Honestly, she really does. At first, I was sceptical during Fellowship that she had already seen them and was just milking the 'react to LOTR' train. I'm seriously impressed with how she grasps the story almost instantly.
I am a life-long Tolkien fan, as are many, and I have to say, Sofie, that I am so impressed with how quickly and well you've grasped the story of all three movies, both the main plotlines and lesser-known or understood story beats. I watch many LOTR reactions on RUclips, as doing so is really the only way I can 'experience' watching them again for the first time, and, truly, you have shown the best understanding of the story.
@@garymcallister4128 holy crap! You just made me count out how many years since I first read the books back in 1971. Over fifty years???? Wow. Seriously, thank you for your post and inspiring me to count it out. Thank you fellow Tolkienite.
Genuinely can't explain to you what a delight you are to watch, and how rewarding this reaction is for someone who knows and loves the source material. You are so insightful, observant, so well versed in character and narrative devices. But what I think is most important, is that you're so compassionate and empathetic to the characters. You approach everyone with absolute thoughtfulness. You see motivations behind actions, the memories and trauma that have shaped the decisions of even the darkest of characters. It's like you look through everyone to the spirit beneath, and you view it with kindness. I can't explain it. But you seem like a wonderful person.
Lovely comment. Her analyses of the 140 Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes floored me time and again, and I was as sad as she was when she reached the end of the series. Unfortunately I haven't watched many of the things she has reacted to, but she will be my first stop when I do.
Her reactions are so natural and unforced. I started reading Tolkien's works in the early 70's, I have even read the Dictionary... not sure how sad that makes me. This is one of the best reaction videos I have ever seen... and I've seen a few. She is very honest and genuine, sadly traits lacking in today's cynical world.
She said she is gonna read the books, I hope she does. She is GOT fan I hope she have read a song of ice and fire as well. Sofie if you reading this, please if you really mean it you should definitely read the books, they are so great, English is second language for me, I love English because of Tolkien. If you haven't read a song of ice and fire, you should read them as well when you have time.
_“All that is gold does not glitter,_ _Not all those who wander are lost;_ _The old that is strong does not wither,_ _Deep roots are not reached by the frost._ _From the ashes a fire shall be woken,_ _A light from the shadows shall spring;_ _Renewed shall be blade that was broken,_ _The crownless again shall be king."_
I disagree - I think he gets misunderstood by people who are very superficial, but he was always one of my favourite characters- so much depth and so much honour.
@@nutbra694 @nutbra694 I've asked RUclips not to suggest Reel Rejects anymore - I'm sorry - they are just not that intelligent - so them hating on Theoden does not surprise me. I don't want to be so critical - but can't help it. Channels like SoFieReacts set the bar so high for intelligent, interesting, and passionate commentary that I can't go back to clueless reactors. Just like the LOTR movies, I will go back and rewatch her reactions - I don't think I have ever done that before. I wish I could give her a list of my favourite movies and have her do a reaction to them all.
I’m a crew member from the original trilogy (not the Hobbits) , and as a kiwi I can tell you that we were so collectively proud of our country when the worlds jaws dropped after witnessing our natural beauty! X
37:00 - "Let me know, I feel like that light means something." That scene depicts Gandalf driving the Nazgul away with the Light of the Secret Fire, Eru Ilúvatar. The literal Light of Heaven, hence that the Nazgul could not fight against it. He is an angel, sent to earth to help man face the darkness, quite literally.
an "angel sent to earth" whose true powers are hindered by the nature of his dusty which wasn't to win the battle against the darkness in the East by force but to guide to help the inhabitants of Middle-Earth overcome it. None of the wizards have access to their true power which is on the same level more-or-less than Sauron
@@fenzirulfr Correct. The most we ever see Gandalf manifest his strength is at Pelenor Fields and when he stands against Durin's Bane. The playing fields were somewhat more 'equal' in those instances, so the boss upstairs undoubtedly said "Sure, stretch your wings a bit here."
Gandalf is "a servant of the secret fire". That is Eru Ilúvatar's power of creation ex nihilo, the ability to create something from nothing. Only Eru can wield the secret fire. Gandalf serves Eru, but he wields "the flame of Anor". Anor is the Elvish word for the sun. That's why Gandalf's power looks like sunlight.
Gandalf the white was given the authority to over power humans when he comes as gandalf the white. Thats why he hit the stuart of gondor . And he influenced the theoden to the war .
"I'm ordering the books as soon as I finish this film. I just need more!" Love it! I did the same, Sophie. I started reading the books after The Two Towers, because Return of the King hadn't come out yet. Based on your reactions I've seen to Buffy and this trilogy, I know you will love the depth and characters of the books. The movies could only portray a fraction of what's in the written material. "The thing I love about this adventure is everyone has a role to play." Exactly! That's definitely a part of Tolkien's message. I have to say, Sophie, you're one of the few reactors I've seen who actually gets what Frodo is going through and doesn't outright hate him as the Ring corrupts him. I can't wait for the second half of this reaction! It's gonna be EPIC!!!
After Sméagol found the ring, he would use it to disappear and create havoc amongst the River Folk, they got fed up with him and banned him from their community. Sauron was practically non existent at this time.
Something that many people don't understand from watching the movies is that the reason Smeagol became corrupted so easily and fast (by hobbit standards) was because he was already considered strange among the Hobbits. And not in a cute way like Belle, but as someone you couldn't trust, a liar and a slippery person. And something that they don't say in the movies is that it is implied that there were times when Gollum literally stole babies from their cribs to devour them. Charming fellow.
Sorry if this is long, but this includes one of my favorite lore 'easter eggs' in the trilogy. After Elrond gives Anduril to Aragorn, he says "I give hope to Men" and Aragorn replies "I keep none for myself." In the books, this line is spoken by Aragorn's mother, Gilraen. After Aragorn's father died, she moved to Rivendell to raise Aragorn. To hide his identity, she gave him the name 'Estel' which is Elvish for 'hope'. The last time Aragorn spoke to his mother, she told him she could not face the coming darkness and would soon die. He tried to comfort her by saying there was still light in the world, but she responded with "Ónen i-Estel Edain, ú-chebin estel anim" which translates to "I gave Hope to the Dúnedain (Men), I have kept no hope for myself." She died soon after. Early in the movies, Elrond is pretty clear he doesn't think Men have the strength to defeat Sauron. He also doesn't think Aragorn will embrace his true identity. But after speaking to Gandalf, the first conversation Elrond and Aragorn have about it takes place at a statue of Aragorn's mother in Rivendell. The scriptwriters then put a bow on both characters' story arcs by splitting Gilraen's statement between them, using her final words as a driving force to embrace their new worldviews: Elrond: "I give hope to Men" -- I now have faith that Men can overcome their weakness, correct the mistakes of the past, and that Aragorn will embrace the man he was born to be. Aragorn: "I keep none for myself" -- I accept who I am and the responsibility and sacrifice that comes with my hertitage.
One thing not often commented on by reactors is how well Peter Jackson conveyed the sense of stress and release that the books provide, there is a consistent pattern of characters being in danger then finding comfort again before being plunged into even more danger, it has a massive effect on the reader, tolkien was truly a genius
Sofie is so smart to pick on the Shakespearean delivery of Ian Mckellan's Gandalf. She mentions his great eye acting. One of the first reactors to notice that impressive detail. He and fellow Shakespearean trained actor Patrick Stewart are great friends and an awesome duo on screen. They are in the original X-men trilogy. Watch it sometime soon!
Mennen nored dîn Gwanwen i 'ûr bân Sílant calad Dûn Tollen Rochon 'Lân The sindarin that is being sung when Gandalf rides out to fend off the Nazgul. it translates to: Their race was over; All courage gone. A light shone in the west, The White Rider had come. The sheer level of detail and love put into these films brings me to tears.
What is not shown in the movies is that Denetor has one of the palantír and that Sauron has been messing with his brain for a while. This is probably how knows about Aragorn being the heir of the kings of Gondor. From Wikipedia: "In the published essay on the palantíri, Tolkien wrote: He [Denethor] must have guessed that the Ithil-stone [Sauron's palantír] was in evil hands, and risked contact with it, trusting his strength. His trust was not entirely unjustified. Sauron failed to dominate him and could only influence him by deceits. Saruman fell under the domination of Sauron... [while] Denethor remained steadfast in his rejection of Sauron, but was made to believe that his defeat was inevitable, and so fell into despair. The reasons for this difference were no doubt that in the first place Denethor was a man of great strength of will and maintained the integrity of his personality until the final blow of the (apparently) mortal wound of his only surviving son."
And these Palantiri were forged in Valinor by the great elf of all Feanor & brought at some time perhaps when the hosts of Valinor marched into Middle-Earth & then gifted to the Dunedain for their services. They are incredibly old.
Denethor already knew Aragorn for decades and hated him coz his own father loved and viewed Aragorn as his fave ‘son’ over him, much like Denethor himself then does to Faramir.
When Faramir was born, his mother, the mother of Boromir as well, died in child birth. Denethor, the Steward, blames Faramir for her death. Love your reactions / reviews. Can't wait to see the conclusion. As we say in Texas; y'all be safe.
@@terrylandess6072 yeah, he's a even a smarter, more scholarly son, like Tyrion, compared to world's greatest warrior favorite elder son, i.e. Boromir/Jaime.
I love the Lighting of the Beacons, it is my absolute favourite scene of the trilogy just for how epic it is and how simplistic it is at the idea. Imagine being the guy living at the top of the mountain who is only there to check for a sign every day in case of it being needed, that life is so lonely but damn it's an honourable one.
I assume it was more like a scheduled military duty rotation, rather than someone permanently living a hermit- like existence on a mountaintop. Not sure if Tolkien settles that. In any case in the books the beacons are not actually on the mountaintops but on the lower adjacent hills.
@@Big_Tex I imagine it as a 3-6 monthly rotation service where they're up there with supplies for that long. But that's still months of isolation for a service that isn't a constant 'necessary' thing, but one that could be. And to be clear on the idea. The beacons being on "hilltops" are still isolated locations away from civilisation. I've been up hills the size of what you're suggesting and its lonely and quiet there. People who have done that sort of thing do it for the job and the role.
I’ve seen Miranda Otto, who plays Eowyn, in an interview and she was telling how easy it was to act being in love with Aragorn. She, like so many of us, found him very attractive 😁
Pretty much every single woman says that about Viggo and we all get it. Best part about him too is that he wasn't a fan of LOTR before starting this and when he was begged to play it by his family, he read the books and then epitomised Aragorn in filming, most of his outfits weren't the stunt ones but real armour and swords, he camped and slept outside and best of all, he loved his horse wholly and I think he took it home with him after filming was concluded. The man still remembers the song he sang at the end of the movie too.
He bought Brego. Brego lived out his life in Australia or New Zeland, can't remember, on a nice farm. His real name was Uraeus and he "sailed West" in 2015. 💔
Viggo was going to say no to the role because he didnt want to be parted from his family for a year. But his son Henry said "Dad, you can't deny me being able to say my Dad is Aragorn!"
I hope Sophie has enough tissues handy for part 2, no way she is getting through it without tears. And thats all good. The fact that the films can get to us emotionally is just an added bonus.
4:34 the ring enhances the abilities and desires of the bearer. The backstory in the books shows that Smeagol always had a bit of malice in him. Bilbo on the other hand was essentially content and had no desires the ring could exploit. It's also the reason why Boromir fell, where Galadriel was sorely tempted and why a wizard like Gandalf should never touch it.
And that's why Sam was the only creature (besides Tom Bombadil, who's just way out of the Ring's league) to give the Ring up willingly, without outside help or push. All the Ring could offer him was a kingdom-sized garden, which he was tempted by for a split second, then realized it was stupid, he'd never tend to a garden that big himself.
