Counting "Frodo"s, second edition

[butterfly]

Mostly, I'm doing this because I like to have a goal.


Interjection: The Foundations of Stone - And this movie still makes me catch my breath with the sheer emotion of it. It's so powerful. Oh, and for people wondering why, if the Balrog has wings, it can't fly free - there isn't room enough in that chasm for its wings to spread. It keeps rebounding off the edge, so it doesn't get a chance to even try. It's off-balance and in too small an area. Wings can't always help.

1. "What is it, Mr. Frodo?"
The Foundations of Stone - Questioning tones always get a "Mr."

2. "Grab it, Mr. Frodo!"
Elven Rope - about the box of salt (the best salt in all the Shire).

3. "Frodo!"
Elven Rope - when it's Frodo that's falling.

Interjection: *giggles* I kinda wish this scene had been in the theatrical - it's so adorable. And for that reason, I see why it wasn't - it does make things less tense by its very wonderful sweetness - though there is that hint of sadness underneath, because of the quest.

4. "Who's going to follow us down here, Mr. Frodo?"
Elven Rope - Again with the questioning.

5. "Let's face it, Mr. Frodo - we're lost."
The Taming of Smeagol - nothing urgent happening here.

Interjection: Frodo says Sam's name a lot. More than you just use a person's name in regular conversation. The more you do use a person's name, the closer you sound to them. It makes a relationship seem more intimate. And Frodo just often uses "Sam" when he doesn't need to - just because he wants to. Hmm. I wonder if he does the same thing with other names. And how scary is it that he no longer needs to put on the Ring to feel the draw towards Sauron?

6. "Mr. Frodo?"
The Taming of Smeagol - Again, it's a question, so it's "Mr."

Interjection: The Uruk-hai - The sweetness that is Merry and Pippin may just kill me. Pippin trying to help Merry, while Merry tries to protect him.

Interjection: The Three Hunters - Even in the wide shots, Legolas has such grace when he runs. They did such a good job with the elves. Oh, and the scenery is so gorgeous. And I love seeing how Legolas is constantly looking back towards Gimli. He really is the one who reaches out - starting, though, with Gimli's change of heart towards elves after Lothlorien. Once Gimli opened the door, Legolas refused to let it close.

Interjection: The Banishment of Eomer - Okay, when you take on an advisor that's named 'Wormtongue' and he's as creepy-looking as Grima? You deserve whatever you get, because that's just stupid. Hee. "Forthwith". I love this movie.

Interjection: On the Trail of the Uruk-hai - After Legolas says that line about whips, he just puts on this mightily impressive burst of speed. It's like woah.

Interjection: The Riders of Rohan - Wow, Legolas gets downright pissed when Gimli is threatened. Even Aragorn's all, "Okay, wow, that was... passionate, Legolas." I love that no one mentions that Legolas is a prince. And he still looks pissed at Eomer. He has this great "I could kill you without blinking" look going on. He's gotten damn attached to that dwarf.

Interjection: The Fate of Merry and Pippin - "What madness drove them in there?" Um... Gimli, sweetie? I like to call it almost dying in a battle. See, there were these guys on horses with arrows, and these orcs with sharp weapons, and then you had these two wee hobbits. I love you, baby, but you aren't the brightest sometimes. Which makes you a good match for Legolas, so it all works out.

Interjection: Treebeard - Pippin's face on seeing Treebeard for the first time is absolutely priceless. Billy Boyd is a gem. Oh, Pippin is so young. It's amazing how he can be so young. You can just tell that he's the youngest. Always asking the questions no one else would dare, poking into things no one else would look at. "Fools rush in where angels fear to tread", but sometimes that is the best way of learning. And I kinda like the idea of Pip and Merry being so overcome with seeing Gandalf again that they never get around to saying his name in front of him.

Interjection: The Passage of the Marshes - "Once it takes a hold of us, it never lets go." I do wish that that had been in the theatrical - it's a very important line in regards to why what happens later does. Frodo knows, even by this point, just how true that statement is. And that wonderful moment of establishing silence.

7. "Frodo!"
The Passage of the Marshes - As Frodo gets distracted by the faces in the water.

Interjection: I like that the dead are all of the same sickly green. The color is set by our brief glipse of Minas Morgul in Fellowship and I like that it runs through the three movies. Pale green, sick green = unhealthy and interrupted death, as opposed to the vibrant, healthy green of the Shire, which is life, full of growth and change. It's all about themes - the green of grass against the green of mold or pond scum - the green of life versus the green of disuse.

8. "Mr. Frodo, are you all right?"
The Passage of the Marshes - Again, note the questioning tone.

Interjection: As far as I can tell, Smeagol was not a hobbit. He was, if you will, a proto-hobbit. Not so different from a hobbit but not a hobbit. There weren't true hobbits at that time. (extremely minor RotK spoiler - if nothing else, consider the hair) Hmm. Yes, Frodo is very big on the importance of names. It's interesting, when you think about the fact that he's the only hobbit not to be nicknamed. Frodo and the Naming of Things. It could be an essay.

