"Farewell to Rivendell" screencaps ~ FotR EE....
Chickenlegs, this was a great little reflection. Do scroll down and see what Estelanui wrote; the points both of you make what would be a very good addendum to that part of the post. Might I do that?
Isn't it often the case that scenes which shouldn't move us, based on logical inconsistencies on the upper-most level of sense (i.e. "How could Frodo not know which direction was east and south of Rivendell?"), nevertheless do? The deeper effect of Frodo, younger and more vulnerable looking than ever, asking, "Mordor, Gandalf, which way is it...?" makes an impact. It brings a smile because there is humour there. He says not, "which way should I go/take?", but "which way is Mordor?" Someone here preparing to drive across the country to NYC might ask, "Which way is the highway entrance?", but they wouldn't ask, "Which way is New York?" The humour of the *way* he asked which way to go endeared him to me, eliciting an, "Aw, isn't he cute?" smile. But, as you say, since the viewer knows he's heading toward dreadful things to come, the smile dies away and is replaced with tenderness even greater than before.
Heck, you said it better:
In my view the writers use a seemingly humorous line to grab the viewers attention and push them further along to the realisation of just WHO is taking on this massive quest. Not a king or a warrior or an elf. Just one wee hobbit armed only with this love of the shire. Oh I gotta stop now as I just get so emotional about this beloved character!!
P.S. I love love love those lines on his cheeks, too. I don't think there are images of him in which they are more pronounced than these. Perhaps Elijah Wood the actor was particularly tired in real life. His schedule was often gruelling. Perhaps it was the lighting in this scene. But they only underscored the viewer's sense of him as vulnerable -- not a super-hero, but a maimable, killable person like the rest of us.
Thanks again, Chickenlegs. You really have given the film adaptations a lot of thought and it shows. I added an "ETA" to the main entry, directing readers who come later to yours and Estelanui's remarks in the comments. I had already pointed people to your remarks when answering their comments; that is, people who posted before I added the ETA and who seemed interested in the matter.
shirebound at 2007-02-10 18:10 (UTC) (Link)
the overwhelming impact (and I've always assumed intent of the writers) was to show the absolute simplicity and humility of this dear hobbit.
the realisation of just WHO is taking on this massive quest. Not a king or a warrior or an elf. Just one wee hobbit armed only with this love of the shire
Ohhh, yes. Perfectly said.