thought. ‘Very good,’ he said at last. ‘I surrender you to your master, to Frodo son of Drogo. Let him declare what he will do with you!’
‘But, Lord Faramir,’ said Frodo bowing, ‘you have not yet declared your will concerning the said Frodo, and until that is made known, he cannot shape his plans for himself or his companions. Your judgement was postponed until the morning; but that is now at hand.’
‘Then I will declare my doom,’ said Faramir. ‘As for you, Frodo, in so far as it lies in me under higher authority, I declare you free in the realm of Gondor to the furthest of its ancient bounds; save only that neither you nor any that go with you leave to come to this place unbidden. This doom shall stand for a year and a day, and then cease, unless you shall before that term come to Minas Tirith and present yourself to the Lord and Steward of the City. Then I will entreat him to confirm what I have done and to make it lifelong. In the meantime, whomsoever you take under your protection shall be under my protection and under the shield of Gondor. Are you answered?’
Frodo bowed low. ‘I am answered,’ he said, ‘and place myself at your service, if that is of any worth to one so high and honourable.’
‘It is of great worth,’ said Faramir. ‘And now, do your take this creature, this Sméagol, under your protection?’
‘I do take Sméagol under my protection,’ said Frodo. Sam sighed audibly; and not at the courtesies, of which, as any hobbit would, he thoroughly approved. Indeed in the Shire such a matter would have required a great many more words and bows.
‘Then I say to you,’ said Faramir, turning to Gollum, ‘you are under doom of death; but while you walk with Frodo you are safe for our part. Yet if ever you be found by any man of Gondor astray without him, the doom shall fall. And may death find you swiftly, within Gondor or without, if you do not well serve him.’
Faramir learns that Gollum is taking Frodo to Mordor through the pass of Cirith Ungol. Faramir is alarmed, but before he speaks to Frodo of his concern he dismisses Gollum.
'Take this creature away, Anborn. Treat him gently, but watch him.
ETA: Book scene of Faramir parting from Sam, Frodo and Gollum posted below the caps.~*~
Film Scene: Sam urges Frodo to flee.
Sam and Frodo sit in another part of the cave used for storage, partly separated from the main chamber by a low wall of rock.
Sam: We have to get out of here. You go. Go now. You can do it. Use the Ring, Mr. Frodo. Just this once. Put it on. Disappear.
Frodo: I can’t. You were right, Sam. You tried to tell me. I’m sorry. The Ring is taking me, Sam. If I put it on, he’ll find me. he’ll see.
Sam: Mr. Frodo...
Suddenly Faramir enters, drawing his sword and levelling it at Frodo.
Faramir: So... this is the answer to all the riddles. Here in the wild I have you. Two Halfings and a host of men at my call. And the Ring of Power within my grasp. A chance for Faramir, captain of Gondor, to show his quality.
Frodo: No!
Sam: Stop it! Leave him alone! Don’t you understand?! He’s got to destroy it. That’s where we’re going. Into Mordor. To the Mountain of fire.
Damrod: Osgiliath is under attack. They call for reinforcements.
Sam: (To Faramir.) Please. It’s such a burden. Will you not help him?
Damrod: Captain?
Faramir: Prepare to leave. The Ring will go to Gondor.~*~
Note the opening in the rock wall through which the rest of the chamber can be viewed.
Below is the book scene in which the hobbits take their leave from Faramir. No detour to Osgiliath or trip through the sewers here, just new friends well, if sadly, sent on their way. The EE 'Sewers of Osgiliath' scene picks up a bit of the flavour of this excerpt, not literally but in its friendly, mutually respectful tone, as if it sought to make up for the abuse dished out at Henneth Annun and TTT Osgiliath.
Book scene: Faramir farewells Sam and Frodo, from Journey to the Cross-roads:
The hobbits’ packs were brought to them (a little heavier than they had been), and also two stout staves of polished wood, shod with iron, and with carven heads through which ran plaited leathern thongs.
‘I have no fitting gifts to give you at our parting,’ said Faramir; ‘but take these staves. They may be of service to those who walk or climb in the wild. The men of the White Mountains use them; though these have been cut down to your height and newly shod. They are made of the fair tree lebethron, beloved of the woodwrights of Gondor, and a virtue has been set upon them of finding and returning. May that virtue not wholly fail under the Shadow into which you go!’