The beacons in the game - Lord of the Rings online are all in small to medium villages, beautifully designed and practically located while the film kinda glosses over that fact people must 'live there to man them'. Such is cinema. :D
I've seen every single reaction to LOTR that exists on RUclips. This is the only reactor where I've been thinking the entire time, "truly, this is Goldberry, Tolkien's daughter."
Denethor in the movies just comes off as a hateful and bad dude who just hates Faramir But there is a reason behind his madness He had a palantir, similar as the one which Saruman did Denethor was actually a very wise and noble man But he was foolish enough to converse with Sauron, who's a master deceiver and liar Denethor fell into despair and madness after trying to compete his will against Sauron too much The most tragic thing is that he loved Faramir, and only realised that when he was "dead" to him
Denethor was a far more complicated character in the books, not nearly as fucked up as portrayed in the movies. He's a real monster here, but it works because John Noble's acting is world class and he gives his character so much humanity. When you read the books you'll find many characters to be changed or omitted to faciliate the storytelling in the movies. Spoiler alert: Aragorn's arc is also very different and more one dimensional. And so is Arwen's relationship with Elrond btw. and both their motives. The narrative that mordor's shadow weakens Arwen to the point of dying once she choses mortality is a plot hole imo, never really explained in the movies and absent in the books. Not to take anything away from them, they're just so epic. Amazing reaction btw!
Yeh i remember when i saw the films at the cinema i was a bit miffed at how they portrayed both Faramir and Denethor. I still love this trilogy however
That his wife died giving birth to Faramir did not help as Denethor always felt a resentment towards him for being the cause of her death even though it was through no fault of his but it was one of the kernels that Sauron could weave his hatred on to and create distrust doubt and despair in him.
@@pipingbob720 I just learned of a movie cannon theory that when Arwen said to the almost dying Frodo at the borders of Rivendell "What grace is given me let it pass to him. Let him be spared" that she was then tied to Frodo and his quest because of her gift of grace to him. They are henceforward connected. As Frodo gets more affected/corrupted by the Ring and as the Ring gets closer to Mount Doom her strength fails. I like that theory. It makes movie sense.
Thank you for a terrific reaction. I wish you the joy of reading the books. Tolkien is a brilliant writer. But be aware of a few points: 1. LotR was published in 1954 -1955, so might come across as slow-moving to a modern reader of fantasy. But the language is so beautiful that it's easy to be immersed in the story. 2. A number of choices were made adapting the book to movie, most of which I agree with, but when you read the books some of that will become really obvious. The movie had a bunch of characters/situations tweaked to provide more drama/tension/conflict. Faramir was made to be more weak-willed in the movie for example. There were also two key parts that got missed: Tom Bombadil (which would have wrecked the movie's tone) & The Scouring of the Shire (which would have added yet another ending to an already very long movie).
The light of Beacons is inspired by Friktories. All Greece was informed about the Fall of Troy in less than a day in the exact same way before 3,200 years ago.
Hey, I'm early enough to be the first with this fun fact! Christopher Lee, who plays Saruman, was special forces in World War II. Director Peter Jackson tried to give him a detailed explanation of the reaction he wanted when Saruman is stabbed. Christopher Lee responded, ""Have you any idea what kind of noise happens when somebody’s stabbed in the back? Because I do.”
I think Lee was more likely referring to himself being stabbed in the back by Jackson because of the way that the Saruman story arc was cut short. My biggest disappointment in the whole movie trilogy was when Saruman's story was butchered. (***MILD SPOILER AHEAD***) I wanted to see the last strike of the War Of The Ring take place on the very doorstep of Bag End, just as it did in the book. It's well documented how devastated and angry Lee was that Saruman's true story arc was cut out of the movie. Unfortunately contracts had been signed and sealed and so he couldn't refuse his part as it became.
@@Zen_Shothe would never have refused to play the role, although he disagreed with the Scourging of the shire being removed he remained firm friends with Peter Jackson all his life shown by him agreeing to play Saruman again in those terrible Hobbit movies. For what it’s worth I don’t think The Scourging of the shire would work cinematically after the already multiple endings we got, it was the right decision I think to remove it.
I sat speechless in theaters in the early 2000s and again with you in the present.. First of all, isn't it amazing that Pippin's foolish meddling in this reaction lead to the discovery of Sauron's attack target previously hidden from all eyes. It's only one of the heroic acts he performs in this trilogy, often by accident, sometimes by design. I think of when Galadriel said to him 'fear not Pippin, you will find your courage.' Isn't it amazing when you discover what it's like to experience an epic moment in a movie every two minutes for an hour or more? First there's a scene with the Witch King in Mordor followed by Gandalf sending Pippin up the tower to light the beacon then an excruciating scene of Faramir belittled by his father, and so it goes. You shared with me your emotions, amazement, apprehension and most importantly, happiness.. Thank you for sweeping me along in your visceral experience of living through this Homeric, monumental trilogy.
The actor who plays Pipin, he was given the words for his song that he sings as Faramir rides from Minus Tiruth towards the orcs but the melody is all his and it is absolutely perfect!
I love how she sees Theoden as a great and noble king! Such a contrast to these girls from Reels Reject who even at his death scene said he was a terrible person but at least he tired to redeem himself
I also watched their reaction. Reading these comments, it seems I wasn’t the only one disappointed. I can only hope they listen to their feedback and improve in the future.
Reel Rejects was the first LOTR reaction I put a dislike on. They are everything wrong with movie watchers, and they have a movie reaction channel. It's mind-boggling.
10:54 In the story, elves have a high tolerance for alcohol because their bodies are not afraid of all kinds of poisons. Only strong liquor brewed specially for elves can make them drunk. However, Bloom who plays Legolas himself is a very bad drinker and cannot bear even a little bit. This contrast between actor and character is interesting. 19:16 Not all elves can choose their destiny. Only the bloodline of Lord Elrond can choose the fate of humans or elves. (Elrond is a Half-elven. There is another story behind this) Elves are immortal, they cannot get sick or poison, but they can be killed or die of a broken heart. After their death, they will return to the palace of Mandos, where they will have the opportunity to be reborn and reunite with their kindred in the future. But the fate of human beings exceeds these. Human beings do not have immortal life, and no one knows the fate of human beings after death. In the story, it is said that "death" is the gift given to mankind by Eru - Ilúvatar (the creator god in the story)". But if Arwen chooses the fate of mankind, it means that she and Lord Elrond will be separated forever in the future, and they will never be reunited. Lord Elrond's brother also chose the fate of mankind and became the "First ruler" (Tar-Minyatur). 32:44 Using horses to deliver messages was too slow. Using the flames of beacon towers to deliver urgent messages would be much faster, equivalent to the speed of light. But the people on duty at the beacon tower are really hard and boring, because the beacon tower is not used in normal times. 43:33 There are two opinions. One theory is that Denethor II's wife Finduilas became increasingly weak after giving birth to Faramir. From then on Denethor ignored Faramir, and Finduilas died five years later. The second theory is that Faramir likes to study with the gray wizard (Gandalf's other name "Mithrandir" refers to Gray Pilgrim), and he also has a good relationship with the young Aragorn (pseudonym Thorongil). But Denethor subconsciously felt that Thorongil would threaten his position, even though he did not know Thorongil's true identity at the time. 50:57 The plot here is the movie's adaptation of the original story: connecting Arwen's fate to Middle-earth, which further becomes Aragorn's motivation. In the original story, Arwen didn't have many roles, and the movie gave her more opportunities to show her personality. In the original story of the first episode "The Fellowship of the Ring", it was actually Glorfindel who rode with Frodo. The movie gave this role to Arwen, so that she was no longer just a character in the background, she could also fight. . (In the original story, Arwen fell in love with Aragorn and chose the destiny of mankind earlier. Elrond asked Aragorn to become the king of Gondor before marrying Arwen. For this reason, Aragorn went through a lot of trials . So in the original story, Arwen was indeed Aragorn’s inspiration and motivation)
To add to the first point you made: All elves can hold their liquor amazingly well but Legolas is from Mirkwood and these elves are on another level lol, read the hobbit they're not nearly as noble as the rest of them and proper binge drinkers who love VERY strong wine. They all have millennias of practice in drinking AND fighting if they want to, which is why I don't mind Legolas being ninja man in the movies I'm sure he's practiced shield surfing all his life back home 🤣
Saruman actually had a power, apart from his regularly wizardry His voice had a magic He could lull and convince anyone with it, and it had great power That's why he tries to keep persuading them when they come beneath his tower Only one like Gandalf who's aware of his power can avoid it
It’s also why in the Two Towers when the three hunters think Saruman is the White Wizard in Fangorn Forest that Aragorn tells Legolas and Gimli to not let him speak.
My recollection is that Billy Boyd came up with the tune for the song that Pippin sings to Denethkr and that there was limited or no rehearsal. So he blew away Peter Jackson and the crew with the raw beauty of his performance. It’s been many years since I saw the DVD BTS, so please help me out if I got it wrong.
Pretty sure he sings the closing credits to one of the Hobbit films as well. As far as Gandalf 'roasting' Pippen every chance he gets, It IS pretty _low_ hanging fruit that takes _little_ effort.
you would realy love the 6+ making of DVDs for Lord of the Rings (The Apendacies) it goes in depth on creating the different sets, the costumes the makeup and so much more
John Noble is such an incredible actor. He has played both the most loving father I have ever seen on Fringe and the most hateful father I’ve ever seen here. THE RANGE! Also everyone needs to watch Fringe if they haven’t, it is honestly one of the most perfect tv shows of all time.
Sometimes an actor benefits from a good character 'palette cleanser' which as mentioned here, shows more than a one sided relationship with said actor. Matt Damon was also a recipient when he did The Martian after being the bad guy in the Nolan film.
He also voiced Scarecrow in "Arkham Knight"(and made Scarecrow one of the most chilling replacements for the Joker)and is currently voicing Odin in the series "Twilight of the Gods".
“A lot of evil mountains in Middle Earth.” 😂 You actually touched on something that is deep in the fabric of the world-when it was created one of God’s archangels sounded a discordant note and later spent most of his existence trying to mar the creation of the world. Also known as “the marring of Arda.” While other angelic types sought to perfect God’s creation, Morgoth sought to render it imperfect and flawed. Thus evil is written into the very fabric of the world.
Just want to thank you for these I found your channel only a few weeks ago with fellowship of the ring, and I was blown away, I've now binged all of your GoT, Stranger Things, Firefly, Last of Us reactions and am watching your House of the Dragon reactions currently. I've noticed so many comments talking about how insightful you are and yes you are amazingly insightful with picking out details and nuances but also so empathetic its a treat. I rarely bother with reactions to anything but its been a joy to watch you watch things so thank you.
Tolkien who wrote the books over a seventeen year period after witnessing the carnage of world war one was asked by an interviewer if there were any similarities between LOTR and the the second world war and he replied "while there wasnt an Aragorn, there was a Sauron."
Loved the movies! The extended editions was also pioneering excessive "makin-of" material, which I loved and highly recommend watching. For my taste, knowing about the workings behind the scenes does not diminish the "magic". We read the Hobbit at school in 5th grade. I love Tolkien's world, however I procrastinated te readin of the Lord of the Rings. Only when I saw a ginormous poster advertising the first movie I realized there is no way past this movie and I need to hurry if I want to read it before watching the movie. I almost succeeded with the first book and had plenty of time with the others. In 2005, I had the opportunity to live and study in Dunedin, New Zealand for four years. I bought a motorcycle and clocked up quite some mileage around Central Otago. The wind in your face, Rohan's landscape passing by and the Rohan theme-song playing out in your head - it doesn't get any more epic unless you're riding with Theoden himself.
