Even More Hobbitary Commentary

*Warning!  Writing about this subject is difficult to do without dropping spoilers.  I've tried the best I can to avoid giving anything big and important away, but please forgive me if I accidentally give something away, or make what I'm trying to avoid too obvious.  But, if you remember the details from the Hobbit book, you shouldn't have a problem.*

6. Thorin's Grudge

Needless to say, I think Thorin's grudge against the Elves is, well, unhealthy.

It's been eating at his mind for who knows how long.  About 2 minutes of the 8-10 minute intro consist of what happens to him and his people after the Elves refuse to help them.  One of my favorite 2-second clips in An Unexpected Journey happens because the Elves refused to help them.  And that 2-second clip happens to be accompanied by the last words of Bilbo's narration; "[Thorin] never forgave, and he never forgot."  Ouch.

But, think about it.  What does being angry at someone for years accomplish?  Thorin can vent his anger all he wants.  He can think of all the nasty things he wants to say to that Elf King all day and all night.  He can imagine squashing the Elf King as he works at his anvil (in the aforementioned 2-second clip).  But, what is he accomplishing?  Nothing.  Zip.  Nada.  It just makes him angrier and effects his judgement and personality.

First and foremost, trying to get him to see reason becomes a real chore, which would explain why Gandalf gets so frustrated with him.

Second, if you've read The Hobbit and watched the 1st movie, you just know the Elf King guy is going to come back into the story.  You just know they're going to have a conversation that goes somewhere along the lines of;

Elf King: Why were you trespassing in my woods?

Thorin: (tersely) Why didn't you help my people when Erebor was attacked?

Elf King: Do not waste my time, Dwarf.  Are you going to tell me what you were doing in my woods or not?

Thorin: You betrayed my grandfather, and my father.  I'm not going to tell you anything.

They have a conversation in the book when Thorin is captured by the elves (while Bilbo is busy rescuing the other 12 dwarves from their episode with the giant spiders).  Only, their book-conversation  is mostly the Elf King trying to get answers, and Thorin using the traditional if not partially cliched broken record answer, "We were starving".  Which was true.  Supplies had run short.  They'd stupidly left the path and gotten hopelessly lost in the woods.  They were literally starving.  And probably would have too, if they hadn't been captured.

However, somehow, I'm having a hard time imaging the Richard Armitage Throin using this excuse.  However, I'm also having a hard time imagining Martin Freeman running around, singing a nonsensical   song while he stabs spiders.  We shall see in December.

In any event, weeks (book-wise) or possibly days (movie-wise) could have been avoided if Thorin hadn't had a grudge (movie-wise), and if Elves and Dwarves had gotten along to begin with (book-wise).

From a filmmaker's perspective, I can kind of understand why they gave Thorin an Elf-grudge.  It's a subplot in and of itself.  It effects his actions, his decisions, and pretty much everything else.  It gives him and the Elf King more to talk about when they eventually meet up in Mirkwood.  It gives him more of a reason to resent the Elves showing up for the Battle of Five Armies (which I've calculated might actually turn into the Battle of Seven or Eight Armies).  And, it gives him a larger character change reversal thing when he decides to fight with the Elves against the Orcs, Goblins, Wargs, and whatever other bad critters who show up to join in the battle.

As a storyteller and writer, and as a human living in a broken world, I can understand why Thorin would hold a grudge.  He's been wronged (I think we can all agree on this point).  It is a natural human response to want revenge.  Revenge generally isn't the best idea, but if you're Thorin, your home has been stolen, your grandfather's allies have betrayed you, and you're accompanied by a narration that ends, "He never forgave, and he never forgot", (not to mention the line in the Neil Finn song that plays during the end credits of the first movie, "Some kinds we never forgive."), forgiving and forgetting can be very difficult, and revenge seems really appealing.

But, it is arguable, at least movie-wise, that if Thorin had somehow managed to forgive the Elves sooner, he might have been King Under the Mountain a lot longer.  His grudge has literal, physical, irreversible consequences for Thorin and the rest of his companions, and even his kingdom he's been fighting so hard to get back.