The hobbits bowed low. ‘Most gracious host,’ said Frodo, ‘it was said to me by Elrond Halfelven that I should find friendship upon the way, secret and unlooked for. Certainly I looked for no such friendship as you have shown. To have found it turns evil to great good.’
They are led down from the hideout.Gollum panics, so Frodo insists Faramir blindfold him and Sam, too.
‘Here is the last parting of our ways,’ said Faramir. ‘If you take my counsel, you will not turn eastward yet. Go straight on, for thus you will have the cover of the woodland for many miles. On your west is an edge where the land falls into the great vales, sometimes suddenly and sheer, sometimes in long hillsides. Keep near to this edge and the skirts of the forest. In the beginning of your journey you may walk under daylight, I think. The land dreams in a false peace, and for a while all evil is withdrawn. Fare you well, while you may!’
He embraced the hobbits then, after the manner of his people, stooping, and placing his hands upon their shoulders, and kissing their foreheads. ‘Go with the good will of all men!’ he said.
They bowed to the ground. Then he turned and without looking back he left them and went to his two guards that stood at a little distance away. They marvelled to see with what speed these green-clad men now moved, vanishing almost in the twinkling of an eye. The forest where Faramir had stood seemed empty and drear, as if a dream had passed.
Frodo sighed and turned back southward. As if to mark his disregard of all such courtesy, Gollum was scrabbling in the mould at the foot of a tree. ‘Hungry again already?’ thought Sam. ‘Well, now for it again!’
‘Have they gone at last?’ said Gollum. ‘Nassty wicked Men! Sméagol’s neck still hurts him, yes it does. Let’s go!’
‘Yes, let us go,’ said Frodo. ‘But if you can only speak ill of those who showed you mercy, keep silent!’
‘Nice Master!’ said Gollum. ‘Sméagol was only joking. Always forgives, he goes, yes, yes, even nice Master’s little trickses. Oh yes, nice Master, nice Sméagol!’
Frodo and Sam did not answer. Hoisting their packs and taking their staves in hand, they passed on into the woods of Ithilien.~*~
Related Entries:
~ HA 1 ~ Faramir questions Frodo and Sam.
~ HA 2 ~ “Come with me!” Faramir tells Frodo.
~ HA 3 ~ Faramir asks, “Shall I shoot?”
~ HA 4 ~ “Trust Master!” ~ Frodo tries to persuade Sméagol.
~ HA 5 ~ “Don’t hurt him!” ~ Faramir’s men capture Sméagol.
~ HA 6 ~ The Goons of Gondor: the EE interrogation of Gollum.
~ HA 7 ~ “The Ring is taking me, Sam”.
Other screencap entries:
~ All Frodo and Elijah screencaps.
no subject
But, oh, look at his face. Look at those tormented eyes. God, he tears my heart out when he does scenes like that.
no subject
no subject
Pretty Frodo!
no subject
But you know, Claudia, it's only really terrible in the EE. How I wish they had never included it!!!
In the theatrical, Frodo and Sam would have heard Gollum screaming and some scuffling sounds, since even in the TE they do throw him down on the floor. But there's no kicking, punching, or hurling him into the rock wall. Gollum screams, Sam and Frodo needn't have assumed Faramir and his men were doing anything truly awful to him. Think how Gollum had screamed in the Emyn Muil, with only the loose Elven rope around his neck. But in the EE scene, there'd be the sounds of thud and crack as boots and fists ploughed into him, not to mention Gollum's weeping, not just screaming. That Gollum was being beaten up would be unmistakable.
no subject
Is this the scene where they were considering some shots of Elijah made up to resemble a Gollum-like creature?
The close-up of Faramir's sword lifting the ring from Frodo's chest made me tingle a bit when I saw the film. Thanks for posting these wonderful screen caps and reminding me.
no subject
I just mentioned that to Mews. Yes, there was such a version of the scene planned. There are still of EW in the gruesome "Gollum-Frodo" make-up, and there's a clip of him wearing the makeup on set, maybe even acting, in the DVD extras. I am so glad they didn't go with that. The spectacle of Frodo as "un-hobbited" as he already appeared in this scene is *more* than enough for me. :)
no subject
no subject
Maybe in the "Extended Extended Edition", Shirebound? Brummie (Earht's Daughter) suggested in the previous post an interactive EE, in which you can opt to cut certain scenes. Sounds great!
no subject
(Anonymous) 2007-05-22 10:45 pm (UTC)(link)But yes, it does make for nice screencaps! Frodo in those first few stills puts me in mind of a character from the silent film era.
