Favorite character interpretations kinda poll thingie...

[Yazad]

Howdy Mooters!

I've been listening to the BBC radio drama of the Fellowship the past few days, and I kept asking myself whether or not I preferred this version of any given character or someone else's interpretation. I figured this might be an interesting thing for people who to sound off on. I'm always curious about what folk's feelings are.

Anyway, as it is we have four dramatic interpretations of FotR to choose from unless I'm mighty mistook.

1. The Mind's Eye radio drama
2. The BBC Radio Drama
3. The Bakshi film
4. The Jackson film

I've worked out my favorite for each character (reserving the right to change my mind at a moment's notice). If anyone else is interested, please chime in. Also, please state if you haven't experienced any of the above versions. Keeping in mind, they're just your opinions on any given character/situation, and that each of the above is a distinct piece art, and so each is going to treat every character/situation differently. You're, of course, welcome to add new categories too. Your judgements should extend only as far as FotR goes (no fair thinking ahead as Jackson can't compete with your favor deigned from TT of X,Y or Z, and Bakshi can't compete with RotK.).

- Yazad opinions -

Gandalf: Mind's Eye (very close Jackson runner-up. Very close, maybe a tie)
Bilbo: Mind's Eye
Frodo: Bakshi
Sam: BBC
Pippin: Mind's Eye
Merry: Bakshi
Legolas: Mind's Eye
Gimli: Mind's Eye
Strider: Bakshi
Boromir: Jackson
Saruman: BBC
Gollum: Jackson
Elrond: Bakshi
Galadriel: BBC
Balrog: Jackson
Nazgul: Bakshi
Voices of the Nazgul: Bakshi
Orcs: Jackson

Favorite dramatic script (screenplay): Bakshi
Overall favorite Fellowship presentation: Mind's Eye

[Darth Tater]

I'd give my award for everyone but Galadriel and Saruman to PJ's actors. Those two I prefer the BBC versions of.

[Luthien Tinuviel]

*grins sheepishly* I shouldn't even be replying to this, seeing as the only one i have seen/heard is PJ's LOTR, so I cast my vote for all of PJ's actors. (but i have a sneaky suspicious feeling i would vote for PJ's actors, even if i had heard the others)

[Laurelyn]

I'm with Luthien Tinuviel on this one- I've only seen/heard PJ's FotR, so I can't really vote.
Yazad: you seemed to like the Bakshi film a lot . . . which is interesting, cuz all the other ppl I know who have seen that disliked it.

[Yazad]

Laurelyn, Yeah, I think maybe I just tend to go against the flow or something, 'cause most people hate the Bakshi film and the Mind's Eye radio drama, and I just can't understand it (even after they've explained themselves!).

Maybe it's just because I grew up listening/watching them so they're now part of my conciousness. There are certainly large problems with both of them, but I still prefer them to the BBC radio drama and the Jackson film (though I do believe they're all fantastic!).

I just managed to get hold of a first draft of the Bakshi screenplay. It's very interesting. I've only just started reading it, but it's kinda told backwards by Merry and Pippin as they relate it to Treebeard. Tom Bombadil and the Barrow Wights also make an appearance, I was surprised to see, and in a clever way that doesn't take much time. Still it's convoluted and might have irked people as much as leaving them out.

Sorry slightly off topic :)

Yazad

[Agburanar]

The radio play was definately better. The onlt character I really liked in the film was Bilbo, and he was in the radio play as well which just proves how he IS the genuine hobbit! Elijah wood and co. were pants pants pants, big spotty pants!

[jerseydevil]

I didn't like most of Jackson's interpretations of the characters. But other than the Bakshi film - I haven't listened to the others. I didn't like JP's Gandalf. Your selections for the Balrog - I loved him. gullum from what we saw, Borormir and the orcs - I agree I liked all them. I'm not sure if I really liked the Uruk-hai that much though - I guess I'll have to see in TT when they have more screen time.

I did think that Sean Astin did a pretty good job as Sam and I thought Elijah Wood made a pretty good Frodo (except for the "death" scenes and the Flight to the Ford).

[barrelrider110]

I can only compare Bakshi's version, Jackson's movie, and my mind's eye. Also one more- the Rankin-Bass animated versions of the Hobbit and Return of the King.

I prefered Bakshi's Gandalf and Sam Gamgee to Jackson's. On the whole, Jackson did a much better job with the evil characters like the black riders, orcs and Balrog, except Boromir. Boromir in Viking garb- oh please, spare me! So far, In my humble opinion, nobody has done a good job with Strider.

This thread has made me curious about the radio versions. Thanks Yazad!

[Yazad]

Hello!