Love your reactions, Sophie! Also, you are so insightful. You see things right away that took me a long time to see. Like how Gollum always appears in the reflections when he talks to Smeagol, never the other way around.
One of the main reasons why LOTR reactions are so popular is that those who already love these films are so excited to see new fans created by watching these masterpieces. So many who haven't seen the trilogy expect to see the usual fantasy elements of monsters and battles but don't expect to absolutely fall in love with every character or to have the emotional reactions they experience as the stakes build. Your reactions are exactly what every LOTR fan hopes to see as you invest ever more deeply in the characters and the quest. So looking forward to the final installment!!
Exactly this! I get excited each time I see a new LotR reaction pop up, but I'm usually disappointed when I try to watch it ... not with Sophie! Her reactions are exceptional, she is the best!
There were changes necessarily made in adapting from the books to the films. This means you'll be seeing new things that the films don't provide. You'll appreciate the directorial and writing choices made when you finally read the text that covers what you've already seen. I have deeply enjoyed your reactions, as you've pointed out gestures, actions, other things I've missed myself. I don't envy Frodo, not only because he has to carry a cursed, addictive, toxic thing that wears on his mind, across many miles to destroy it. He is also fighting himself. For who are Sam and Gollum if not the two sides of Frodo? One side clinging to a clearly drawn line between good and evil, the other in constant pain of struggling to (and failing) to return to the light , except that his life of choosing evil has taken its toll on him? Frodo is the nuance that must decide on the fate of the whole of them. Your reactions have been honest, insightful, earnest, and worthy of someone who is coming into this world and learning to love it. I know you'll keep it safe in your heart. Thank you so, so much.
Truth. I just yesterday did a finished read of "Fellowship"and while I appreciate Tolkien's writing, Jackson really tightened things up. Having a character who it totally unaffected by the Ring sort of undercuts the threat it holds to all of Middle Earth(fun though Tom Bombadil was), the long pauses in between the journey is fine(they're like a month in Lorien, at least), but it doesn't work well in a cinematic format. (Apologies to Tolkien fans, I'm sure I am going to get raked over the coals for daring to question the journey.)
@@phousefilms Actually I suspect a great many fans would agree, even if they may not say so openly. The written word and cinema are different mediums, they have different strengths and weaknesses. What works on a page with just a few words could appear quite absurd on the big screen (just imagine there being, "17 years later..."), whereas sometimes a book can convey something via our imagination and insight in the moment which can be really hard to put to film (a lot of directors 'solve' this with heavy exposition, which if overdone just feels like being hit on the head). Jackson trod a fine line getting the balance right, and nailed it. A different collection of books comes to mind with a similar issue at times, the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind (ignore the TV series, it was trash, Goodkind wasn't involved). There's a fight during which the main character kills an enemy with a sweeping sword slash; Goodkind spends *two pages* describing this in crazy detail. It kinda goes too far, becomes almost comical, but in a movie what he was trying to convey is probably a lot easier to get across with careful direction, acting, vfx, photography direction, musical score, etc. I loved Goodkind's SoT series, one of the few I've read that afterwards I immediately read again, but if it is ever put to film I hope it receives the same kind of treatment that Jackson and all those who worked with him brought to the LoTR trilogy. Ditto so many other great works which have yet to escape their many pages, those by Dan Simmons (the Hyperion saga), Iain (M.) Banks (too many to mention), Robert Jackson Bennet (City of Stairs trilogy), etc.
I'm so happy you focused so much on the shot of Gandalf riding out to face the Nazgul. The cinematography and music there are perfection, I think it hits even harder if one gets obsessed with Tolkien and learns Gandalf's origin story 😊
Return of the King was nominated for 11 Academy Awards. It swept all 11. It is now tied with Ben Hur and Titanic for the most Academy Awards. Simply a masterpiece. RIP Christopher Lee, Saruman and Bernard Hill, Théoden, King.
20:16 - The music that plays during Gandalf / Pippin's ride through Minas Tirith was also the litemotif that played when Boromir would talk about his homeland and his city, its the theme of Gondor - but while Boromir was away from home, every time the motif is played it's an isolated, solo horn playing it quietly. Pretty much all the major musical litemotifs are teased and played in part at differerent / relative point in the films - and they all get their own unique instruments. When Gandalf and Pippin arrives in Minas Tirith, it is the first time we hear the theme fully resolve and hear it built up with a full orchestra behind it and an entire horn section, right as the city is revealed and we are on street level, seeing it in person. The score in these movies really is in a league of it's own, and does an incredible job making each location and group unique and instantly recognizable.
The extended trilogy will be re-screened in cinemas here in Brazil next week and I have already secured my place in the three screenings. It's incredible how I'll be able to relive the experience I had twenty years ago, now in my forties, when I had my jaw on the floor several times, especially in the third film, which I watched six times in the cinema, hahaha. There will never be a trilogy like this in cinema again, at least not in our lifetime and it is extremely gratifying to feel this vicariously through the reaction of someone as smart and astute as you.
The boy who played the role of Eldarion, the first-born son of Aragorn and Arwen and his successor on the throne, is Sadwyn Brophy, son of fellow actor Jed Brophy , who plays the role of the dwarf Nori in the film adaptation of "The Hobbit", also directed by Peter Jackson.
I always appreciated Tolkien's restraint in showing fantasy elements, especially that Gandalf rarely uses his magic powers, but it took me a long time to realize why that was. The way I see it now is that Gandalf is essentially a greater being committed to do good in the world, which means he will not use his magic against lesser beings. He will fight them with conventional weapons like his sword and staff because anything else would be abusive and lead him toward darkness. Only when faced with enemies of great power, like the Balrog or the Witch King, would he use his magic. He explained to Frodo that what happens is _meant_ to happen which means he trusts in fate and that goodness will prevail.
fun bit of trivia, Peter Jackson got a knighthood for these films, because he basically saved new zealands entire economy, tourist industry, currency, and film industry.
I fell in love with Tolkien's works when I first read them over 50 years ago. I have reread them countless times since and cannot recommend the books highly enough, especially to someone who enjoys a well-written tale. These movies, I feel, are a gift to Tolkien lovers the world over, and a passkey to those who will want for more. Read the books--I know you will love them--and come join the throng. Watching you see these for the first time allows me to enjoy them anew through fresh eyes. And yes, they were epic to experience in the theater.
There are two reasons Denethor is the way he is, both kinda made up, and kinda true. First off, movie Denethor is different than book Denethor. Book Denethor is a mighty and great man, strong in both mind and body despite his many years of hard life. However, what he also had was a Palàntir - one like the one Saruman had, that Pippin looked into before. The problem is, when Sauton took Minas Ithil, which later became Minas Morgul (the green tower where Witch King went forgot from) he also took a Palàntir that was there - that's how he was able to talk to Saruman in Orthanc. And Denethor used his Palàntir as well, to soy on Sauron and his troops - which came with great benefit to him in the war effort. Gondor was able to keep forces of Sauron at bay. Denethor's will was great, so Sauron could not lie to him - but he could demoralise him. By showing Denethor visions of his great armies, he chipped away at his hope and will. Boromir's death was the beginning of the end for Denethor. So, theory number one as to why he isn't much impressed with Faranir, is that Denethor was a man of war for all of his life - and Faramir has no love for swords or bows, he only fights to protect the people. Denethor, being a hard man, sees it as a weakness. He realises waaaaay too late that love is not weakness at all. The second, fan theory, is that Faramir reminds him of his dead wife, who he loved very much. Either way, Denethor you meet in the move is a shell of his former self, as Peter Jackson decided to put him into last stages of his madness, which happened much, much later in books.
I’m sure others have answered it, but the light that Gandalf uses to drive the Nazgûl away to save Faramir is his inner fire. The fire of Anor (he mentions this in his fight with the balrog). It’s Gandalf’s angelic essence.
Almost. Anor is the Elvish word for sun, so Gandalf is literally channeling the light of the sun. He is also the carrier of one of the 3 Elvish rings, Narya. This ring is said to have the power to resist despair and inspire hope in others, as well as having magical control over fire.
You regret not seeing the Lord of the Rings movies in theaters - yes, it's an incredible experience! I was lucky enough to see all three films in the cinema at their premiere in 2001, 2002 and 2003 - once (at the premiere of “Return of the King”) even all three films one after the other on a 28 x 9 m screen, in what was almost the largest cinema in Switzerland at the time. Seeing these epic images on a huge screen is still the most powerful cinema experience I have ever had. Since then, I have never seen a movie in the cinema that has cast such a magical spell over me...
My understanding of the Army of the dead. The mountain is their tomb, their burial place. They are bound to it. In order to leave, the tomb must be opened, hence the walls breaking down and the skulls coming free.They weren't trying to kill Aragorn, they were releasing themselves.
When Deagol found the ring, it had been laying at the bottom of that river for 2,500 years, so it was more than ready to spread its evil again. It probably blasted poor Sméagol & Deagol with a lot of very dark power right at that moment, which caused them to covet the ring & fight each other for it.
Same dude. When I think back to when I saw this on theaters, It is this particular scene that I have the most vivid memory of seeing that night, for some reason. xD
Fun facts: Originally, the revelation of Smeagol was going to be at the start of "Two Towers", but they decided to do it for the finale so that we got to know Smeagol first. Saruman is not killed in the book(immediately), just having his staff broken and stripped of his power. Aragorn convincing Theodan to spare Grima lead to Sarumans death. Mercy wins again. Christopher Lee(Sarumans actor)told Jackson, when he directed his death, that a man stabbed in the back wouldn't scream. "Do you know what a man being stabbed in the back sounds like? Because I do." are his exact words(he had been in espionage in WW2 and many people think he was the inspiration for his cousin, Ian Fleming's, character James Bond). Denethor of the books has a Palantir of his own that he has kept for years, using it to see the Enemy. However, the Palantir is used by Sauron at the same time to drive despair and dear into his heart. The scene with Smeagol separating Sam and Frodo never happens, but a sadder moment occurs. Smeagol was considering turning back on his plan, as he loved Frodo, in his own way, despite how Frodo hurt him when Faramir caught him. He was even ready to help him fully, but then Sam awoke and insulted him for "sneaking"and Smeagol fully gave in to his anger rather than love. Aragorn and Arwen do not have this plot. Aragorn gets Narail reforged as soon as he goes with the Fellowship, as he fully plans to retake the throne of Gondor after helping Frodo to Mount Doom. The Army of the Dead are only used to clear the ships of the corsairs of Umbar, allowing Aragorn to bring in an army of Rangers to help, if I recall correctly.
Gollum is a great example of how the ring works. Smeagol was obsessed with what he was going to get for his birthday (and not too bright). The ring promised him itself as a birthday present - and then corrupted Smeagol's wish by giving him a birthday present at the cost of Deagol's death and Smeagol's banishment. The ring gives visions of your dreams coming true - but doesnt tell you how its going to corrupt your dreams. The trick to resisting it is to always keep in mind that the ring will corrupt whatever it promises. Some people assume that time is a factor - the longer you have the ring the more susceptible you become - but time is irrelevant, except that your better judgment may be worn down with time. In the books, Sam wore the ring in Cirith Ungol - the pass of the spider - but what it showed him he resisted because he thought "Im just a gardener, Theres no way I could do all that". Humility is a key factor in resisting the temptations of the ring. I highly recommend going straight to the Hobbit trilogy. For someone with LOTR fresh in their minds, there are a lot of easter eggs in the Hobbit. And while it gets a bad rap from some the trilogy is actually not bad, and is equally stirring, dealing, as it does, with the prelude to LOTR, dwarves, and the dragon, Smaug. And, of course, Bilbo's part in all that. There is no lore about Arwen being affected by the ring, because it doesnt happen in the book. In the movies I think its related to Arwen giving her grace to frodo at the ford of bruinen after he is stabbed by the witch king (in the books its a different and far nastier creature that stabbed Frodo). To lose your elven immortality you just decide and its done, as Elrond's brother, from whom aragorn is descended, did. The elven rings were made with the same magic as the one ring. Once the one ring is destroyed the elven rings lose their power. If sauron gets the one ring, the elven rings are dangerous and useless. So its a lose-lose situation for the elves. The elven rings protect the elves, above all, from the sorrow and pain of spending thousands of years watching every other creature around them die. Without the elven rings that sorrow bears down on them. Thats why they leave for the undying lands, where that sorrow cant hurt them anymore. Thats also why the elven rings give those around them hope and makes them feel better. Gandalf's elven ring has that effect on all around him too. Theres a mistake in the movie. Isildur cursed the King of the dead and his men but the last king of Gondor was Earnur, who defeated the witch king of Angmar in Angmar but disappeared with his army in the morgul vale while trying to take back Minas Ithil (now known as Minas Morgul) from the witch King of Angmar. Aragorn is a direct descendant of Isildur but the kings of Gondor were descended through Isildur's brother, not Isildur himself. Isildur was never the king of Gondor. He was the king of arnor and the high king of gondor and arnor. That why the line of the kings of gondor was broken.