Edit: Ah-ha - there were hobbits Back Then, but Smeagol just wasn't one of them. The hair doesn't lie (thanks, dlgood).

9. "Come on, Frodo."
The Passage of the Marshes - Getting Frodo out of the sight of the Black Rider.

Interjection: I adore the Fell Beasts. I just love how realistic they look - if ever a huge, creepy-ass lizard could fly - it would be these.

10. "Frodo! It's all right."
The Passage of the Marshes - Grabbing Frodo's hand to distract him from the Ring - give him something else to cling to.

Interjection: The White Rider - The play of emotions across Legolas' face in Fangorn is wonderful. You can see him sensing the mood of the forest. Beautiful. Also, Legolas is strikingly beautiful in the pure white light of Gandalf. Gah. Also - "smote his ruin" - I love this movie. Oh, and "I've been sent back until my task is done." is an interesting line, in light of RotK. I love Legolas' soft smile at Gandalf proclaiming his new name. In fact, I'm really noticing how much I love Orlando Bloom's expressions this time around. He did a good job at being alien and yet understandable. Eeep. Legolas' face. He really did a great job. Ah, and re-adding in the extended bits does warm Gandalf up, but it isn't the same type of warmth that he exudes near the Hobbits. And that is such a beautiful horse. Sheer, glorious poetry in motion.

Interjection: The Heir of Numenor - I love how Gandalf is all, "Frodo must finish this alone," but on hearing the Sam news is all, "Yay!" These things amuse me.

11. "I know, Mr. Frodo."
The Black Gate is Closed - Preparing to go with Frodo through the Black Gate.

Interjection: The Black Gate is Closed - Gollum knew all along what was in that tunnel. I don't give him any credit, even before the thing with Faramir and Frodo's 'betrayal'. He knew what was in that tunnel when he suggested it here and he didn't breathe a word of it.

12. "Mr. Frodo, no."
The Black Gate is Closed - Wishing he could change Frodo's choice to follow Gollum. Poor Frodo. He has to get to Mordor and it does him no good to get caught by orcs or Sauron's forces. Gollum is his best chance. Given who he is, he could have made no other choice. Frodo is very pragmatic when he must be.

Interjection: Ent Draft - *giggle* I do adore Pippin. And Pippin does need his Merry - though it did him good to get away for a while, in the end, he does need his Merry with him. They work so well together. And the 'ent wives' conversation inspires more helpless giggling. "Die? No. We lost them... and now we cannot find them." And Merry and Pippin's expressions. God. So funny.

Interjection: The King of the Golden Hall - I love the two sets of stalking. On the one side, you have the sexy stalking walks of Aragorn and Legolas, on the other, the creepy stalking walks of Grima's followers. And I love the sheer bad-assness of our Trio as they take out the creeps without the need for weaponry. They're the best, yo.

Interjection: The King's Decision - I love the production people admitting that they have no clue what 'rick, cot, and tree' means. I didn't get it until I saw it spelled out in the subtitles, because I always hear 'Rick Cottontree'. But saying that the wildmen are burning 'rick, cot, and tree' makes a bit more sense. They're burning everything, including whatever the hell 'rick' and 'cot' are.

Interjection: Brego - Again, the production commentary was interesting - the writers thought the scene should be about Aragorn and Eowyn, and Viggo thought it should be about Aragorn and Brego. And it creates an interesting dynamic, Eowyn being all over him, and him being all over the horse. Um. Right. I'm sure I meant that in a way that wasn't as dirty as it sounded. And Aragorn is just the king of understatement - "I was raised in Rivendell for a time."

13. "Because that's what he is, Mr. Frodo."
The Forests of Ithilien - Talking about Gollum.

14. "You can't save him, Mr. Frodo."
The Forests of Ithilien - I always wonder how aware Sam is of just how much Frodo is already identifying with Gollum.

15. "It's taken hold of you, Mr. Frodo."
The Forests of Ithilien - Partly, I wonder because I know that Sam certainly wouldn't ever put them anywhere near the same category. And yet, he is most definitely aware of how much the Ring is affecting Frodo.

Interjection: Gollum and Smeagol - And the whole "Frodo as Master" thing is always interesting. What does it mean, in its essence?

Interjection: Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit - I love how you can see Frodo go from "Isn't it great that Smeagol's reaching out to me?" to "Oh, God, what is he doing with that rabbit?" to "I think I may throw up." Also, considering the sheer number of times that 'fat' is used as an insult to Sam via Gollum (and dude, James Marsters would look fat next to Gollum), I can see why Sean felt horrible about it. Even when it's in a fictional context, words like that still hurt. And hearing that day after day wears on someone.

16. "Mr. Frodo?"
Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit - Always "Mr." when it's a question.

"17. "Mr. Frodo."
Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit - Upon spying an oliphaunt.