The Ithilien and HA series has been a pleasure to view and your commentaries a delight to read, even though there is so much film-content that irks us. Oh, when you think of what could have been...
Many thanks, as always.
Blossom.
no subject
On Frodo as silent film actor, I read somewhere during or after the release of RotK that the scenes of him as the film went on reminded the viewer deeply of silent film acting. That he had a strong-featured face which seemed to be able to handle the highly, if over-wrought level of the angsty, melodramatic scenes, the high drama conveyed by his extreme facial acting giving a sense of grand opera to scenes that might not have been there had they used a different actor or played the scenes more "realistically". I had thought of that when I first saw RotK, but didn't know what it was. I think your "silent film" note is related to that.
In The Faculty it was once commented that he might make a good Buster Keaton. (See Este's comment below.) He could do the face, that's for sure, and he's great at physical bendiness and pratfalls. But Johnny Depp, surprisingly, looks even more like Buster Keaton. It would depend on how old they were going to play him... Do you think we could interest someone in making such a film? :)
no subject
I think Blossom has Buster Keaton – The Great Stone Face - in mind. Who knows perhaps if we are lucky EW will play Keaton in the not so distant future. He is certainly wiry and agile enough to play the part.
I already have a wish that EW will play the lead roll in a remake of ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ I would love to see him in a good comedy.
Link to Keaton image:
http://www.anl.gov/ARTS/0001_keaton.gif
--Estë
no subject
Who played Walter Mitty before? I am sure there was a film by that title but I never saw it.
no subject
Yes, Mr Depp would be a great Buster Keaton.
--Estë
no subject
no subject
(Anonymous) 2007-05-24 02:46 pm (UTC)(link)That he had a strong-featured face which seemed to be able to handle the highly, if over-wrought level of the angsty, melodramatic scenes, the high drama conveyed by his extreme facial acting giving a sense of grand opera to scenes that might not have been there had they used a different actor or played the scenes more "realistically".
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Oh yes – Elijah’s famous ‘eyebrow acting’ could be used to great effect! It would certainly be interesting to see Elijah in this type of role. But on a different level I remember reading a review of ‘Everything Is Illuminated,’ in which EW’s performance was described as ‘Chaplinesque.’ I certainly think that in his portrayal of Jonathan, Elijah displayed a talent for that ‘deadpan’ style of acting that so many silent film comedy actors seemed to adopt.
I think EW would make for a great Buster Keaton, but you’re right Mechtild - I can easily see how Johnny Depp would fit that genre too. Thanks for the link to the BK pic, Estë - I had no idea he was known as ‘The Great Stone Face.’
Blossom.
no subject
+I remember reading a review of ‘Everything Is Illuminated,’ in which EW’s performance was described as ‘Chaplinesque.’ I certainly think that in his portrayal of Jonathan, Elijah displayed a talent for that ‘deadpan’ style of acting that so many silent film comedy actors seemed to adopt.
'Chaplinesque'? Would that have been used to describe a 'deadpan' face, though? EW's Jonathan, although not nearly as expressive as ultra-expressive Frodo, compared to a lot of other actor's performances in reserved roles seemed to be facially expressive, bearing in mind the thick glasses. Perhaps "Chaplinesque" referred to Jonathan's retrained body language? I thought Chaplin used effective facial expression, actually, but had a consistently rigid body profile (a little narrow body, constrained by a too-small suit), and a signature walk, (a sideways-rocking tidy gait: sort of--dare I say--'penguin-esque'). I can see the too-small-suited, constrained profile of Jonathan looking like Chaplin in the role, but not the penguin walk. EW saved *that* for Happy Feet. *g*
no subject
(Anonymous) 2007-05-26 07:57 pm (UTC)(link)I have searched through my folders and (wonders never cease!) found the review in question.
Quote: by Roger Moore of The Orlando Sentinel:
Wood turns his whole body into a coiled bundle of neuroses that he never actually lets us see. …He's an introvert's introvert. It's a Chaplinesque turn and an utter delight, with nary a trace of hobbit in it.
Blossom.
no subject
~ Mechtild