There were originally three different types of hobbits: Stoors, Harfoots, and Fallohides. Gollum is thought to have been a Stoor who lived in the valley of the river Anduin. In the Shire there has been a lot of inter-breeding but the Brandybucks have the most Stoor blood.
You're the first person I've seen call Frodo not being able to destroy the Ring once he finally gets to Mt Doom. That's wild. The most OP part of the Ring, imo, is that even if someone managed to get it all the way to Mt Doom, the Ring is so powerful there that no one could willingly destroy it.
I have seen almost ALL the LOTR reactions on YT but you are my favorite by far!!! I love how you react and it looks so sincere. I am officialy enamored with you < 3
Gandalf riding out of Minas Tirith to rescue Faramir and scare away the Nazgûl is my favorite single moment in this film. It needed no explanation. The first time I saw it I was transfixed. Just pure fantasy film making.
So many don't get the simplicity of Arwen's decision until they see the child - if then even. As an immortal she would continue to be the Matriarch of the House with a library of wisdom to pass on to following generations - she would not be alone, but forever entrusted with the passage of time among her family.
15:45 those orbs are called Palantíri. They were created by Fëanor (Galadriel's half uncle) a long time ago. They're basically a form of communication and seeing, where you can see things from afar and communicate with beings from afar. You saw how Saruman uses it to communicate with Sauron and see Rohan and some others. Pippin did the same. Except he wasn't as mentally strong because looking into the Palantirí is mentally draining and exhausting, especially in combating the dark influence of Sauron since the Fallen Maiar is very convincing and 'seductive' in his words.
Your insight to this movie spot on! This is one of the greatest stories of our time. Thank you for doing the absolutely best reaction video on RUclips (my opinion). Such an intelligent reaction. I’m now a subscriber for life.
"The way the actor [Sir ian McKellan] who plays Gandalf conveys so much with his eyes is so incredible." You hit the nail there, that performance is *all* about the eyes. There are so many closeup shots of Gandalf's eyes in LoTR, and every single one is special. It really is one of the most iconic performances in cinema history.
Sarumon had a different fate in the books, although I do like the fate here (the ending is long enough as it is). The Scouring of The Shire by Sarumon bypassed the “happily ever after“ ending present in so many books. It delves into the idea of reconstruction hardships that Europe endured after the World Wars. Of course it isn't a direct analogous of that, but Tolkien knew first hand about what happens after a war. American soldiers got to go home to their farms and suburbs. European soldiers had to sit in the rubble of the warzone that was left of their homes. The Scouring of the Shire is a bit petty coming from a wizard angel. It comes across as a little childish to go and beat up a sibling wizard's favorite “pets”, simply because Gandalf beat him in what basically is live action (wizard's) chess. They're both kinda basically all powerful opposing DMs. It's excellent in the books, but just like Tom Bombadil's introductory tutorial to DnD, it's not needed in the movie, IMHO (because books and movies work differently in pacing).
Smeagol was part of a big family with his Grandmother as a head matriach He is a seemingly ancestor of a type of Hobbit, Stoor specifically Gollum upon getting the ring became loathsome and grotesque The others kicked him and he bit their feet They cursed him Eventually the Grandmother kicked him out wanting peace
In the books , Denethor also had a palantír , which is never mentioned in the movies , but he was also corrupted by Sauron ! SofFie , I llke your LOVE and empathy for the characters ! ❤ You wear your heart on your sleeve ! Also Denethor Blamed Faramir for His wife's Death.The steward's wife, Finduilas, became ill shortly after Faramir's birth, and then died. The loss of his wife took an emotional toll on Denethor from which he never recovered. He assumed her death was a result of childbirth, and, therefore, blamed Faramir for her loss.
7:05 One thing that sadly isn't captured in the film (and was impossible to show) is the power of Saruman's voice. With his voice alone he could instill fear or awe or convince of anything, a real spell, and for this reason Theoden's strength to respond in that way is extraordinary
I wonder if the fact that he was already seduced once by Saruman in the curse that was broken by Gandalf helped him resist. Although the books take a different route in a lot of this, so maybe there's no lore to back the idea.
As an angelic being in human incarnation, Gandalf is only permitted to use his supernatural powers against supernatural foes. When fighting incarnate beings (orcs and/or humans for example), he is only 'allowed' to use his human resources. Unlike Sauron and Saruman, Gandalf never oversteps the set boundaries of his essential being, even when tempted to do so (Frodo's offering him the ring in film #1).
Regarding the side-by-side shot of Gandalf and Pippin: Peter Jackson used several techniques to create the illusion of a size difference between humans and hobbits, but in this particular scene, they probably used one of the hobbit-actors' small size doubles alongside Sir Ian McKellan.
There’s a reason LOTR fans are loving these videos. Every fan has tried to get their friends, family, EVERYONE and anyone to check out LOTR. But it’s not often that the person you show it to enjoys and appreciates these movies like Sofie has been! I get so giddy to see someone actually pay attention and love the detail of story and the acting. Edit: not to mention that she’s been watching the extended cuts for extra context! The fact that the scene with Saruman is CUT COMPLETELY from the theatrical cut is crazy, and I’m glad Sofie got to watch it
On reading the books - The Hobbit is the easiest to get into, being originally a bedtime story that grew, and a shorter read. Another book that goes along with the the LotR books is The Silmarillion which covers the prehistory of Middle Earth. That one is the hardest read, but is a wonderful one for an audio book.
This is one movie that swept the Oscars, which truly deserved it. Great reactions! Always a pleasure to see someone try these movies out for the first time, and connect to them in the same way all the fans did on their first watch.
The remarkable wisdom I think. I love that you noticed Gandalf's use of magic! When you consider how restrained it was, such small moments of magic from Gandalf, and yet it was so powerful it . When you consider how powerful he is, the touch is so gentle of a mere beam of light in the right place all for the purpose of handing control back to those whom it belongs to.
I agree with many others here; your reactions are satisfying. These movies are beautiful and heavy. My husband was named after a river in Middle Earth. We named our first daughter Eowyn because he admired the Shield Maiden from the books.
30:49 before the movies ended up being made by New Line Cinema they were originally going to be produced by Harvey Weinstein. He was basically a jerk and wanted to change a lot of stuff and pretty much everyone hated him, so the production moved to new line cinema. They apparently made this character look like Harvey as a way of getting back at him, and especially in recent years it seems like a pretty accurate display of his inner workings
So many people praising this reaction and you as a reactor and they're all completely correct. I have tears in my eyes every time those beacons are being lit. It's a beautiful enriching detail of the world the story takes place in that they've invented this emergency contact system (that works both ways) so Rohan and Gondor can ask each other for help. I love the thought that those guys on the mountain tops have been going up there, no doubt in shifts that probably last weeks or months, for years just so that when the day comes there will be someone there to pass the message along. It's beautiful
Best LOTR reaction I've ever watched, Sofie Gets it. A true Tolkienist
Ive been watching another channel with 2 young ladys reacting to lord of the rings and it feels so forced and fake. Thats Gen Z for you.
Yep ,she gets it.
Honestly, she really does. At first, I was sceptical during Fellowship that she had already seen them and was just milking the 'react to LOTR' train. I'm seriously impressed with how she grasps the story almost instantly.
She gets a lot of things actually.
This!
I am a life-long Tolkien fan, as are many, and I have to say, Sofie, that I am so impressed with how quickly and well you've grasped the story of all three movies, both the main plotlines and lesser-known or understood story beats. I watch many LOTR reactions on RUclips, as doing so is really the only way I can 'experience' watching them again for the first time, and, truly, you have shown the best understanding of the story.
Well said.
+1 except for the life-long fan part, barely 5 years since i discovered Tolkien, but honestly best reactions to watch
@@ravilav I'm so pleased that you've found Tolkien's work :)
Agree 100%. I had LOTR as part of my post-secondary education, and 40+ years on, it has never left me.
@@garymcallister4128 holy crap! You just made me count out how many years since I first read the books back in 1971. Over fifty years???? Wow. Seriously, thank you for your post and inspiring me to count it out. Thank you fellow Tolkienite.
Genuinely can't explain to you what a delight you are to watch, and how rewarding this reaction is for someone who knows and loves the source material. You are so insightful, observant, so well versed in character and narrative devices. But what I think is most important, is that you're so compassionate and empathetic to the characters. You approach everyone with absolute thoughtfulness. You see motivations behind actions, the memories and trauma that have shaped the decisions of even the darkest of characters. It's like you look through everyone to the spirit beneath, and you view it with kindness. I can't explain it. But you seem like a wonderful person.
Lovely comment. Her analyses of the 140 Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes floored me time and again, and I was as sad as she was when she reached the end of the series. Unfortunately I haven't watched many of the things she has reacted to, but she will be my first stop when I do.
You put it in words beautifully. ❤
Her reactions are so natural and unforced. I started reading Tolkien's works in the early 70's, I have even read the Dictionary... not sure how sad that makes me. This is one of the best reaction videos I have ever seen... and I've seen a few. She is very honest and genuine, sadly traits lacking in today's cynical world.
She said she is gonna read the books, I hope she does. She is GOT fan I hope she have read a song of ice and fire as well. Sofie if you reading this, please if you really mean it you should definitely read the books, they are so great, English is second language for me, I love English because of Tolkien.
If you haven't read a song of ice and fire, you should read them as well when you have time.
I hope she reads the books, especially The Children of Hurin, which is my favorite.
I'm glad you recognise the strength of Ian Mckellen's acting - he's one of the best British actors of all time, stage and screen.
It wasn't Ian, it was his eyebrows...
I believe it was Christopher Lee's eyebrows that were the problem for Peter Jackson 😅
No need to specify British. One of the best of all time.
_“All that is gold does not glitter,_
_Not all those who wander are lost;_
_The old that is strong does not wither,_
_Deep roots are not reached by the frost._
_From the ashes a fire shall be woken,_
_A light from the shadows shall spring;_
_Renewed shall be blade that was broken,_
_The crownless again shall be king."_
Thank you!
These words always choke me up. I don’t know why 😊
@@user-blob Maybe because Nightwish has a song named "Crownless" which seems pretty much based on this poem? :)
Never heard of Nightwish, so no 😁
Derivative, just like all the ‘rousing’ pre-battle speeches.
@@P73-i4n I mean, Tolkien was of the opinion that the only true creativity - underived from earlier sources and from nature - belongs to God.
Happy to see your love for Theoden. He gets misunderstood a lot.
Nah, people love him. The likes on this post proves it.
