One of my favorite details were all of Boromir's interactions with the hobbits prior to the Battle at Amon Hen. He consistently thinks of them during moments of danger and grief. He is seen laughing and training with Merry and Pippen along with saving them multiple times in Moria and on top of the Mountain. He tries to speak on the hobbits behalf to let them grieve for Gandalf, and as we see he is also grieving. He comforts Frodo when his thoughts are in a scary place in Lorien. And his first words when Aragorn came to try and aid him at the end? "They took the little ones." Boromir cared. A lot.
@Raylan Givens He was beloved by his people in Gondor as well. He really was a good, caring leader--it's just that the Ring preyed upon that care and twisted Boromir's fear for his people's survival into his desperate need to seize the Ring from Frodo as the only way to save them. Even after Frodo got away from him, he quickly realized his error, and how corrupting the effect of the Ring was on him. I think, if he'd have survived the Uruk-hai, he would have understood Gandalf and Aragorn better and stayed away from the Ring as well.
22:07 I honestly love how the girl on the left has already seen the movie but still doesn’t quite understand Galadriel, meanwhile her friend watching it for the first time was able to put two and two together instantly “I feel like she is good but she knows all the bad things that can happen”. Good job (:
It makes me ridiculously happy that you see Boromir (Sean Bean) as a regular man who was tempted and nearly corrupted by the ring, not a villain. Also, when someone says, "No! That's the end?!" after a 4-hour movie, it's a sign that it's a great movie.
@Raylan Givens Yes - his corruption was because of his love for his people, to defend them. His salvation came because of his love for the Merry and Pippen he could atone for his error by defending them. And he convinces Strider to save his city and people in his stead.
He gave The ring back to Frodo at Caradhras. He definitely showed a great strength there. The fact he endured so long near the ring without falling for it is remarkable.
implying that older siblings are somehow snobby? a bit of projection going on in that, their snobby because they have seen corruption in the hearts of men and the greed in the hearts of dwarfs through their long existence.
Boromirs death always gets me. It doesn't matter how many times I watch the movie, the onion fairy always comes to visit. It is one of the most epic deaths in a movie of all time.
@@michaelriddick7116 I watched this one when I was 9 years old, no one in my family knew anything about LOTR (surprisingly since my mom is so big in literrature). Everyone in the family was like wtf why did you pick a 3 hours long movie at Blockbuster, and I was like idk I heard good things and it has orcs (which I saw in Warcraft when I used to play on my old PC, the RTS game). Anyway by the time the movie ended we were all balling for Boromir and hyped for Orc hunting. Then it ended and we were like WTF what happens next? It became in my top 2 franchise and we saw the last 2 in theatres. ROTK got me in a puddle of my own tears and I swear I cried so much I probably needed an IV exiting the theatre.
Absolutely. I'm well into my 30s and watch this movie in the theaters. I cried at that moment then and I still cry at that moment today. The scene, the context, the delivery. Everything was done so well.
In the book he was shot because no Orc, even a Urak, could stand against him in combat and he was chewing them up. Sean Bean’s acting was right on the mark.
Same. The acting was Oscar worthy. The funny part of the whole scene was that they filmed the death scene in between lunch time, so Sean Bean found it funny that he had to keep "dying," for all of those takes Peter Jackson wanted from the actors that day. 😁
"They will look for his coming from the White Tower, but he will not return" So glad that they snaked in that line from the Lament for Boromir poem, I broke every time.
@@joshwhite1606I would argue this is a pivotal moment for Aragorn too. Without Boromir, Gondor’s finest living son, being the first to declare Aragorn as King here, would Aragorn have been ready to assume the mantle in time for the battle of Pelenor Fields?
Gimli asking for just 1 golden hair and Galadrielle giving him 3, because she senses Gimli has a pure and good heart is a great piece of lore. Faenor the most powerfull elf that ever lived once asked her 3 times for 1 hair, but everytime she turned him down because she sensed he had a dark heart.
@@McBrannon1000In the book it's more extreme even, where Legolas is described as throwing down his bow and falling to his knees in sheer despair when he realizes what they are dealing with.