In real life, here on planet earth, where Elves and Hobbits are just figments of our imagination (and actors on the television), we teach our kids that holding a grudge is unhealthy.  God very clearly tells us to forgive and forget (very easily said for us humans, but not at all easy for us humans to do).

The same holds true for Thorin, fantasy character in fantasy land in fantasy book turned movie though he be.  His grudge is emotionally unhealthy and gets him no where.  Except, maybe, six feet underground.

More Hobbitary Commentary

* For the first three points of my Hobbitary Commentary, please see previous Hobbitary Commentary posts. * 

4. Thrain, Thorin's Dad 

Why do we even care about this Thrain guy?  He shows up once in the movie, and is briefly mentioned in the book.  So, why am I bringing him up?

Because, I think we can learn a lot about Thorin from his dad, or his dad's absence thereof.

I kinda get the impression that Thrain isn't the most emotionally stable guy on the planet.  

In the 8-10 minute Hobbit intro, when we are introduced to Thror, Thrain, and Thorin, we see Thrain standing respectfully before the throne of his father (Thror).  But, where's Thorin?  Thorin's standing next to the king's throne.  We can talk about family devotion all we want, but when Smaug attacks and Thror goes into his treasure chamber and loses the Arkenstone, is it his dear son Thrain who drags him out (kicking and screaming though he is) and rescues him from Smaug?  Nope.  Thrain is mysteriously absent from the scene.  The hero is Thorin.  He's not about to let his gold-happy grandaddy die a needless death at the fiery breath of a dragon like Smaug.

Another, more gory and disturbing, example of this relationship is the Moria battle flashback (by the way, this battle and Thror's encounter with Azog are referenced in Tolkien's The Hobbit book).  Thror comes face to face with Azog, who for one reason or another is on a mission to destroy the line of the Durin (the ancestor of Thror, Thrain, and Thorin).  As Balin describes, he begins by beheading Thror.  

Thrain's reaction: go insane, get captured by orcs, and never be seen again...

Thorin's reaction: scream "NO!" in slow motion, attack Azog, cut off Pale Orc's arm, then lead army in a final charge on Moria.

From this evidence, who do you think is a better candidate to be the next King Under the Mountain?

Here's another interesting thing regarding Thorin's dad:  After the Smaug battle, Bilbo is narrating, and clearly says (paraphrasing) the young dwarf prince worked among the race of men to provide for himself.  There's no mention of Thrain.  No one rallied behind Thrain after this event.  Bilbo never mentions "Thorin and Thrain did this" or "Thrain and Thorin did that".  Nope.  Thorin's literally on his own.  Wouldn't surprise me at all if Thrain had a nervous breakdown, which then forced Thorin to become "man of the house".

Thorin (Hobbit, 2012), Katniss (Hunger Games, 2012), and Ree Dolly (Winter's Bone, 2010) need to get together for Starbucks.  They have so much in common.

In fact, Thorin only mentions his father once while arguing with Gandalf about seeking help from Elrond.  "The Elves didn't help my grandfather…or my father."  (more on this later)  When Azog shows up at the end of the movie, he [Azog] says of Thrain, "I remember [Thorin's] father reeked of [fear]".  But, when Thorin faces off with Azog several minutes later, he says nothing about "You killed my dad!" or "What did you do to my dad?"  No, if anything, I think he's trying to avenge Thror's death.

And, when all is said and done, Balin makes his (I think it should be famous) line: "There is one who I could follow.  There is one who I could call King" (at least, I think that's the line).  But, he's not talking about Thrain.  He really doesn't have anything to say about Thrain other than the fact that he's Thorin's dad and that he goes insane after Thror's murder.  Balin is talking about Thorin.  

I have very little doubt that Thror raised Thorin, and had some legal document in place that would bypass Thrain, and give the Kingdom directly to Thorin.

That's my opinion, anyway.

- Updated May 22, 2013 - 

Some have raised the question, "Why did Azog say that Thorin's father reeked of fear?"

It's a good question, and one that is actually easily answered.