I disagree - I think he gets misunderstood by people who are very superficial, but he was always one of my favourite characters- so much depth and so much honour.
I just watched the Reel Rejects reaction to these movies. The Theoden hate was ridiculous.
@@nutbra694 Living up to their name, were they?
@@nutbra694 @nutbra694 I've asked RUclips not to suggest Reel Rejects anymore - I'm sorry - they are just not that intelligent - so them hating on Theoden does not surprise me. I don't want to be so critical - but can't help it. Channels like SoFieReacts set the bar so high for intelligent, interesting, and passionate commentary that I can't go back to clueless reactors. Just like the LOTR movies, I will go back and rewatch her reactions - I don't think I have ever done that before. I wish I could give her a list of my favourite movies and have her do a reaction to them all.
Gandalf, "Sauron now knows what Pippen knows. Thankfully Pippen knows absolutely nothing."
Ahahaha that's absolutely savage and I love it 🤣
Peregrin "Snow" Took
Pippen: "I know basketball."
Scotie always got the short end of the stick...
Sauron now knows the joy of having a second breakfast and enjoying a pipe-weed after 🤣
Can I just say that New Zealand is an absolute star in these films.
the tours are still running (i still want to go)
I’m a crew member from the original trilogy (not the Hobbits) , and as a kiwi I can tell you that we were so collectively proud of our country when the worlds jaws dropped after witnessing our natural beauty! X
Right on, New Zealand is scenic as hell! Best for the location shoots of all time!
37:00 - "Let me know, I feel like that light means something." That scene depicts Gandalf driving the Nazgul away with the Light of the Secret Fire, Eru Ilúvatar. The literal Light of Heaven, hence that the Nazgul could not fight against it. He is an angel, sent to earth to help man face the darkness, quite literally.
an "angel sent to earth" whose true powers are hindered by the nature of his dusty which wasn't to win the battle against the darkness in the East by force but to guide to help the inhabitants of Middle-Earth overcome it. None of the wizards have access to their true power which is on the same level more-or-less than Sauron
Exactly.
@@fenzirulfr Correct. The most we ever see Gandalf manifest his strength is at Pelenor Fields and when he stands against Durin's Bane. The playing fields were somewhat more 'equal' in those instances, so the boss upstairs undoubtedly said "Sure, stretch your wings a bit here."
Gandalf is "a servant of the secret fire". That is Eru Ilúvatar's power of creation ex nihilo, the ability to create something from nothing. Only Eru can wield the secret fire. Gandalf serves Eru, but he wields "the flame of Anor". Anor is the Elvish word for the sun. That's why Gandalf's power looks like sunlight.
Gandalf the white was given the authority to over power humans when he comes as gandalf the white. Thats why he hit the stuart of gondor . And he influenced the theoden to the war .
"And Rohan will answer" is like top 5 cinema moments
That scene is so damn awesome.
Great scene but "It shall be a sword day" is the greatest speech in cinematic history
@@birdsfan5440 "They may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!"
"Today we celebrate our Independence Day!"
Muster the rohirrim.
@@birdsfan5440nah, the best line is definitely "So it begins"
"I'm ordering the books as soon as I finish this film. I just need more!" Love it! I did the same, Sophie. I started reading the books after The Two Towers, because Return of the King hadn't come out yet. Based on your reactions I've seen to Buffy and this trilogy, I know you will love the depth and characters of the books. The movies could only portray a fraction of what's in the written material. "The thing I love about this adventure is everyone has a role to play." Exactly! That's definitely a part of Tolkien's message. I have to say, Sophie, you're one of the few reactors I've seen who actually gets what Frodo is going through and doesn't outright hate him as the Ring corrupts him. I can't wait for the second half of this reaction! It's gonna be EPIC!!!
After Sméagol found the ring, he would use it to disappear and create havoc amongst the River Folk, they got fed up with him and banned him from their community. Sauron was practically non existent at this time.
Something that many people don't understand from watching the movies is that the reason Smeagol became corrupted so easily and fast (by hobbit standards) was because he was already considered strange among the Hobbits. And not in a cute way like Belle, but as someone you couldn't trust, a liar and a slippery person.
And something that they don't say in the movies is that it is implied that there were times when Gollum literally stole babies from their cribs to devour them. Charming fellow.
Sorry if this is long, but this includes one of my favorite lore 'easter eggs' in the trilogy.
After Elrond gives Anduril to Aragorn, he says "I give hope to Men" and Aragorn replies "I keep none for myself."
In the books, this line is spoken by Aragorn's mother, Gilraen. After Aragorn's father died, she moved to Rivendell to raise Aragorn. To hide his identity, she gave him the name 'Estel' which is Elvish for 'hope'. The last time Aragorn spoke to his mother, she told him she could not face the coming darkness and would soon die. He tried to comfort her by saying there was still light in the world, but she responded with "Ónen i-Estel Edain, ú-chebin estel anim" which translates to "I gave Hope to the Dúnedain (Men), I have kept no hope for myself." She died soon after.
Early in the movies, Elrond is pretty clear he doesn't think Men have the strength to defeat Sauron. He also doesn't think Aragorn will embrace his true identity. But after speaking to Gandalf, the first conversation Elrond and Aragorn have about it takes place at a statue of Aragorn's mother in Rivendell. The scriptwriters then put a bow on both characters' story arcs by splitting Gilraen's statement between them, using her final words as a driving force to embrace their new worldviews:
Elrond: "I give hope to Men" -- I now have faith that Men can overcome their weakness, correct the mistakes of the past, and that Aragorn will embrace the man he was born to be.
Aragorn: "I keep none for myself" -- I accept who I am and the responsibility and sacrifice that comes with my hertitage.
One thing not often commented on by reactors is how well Peter Jackson conveyed the sense of stress and release that the books provide, there is a consistent pattern of characters being in danger then finding comfort again before being plunged into even more danger, it has a massive effect on the reader, tolkien was truly a genius
Sofie is so smart to pick on the Shakespearean delivery of Ian Mckellan's Gandalf. She mentions his great eye acting. One of the first reactors to notice that impressive detail. He and fellow Shakespearean trained actor Patrick Stewart are great friends and an awesome duo on screen. They are in the original X-men trilogy. Watch it sometime soon!
His performance in The Da Vinci Code is also worth noting.
14:10 That eye acting is crazy
Mennen nored dîn
Gwanwen i 'ûr bân
Sílant calad Dûn
Tollen Rochon 'Lân
The sindarin that is being sung when Gandalf rides out to fend off the Nazgul.
it translates to:
Their race was over;
All courage gone.
A light shone in the west,
The White Rider had come.
The sheer level of detail and love put into these films brings me to tears.
❤❤❤❤❤
What is not shown in the movies is that Denetor has one of the palantír and that Sauron has been messing with his brain for a while.
This is probably how knows about Aragorn being the heir of the kings of Gondor.
From Wikipedia:
"In the published essay on the palantíri, Tolkien wrote:
He [Denethor] must have guessed that the Ithil-stone [Sauron's palantír] was in evil hands, and risked contact with it, trusting his strength. His trust was not entirely unjustified. Sauron failed to dominate him and could only influence him by deceits. Saruman fell under the domination of Sauron... [while] Denethor remained steadfast in his rejection of Sauron, but was made to believe that his defeat was inevitable, and so fell into despair. The reasons for this difference were no doubt that in the first place Denethor was a man of great strength of will and maintained the integrity of his personality until the final blow of the (apparently) mortal wound of his only surviving son."
And these Palantiri were forged in Valinor by the great elf of all Feanor & brought at some time perhaps when the hosts of Valinor marched into Middle-Earth & then gifted to the Dunedain for their services. They are incredibly old.
Denethor already knew Aragorn for decades and hated him coz his own father loved and viewed Aragorn as his fave ‘son’ over him, much like Denethor himself then does to Faramir.
When Faramir was born, his mother, the mother of Boromir as well, died in child birth.
Denethor, the Steward, blames Faramir for her death.
Love your reactions / reviews.
Can't wait to see the conclusion.
As we say in Texas; y'all be safe.
Like Tyrion was blamed in GoT. People don't realize how many story beats from Tolkien have been used without knowing.
@@terrylandess6072 Yes!
@@terrylandess6072 yeah, he's a even a smarter, more scholarly son, like Tyrion, compared to world's greatest warrior favorite elder son, i.e. Boromir/Jaime.
I love the Lighting of the Beacons, it is my absolute favourite scene of the trilogy just for how epic it is and how simplistic it is at the idea.
Imagine being the guy living at the top of the mountain who is only there to check for a sign every day in case of it being needed, that life is so lonely but damn it's an honourable one.
Wonderful sequence. Howard Shore is amazing.
Its actually how vikings used to warn eachother. Tolkien was a massive fan of the sagas and nordic mythology.
I assume it was more like a scheduled military duty rotation, rather than someone permanently living a hermit- like existence on a mountaintop. Not sure if Tolkien settles that. In any case in the books the beacons are not actually on the mountaintops but on the lower adjacent hills.
@@Big_Tex I imagine it as a 3-6 monthly rotation service where they're up there with supplies for that long.
But that's still months of isolation for a service that isn't a constant 'necessary' thing, but one that could be.
And to be clear on the idea. The beacons being on "hilltops" are still isolated locations away from civilisation. I've been up hills the size of what you're suggesting and its lonely and quiet there. People who have done that sort of thing do it for the job and the role.
I also love that sequence. I’m so glad Sofia appreciated it.
I’ve seen Miranda Otto, who plays Eowyn, in an interview and she was telling how easy it was to act being in love with Aragorn.
She, like so many of us, found him very attractive 😁
There are two types of people in this world. Those that love Lord of the Rings and those who haven't seen it yet.
And then there's my roommate who can't stay awake during "Fellowship." Like Gollum, she's hopeless. LoL
@@corvus1970 hahaha.
@@corvus1970 Damn, I genuinely feel bad for her lol
@@corvus1970I know people like that. Poor things. 😂
@@blakebufford6239 "people"
Pretty much every single woman says that about Viggo and we all get it. Best part about him too is that he wasn't a fan of LOTR before starting this and when he was begged to play it by his family, he read the books and then epitomised Aragorn in filming, most of his outfits weren't the stunt ones but real armour and swords, he camped and slept outside and best of all, he loved his horse wholly and I think he took it home with him after filming was concluded.
The man still remembers the song he sang at the end of the movie too.
He bought Brego for himself, and I think Snowmane for her handler
He bought Brego. Brego lived out his life in Australia or New Zeland, can't remember, on a nice farm. His real name was Uraeus and he "sailed West" in 2015. 💔
Not just the women 😁
Viggo was going to say no to the role because he didnt want to be parted from his family for a year. But his son Henry said "Dad, you can't deny me being able to say my Dad is Aragorn!"
@@Peter-h6n1b He also learnt how to pronounce words in Sindarin correctly
The Witch King's scream in Minas Morgul was earth shattering in the theater.
Sir Ian McKellen as Gandalf is the single greatest casting in the history of cinema
For real. His voice and nuanced acting are a perfect match.
Every casting was perfection, my personal fav were Sam and Frodo. Sam in particular was perfect
I agree yet he wasn't that good as Magneto in my Opinion.
Wait, I thought that they had Gandalf play Gandalf.
People always thought the role would be offerend to Sean Connery, cause of his Merlin role. But I don't think he'd ever be as good as McKellen.
I hope Sophie has enough tissues handy for part 2, no way she is getting through it without tears. And thats all good. The fact that the films can get to us emotionally is just an added bonus.
4:34 the ring enhances the abilities and desires of the bearer. The backstory in the books shows that Smeagol always had a bit of malice in him. Bilbo on the other hand was essentially content and had no desires the ring could exploit. It's also the reason why Boromir fell, where Galadriel was sorely tempted and why a wizard like Gandalf should never touch it.