Peter Jackson must deserve great props for getting these performances from the actors. So many close ups filmed over 400+ days of filming all the expressions are magnificent. Hitting the proper tone of voice, it is so easy to do it wrong, And I struggle to find a single word of dialogue that is off in tone or intensity for the scene. For Sean Bean, this movie and Ronin, are challenging characters in that they are very tough/confident, but also need to have believable mental break downs. He nails it.
Boromir is really something else in the extended version, now every time I see him die makes my eyes teary, his last words to Aragorn are so full of regret, and yet he still accepts Aragorn as his truthful king, what a way to die.
The contrast of his first words to his last. “Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king.” To “My brother, my captain, my king.” Hits so hard. Is so good.
@@joshwhite1606 Aragorn says "they will look for his coming from the white tower, but he will not return" and then sheds a tear, be at peace son of gondor.
he was a misguided hero in the books all along, but let me say Peter Jackson basically made the definitive version of LOTR, so well shot, so well done!
@@benvanwessel1984 The Ring used Boromirs desperation to save his people to corrupt him. That together with his fathers insistance to bring back the Ring to Minas Tirith destroyed any chance Boromir had to resist.
@@antoinettelopes i always think of those two dudes sitting in a room for months and months putting those little pieces together to form the chainmail. Bloody legends, all of them.
@@AlbertKekstein I used to know all their names. I think one of them is Gene(?) Acevedo. The commentaries we're my favorite. I hope you watched One Zoom to Rule Them All that the fellowship did during the pandemic.
The acting in these movies is just 1st rate. The awkward silence when Pippin knocked the skeleton down the well, and the way the camera panned to show the looks on the other character's faces. Those faces said it all. We felt it.
Legolas was walking on top of the snow because elves don't leave tracks. I remember seeing this in a theater with a 70 ft screen and the entire place just shaking when the Balrog roared. It was epic!
The contrast between Aragorn (the idealised herioc human being at their peak without any fear) and Boromir (Humans as they actually are in reality, not neccessarily bad but vulnerable to fear and acting irrationally due that fear) is so great. its important to remember that even before the start of the movie Gondor has been in a steadily losing war of attrition with Mordor that Boromir himself has been leading on the front lines. To him the threat of Mordor attacking is way more close in his mind as he knows first hand that Mordor is about to overtake Gondor even without the Ring, so the ring appearing seems like the last ditch opportunity to save his entire country
Id actually say that Aragorn is not free of fear, that would take form in an overconfident cocky persona. The ever lingering real fear of things is there, but it is his courage and bravery along with his moral standards that allow his character to embody the ideal heroic, it is with the presence of fear that he can still overcome and truly be greater. Aragorn is also capable of the same actions so I wouldn't say he was exempt from vulnerabilities, nor guaranteed good...and I'd segue that into the part of Boromir's archetype as humans are as you said broad in the scale, but Aragorn is part of that group too. So it makes him so special because he came with the same bunch, but prevailed with the same hardship everyone else faces. ~I get that he is also a very special person in Middle Earth, and superior in one way or the other from the average Joe, but the point still translates to the grand scheme of fear, heroics and what have you. I mention this as Aragorn is an ideal I believe can be achieved, so to separate him from other humans in reality would be a disservice. Thanks for sparking me to think of this, it's always nice to type about LOTR.
“By OUR blood are YOUR lands kept safe!!” Love how much frustration and bitterness was laced into that line that perfectly demonstrates what you talked about
Aaragorn had fear his fear was his own worthiness to lead because of his ancestors legacy. It took 2 instances Aaragorn refusing the ring of power and Bormir dying to accept the responsibility of being the future leader of Gondor and Arnor.
Not only that but she is also still emotionally moved by the sad parts. Watching her right before Gandalf dies, you can tell she knows what's coming. She knows the whole story and yet you could tell she was still sad that he died.
I *guarantee* you that watching the behind the scenes documentaries will make you appreciate these movies even more. The passion, the love, and the heart that were put into these films is something different entirely.
I completely agree with you. To see and hear PJ, Philipa and all the others show their passion and respect for Tolkien and the trilogy showed that the right people made these movies. You don't get 17 Oscars for bad movies.
Yeah, whether they react to them for our enjoyment, or just watch them privately themselves offline, they really need to watch the documentaries accompanying the extended cuts. I think I may have actually watched them more times than the movies themselves. They tell an incredible story in their own right. These movies should have been impossible to make, but so many talented and determined people came together and did them anyway, and it's sort of a miracle that they pulled it off so well.