Mr. Frodo - 12 times
Frodo - 4 times

I'll watch the rest tomorrow night, as I have work in the morning.

Edit: Hah. Just now realized that I misspelled "Weasley" as "Wesley" throughout an entire HP essay. I should probably fix that. Obviously, I have Angel on the brain.

Comments

[sharpest_rose.livejournal.com]

Eeeeeee!! This post ROCKS. You're so marvellous, I am sitting here and going eeeee.

Frodo and the Naming of Things.

Well, there's the comments in Fellowship (the book) about Bagginses and Brandybucks and which Frodo is and such things - he knows names are important from a familial point of view.

It's also interesting when character's use Sam's full name - Gandalf uses it when he's angry, like a parent would, but Gandalf uses full hobbit names (Peregrin Took!) to belittle them sometimes. And, considering 'Samwise' means 'halfwit', it seems likely that's what he's doing then. Likewise, Aragorn calls him 'Master Gamgee' when he's being slightly dismissive of the hobbits following the 'foul enough' comment from Merry. The only other thing Aragorn calls Sam before the attack on Weathertop is 'little hobbit'. After the attack, Sam's earned Aragorn's respect somewhat and becomes just 'Sam'.

Then, there's Frodo, who uses Sam's full name when he's showing total respect to his friend - 'Samwise the Brave'. He also uses it when he's trying to make Faramir respect Sam - 'this is Samwise Gamgee'.

'Halfwit' isn't a particularly stellar name to have, but Frodo speaks it as if it has earned distinction by virtue of being Sam's name.

Anyway, I'm rambling. Loved the post.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

This is why Frodo is The Coolest Dude Eva, because he can imbue names with meaning beyond what they start with.

*adores Frodo*

Eeeeeee!! This post ROCKS. You're so marvellous, I am sitting here and going eeeee.

Oh, thank you. Have I mentioned that I love your icon? (Hobbit girls are so pretty.)

Well, there's the comments in Fellowship (the book) about Bagginses and Brandybucks and which Frodo is and such things - he knows names are important from a familial point of view.

The complicated family trees. He's part Took, too, right? Related to Pippin at least two ways, which they mention in Fellowship ('once removed on his mother's side'...).

It's also interesting when character's use Sam's full name - Gandalf uses it when he's angry, like a parent would, but Gandalf uses full hobbit names (Peregrin Took!) to belittle them sometimes. And, considering 'Samwise' means 'halfwit', it seems likely that's what he's doing then. Likewise, Aragorn calls him 'Master Gamgee' when he's being slightly dismissive of the hobbits following the 'foul enough' comment from Merry. The only other thing Aragorn calls Sam before the attack on Weathertop is 'little hobbit'. After the attack, Sam's earned Aragorn's respect somewhat and becomes just 'Sam'.

It's also interesting when character's use Sam's full name - Gandalf uses it when he's angry, like a parent would, but Gandalf uses full hobbit names (Peregrin Took!) to belittle them sometimes. And, considering 'Samwise' means 'halfwit', it seems likely that's what he's doing then. Likewise, Aragorn calls him 'Master Gamgee' when he's being slightly dismissive of the hobbits following the 'foul enough' comment from Merry. The only other thing Aragorn calls Sam before the attack on Weathertop is 'little hobbit'. After the attack, Sam's earned Aragorn's respect somewhat and becomes just 'Sam'.

And Aragorn probably was pretty foul - man did not look like he bathed at all, let alone enough. And Sam to Aragorn is interesting, too - he continues to call him Strider, though Frodo switches to Aragorn (probably right when he finds out it's the man's right name, though I can't be certain). Which amuses me with the image of a much older Sam still calling King Elesser 'Strider' (or should that be Elesser King?), though I don't know if that holds with canon.

Then, there's Frodo, who uses Sam's full name when he's showing total respect to his friend - 'Samwise the Brave'. He also uses it when he's trying to make Faramir respect Sam - 'this is Samwise Gamgee'.

'Halfwit' isn't a particularly stellar name to have, but Frodo speaks it as if it has earned distinction by virtue of being Sam's name.

Frodo is, after the Elves, the being in Middle-Earth most imbued with class. He's classy in a way that has nothing to do with blood or rank, but is rooted in the way he treats other people with respect and care, no matter what their origin.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Eeep. I shouldn't post this early in the morning, as it leads to dropped tags and repeating paragraphs.

[dlgood.livejournal.com]

Interjection: As far as I can tell, Smeagol was not a hobbit. He was, if you will, a proto-hobbit. Not so different from a hobbit but not a hobbit. There weren't true hobbits at that time.

Checks the appendix. The Quest to destroy the One Ring begins in Third Age 3018, which equals Shire Reckoning 1418. Deagol found the Ring in Third Age 2463. About 850 years after Hobbits had settled the Shire.

Smeagol's people are referred to as the "Stoors", and as far as I can tell, appear to be a case of parallel evolution from the Hobbits.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

That works. Still not a hobbit, though. This is all I care about, really.