And Frodo always wanted to go on one of Bilbo's adventures.
And that's why Sam was the only creature (besides Tom Bombadil, who's just way out of the Ring's league) to give the Ring up willingly, without outside help or push.
All the Ring could offer him was a kingdom-sized garden, which he was tempted by for a split second, then realized it was stupid, he'd never tend to a garden that big himself.
The scene with the beacons lighting was indescribably epic in theaters. As a kid, I remember trying to find each beacon before it ignited
The beacons in the game - Lord of the Rings online are all in small to medium villages, beautifully designed and practically located while the film kinda glosses over that fact people must 'live there to man them'. Such is cinema. :D
"Indescribably epic" is a good way to put it. I keep trying to describe how that scene felt but I just can't!
I've seen every single reaction to LOTR that exists on RUclips.
This is the only reactor where I've been thinking the entire time, "truly, this is Goldberry, Tolkien's daughter."
Denethor in the movies just comes off as a hateful and bad dude who just hates Faramir
But there is a reason behind his madness
He had a palantir, similar as the one which Saruman did
Denethor was actually a very wise and noble man
But he was foolish enough to converse with Sauron, who's a master deceiver and liar
Denethor fell into despair and madness after trying to compete his will against Sauron too much
The most tragic thing is that he loved Faramir, and only realised that when he was "dead" to him
Denethor was a far more complicated character in the books, not nearly as fucked up as portrayed in the movies. He's a real monster here, but it works because John Noble's acting is world class and he gives his character so much humanity.
When you read the books you'll find many characters to be changed or omitted to faciliate the storytelling in the movies. Spoiler alert: Aragorn's arc is also very different and more one dimensional. And so is Arwen's relationship with Elrond btw. and both their motives.
The narrative that mordor's shadow weakens Arwen to the point of dying once she choses mortality is a plot hole imo, never really explained in the movies and absent in the books.
Not to take anything away from them, they're just so epic.
Amazing reaction btw!
Yeh i remember when i saw the films at the cinema i was a bit miffed at how they portrayed both Faramir and Denethor. I still love this trilogy however
Glad you explained this.
It’s always worth informing a good reactor of these facts.
That his wife died giving birth to Faramir did not help as Denethor always felt a resentment towards him for being the cause of her death even though it was through no fault of his but it was one of the kernels that Sauron could weave his hatred on to and create distrust doubt and despair in him.
@@pipingbob720 I just learned of a movie cannon theory that when Arwen said to the almost dying Frodo at the borders of Rivendell "What grace is given me let it pass to him. Let him be spared" that she was then tied to Frodo and his quest because of her gift of grace to him. They are henceforward connected. As Frodo gets more affected/corrupted by the Ring and as the Ring gets closer to Mount Doom her strength fails. I like that theory. It makes movie sense.
Thank you for a terrific reaction. I wish you the joy of reading the books. Tolkien is a brilliant writer. But be aware of a few points:
1. LotR was published in 1954 -1955, so might come across as slow-moving to a modern reader of fantasy. But the language is so beautiful that it's easy to be immersed in the story.
2. A number of choices were made adapting the book to movie, most of which I agree with, but when you read the books some of that will become really obvious. The movie had a bunch of characters/situations tweaked to provide more drama/tension/conflict. Faramir was made to be more weak-willed in the movie for example. There were also two key parts that got missed: Tom Bombadil (which would have wrecked the movie's tone) & The Scouring of the Shire (which would have added yet another ending to an already very long movie).
The light of Beacons is inspired by Friktories. All Greece was informed about the Fall of Troy in less than a day in the exact same way before 3,200 years ago.
Yes its an ancient warning system, used all over the world.
Hey, I'm early enough to be the first with this fun fact! Christopher Lee, who plays Saruman, was special forces in World War II. Director Peter Jackson tried to give him a detailed explanation of the reaction he wanted when Saruman is stabbed. Christopher Lee responded, ""Have you any idea what kind of noise happens when somebody’s stabbed in the back? Because I do.”
He was the 'original' Most Interesting Man in the World.
I think Lee was more likely referring to himself being stabbed in the back by Jackson because of the way that the Saruman story arc was cut short. My biggest disappointment in the whole movie trilogy was when Saruman's story was butchered. (***MILD SPOILER AHEAD***) I wanted to see the last strike of the War Of The Ring take place on the very doorstep of Bag End, just as it did in the book. It's well documented how devastated and angry Lee was that Saruman's true story arc was cut out of the movie. Unfortunately contracts had been signed and sealed and so he couldn't refuse his part as it became.
@@Zen_Shothe would never have refused to play the role, although he disagreed with the Scourging of the shire being removed he remained firm friends with Peter Jackson all his life shown by him agreeing to play Saruman again in those terrible Hobbit movies. For what it’s worth I don’t think The Scourging of the shire would work cinematically after the already multiple endings we got, it was the right decision I think to remove it.
also he was the only actor who actually met J.R.R. Tolkien in his time.
@@Zen_Shothe was special forces and hunted Nazis. He was the one who was stabbing, not being stabbed.
I sat speechless in theaters in the early 2000s and again with you in the present.. First of all, isn't it amazing that Pippin's foolish meddling in this reaction lead to the discovery of Sauron's attack target previously hidden from all eyes. It's only one of the heroic acts he performs in this trilogy, often by accident, sometimes by design. I think of when Galadriel said to him 'fear not Pippin, you will find your courage.' Isn't it amazing when you discover what it's like to experience an epic moment in a movie every two minutes for an hour or more? First there's a scene with the Witch King in Mordor followed by Gandalf sending Pippin up the tower to light the beacon then an excruciating scene of Faramir belittled by his father, and so it goes. You shared with me your emotions, amazement, apprehension and most importantly, happiness.. Thank you for sweeping me along in your visceral experience of living through this Homeric, monumental trilogy.
The actor who plays Pipin, he was given the words for his song that he sings as Faramir rides from Minus Tiruth towards the orcs but the melody is all his and it is absolutely perfect!
hearing you say you’re going to order the books makes me so so happy! watching your reaction to these movies has been so fun, you get it 🙏❤️
I love how she sees Theoden as a great and noble king! Such a contrast to these girls from Reels Reject who even at his death scene said he was a terrible person but at least he tired to redeem himself
I didnt want to name them, but that was an awful reaction
I also watched their reaction. Reading these comments, it seems I wasn’t the only one disappointed.
I can only hope they listen to their feedback and improve in the future.
Entertainment is like water - it always finds it's 'level' and some is deeper than others. :P
Reel Rejects was the first LOTR reaction I put a dislike on. They are everything wrong with movie watchers, and they have a movie reaction channel. It's mind-boggling.
Ok, thanks, I'll skip that one. Rejects indeed.
10:54
In the story, elves have a high tolerance for alcohol because their bodies are not afraid of all kinds of poisons. Only strong liquor brewed specially for elves can make them drunk.
However, Bloom who plays Legolas himself is a very bad drinker and cannot bear even a little bit.
This contrast between actor and character is interesting.
19:16
Not all elves can choose their destiny.
Only the bloodline of Lord Elrond can choose the fate of humans or elves.
(Elrond is a Half-elven. There is another story behind this)
Elves are immortal, they cannot get sick or poison, but they can be killed or die of a broken heart. After their death, they will return to the palace of Mandos, where they will have the opportunity to be reborn and reunite with their kindred in the future.
But the fate of human beings exceeds these. Human beings do not have immortal life, and no one knows the fate of human beings after death. In the story, it is said that "death" is the gift given to mankind by Eru - Ilúvatar (the creator god in the story)".
But if Arwen chooses the fate of mankind, it means that she and Lord Elrond will be separated forever in the future, and they will never be reunited.
Lord Elrond's brother also chose the fate of mankind and became the "First ruler" (Tar-Minyatur).
32:44
Using horses to deliver messages was too slow. Using the flames of beacon towers to deliver urgent messages would be much faster, equivalent to the speed of light. But the people on duty at the beacon tower are really hard and boring, because the beacon tower is not used in normal times.
43:33
There are two opinions.
One theory is that Denethor II's wife Finduilas became increasingly weak after giving birth to Faramir. From then on Denethor ignored Faramir, and Finduilas died five years later.
The second theory is that Faramir likes to study with the gray wizard (Gandalf's other name "Mithrandir" refers to Gray Pilgrim), and he also has a good relationship with the young Aragorn (pseudonym Thorongil).
But Denethor subconsciously felt that Thorongil would threaten his position, even though he did not know Thorongil's true identity at the time.
50:57
The plot here is the movie's adaptation of the original story: connecting Arwen's fate to Middle-earth, which further becomes Aragorn's motivation.
In the original story, Arwen didn't have many roles, and the movie gave her more opportunities to show her personality.
In the original story of the first episode "The Fellowship of the Ring", it was actually Glorfindel who rode with Frodo. The movie gave this role to Arwen, so that she was no longer just a character in the background, she could also fight. .
(In the original story, Arwen fell in love with Aragorn and chose the destiny of mankind earlier. Elrond asked Aragorn to become the king of Gondor before marrying Arwen. For this reason, Aragorn went through a lot of trials . So in the original story, Arwen was indeed Aragorn’s inspiration and motivation)
To add to the first point you made: All elves can hold their liquor amazingly well but Legolas is from Mirkwood and these elves are on another level lol, read the hobbit they're not nearly as noble as the rest of them and proper binge drinkers who love VERY strong wine.
They all have millennias of practice in drinking AND fighting if they want to, which is why I don't mind Legolas being ninja man in the movies I'm sure he's practiced shield surfing all his life back home 🤣
I’m going to watch these reactions multiple times. She is the best reactor to these movies I’ve ever seen.
Yes, she is. It is a pleasure to watch. Beautiful reaction. Thank you.
Saruman actually had a power, apart from his regularly wizardry
His voice had a magic
He could lull and convince anyone with it, and it had great power
That's why he tries to keep persuading them when they come beneath his tower
Only one like Gandalf who's aware of his power can avoid it
It’s also why in the Two Towers when the three hunters think Saruman is the White Wizard in Fangorn Forest that Aragorn tells Legolas and Gimli to not let him speak.
@@ellehcimbelleprecisely
That scene is brilliant in the books, you can easily feel how someone could be convinced.
My recollection is that Billy Boyd came up with the tune for the song that Pippin sings to Denethkr and that there was limited or no rehearsal. So he blew away Peter Jackson and the crew with the raw beauty of his performance. It’s been many years since I saw the DVD BTS, so please help me out if I got it wrong.
Pretty sure he sings the closing credits to one of the Hobbit films as well. As far as Gandalf 'roasting' Pippen every chance he gets, It IS pretty _low_ hanging fruit that takes _little_ effort.
you would realy love the 6+ making of DVDs for Lord of the Rings (The Apendacies) it goes in depth on creating the different sets, the costumes the makeup and so much more
Definitely!
John Noble is such an incredible actor. He has played both the most loving father I have ever seen on Fringe and the most hateful father I’ve ever seen here. THE RANGE! Also everyone needs to watch Fringe if they haven’t, it is honestly one of the most perfect tv shows of all time.
Fringe is forever.
Sometimes an actor benefits from a good character 'palette cleanser' which as mentioned here, shows more than a one sided relationship with said actor. Matt Damon was also a recipient when he did The Martian after being the bad guy in the Nolan film.
He also voiced Scarecrow in "Arkham Knight"(and made Scarecrow one of the most chilling replacements for the Joker)and is currently voicing Odin in the series "Twilight of the Gods".
Great show and great actor.
“A lot of evil mountains in Middle Earth.” 😂 You actually touched on something that is deep in the fabric of the world-when it was created one of God’s archangels sounded a discordant note and later spent most of his existence trying to mar the creation of the world. Also known as “the marring of Arda.” While other angelic types sought to perfect God’s creation, Morgoth sought to render it imperfect and flawed. Thus evil is written into the very fabric of the world.