Galadriel is approximately 8,000 years old (and Elronds mother in law) and wears one of the elven rings of power. So you are correct in feeling that she is both kind and terrifying. She is the perfect example of writing an excellent/strong female character without needing them to be physically strong like so many modern movies.
I think that is one of the things that PJ’s films pulled off very well. The balance of her great power combined with her age. She seems ethereal and almost outside the bounds of a simple understanding of “good” and “bad.”
In the book, Galadriel doesn't give out the sinister vibe that you feel in the movie. Remember that she is being described as an "Elf Witch" by a Dwarf, who is probably biased.
I'm so happy you chose to include Galadriel's gift Gimli. It was not included in the theatrical release but it's of highest importance for Tolkien's story at a much larger context. For one, Gimli didn't ask Galadriel of anything, it was Galadriel who asked what he most desired, and she gave that to him, threefold. But he didn't ask for it. And what was it that he asked for? A strand of hair. What kind of significance could that mean? Wayback when, three ages ago, like 10 thousand years ago the most powerful elf in history, Fëanor, proud and magnificent and uncle to Galadriel, cast a curse of the Valar (the gods) as he saw how Melkor (Sauron's master) raped the home of the Valar and Middle Earth while the Valar did nothing. Fëanor went to war with Melkor in Middle Earth and took half of all elves with him, including Galadriel's family. It was said that her hair kept the light of the Two Trees that gave light to Valinor and Fëanor coveted this more than anything. He asked her for a strand of her hair, and she refused him, thrice. This is her showing that there's no ill will between her and the dwarves. So why did Legolas smile? He knows this tale, and it's a sign to him that it's OK to befriend a dwarf. Gimli has no idea, he's just in love.
That is why it's so adorable too...he is so humble that he did not ask out of covetousness. He asked because he was giving her praise. 🤗 Gimli is ADORABLE!
There was an elf named Feanor who harrased Galadriel for three strands of her hair but she never gave them to him. That she gives them to Gimli is actually a great deal. Galadriels hair had catched the light of the two trees in Valinor that once gave light to the whole world. The tree in Minas Tirith is a sapling of one of those trees.
Correction, feanor ask galadriel 3 times for a single hair from her head as it has the light of the trees of valanor but she denies him. But gimli asks once and receives three. Also the tree of gondor is a sapling of a tree from valanor but not of the two trees of valanor
Also this simple act (this gift from Galadriel to Gimli) has so many symbolisms attached to it, respect between both of them, friendship between elves and dwarves and many others.
This story brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it. Not only does Galadriel give Gimli 3 hairs, but she lets him be the only dwarf to enter the Undying Lands.
Yes! This is Galadriel. I don't know what they are doing to her character in rings of power. While the younger Galadriel is well played as in well acted, the whole story is just not what I had hoped.
Cassie tearing up when Bilbo said he’s sorry that he gave Frodo this burden got me because this is a part when you’re new to the franchise maybe doesn’t get you but when your involved that is one of many parts that get you…. Loved that… and also the side-eye to her sister before for checking on reactions 😂♥️🥲😎👍🏻
LOTR: Why Is Galadriel Giving Gimli 3 Of Her Hairs So Significant? And what does it have to do with the Silmarils, the most precious gems of Middle Earth? Galadriel The fellowship comes to Lothlorien at a time of desperate need, when they are on the brink of breaking. They have just lost Gandalf to the Balrog in Moria, and they don’t know which direction he meant for them to take, so they have never been more in need of Galadriel’s guidance. Not only does she welcome them into her lands, give them food and places to sleep, and time to rest and heal both their physical and emotional wounds, she also gives each member of the company a parting gift. These gifts are not trivial tokens, they are carefully thought out and generously bestowed treasures and each one has an essential purpose in the fellowship's journey, whether it is the lembas bread that keeps Frodo and Sam alive during their dangerous quest to Mount Doom to destroy the ring of power, or the ring of Arwen that she gives to Aragorn to remind him that he can overcome the greatest of challenges. But of all the gifts she gives, there is one that is very different from the others, and also has a very different symbolism. Most of the things that she shares are objects, including the elven cloaks to keep the company safe during adverse weather and help them stay disguised from the enemy, and a whole hoard of