I'm glad to hear you're interested, Barrelrider, in the radio dramas. Good luck with them. Most people adore the BBC version and despise the Mind's Eye one. I've listened to the former twice and the latter scores of times, so simple exposure may have biased me. Still I just listened to the climactic scene at Mt. Doom from the BBC version on the way into work today, and there's no way anyone who wasn't in-the-know would have any clue what was going on until after the fact when the characters say, "Oh, now Gollum's gone for good, he fell into the fire" type of thing (Same with the Balrog scene). I'm flying in the face of popular opinion here, but I think the BBC version is somewhat poorly adapted, is overly melodramatic, is often confusing, is too sing-songy and often lacks passion. All that said, it's got a wonderful production and some great acting, and the only accurate to my tastes representation of Saruman I've seen or heard.

Most complaints about the Mind's Eye version are with the production and the actors. But still, on the whole, I think it is the best of them. If you can ignore Gandalf's absurd sounding magic, Sam's whiny voice (which eventually you get used to) and Frodo and Aragorn's mediocre acting, it ends up being rather good, IMO. Oh and Gildor and Company's absurd voices. The adaptation by Bernard Mayes (who plays Gandalf) is very good, I think, and sticks closest to the books, including Gildor, Maggot, Tom and the Barrow Wights. But, as I've said before, the real gem is Gail Chugg as the narrator (he also plays Gimli and Gollum). He is absolutely brilliant and does the best reading of some of the passages I've ever heard.

I think that also a lot of the vitriol which is thrown on this production comes because it sounds distinctively American. Much of the English feel is lost, the songs, the accents, etc. The electric guitar sound (bass, actually) might also irritate people. I think it's interesting. I've come to like the music, but I can see why others dislike it.

Regardless, and as ever, I suggest you watch and listen to everything and make your own judgements (assuming you can afford to do so!). Also I'll add another plug for the Recorded Books, Inc., unabridged readings by Rob Inglis. These are often available through public libraries in the States and can be bought through internet retailers (or rented through Recorded Books).

...more discussion...

I also liked Bakshi's Gandalf and Sam. It's a close run between Bakshi and the BBC for Sam. I personally think that Jackson played it too safe with Sam and he and Frodo seem as just friends. I didn't get much of a sense of Sam's dedication to his master. I liked Jackson's Gandalf, 'cause it was neat to see him played so tough, for the most part, although I don't think I've seen a Gandalf I didn't like. He's definitely a character which different artists can interpret differently, but which most of them make interesting. Still I liked the Mind's Eye version the best, 'cause he's the Gandalf I'd most like to have as my friend, tough and gentle with a sense of humor and a cool sounding voice.

There wasn't much Gollum in FotR, so it's tough to judge, but I think he was played very well (and looks cool) in Jackson's version. It'll be interesting to see how he develops (and holds up - he's got stiff competition - in the next film, I like the Gollum from all the dramatizations. The Rankin Bass mutated-frog version is a bit tough to stomach, but at least he's different and interesting..)

I didn't include the Rankin-Bass films in the judging because I was concentrating only on the characters' exposure in FotR. If I was to consider the R&B versions, the only characters who I think could be contenders might be Eowyn, Gandalf and maybe Bilbo, though I doubt any would be favored over the representations already available. Other than Eowyn I wasn't overly impressed with much from those films (she somehow stands out in my mind, though). Still, I'm very glad they were done, and they do kinda give me warm-fuzzies of a sort when I watch them because they remind me of childhood.

While I give Jackson the Balrog (far and away!), I think Bakshi's Nazgul are much cooler than Jackson's. Just my opinion of course, but I think they are more frightening, more sinister, and less "real". In the Ford scene (and on weathertop) they are truly terrifying. There are a couple scenes where the witch king just kinda lifts himself up in the horse and moves a bit when calling to Frodo, which is mesmerizing.

Yeah, the viking get-up is silly for Boromir, but I think he does a good job, and seems tougher in the Bakshi version. I still like Sean Bean better, but I much prefer the death sequence in the Bakshi version. It's painful and powerful. Hopefully many shots will be restored on the FotR DVD and we'll see Boromir in a bit tougher light. I didn't like the representation of Strider as a better fighter than Boromir.

Ack, I write to much (avoiding work, I guess).

Yazad

[Aragorn_iz_cool]

This is rather off topic, but why are you all refering to Aragorn as Strider? Only the hobbits call him that in the books. Bakshi is the cartoon, right. I only saw the first part of it, up to Gandalf arriving at Helms Deep. Sam isn't supposed to be that ugly!!! PJ's film was better with all charactors except Elrond.