Just want to thank you for these I found your channel only a few weeks ago with fellowship of the ring, and I was blown away, I've now binged all of your GoT, Stranger Things, Firefly, Last of Us reactions and am watching your House of the Dragon reactions currently. I've noticed so many comments talking about how insightful you are and yes you are amazingly insightful with picking out details and nuances but also so empathetic its a treat. I rarely bother with reactions to anything but its been a joy to watch you watch things so thank you.
Tolkien who wrote the books over a seventeen year period after witnessing the carnage of world war one was asked by an interviewer if there were any similarities between LOTR and the the second world war and he replied "while there wasnt an Aragorn, there was a Sauron."
Loved the movies! The extended editions was also pioneering excessive "makin-of" material, which I loved and highly recommend watching. For my taste, knowing about the workings behind the scenes does not diminish the "magic".
We read the Hobbit at school in 5th grade. I love Tolkien's world, however I procrastinated te readin of the Lord of the Rings. Only when I saw a ginormous poster advertising the first movie I realized there is no way past this movie and I need to hurry if I want to read it before watching the movie. I almost succeeded with the first book and had plenty of time with the others.
In 2005, I had the opportunity to live and study in Dunedin, New Zealand for four years. I bought a motorcycle and clocked up quite some mileage around Central Otago. The wind in your face, Rohan's landscape passing by and the Rohan theme-song playing out in your head - it doesn't get any more epic unless you're riding with Theoden himself.
Love your reactions, Sophie! Also, you are so insightful. You see things right away that took me a long time to see. Like how Gollum always appears in the reflections when he talks to Smeagol, never the other way around.
58:29 in the books they aren’t tangible, but magically cause terror and panic amount their foes wherever they go, causing them to route.
One of the main reasons why LOTR reactions are so popular is that those who already love these films are so excited to see new fans created by watching these masterpieces. So many who haven't seen the trilogy expect to see the usual fantasy elements of monsters and battles but don't expect to absolutely fall in love with every character or to have the emotional reactions they experience as the stakes build. Your reactions are exactly what every LOTR fan hopes to see as you invest ever more deeply in the characters and the quest. So looking forward to the final installment!!
Exactly this! I get excited each time I see a new LotR reaction pop up, but I'm usually disappointed when I try to watch it ... not with Sophie! Her reactions are exceptional, she is the best!
Also because they love to go to the comments and regurgitate all the facts they've memorised from the special features.
There were changes necessarily made in adapting from the books to the films. This means you'll be seeing new things that the films don't provide. You'll appreciate the directorial and writing choices made when you finally read the text that covers what you've already seen. I have deeply enjoyed your reactions, as you've pointed out gestures, actions, other things I've missed myself. I don't envy Frodo, not only because he has to carry a cursed, addictive, toxic thing that wears on his mind, across many miles to destroy it. He is also fighting himself. For who are Sam and Gollum if not the two sides of Frodo? One side clinging to a clearly drawn line between good and evil, the other in constant pain of struggling to (and failing) to return to the light , except that his life of choosing evil has taken its toll on him? Frodo is the nuance that must decide on the fate of the whole of them. Your reactions have been honest, insightful, earnest, and worthy of someone who is coming into this world and learning to love it. I know you'll keep it safe in your heart. Thank you so, so much.
Truth. I just yesterday did a finished read of "Fellowship"and while I appreciate Tolkien's writing, Jackson really tightened things up. Having a character who it totally unaffected by the Ring sort of undercuts the threat it holds to all of Middle Earth(fun though Tom Bombadil was), the long pauses in between the journey is fine(they're like a month in Lorien, at least), but it doesn't work well in a cinematic format. (Apologies to Tolkien fans, I'm sure I am going to get raked over the coals for daring to question the journey.)
@@phousefilms Actually I suspect a great many fans would agree, even if they may not say so openly. The written word and cinema are different mediums, they have different strengths and weaknesses. What works on a page with just a few words could appear quite absurd on the big screen (just imagine there being, "17 years later..."), whereas sometimes a book can convey something via our imagination and insight in the moment which can be really hard to put to film (a lot of directors 'solve' this with heavy exposition, which if overdone just feels like being hit on the head). Jackson trod a fine line getting the balance right, and nailed it.
A different collection of books comes to mind with a similar issue at times, the Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind (ignore the TV series, it was trash, Goodkind wasn't involved). There's a fight during which the main character kills an enemy with a sweeping sword slash; Goodkind spends *two pages* describing this in crazy detail. It kinda goes too far, becomes almost comical, but in a movie what he was trying to convey is probably a lot easier to get across with careful direction, acting, vfx, photography direction, musical score, etc. I loved Goodkind's SoT series, one of the few I've read that afterwards I immediately read again, but if it is ever put to film I hope it receives the same kind of treatment that Jackson and all those who worked with him brought to the LoTR trilogy. Ditto so many other great works which have yet to escape their many pages, those by Dan Simmons (the Hyperion saga), Iain (M.) Banks (too many to mention), Robert Jackson Bennet (City of Stairs trilogy), etc.
Me: ready to do some actual work over the weeken...
Sofie: nonchalantly drops RotK reaction
I'm so happy you focused so much on the shot of Gandalf riding out to face the Nazgul. The cinematography and music there are perfection, I think it hits even harder if one gets obsessed with Tolkien and learns Gandalf's origin story 😊
Return of the King was nominated for 11 Academy Awards. It swept all 11. It is now tied with Ben Hur and Titanic for the most Academy Awards. Simply a masterpiece. RIP Christopher Lee, Saruman and Bernard Hill, Théoden, King.
One of the few, maybe the only one of the reactors I've seen, that really gets this franchise. Your reactions are my favorite
Yes! You will love the books. There is so much more of the beauty, the history, the wisdom , and the lore.
20:16 - The music that plays during Gandalf / Pippin's ride through Minas Tirith was also the litemotif that played when Boromir would talk about his homeland and his city, its the theme of Gondor - but while Boromir was away from home, every time the motif is played it's an isolated, solo horn playing it quietly.
Pretty much all the major musical litemotifs are teased and played in part at differerent / relative point in the films - and they all get their own unique instruments. When Gandalf and Pippin arrives in Minas Tirith, it is the first time we hear the theme fully resolve and hear it built up with a full orchestra behind it and an entire horn section, right as the city is revealed and we are on street level, seeing it in person. The score in these movies really is in a league of it's own, and does an incredible job making each location and group unique and instantly recognizable.
The extended trilogy will be re-screened in cinemas here in Brazil next week and I have already secured my place in the three screenings. It's incredible how I'll be able to relive the experience I had twenty years ago, now in my forties, when I had my jaw on the floor several times, especially in the third film, which I watched six times in the cinema, hahaha.
There will never be a trilogy like this in cinema again, at least not in our lifetime and it is extremely gratifying to feel this vicariously through the reaction of someone as smart and astute as you.
The boy who played the role of Eldarion, the first-born son of Aragorn and Arwen and his successor on the throne, is Sadwyn Brophy, son of fellow actor Jed Brophy , who plays the role of the dwarf Nori in the film adaptation of "The Hobbit", also directed by Peter Jackson.
I will not say do not weep;for not all tears are evil.❤
In the books, Gandalf liked Pippin's speech to Denethor, too! :) he said it had moved Denethor's heart of something like that
Many people don't realize it was necessary for Pippen and Merry to separate if they were to ever 'level up', which they finally do.
I always appreciated Tolkien's restraint in showing fantasy elements, especially that Gandalf rarely uses his magic powers, but it took me a long time to realize why that was. The way I see it now is that Gandalf is essentially a greater being committed to do good in the world, which means he will not use his magic against lesser beings. He will fight them with conventional weapons like his sword and staff because anything else would be abusive and lead him toward darkness. Only when faced with enemies of great power, like the Balrog or the Witch King, would he use his magic. He explained to Frodo that what happens is _meant_ to happen which means he trusts in fate and that goodness will prevail.
fun bit of trivia, Peter Jackson got a knighthood for these films, because he basically saved new zealands entire economy, tourist industry, currency, and film industry.
I fell in love with Tolkien's works when I first read them over 50 years ago. I have reread them countless times since and cannot recommend the books highly enough, especially to someone who enjoys a well-written tale. These movies, I feel, are a gift to Tolkien lovers the world over, and a passkey to those who will want for more. Read the books--I know you will love them--and come join the throng. Watching you see these for the first time allows me to enjoy them anew through fresh eyes. And yes, they were epic to experience in the theater.
There are two reasons Denethor is the way he is, both kinda made up, and kinda true.
First off, movie Denethor is different than book Denethor.
Book Denethor is a mighty and great man, strong in both mind and body despite his many years of hard life. However, what he also had was a Palàntir - one like the one Saruman had, that Pippin looked into before.
The problem is, when Sauton took Minas Ithil, which later became Minas Morgul (the green tower where Witch King went forgot from) he also took a Palàntir that was there - that's how he was able to talk to Saruman in Orthanc. And Denethor used his Palàntir as well, to soy on Sauron and his troops - which came with great benefit to him in the war effort. Gondor was able to keep forces of Sauron at bay.
Denethor's will was great, so Sauron could not lie to him - but he could demoralise him. By showing Denethor visions of his great armies, he chipped away at his hope and will.
Boromir's death was the beginning of the end for Denethor.
So, theory number one as to why he isn't much impressed with Faranir, is that Denethor was a man of war for all of his life - and Faramir has no love for swords or bows, he only fights to protect the people. Denethor, being a hard man, sees it as a weakness. He realises waaaaay too late that love is not weakness at all.
The second, fan theory, is that Faramir reminds him of his dead wife, who he loved very much.
Either way, Denethor you meet in the move is a shell of his former self, as Peter Jackson decided to put him into last stages of his madness, which happened much, much later in books.
I’m sure others have answered it, but the light that Gandalf uses to drive the Nazgûl away to save Faramir is his inner fire. The fire of Anor (he mentions this in his fight with the balrog). It’s Gandalf’s angelic essence.
Almost. Anor is the Elvish word for sun, so Gandalf is literally channeling the light of the sun. He is also the carrier of one of the 3 Elvish rings, Narya. This ring is said to have the power to resist despair and inspire hope in others, as well as having magical control over fire.
@ indeed, I stand corrected. The secret fire is the Flame Imperishable which is at the heart of all things.
You regret not seeing the Lord of the Rings movies in theaters - yes, it's an incredible experience! I was lucky enough to see all three films in the cinema at their premiere in 2001, 2002 and 2003 - once (at the premiere of “Return of the King”) even all three films one after the other on a 28 x 9 m screen, in what was almost the largest cinema in Switzerland at the time. Seeing these epic images on a huge screen is still the most powerful cinema experience I have ever had. Since then, I have never seen a movie in the cinema that has cast such a magical spell over me...
My understanding of the Army of the dead. The mountain is their tomb, their burial place. They are bound to it. In order to leave, the tomb must be opened, hence the walls breaking down and the skulls coming free.They weren't trying to kill Aragorn, they were releasing themselves.
When Deagol found the ring, it had been laying at the bottom of that river for 2,500 years, so it was more than ready to spread its evil again. It probably blasted poor Sméagol & Deagol with a lot of very dark power right at that moment, which caused them to covet the ring & fight each other for it.
The lighting of the beacons gives me goosebumps every single time.
Same dude. When I think back to when I saw this on theaters, It is this particular scene that I have the most vivid memory of seeing that night, for some reason. xD
Fun facts: Originally, the revelation of Smeagol was going to be at the start of "Two Towers", but they decided to do it for the finale so that we got to know Smeagol first.
Saruman is not killed in the book(immediately), just having his staff broken and stripped of his power.