weapons, including daggers, bows, and arrows, and even a golden belt for Boromir of Gondor, as well as the light of the most beloved star, that saves both Frodo and Sam from imminent death. But as she passes along the line of people before her, she stops in front of Gimli with nothing to offer him. Gimli and Galadriel It has been hundreds of years since a dwarf has set foot in her lands, and there has always been an uneasy rivalry between the two races, with much history and bad blood behind it. So when she gives him the chance to pick a gift, anything that his heart desires, this is a true honor indeed. And perhaps, thanks to her powers of foresight, she already knows what he will ask, and it is because he asks for something so modest, so sweet, that she is happy to bestow it. But the three golden hairs that Galadriel gifts Gimli at his behest have far more significance than their just being very pure and innocent requests, rather than all the gold or power or wisdom he could have asked for. Any fans who have read the Silmarillion will know that Feanor, one of the greatest elves, and most amazing crafters of the world had made a similar request of the golden lady thousands of years earlier. Feanor was so inspired by Galadriel’s grace and beauty, that he wished to use strands of her hair in the making of his three Silmarils, the most precious gems ever created in Middle Earth. He begged her three times for a single strand of her hair, but even though she was young and inexperienced at this point, she looked into his soul and saw that his intentions were not fair and benevolent, but were driven by greed and a desire to possess something more precious than the other elves of the time. She, therefore, refused his request, causing much wrath and anguish, and he was forced to find other precious substances to infuse into his gems. Gimli very pleased It is incredible then, that Galadriel would give this gift to Gimli. Her husband Celeborn is the only other being in all of her many long years who has been able to so much as touch the golden strands of hair on her head, let alone pluck them out and keep them. So when she allows this incredible rarity to Gimli, she essentially gives him the three hairs that Feanor demanded of her, because she has looked into his soul and found that he has a good heart and that he desires them for nothing more than to treasure the beautiful days he spent in her lands. Here, she finds a dwarf who is worthy of ending the hundreds of years-long rivalry between their races, who proves that a dwarf can be loyal and brave, and all of the amazing qualities that Gimli shows, despite so many of his people simply being greedy and power-hungry. It is also thought that many of the elves of Middle Earth know about Galadriel’s altercation with Feanor, and that at this moment, Legolas sees what an incredible honor the she-elf has given his companion, and realizes that he can finally trust him and put aside their differences. This is the start of their life-long friendship, and a strengthening of the fellowship that will survive many dangerous times ahead together, all thanks to Galadriel’s three golden hairs.
@@ronweber1402 No, Bilbo didn't get any seeds from the elves. Spoiler: Galadriel not only gave Sam elven rope, but a small box with soil from her own personal garden in Lothlorien--as well as a seed of one of the giant mallorn trees that grew only there. After the party tree was hacked down by Saruman's goons when they took over the Shire in the book, Sam planted the mallorn seed where the party tree had been, and it grew into the only mallorn tree in Middle-Earth outside of Lothlorien.
When the company meets Celeborn and Galadriel, Galadriel responds to Celeborn's blame of Balin's colony for awakening the Balrog. "Repent not of your welcome of the dwarf. Were the elves exiled long and afar from their beloved home, who among the Galadrim, even Celeborn the wise, would draw nigh and now wish to gaze upon their ancient home, though it had become the abode of dragons." Gimli looked up and their eyes met, and "it seemed he saw into the heart of an enemy, and there was love and understanding." This is more than a schoolboy's crush. During the month they rested in Lothlorien before the gifts, he and Legolas often set off together to see the sights of the forest to the surprise of the others.
I'll never forget when The Two Towers trailer was available online. My family had dial-up internet. It took 45 minutes for the trailer to completely load. I had to instruct my family to not pick up any of the phones (or internet connection would be lost). I watched the trailer as many times as I could before my parents made me 'disconnect' so they could make a phone call.
Luckily I was in college at the time and had access to the University's high speed T1 line. To this day the music during the battle of helm's deep scene in the trailer, the orchestral remix of the Requiem for a Dream music plays in my head randomly. It fit so perfectly.