Some animals in the natural world can sense certain emotions, like fear.

This seems to be true in fantasy worlds (like Middle Earth), as well.

Although Azog is not your typical animal, he also isn't entirely human.  He's actually more of a half-elf, half-goblin creature (there's a long story about that, which you can hear summarized in The Fellowship of the Ring movie).  So, taking into consideration that Orcs and goblins are technically intelligent fantasy creatures, it would be natural to assume that they possess the animalistic ability to sense certain emotions.  Such as fear.

The scene where Azog makes that statement is also the scene when we sorta kinda find out what happened to Thorin's dad.

"I remember he reeked of it" is very telling if you think about it.  The fact that Azog "remembers" this indicates that Thrain was, at one time, taken prisoner by Azog and the Orcs.  Azog also makes this statement in the past tense - "I remember he reeked of it".  Taking into consideration that Azog is on a quest to rid Thorin of his head, and what he says about Thrain (mainly the "I remember" part), I think we can safely assume that Azog beheaded Thrain.

So, maybe my earlier statement about Thorin not fighting Azog to avenge the death of his father was wrong.  Emotionally unstable or not, Thrain was still his father, so there was probably a bond between them.  A bond which is apparently enough to drive Thorin to take revenge on Azog not only for the death of Thror, but also for Thrain.

The "reeked of fear" line is also telling regarding Thrain.  Just the fact that Azog remembers him reeking of fear indicates that Thrain was pretty terrified during his captivity to the Orcs (however short).  I think this is also evidence of Thrain's emotional instability.  In fact, Balin flat out says that Thror's death during the Moria Battle drove Thrain insane.  That grief-stricken insanity could be enough to explain why Thrain would have been a little more terrified of the Orcs than Thorin appears to be when he faces off with Azog at the end of the 1st Hobbit movie.  Whether or not Thrain was emotionally unstable before the Moria Battle is still questionable, but any prior instability definitely would have added to the situation.  Either way, this would explain Azog's memory of Thrain "reeking" of fear.

5. Seven Rings for the Dwarf Lords

However, we can sorta kinda forgive Thrain, when we take into consideration his connection to the Ring.

Oh, yes, Thrain and Thorin are connected to the Ring.  Albeit indirectly.

During the Council of Elrond, Gandalf reveals another detail about Thrain that we didn't already know from reading The Hobbit.  Thror was a bearer of one of the 7 Rings that were given to the Dwarf Kings way back in the days before the One Ring was forged.  Thror gave it to Thrain.  But, that Ring never came to Thorin.

Why?

Thrain somehow managed to end up in Dol Guldor (aka the pre-Mordor fortress of Sauron - yes, Sauron was around back then).  We don't get all the gory details, but we are told that the Ring was taken from Thrain in Dol Guldor by Sauron (or someone appointed by Sauron).  We know that Thrain had suffered in Dol Guldor.  He was eventually rescued by Gandalf, but even Gandalf "came to late".  But, he wasn't Gandalf the White back then.  But, we don't know exactly when all of this happened.

So, if the Dol Guldor episode occurred before the Smaug attack, we can better understand why Thrain seems to be emotionally unstable, and why Thror probably had to raise Thorin.  

As stated earlier, one of the many reasons Thorin doesn't like Elves is "The Elves didn't help my grandfather…or my father."  This is the point in which I may be reading a lot into the context of the line, so please proceed with caution.  Since Thrain never actually got his sticky paws on the Kingdom of Erebor, what help could the Elves have lended him?  Financial help after the Smaug attack?  I kinda doubt it.  Taking into consideration what Gandalf said about him having been, at one time, captured by Sauron and held prisoner in Dol Guldor, could it be that Thorin is referencing this incident in that line "or my father"?  Could the Elves have intervened to help Thrain or somehow have kept him from getting captured by Sauron?  Since there is no evidence for this in the book or in the 1st Hobbit movie, we may never really know.  

But, none of this stuff about the Dwarf Ring really comes into play in The Hobbit.  

