I'm just LotR/Frodo obsessed, applying it even to twentieth century prison movies....
Tonight, as a change of pace, I did not hang out on the internet (until now) but watched a film of my husband's choice with him. (Later I will be finishing Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with our daughter.)
We watched the very well-known American film, The Shawshank Redemption.
SPOILERS
The Shawshank Redemption was released in 1994, starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. I have always heard of this film, but never have seen it. It's about a young man (played by Tim Robbins), a talented and well-off banker, who is wrongly sent to prison for killing his adulterous wife and her lover. He spends twenty years there, finding enemies (not just among the brutal guards but among the gang-rape-happy inmates, who are not your typical, jolly LotR fanfic guys -- except in the really dark stuff), but also finding friends, such as lifer Morgan Freeman. Robbins's character endures a great deal and learns a great deal (bad and good), until, finally, he makes his break and escapes.
My first thought was how much 1994 Tim Robbins reminded me of 1995 Colin Firth. "He could be Colin Firth's less handsome brother," I exclaimed. And, do you know, my husband actually agreed with me. "Yeah, he reminds me of Colin Firth, too." 1995 was the year the BBC released Pride and Prejudice *huge sappy grin*. No wonder I immediately warmed to Tim Robbins in his Shawshank role (considering I am a Darcy and Valmont swooner).
But, more seriously (but, perhaps, just as ridiculously), the whole time I was watching The Shawshank Redemption, I was comparing and contrasting it to LotR.
"Hey, this is just as if Frodo (Tim Robbins) had been captured by the Orcs and then made to serve time in their prisons! Why, Frodo, too, would have earned a higher place in their favour because of his learning, which would be found valuable to his captors! But, then, like Tim Robbins, Frodo would end up using all that he had gained to help his friends, especially by giving them a sense of hope by his example."
This seemed to be reinforced by the fact that when Tim Robbins's character escaped, where was he headed? To the West! (to Mexico, however, not to the Grey Havens). BUT, Tim Robbins was headed to Mexico, to the West, because of the blue Pacific, where (Robbins's character sighed), "all that had happened could be forgotten," and he would be able to begin a new life -- even after all that he had suffered.
I know this is terribly obsessive of me, but although I watched and enjoyed the film for itself, the whole while I was also thinking of it applied to Frodo, and to Frodo's story and fate.
Does this happen to any of you, watching films or reading books, that, on their surface, have nothing to do with Frodo of the Shire?
~ Mechtild
We watched the very well-known American film, The Shawshank Redemption.
SPOILERS
The Shawshank Redemption was released in 1994, starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. I have always heard of this film, but never have seen it. It's about a young man (played by Tim Robbins), a talented and well-off banker, who is wrongly sent to prison for killing his adulterous wife and her lover. He spends twenty years there, finding enemies (not just among the brutal guards but among the gang-rape-happy inmates, who are not your typical, jolly LotR fanfic guys -- except in the really dark stuff), but also finding friends, such as lifer Morgan Freeman. Robbins's character endures a great deal and learns a great deal (bad and good), until, finally, he makes his break and escapes.
My first thought was how much 1994 Tim Robbins reminded me of 1995 Colin Firth. "He could be Colin Firth's less handsome brother," I exclaimed. And, do you know, my husband actually agreed with me. "Yeah, he reminds me of Colin Firth, too." 1995 was the year the BBC released Pride and Prejudice *huge sappy grin*. No wonder I immediately warmed to Tim Robbins in his Shawshank role (considering I am a Darcy and Valmont swooner).
But, more seriously (but, perhaps, just as ridiculously), the whole time I was watching The Shawshank Redemption, I was comparing and contrasting it to LotR.
"Hey, this is just as if Frodo (Tim Robbins) had been captured by the Orcs and then made to serve time in their prisons! Why, Frodo, too, would have earned a higher place in their favour because of his learning, which would be found valuable to his captors! But, then, like Tim Robbins, Frodo would end up using all that he had gained to help his friends, especially by giving them a sense of hope by his example."
This seemed to be reinforced by the fact that when Tim Robbins's character escaped, where was he headed? To the West! (to Mexico, however, not to the Grey Havens). BUT, Tim Robbins was headed to Mexico, to the West, because of the blue Pacific, where (Robbins's character sighed), "all that had happened could be forgotten," and he would be able to begin a new life -- even after all that he had suffered.
I know this is terribly obsessive of me, but although I watched and enjoyed the film for itself, the whole while I was also thinking of it applied to Frodo, and to Frodo's story and fate.
Does this happen to any of you, watching films or reading books, that, on their surface, have nothing to do with Frodo of the Shire?
~ Mechtild