I have always noticed that Carly is incredibly shrewd at picking up details when she watches movies. She honestly could have been a film critic in another life!
Yeah Carly doesn't miss much - you could see it when they were watching the first Mission Impossible movie. I'd bet it's hard to play a trick on her because she'd figure it out. She could probably be a lawyer.
@34:36 - Tolkien was an Oxford professor of languages, and drew on myths and legends to build his stories. "Middle-Earth" comes from Norse culture where the world was called "Midgard" - the middle land between Asgard (home of the gods) and the underworld ruled by the godess of death (Hel).
Agree with Carly. This might be my favorite of any movies because the whole thing isn't the battle scenes. There definitely is that...but you also get to see the peace and innocence of Hobbiton. And you get the mystery of Middle Earth where anything seems possible...the fields, and hills and mountains and statues with some panoramic shots of the cities. Black riders, Bree, Sauromon, orcs, rivers, Isenguard, elves, forests, Rivendell, the backstory of war and the rings...a little bit of everything gets thrown at the screen and it's magic. I knew jack sh*t about Tolkien's world before seeing this in 2001 and it blew me away. Immediately hooked.
The fact that Galadriel gave Gimli three hairs - especially when he asked for just one - has incredible significance, much moreso than he realized at the time. It was that gift, in part, which made Legolas reconsider his opinion of dwarves and Gimli in particular and inspired their legendary friendship. The behind the scenes features aren't just interesting, they are incredibly entertaining and will only enhance your enjoyment of the series, I assure you. The cast interviews are especially good - some of them can be found here: th-cam.com/video/DvW3N0mXV24/w-d-xo.html
@@Zankaroo No, that's specifically what I'm referencing, without getting into the deep lore here it was a very powerful symbolic gesture on her part, one that was lost on Gimli at the time because he was unaware of its historical significance - thousands of years earlier she had denied giving those same three hairs to the master craftsman Feanor, who wished to use them to create the Simarils. She did so because she aw the impurity of his heart. Her bestowing them upon Gimli was a recognition of the sincerity of his, not just to him but to all the elves of the world.
@@Ellis_Hugh I think its beautiful that Gimli has no clue how significant the gesture is... and I think its part of why Galadriel gave him 3 hairs, especially when you consider what they wanted them for. Feanor wished for them so he could craft the greatest relics ever made and horde them to himself, it was about possessing Galadriel's beauty. Gimli wanted to suspend them in crystal as an heirloom to his house, to mark the friendship he found with Elves in Galadriel. Sharing beauty for beauties sake.
@@Ellis_Hugh I'm also of the opinion that it's another example of Orlando Bloom knocking it out of the park. There are two scenes in this movie, the one in the boat that you referenced, and the one where Gandalf named the Balrog, that the camera cuts to Bloom's face, and both times, he utterly and completely sells the emotion. In Moria, he was TERRIFIED. He's an elf, he *KNOWS* how terrifying a Balrog is. The others are scared because 'big scary monster and Gandalf said it's bad'. Legolas would have heard scary bedtime stories about Balrogs and all the horrible things they did, and now...there's one coming to kill them all. And in this one, the little smile he gives Gimli. Again, I have no doubt that Legolas is very well aware of the story of Feanor and Galadriel, as well as the implications of her giving Gimli 3 hairs, and Bloom again absolutely sells the reaction of someone in that situation. It's a masterclass in non-verbal acting, and both shots are two of my favorite bits of the movie. The only non-verbal reaction that's more impactful IMO is Gandalf's face when Frodo declares he'll take the ring to Mordor. That couple of seconds, Sir Ian managed to tell a whole movie's worth of dialogue with just a couple expressions. Absolutely *CHEF'S KISS*!
"People had to wait a whole year..." The pain was real. I read the books as a teen, watched the animated Hobbit as a kid, saw the teaser a year before the release, then when this finish, my wife (who only went with me to the theater because she knew I was excited) looked at me in sadness and said, we have to wait a year for the next one (she was hooked)! It was torture!
I still remember that anxiety. I had read the books multiple times before the films were made, but I *STILL* had to see how this "unfilmable story" was going to be put on screen
This was a lovely watchalong. Usually when one person has seen the movies they overexplain to their partner who's trying to watch. You let Carly watch the movie herself and digest it instead of explaining to her everything that's happening, which was wonderful.
