Mostly LotR rambling. Also, my first poll. Getting to know y'all through the lens of Middle-earth.
Until a few hours ago, the only thing I'd eaten today was moist, dense, fluffy, wonderful chocolate cake with delicious white frosting for a long, late, languid brunch, while discussing LotR minutia. It was SO GOOD. And very, very filling. We could have rolled home.
Then I got back, watched the latest SPN episode, mentally forehead-flicked Sera Gamble, and let it go. It will be what it will be, and I'll remember to just enjoy it for what it is. Meanwhile, I have fic like this touching on Sam in ways the season should be, although that also makes me sad since I've never had to say things like that before. Hopefully the needed tweaks will occur forthwith and we can get back to watching something that matters in more than an existential way.
Enough of that. Lord of the Rings is a mindblowingly good piece of moviemaking and storytelling. Watching it with a bunch of nerds who have not only watched it multiple times but are conversant/obsessed with the books is a truly delightful experience. Watching it with ubelievably good, solid food, culminating with sitting around on the kitchen tiles eating chocolate cake at midnight before the last push with the last disc of Return of the King, is simply transcendent.
It's been a year since last time I did this, and I have a greater appreciation for story itself, and there's more rawness in my life right now. All these things contributed to my being able to simply sink into the story unfolding in front of me, to feel the depths and currents often only hinted at. It's been a while since I read the books, but there was always something very reserved about them, to my mind. Or maybe that's me not being able to easily delve into the subtextual heart and soul of stories, at the time I was reading them. Having the story embodied onscreen is a much more visceral experience; this time around, I especially noticed the echoes of WW1 warfare throughout each thread. I mean, it's medieval in form, but tonally Tolkien's experience in the trenches saturates it.
This is one of the reasons I just love Boromir. He was Gondor's greatest battle captain for generations. All his life he has waged war against the darkest power in the land, fighting to protect his people, losing so many men. He knows what Mordor's armies do to those they capture; he knows what Mordor is like on the inside. (Not saying he was captured and tortured in Mordor. Hold off on the whump-bunnies, everyone.) Just saying, he's been toe-to-toe with the enemy all his life. We see only the very last act in a long story of valour, sacrifice, desperation and despair. The weight he carries is terrible, and he can't share it. And finally, at his death, it is his love and loyalty to his people that engages Aragorn's, and determines his taking up his responsibility as king. Making fun of Boromir for being a crybaby (which some do, and I was rather sharp with them about it) is just about equivalent to making fun of Dean for being a crybaby. Technically I guess it's true, if you have no concept or no respect for what they've done and gone through.
I can never quite decide if he or Éomer is my absolute favourite character. Boromir is more conflicted, but there's something about Éomer's simplicity in life that really appeals. And they're both protective, warrior-bent, somewhat loutish older brothers with the weight of command on them. Huh. Go figure.
Sounds like an excuse to do a poll, 'cause I've never done one before, and why not? (All based on real conversations from this weekend, and yes, it got a lot more complicated than this.)
(I have now tried it out. It seems to work. Hooray.)
Poll
Then I got back, watched the latest SPN episode, mentally forehead-flicked Sera Gamble, and let it go. It will be what it will be, and I'll remember to just enjoy it for what it is. Meanwhile, I have fic like this touching on Sam in ways the season should be, although that also makes me sad since I've never had to say things like that before. Hopefully the needed tweaks will occur forthwith and we can get back to watching something that matters in more than an existential way.
Enough of that. Lord of the Rings is a mindblowingly good piece of moviemaking and storytelling. Watching it with a bunch of nerds who have not only watched it multiple times but are conversant/obsessed with the books is a truly delightful experience. Watching it with ubelievably good, solid food, culminating with sitting around on the kitchen tiles eating chocolate cake at midnight before the last push with the last disc of Return of the King, is simply transcendent.
It's been a year since last time I did this, and I have a greater appreciation for story itself, and there's more rawness in my life right now. All these things contributed to my being able to simply sink into the story unfolding in front of me, to feel the depths and currents often only hinted at. It's been a while since I read the books, but there was always something very reserved about them, to my mind. Or maybe that's me not being able to easily delve into the subtextual heart and soul of stories, at the time I was reading them. Having the story embodied onscreen is a much more visceral experience; this time around, I especially noticed the echoes of WW1 warfare throughout each thread. I mean, it's medieval in form, but tonally Tolkien's experience in the trenches saturates it.
This is one of the reasons I just love Boromir. He was Gondor's greatest battle captain for generations. All his life he has waged war against the darkest power in the land, fighting to protect his people, losing so many men. He knows what Mordor's armies do to those they capture; he knows what Mordor is like on the inside. (Not saying he was captured and tortured in Mordor. Hold off on the whump-bunnies, everyone.) Just saying, he's been toe-to-toe with the enemy all his life. We see only the very last act in a long story of valour, sacrifice, desperation and despair. The weight he carries is terrible, and he can't share it. And finally, at his death, it is his love and loyalty to his people that engages Aragorn's, and determines his taking up his responsibility as king. Making fun of Boromir for being a crybaby (which some do, and I was rather sharp with them about it) is just about equivalent to making fun of Dean for being a crybaby. Technically I guess it's true, if you have no concept or no respect for what they've done and gone through.
I can never quite decide if he or Éomer is my absolute favourite character. Boromir is more conflicted, but there's something about Éomer's simplicity in life that really appeals. And they're both protective, warrior-bent, somewhat loutish older brothers with the weight of command on them. Huh. Go figure.
Sounds like an excuse to do a poll, 'cause I've never done one before, and why not? (All based on real conversations from this weekend, and yes, it got a lot more complicated than this.)
(I have now tried it out. It seems to work. Hooray.)
Poll