Hobbitary Commentary (Con't)

* For the first two points of my Hobbitary Commentary, please see previous Hobbitary Commentary post. * 

3. Thorin

Another LMT Award goes to Richard Armitage for his performance as Thorin Oakenshield!
        I have many thoughts about our friend Thorin.

First and foremost, I love the guy in the movie, but I hate him in the book.

This rarely happens to me.

In the book, I was like, "Okay, Thorin Oakenshield.  Moving on..."  He drives me crazy in the book.

But, after seeing the movie, I really want him to succeed.  That's a first.  He's got another 7-8 hours of screen time before the end, but I already miss him.  However, it is my assumption that he will "die" at the end of each and every Hobbit movie (he's already gotten started).

Here are the reasons I like Thorin better in the movie:

1. There's more depth to his character.

In the book, he's just the somewhat terse leader of the company.  I get the impression he justifies being the way he is because he is, after all, the rightful King Under the Mountain.  And, when things go wrong, he immediately points a finger at Bilbo.  "Where's the burglar when we need him???"

In the movie, he's actually got a backstory.  He's got...emotions (wow!).  He's a real guy.  Short, yes, but real.  We, as the audience, get to see the 8-10 minute intro detailing the dragon attack that forced Thorin and his people to flee Erebor (if that didn't emotionally scar him, then he's not realistic).  We see the Elves refuse to lend aid to the fleeing Dwarves, so we (sorta kinda) understand Thorin's long-held grudge (more on this later).  We get a fully narrated visual of the Moria battle (not in the book, by the way) during which his grandfather, Thror, is murdered (more on this later as well).

This is why I think Richard Armitage should get an award for this performance: We, the audience, can see — at all times throughout the whole film — the pain of homelessness and betrayal on the young dwarves prince's face.  Mr. Armitage portrays a Thorin who is constantly haunted by the memories of the Smaug attack and the battle at Moria.  You can see it gnawing at his mind through ever inch of his performance.  When he's in Bilbo's home detailing the plans, the pain is still there.  When they're fighting off goblins, orcs, trolls, and whatever else they fight off, the pain is still there.  Even when they're running across the rocky field to get away from the orcs, the pain is still there.  In every close up, I could see a guy who grew up way to fast, who has seen way more cruelty in life than he should have.  Cruelty at being driven from Erebor by Smaug and being betrayed by the Elves.

I am also willing to submit that I think his mother died in the Smaug attack.  There is no evidence for this in the book or the movie, but we never hear about her, so I have to assume the worst...

2. He doesn't seem as stuck up.

My main reason for saying this is an incident that occurs while everyone is gathered in Bilbo's now very crowded Hobbit Hole.  During a conversation about the best way to approach Erebor, and how to enter it (since the front doors have been sealed off by Smaug), Gandalf reveals a key, which he then gives to Thorin.  

Thorin, completely shocked and a little awed by this revalation, asks, "How came you by this?"

To which Gandalf explains (paraphrasing) "your grandfather, Thror, gave it to Thrain, who then gave it to me, and I'm now giving it to you."

In the book, Thorin (regarding both the key and a map of The Lonely Mountain he's never seen before) has the senior citizen equivalent of a temper tantrum.  "[...] Apparently, they [his father and grandfather] made a map, and I should like to know how Gandalf got hold of it, and why it did not come down to me, the rightful heir?" (The Hobbit, 29)  If he'd started yelling, "They're mine, I tell you!  Give them to me!  They're my own!  My preciouses!" I would not have been at all surprised.

In the movie, Thorin just stares in shock and awe and takes the key from Gandalf, while everyone else watches in equal amounts of awe, and backed by some very dramatic Howard Shore music.

Later, Thorin and Balin are talking, and Balin says something along the lines of, "You don't have to do this."  To which Thorin responds, "From my grandfather to my father, this [key] has come to me[….]  There is no choice.  Not for me."  He says nothing about the fact that the key was withheld from him for who knows how long.  The only indication he gives at being irritated by this is when he and Gandalf are arguing about seeking refuge and help from Elrond, and Gandalf says, "I didn't give you that map and key so that you could hold onto the past", and Thorin snaps back, "I didn't know they were yours to keep."