I saw a couple react to The Lord of The Rings, where one of them had seen it many times before and kept explaining things the whole time, which was weird because almost all the explanations were wrong, and the one who was watching it for the first time seemed to understand the movie better and actually ended up correcting one of the wrongful explanations.
That's not true at all. In my house if someone's watched something and they start talking about events that hasn't happened yet, they get to suck on a dirty sock or leave the house. They usually choose to leave the house and I tell them they're not allowed at the house anymore.
I fall into that trap. It's hard not to try to explain because I remember watching the movie the first time and being confused in the beginning and then I have this false assumption that this means that I need to set the stage for someone else to help them understand what they are watching, but what I often forget is that no one explained the movie to me when I first watched it, and it didn't diminish my enjoyment (if anything, it enhanced it) - if the movie doesn't explain stuff at the start, there's a reason for it, just let the movie do its thing and entertain.
LotR was not the first fantasy book by a long shot, but every fantasy work that came after it defined itself in relationship to it; either it was directly inspired by or trying to avoid being like LotR. I hope Carly reads the books soon.
True. But actually defining fantasy is kinda hard to do. There have been tales told of wondrous lands and strange peoples almost as long as folk have been able to talk. Indeed depending on your reference point some tales we would now label `fantasy' would arguably be science fiction if viewed in the time they were written. I am not sure that all fantasy following LOTR defines itself in relation to it; although I will admit there a large proportion of modern fantasy does. I suggest Gene Wolf's The Book of the New Sun, Bryan Talbot's Luther Arkwright and Zelazny's Nine Princes in Amber. Moorcock wrote most of his books with the intention of not following Tolkien (and terrific stuff it is too) but I am fairly certain that the creation of the other three had absolutely nothing to do with Tolkien and his works.
@@ratspike8017 "depending on your reference point some tales we would now label `fantasy' would arguably be science fiction if viewed in the time they were written." I love this quote! Never really thought of it like that but you are completely right!
@@joshwhite1606 Gilgamesh is the oldest that we _know_ about, but I feel very confident in saying that it wasn't the first. It also wasn't a book, as books hadn't been invented yet. It was written on clay tablets.
Every once in awhile Fathom Events or Alamo Drafthouse holds screenings of the extended editions on the big screen and it's the next best thing to seeing it for the first time. Getting to watch it with a huge audience again, especially the superior version that wasn’t originally available on a screen that size, is amazing.
@@seanmccready9564 It sure was, especially as I was only a child when it came out, I couldn't really grasp why I had to wait so long to see the next oen
I remember well when this movie came out in Dec 2001 when the whole world was still in shock by 9/11. And after decades of visits of cinemas and whatching thousands of movies there but that time was the first time i remember when there is the end of the movie but NO ONE stands up, moves or make any noise...it was like everyone was hit by a bat or had problems to realise what happens the 4 hrs before or comes back to reality. I mean, a complete filled cinema but everybody stared quietly at the screen when the end credit shows on. And of course it was very hard to think about that you have to wait a full year to see the next chapter...
I cannot help but tear up with Boromir's scene... in the end he understood and was acknowledged by all... Then the bracers passed to Aragorn in remembrance of his kinship.
Carly you'll see as you journey through this series why it's so beloved and why us fans return to it over and over again. It's like a warm hug and it reminds us of the most important things in life, it helps us remember the things that really matter when the world distracts us and tries to pull us away from what really matters and makes life worth living. The timeless reminders and simple, good soul comforting words and deeds that we sometimes forget in trying times. It's why the movies and the books are so treasured by fans.
For Cassie it must be sooo damn hard not to tell spoilers about Sam all the time. You can see how she is fighting inside, every time Sam proves his friendship again and again :)
The reason Frodo decided to leave the fellowship is because after he put on the Ring to escape Boromir, he climbed up some ruins called "The Seat of Seeing", where you can see far in all directions, but the Ring was giving Frodo powerful vision on top of that, so he could see things many hundreds of leagues away, and when he turned East to Mordor... "Then at last his gaze was held: wall upon wall, battlement upon battlement, black, immeasurably strong, mountain of iron, gate of steel, tower of adamant, he saw it: Barad-dûr, Fortress of Sauron. All hope left him. And suddenly he felt the Eye. There was an eye in the Dark Tower that did not sleep. He knew that it had become aware of his gaze. A fierce eager will was there. It leaped towards him; almost like a finger he felt it, searching for him. Very soon it would nail him down, know just exactly where he was." He sees all the way into Mordor and loses all hope of the Fellowship making it there at all. He decides to leave on his own because he knows even if the Ring doesn't corrupt the rest of the Fellowship, they will all die trying to aid him.