Aragorn convincing Theodan to spare Grima lead to Sarumans death. Mercy wins again.
Christopher Lee(Sarumans actor)told Jackson, when he directed his death, that a man stabbed in the back wouldn't scream. "Do you know what a man being stabbed in the back sounds like? Because I do." are his exact words(he had been in espionage in WW2 and many people think he was the inspiration for his cousin, Ian Fleming's, character James Bond).
Denethor of the books has a Palantir of his own that he has kept for years, using it to see the Enemy. However, the Palantir is used by Sauron at the same time to drive despair and dear into his heart.
The scene with Smeagol separating Sam and Frodo never happens, but a sadder moment occurs. Smeagol was considering turning back on his plan, as he loved Frodo, in his own way, despite how Frodo hurt him when Faramir caught him. He was even ready to help him fully, but then Sam awoke and insulted him for "sneaking"and Smeagol fully gave in to his anger rather than love.
Aragorn and Arwen do not have this plot. Aragorn gets Narail reforged as soon as he goes with the Fellowship, as he fully plans to retake the throne of Gondor after helping Frodo to Mount Doom.
The Army of the Dead are only used to clear the ships of the corsairs of Umbar, allowing Aragorn to bring in an army of Rangers to help, if I recall correctly.
Gollum is a great example of how the ring works. Smeagol was obsessed with what he was going to get for his birthday (and not too bright). The ring promised him itself as a birthday present - and then corrupted Smeagol's wish by giving him a birthday present at the cost of Deagol's death and Smeagol's banishment. The ring gives visions of your dreams coming true - but doesnt tell you how its going to corrupt your dreams. The trick to resisting it is to always keep in mind that the ring will corrupt whatever it promises. Some people assume that time is a factor - the longer you have the ring the more susceptible you become - but time is irrelevant, except that your better judgment may be worn down with time.
In the books, Sam wore the ring in Cirith Ungol - the pass of the spider - but what it showed him he resisted because he thought "Im just a gardener, Theres no way I could do all that". Humility is a key factor in resisting the temptations of the ring.
I highly recommend going straight to the Hobbit trilogy. For someone with LOTR fresh in their minds, there are a lot of easter eggs in the Hobbit. And while it gets a bad rap from some the trilogy is actually not bad, and is equally stirring, dealing, as it does, with the prelude to LOTR, dwarves, and the dragon, Smaug. And, of course, Bilbo's part in all that.
There is no lore about Arwen being affected by the ring, because it doesnt happen in the book. In the movies I think its related to Arwen giving her grace to frodo at the ford of bruinen after he is stabbed by the witch king (in the books its a different and far nastier creature that stabbed Frodo).
To lose your elven immortality you just decide and its done, as Elrond's brother, from whom aragorn is descended, did.
The elven rings were made with the same magic as the one ring. Once the one ring is destroyed the elven rings lose their power. If sauron gets the one ring, the elven rings are dangerous and useless. So its a lose-lose situation for the elves. The elven rings protect the elves, above all, from the sorrow and pain of spending thousands of years watching every other creature around them die. Without the elven rings that sorrow bears down on them. Thats why they leave for the undying lands, where that sorrow cant hurt them anymore. Thats also why the elven rings give those around them hope and makes them feel better. Gandalf's elven ring has that effect on all around him too.
Theres a mistake in the movie. Isildur cursed the King of the dead and his men but the last king of Gondor was Earnur, who defeated the witch king of Angmar in Angmar but disappeared with his army in the morgul vale while trying to take back Minas Ithil (now known as Minas Morgul) from the witch King of Angmar. Aragorn is a direct descendant of Isildur but the kings of Gondor were descended through Isildur's brother, not Isildur himself. Isildur was never the king of Gondor. He was the king of arnor and the high king of gondor and arnor. That why the line of the kings of gondor was broken.
There were originally three different types of hobbits: Stoors, Harfoots, and Fallohides. Gollum is thought to have been a Stoor who lived in the valley of the river Anduin. In the Shire there has been a lot of inter-breeding but the Brandybucks have the most Stoor blood.
Part 2 please!! 😍
Leaving a like and a comment - will come back and watch part 1 and 2 together in one go! Super excited :D
You're the first person I've seen call Frodo not being able to destroy the Ring once he finally gets to Mt Doom. That's wild.
The most OP part of the Ring, imo, is that even if someone managed to get it all the way to Mt Doom, the Ring is so powerful there that no one could willingly destroy it.
Sshhhhhhh!!! spoiler....Sofie hasn't seen it yet!...But, yes, that is really cool!
@@TimKeeler-gb6rnbrudda, do you think she just stopped watching the movie halfway through? Come on now..
@@TimKeeler-gb6rn No need to worry, her reaction to Part 2 has been up on Patreon for 2 weeks already
I agree with those saying that this is the best reaction to the LOTR out there, been and amazing adventure thus far.
I have seen almost ALL the LOTR reactions on YT but you are my favorite by far!!! I love how you react and it looks so sincere. I am officialy enamored with you < 3
Gandalf riding out of Minas Tirith to rescue Faramir and scare away the Nazgûl is my favorite single moment in this film. It needed no explanation. The first time I saw it I was transfixed. Just pure fantasy film making.
Her reactions I can watch her reactions all day so genuine!
I love how quickly she's able to pick up on the themes and the intent of Tolkien 👌👏
So many don't get the simplicity of Arwen's decision until they see the child - if then even. As an immortal she would continue to be the Matriarch of the House with a library of wisdom to pass on to following generations - she would not be alone, but forever entrusted with the passage of time among her family.
15:45 those orbs are called Palantíri. They were created by Fëanor (Galadriel's half uncle) a long time ago. They're basically a form of communication and seeing, where you can see things from afar and communicate with beings from afar. You saw how Saruman uses it to communicate with Sauron and see Rohan and some others. Pippin did the same. Except he wasn't as mentally strong because looking into the Palantirí is mentally draining and exhausting, especially in combating the dark influence of Sauron since the Fallen Maiar is very convincing and 'seductive' in his words.
Your insight to this movie spot on! This is one of the greatest stories of our time. Thank you for doing the absolutely best reaction video on RUclips (my opinion). Such an intelligent reaction. I’m now a subscriber for life.
We'll need a Sofie Reacts once you've read the books, recapping your thoughts!! :-D
"The way the actor [Sir ian McKellan] who plays Gandalf conveys so much with his eyes is so incredible." You hit the nail there, that performance is *all* about the eyes. There are so many closeup shots of Gandalf's eyes in LoTR, and every single one is special. It really is one of the most iconic performances in cinema history.
Sarumon had a different fate in the books, although I do like the fate here (the ending is long enough as it is). The Scouring of The Shire by Sarumon bypassed the “happily ever after“ ending present in so many books. It delves into the idea of reconstruction hardships that Europe endured after the World Wars. Of course it isn't a direct analogous of that, but Tolkien knew first hand about what happens after a war. American soldiers got to go home to their farms and suburbs. European soldiers had to sit in the rubble of the warzone that was left of their homes.
The Scouring of the Shire is a bit petty coming from a wizard angel. It comes across as a little childish to go and beat up a sibling wizard's favorite “pets”, simply because Gandalf beat him in what basically is live action (wizard's) chess. They're both kinda basically all powerful opposing DMs.
It's excellent in the books, but just like Tom Bombadil's introductory tutorial to DnD, it's not needed in the movie, IMHO (because books and movies work differently in pacing).
The *scouring of the Shire 😊
Pippin's actions, no matter how clumsy they appear, always help dtive the events in a more favourable direction.....it's worth contemplating.
Smeagol was part of a big family with his Grandmother as a head matriach
He is a seemingly ancestor of a type of Hobbit, Stoor specifically
Gollum upon getting the ring became loathsome and grotesque
The others kicked him and he bit their feet
They cursed him
Eventually the Grandmother kicked him out wanting peace
In the books , Denethor also had a palantír , which is never mentioned in the movies , but he was also corrupted by Sauron ! SofFie , I llke your LOVE and empathy for the characters ! ❤ You wear your heart on your sleeve ! Also Denethor Blamed Faramir for His wife's Death.The steward's wife, Finduilas, became ill shortly after Faramir's birth, and then died. The loss of his wife took an emotional toll on Denethor from which he never recovered. He assumed her death was a result of childbirth, and, therefore, blamed Faramir for her loss.
7:05 One thing that sadly isn't captured in the film (and was impossible to show) is the power of Saruman's voice. With his voice alone he could instill fear or awe or convince of anything, a real spell, and for this reason Theoden's strength to respond in that way is extraordinary
I wonder if the fact that he was already seduced once by Saruman in the curse that was broken by Gandalf helped him resist. Although the books take a different route in a lot of this, so maybe there's no lore to back the idea.
I blame Saruman's voice for Gandalf not realizing that Bilbo's ring was in fact the one ring. Something many people consider a loophole
As an angelic being in human incarnation, Gandalf is only permitted to use his supernatural powers against supernatural foes. When fighting incarnate beings (orcs and/or humans for example), he is only 'allowed' to use his human resources. Unlike Sauron and Saruman, Gandalf never oversteps the set boundaries of his essential being, even when tempted to do so (Frodo's offering him the ring in film #1).
I hope, if you do read the books, that you make a video reacting to and comparing them. I'd love to hear your thoughts. You're so eloquent.
Regarding the side-by-side shot of Gandalf and Pippin: Peter Jackson used several techniques to create the illusion of a size difference between humans and hobbits, but in this particular scene, they probably used one of the hobbit-actors' small size doubles alongside Sir Ian McKellan.
Oh my! I can't wait for the final part.
There’s a reason LOTR fans are loving these videos. Every fan has tried to get their friends, family, EVERYONE and anyone to check out LOTR. But it’s not often that the person you show it to enjoys and appreciates these movies like Sofie has been!
I get so giddy to see someone actually pay attention and love the detail of story and the acting.
Edit: not to mention that she’s been watching the extended cuts for extra context! The fact that the scene with Saruman is CUT COMPLETELY from the theatrical cut is crazy, and I’m glad Sofie got to watch it
On reading the books - The Hobbit is the easiest to get into, being originally a bedtime story that grew, and a shorter read. Another book that goes along with the the LotR books is The Silmarillion which covers the prehistory of Middle Earth. That one is the hardest read, but is a wonderful one for an audio book.
This is one movie that swept the Oscars, which truly deserved it. Great reactions! Always a pleasure to see someone try these movies out for the first time, and connect to them in the same way all the fans did on their first watch.
The remarkable wisdom I think. I love that you noticed Gandalf's use of magic! When you consider how restrained it was, such small moments of magic from Gandalf, and yet it was so powerful it
. When you consider how powerful he is, the touch is so gentle of a mere beam of light in the right place all for the purpose of handing control back to those whom it belongs to.
I agree with many others here; your reactions are satisfying. These movies are beautiful and heavy.
My husband was named after a river in Middle Earth. We named our first daughter Eowyn because he admired the Shield Maiden from the books.
30:49 before the movies ended up being made by New Line Cinema they were originally going to be produced by Harvey Weinstein. He was basically a jerk and wanted to change a lot of stuff and pretty much everyone hated him, so the production moved to new line cinema. They apparently made this character look like Harvey as a way of getting back at him, and especially in recent years it seems like a pretty accurate display of his inner workings
So many people praising this reaction and you as a reactor and they're all completely correct. I have tears in my eyes every time those beacons are being lit. It's a beautiful enriching detail of the world the story takes place in that they've invented this emergency contact system (that works both ways) so Rohan and Gondor can ask each other for help. I love the thought that those guys on the mountain tops have been going up there, no doubt in shifts that probably last weeks or months, for years just so that when the day comes there will be someone there to pass the message along. It's beautiful