3. He's WAY younger in the movie.

Let's just admit it.  It's hard to identify with an older, wrinklier, whiter haired Thorin.  Making Thorin look (at least) a little younger, especially at the time of the Smaug attack, really helps the audience (who are primarily younger LOTR fans and their children) identify with him more.

Okay, so reason #3 may be a little ridiculous, but that's seriously a factor for me.

Hobbitary Commentary - My Thoughts on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey was a pleasant surprise for me.  Director Peter Jackson did an amazing job of keeping the movie spot on to the book, to the point that I can actually forgive him for the subplot he added (the whole thing about being chased by Azog, the Pale Orc, is not in the Hobbit book by J. R. R. Tolkien).  I had little hope for what will end up being The Hobbit Trilogy by 2014 after what Mr. Jackson did to the LOTR trilogy (a book-to-movie adaption that made me cry for lack of accuracy).  Mr. Jackson has now regained my trust with the first part of The Hobbit trilogy (and I better not be disappointed by parts 2 or 3, Mr. Jackson).

As a film major and Christian (and avid LOTR fan), I have decided to share my thoughts about The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey with you.  Due to the amount of thoughts I have about this film, I will probably post my various points one (or two) at a time.  So, here we go...

*Caveats*

I am not responsible for any confusion on your part.  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, please ask me, or someone you know, or go read the book or watch the movie[s].

If you don't remember anything about the movie or the book, I reference the Hobbit and LOTR books and movies here.  This may refresh your memory.

If you haven't read the book or seen the movie, I pity you.

If you are not a Tolkien fan, I forgive you.  But, I still pity you.

For those of you who don't remember anything about The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, the Peter Jackson LOTR Trilogy, or The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, there are spoilers here.  If you don't like spoilers, I'm sorry.  Just don't read it (go read the book!).  If you're okay with spoilers (as I am), then please proceed.

1. Who is the Protagonist?

As much as I love Mr. Baggins (an LMT Award goes to Martin Freeman for his performance as Bilbo), I have to conclude that Thorin is, in fact, the protagonist of The Hobbit.  

Why?

The story is told from Bilbo's perspective, so it is natural to assume that Bilbo is the protagonist of the story.  

Here's the issue with that assumption: Bilbo's only plan is to live through this crazy adventure and go home.  Thorin's the one who has a plan.  "We're going to reclaim Erebor from Smaug".

Since I've been scarred by my screenwriting class, I will now give you the first few points of a storyteller analysis with both possible protagonists:

Bilbo - 

Problem: Has been selected to join dwarves on adventure.

Protagonist: Bilbo Baggins

Plan: The protagonist is trying to complete quest with little to no damage and go home.

Thorin - 

Problem: Erebor has been stolen by evil dragon, and dwarves don't have a home.

Protagonist: Thorin Oakenshield

Plan: The protagonist is trying to reclaim Erebor from evil dragon.

The problem I have with Bilbo being the protagonist is that there's really nothing much at stake for him.  He'll return to Bag End and live a happy life.  "And he lived happily ever after to the end of his days" is how he tells Gandalf he's going to end his book.

 There's more at stake for Thorin.

This is his home we're talking about.  His home was stolen.  His people were murdered.  Thorin, grandson of the King Under the Mountain, is reduced to manual labor among the race of men just to provide for himself (since we all naturally assume he never married).  The failure of this mission means his people will forever be bereaved of their home in The Lonely Mountain.  Not to mention, he and his companions could all be killed by Smaug.

So, now that we've established the protagonist, let's move on...

2. What's the Deal with the Dwarves?

Okay, back up just a bit.
First, who are the dwarves?
I'll do my best to group them according to relation...
Thorin, of course.
Dwalin and Balin
Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur
Fili and Kili
Dori, Nori, Ori
Oin and Gloin
So, what is that?  13.
And then Bilbo Baggins is the 14th member of the company, because Dwarves are apparently superstitious about the number 13.  If they're that nervous about it, then why is the 2nd movie opening in theatres on Friday, the 13th of December?  (dun dun dun)
All you superstitious people who go to the midnight premiere, let me know how that goes.
Anyway...

