LOTR Visuals

[Valandil]

I know that we mooters are split on our opinions of the movie... parts that were left out, changes, things added, casting... etc.

BUT... weren't the visuals just great? Scenes... sets... costumes... weapons... creatures... I just thought it was all good. I'm pleased at the caliber of people brought in for this effort and especially appreciate all the attention given to detail.

Which visual aspects of the films captured you the most? Or... for any contrarians out there... were there some visual aspects which you disliked? (EDIT: and dissent is always fine... let's just stay civil about it )

[Lizra]

New Zealand. I loved the shot/location when Gandalf leaves Frodo and Sam in the forest, in the Shire. It's very quiet, calm and somehow rather ominous looking.
The cold ring on the chain when picked up by Boromir near Caradthras has been mentioned before.
The newest Harry Potter movie has some of the beauty of PJ's LoTR. The natural shots....trees, forest, landscapes...so clear, clean, calm,and lush.
I dislike the overt yellow coloration used on the Council of Elrond though, it distracts me from all the carefully attended to beauty.
Also, the scene in the woods, when the elves are leaving with Arwen, in RoTK....and her son runs by....the woods again are so deep looking, yet cleared out and beautiful! (not overrun with poisen ivy, brambles, mosquitos...must have been shot in Nov or March!! )

[brownjenkins]

i agree... i loved it... some of my favorites are:

the opening 'war of the last alliance' scene

weathertop

the balrog scenes (both of them)

the paths of the dead scene

the eowyn/nazgul scene

the way they put so much thought into consistant costumes, armor, weapons and architecture for each of the differents races and locations

some i didn't like:

shelob ~ looked very realistic, but a bit too much like a real big, yet normal, spider... we don't get the feeling of her being a living, thinking being like we do in the book

a bit of nitpicking, but some of the battle scenes were a bit inconsistant, especially in TTT, between the number of combatants in the live action shots and the number in the bigger pan out shots... the forces of rohan in particular seemed to shrink and grow quite a few times

galadriel ~ more casting than visual, but she still bugs me when i watch it... just not the 'strong' elven presence i imagined

[Elanor the Fair]

I loved the feel of the movies as well. I know there were lots of things that initially annoyed me, (but mostly I just loved the movies so much) however, once I was over that I could appreciate the true beauty of the settings. I really valued the time and effort put in to make Middle Earth and its inhabitants seem so real.

The chain mail......

This amazed me so much to know that it was put together link by link out of rubber hose so that it would have the correct movement as opposed to knitted fabric - which is what is usually used. That attention to detail in the costumes was awe-inspiring. I could never tire of looking at these fantastic costumes.

[Elanor the Fair]

Originally posted by brownjenkins
i
some i didn't like:

shelob ~ looked very realistic, but a bit too much like a real big, yet normal, spider... we don't get the feeling of her being a living, thinking being like we do in the book

I agree here about Shelob. Some people who had not read the book felt a little sympathy for her when she got stabbed by Sam - a dumb creature acting only from instinct. It failed to get across the inherent evilness of her character - although I don't really see how this would have been possible to do this in the movie.

[Lizra]

Simple! She needed eyebrows to knit together and raise up and down...to show her evil emotion.

[Beor]

Whenever I hear the song Rock You Like a Hurricane, I think of Ungoliant.

I loved the visuals, they were incredible. But, I really didnt like the light in Rivendell, like Lizra said, it really took away from the scenery.

I

[Valandil]

I didn't really notice the light at Rivendell that you two mention... I LOVED the Rivendell set though. It was what I envisioned... a huge complex, yet all broken up and winding around through the hills, with lots of landscaping and outdoor areas to stop along the path. I hadn't envisioned the 'tracery-like' stone masonry - but felt it was really appropriate for Noldorin Elves.

I think they really nailed THAT location (among others). I'll watch for the 'yellow lighting' next time I view those parts.

[Elanor the Fair]

Originally posted by Lizra
Simple! She needed eyebrows to knit together and raise up and down...to show her evil emotion.

Or a voice-over - like the voice of the Wicked Witch From the West in "The Wizard of Oz".......

"I'll get you my pretty and your little friend too..."

[Elanor the Fair]

Originally posted by Valandil
I didn't really notice the light at Rivendell that you two mention... I LOVED the Rivendell set though.
I think they really nailed THAT location (among others). I'll watch for the 'yellow lighting' next time I view those parts.

I didn't notice the yellow lighting either! I, too, loved the Rivendell set, however, every time I watched the movies I thought how cold they must have been - big open rooms, the wind blowing leaves in in drifts, high ceilings, cold marble...... Those elves are a hardy bunch!!

[Lizra]

The yellow lighting is only during the council. I guess yellow is supposed to symbolize wise?

[Last Child of Ungoliant]

visuals = astounding

(short + to the point)

[Mrs Maggot]

The yellow lighting is only during the council. I guess yellow is supposed to symbolize wise?

I actually got a different impression. i thought the light was so yellow that it made everything look rather sickly… like in some modern movies where it is used to signify a lot of pollution. I thought that might represent the tension that was going on at the Council– between elves and dwarves, the presence of Boromir, and so many opinions about what should be done with the ring and so on… just my idea.

[Lizra]

Originally posted by Mrs Maggot
I actually got a different impression. i thought the light was so yellow that it made everything look rather sickly… like in some modern movies where it is used to signify a lot of pollution. I thought that might represent the tension that was going on at the Council– between elves and dwarves, the presence of Boromir, and so many opinions about what should be done with the ring and so on… just my idea.

Hmmm... interesting Mrs. M, but I still go with the golden glow of wisdom, steeped in the ages...like old pages in a book or something. We talked about the digitally enhanced colors some in another thread (the GREEN Shire etc) but I don't remember which it was.

[Elanor the Fair]

Doesn't the yellow rose symbolise jealousy?? Perhaps the yellow colour signifies the jealousy between the elves and the dwarves which is portrayed in this scene?

Or perhaps it was just filmed at sunrise and the golden glow is the rising sun!!

[Lady Ravyn]

hands down, my favortie scenes were the shots of the torches being lit in RotK those were so awesome! those are the sort of shots that remind me why i love photography so much!

[Elanor the Fair]

Originally posted by Lady Ravyn
hands down, my favortie scenes were the shots of the torches being lit in RotK those were so awesome! those are the sort of shots that remind me why i love photography so much!

I agree, of all the scenes, that was the most spectacular. I loved seeing it everytime I went to the movies. I was a little disappointed, though, when The Return Of The King came out on DVD. I watched that scene with anticipation and it is totally lost on the small screen!!!!

I will have to get a bigger television!!

[Fat middle]

I want to add my voice to Lizra's and all the others who have complianed about the Yellow Council

The good thing is that is almost the only black spot in all the visuals of the thre movies

[sun-star]

I thought the yellow light was meant to make it look autumnal... Interesting idea about wisdom though, Lizra.

I agree about the torches being lit. That shot took my breath away.

[Pytt]

oh yes! the torches! my alltime favourite scene!
its been a while since i have seen the films,so i do't remember any particulary scenes, but the argonath is marvelous.