Now, some of you may have seen the 1st Hobbit movie and were like, "How can I tell these crazy dwarves apart?"  Even after seeing the movie three times, I still haven't got them all down.  But, here are some helpful hints:

Thorin is, of course, the leader, and he's got some kind of animal fur over his shoulders.

Bombur is the big, rolly, polly guy with the long, circular braided beard.

Bofur is the guy with the gray hat that makes him look like Pippi Longstocking.

Balin is, notably, the oldest and, therefore, has the whitest hair and beard.

Dwalin is the tall, bald guy with the tattoos on his head.

Ori is the skinny guy, who the Goblin King refers to as "the youngest", which technically isn't accurate because Kili and Fili and actually the youngest in the book.

Kili has dark brown hair (shoulder length), doesn't really have a beard, and uses a bow and arrows.

Fili has kind of lighter brown/dark blonde hair and a shorter beard (the sides of which are kinda braided).

Those are the ones I remember.  There's still Bifur, Nori, Dori, Oin, and Gloin to figure out.  Have fun!

If you're at all familiar with The Lord of the Rings, then some of these names might sound familiar to you.  That's because they actually do pop up once in a while, at least in The Fellowship of the Ring.
But, just in case you've forgotten (or haven't read the LOTR books), here's a refresher:

In the Fellowship, when the Company finds Balin's tomb in Moria right before being attacked by orcs and the whole episode with the Balrog (another LMT Award goes to Ian McKellen for that performance — it's hard facing off to a computer animated foe in a computer animated cave), that's the same Balin who was in The Hobbit.  After the Hobbit (some 55-72 years later), Balin and a company of dwarves (which includes some of the 13 dwarves from the Hobbit) manage to retake Moria from the orcs and other critters who had overrun the place.  Balin then sets himself up as King of Moria, and rules for roughly 5 years, before he met an untimely end at the end of an Orc arrow.  And thus another battle ensued, and the dwarves were all killed.  Some years later, Frodo and his 8 companions will discover this while journeying in Moria.

At the Council of Elrond (also in The Fellowship), Gloin is present, one of the few dwarves who happen to be at the there.  Along with him is his son, Gimli.  I know, readers of the books always hear him referred to as "Gimli, son of Gloin" or "Gimli, Gloin's son", but sometimes we forget that we already knew Gloin from Bilbo's adventures, albeit a long time ago.

Okay, that's about as much about the Dwarves as you need to know.

As for why there had to be 13 of them, your guess is as good as mine.

About Me and My Blog

Well, here I am, ready and willing to share my crazy thoughts about movies and other things media related.  :)

A little bit about me:

I'm a film major, so I have some knowledge about movies and the process of making movies.

I'm a Christian, and I believe that Jesus Christ is my Savior.  I will try to find and share Christian morals/messages in the media I review.

I'm a book-to-movie purist, which is a term I created for "I believe that a movie adaption of a book or other piece of media should stray very, very, VERY little (if at all) from the original source".  This may seem extreme, but in some cases (Eragon and The Hunger Games for example) there are many unhappy fans who have been disappointed because the story was so distorted.

In my posts on book-to-movie adaptions, I will more than likely reference the book and the movie materials together.

Also, I do occasionally drop movie/book spoilers, for which I apologize.  I'll do my best to warn you beforehand so that you don't find out anything you don't want to know about an unseen movie/book.

Oh, and one more thing:  Every so often, I give out my own little "awards" for performances, directing, or music which I find praise-worthy.  These LMT Awards (LynZ Media Thoughts Awards) aren't really legit awards, so - if you're the actor, director, or composer I "award" - don't expect to get anything in the mail.  If anything, these "awards" should just boost your self-esteem, because a Christian film major you've never met thinks your acting/directing/music/etc. is impressive.

Okay, that's about all you really need to know about me and my blog.  I hope you enjoy my thoughts.  :)

~LynZ