Regarding the name of the pony, Bill, in the book there's a story about how the hobbits acquired him in Bree after all their ponies had been driven off. They named him Bill in mockery of his former owner, an evil man named Bill Ferny.
@@LawlTwins There is no character named Lurtz in the book. The whole orc gang is only portrayed after they took Pippin and Merry, and the attack on the fellowship is just described in two short flashbacks, one by the dying Boromir and one by Pippin while being carried. Unlike Ugluk and Grishnakh, who were taken directly from the book, Lurtz is an invention by Jackson to have a face and a leading character for the attack on the Fellowship and the whole fighting scenes with Boromir and later Aragorn.
It had been many centuries since someone genuinely made Galadriel giggle like a young girl like Gimli did when he said she was more fair than all the jewels in the earth, because she knew what that meant for a Dwarf to say that - it's very sweet. Galadriel is at leeast 10,000 years old more likely like 20,000 years. She's heard it all but Gimli made her blush and giggle. Galadriel is ancient, she was born during a time when each year was worth 10 years in the events of this movie
She who was old when the world was young. The father of dwarves Durin, who walked alone, before the streams or stones where named. Still only lived when the world was young, yet Galadriel was old even then.
Don't forget to listen to the commentaries! Some of the best of any film. These combined with the making of the movies are absolutely magical. A little Tolkien trivia: He was a linguist. He invented these languages, but wanted a world for them to exist in. So he wrote The Lord of the Rings. An amazing work of fantasy all for the love of language!
I love how everything you're gushing about here... the wholesomeness, the love, the wisdom, the kindness... it's all the things that modern films and culture *aren't*, and it's what we need to get back to.
The music when Frodo is leaving alone in the boat (The Breaking of the Fellowship) is my favourite track in the whole trilogy, it so perfectly captures that moment of everything being on a knife edge and the characters going their separate ways. Just after the 3-minute mark it feels so melancholic and hopeful and accepting all at the same time, I find myself singing it in my head time and time again. Thank you Howard Shore.
For me, it's the music when they exit Moria. Not sure what it's called, but that vocal just embodies the grief that they're showing so perfectly. *chef's kiss*
@@jamesbelshan8839 In terms of track name, it's the end part of The Bridge of Khazad Dum which has the whole scene including all the dramatic chanting etc, shame it's not a separate track really. It is very beautiful. I also love how in that moment, Legolas has this almost confused look on his face, which apparently is because elves never really die and he's trying to process feeling grief. Although I'd imagine being immortal surrounded by mortals would mean you'd encounter grief even more than most, but I suppose Gandalf is an exception for obvious reasons. What a scene though, there was complete silence in the cinema, then this little kid went "oh no" and everyone laughed 😭😭🤣
Unrelated to the movie, but when elves first made friends with the first men (I think it was Galadriel's brother who discovered men) they made friends with their chief who lived with them, when the elves first experienced mankind dying from age they were distraught and grief stricken because they had never seen or experienced that themselves because they're immortal. I find it rather sweet and wholesome
One easily missed detail that I think is an amazing touch: after Boromir's death when you first see Aragorm and he speaks to Gimli and Legolas you see him looking like he's messing with his bracers. If you look closely, he is now using the bracers that Boromir was wearing to honor him.
That reaction to Gandalf and the Balrog was beautiful to behold. Watching the pair of you at the same time, the difference in the facial expressions, knowing that Cassie knows what's about to happen and seeing Carly's face knowing that she's none the wiser.
Amen - on a rewatch I just looked back and forth at their faces during the scene. Carly was like seeing it in theaters for the first time, and Cassie was like the first time we popped the special edition dvd in on Xmas morning.
At 14:41 you see the perfect moment of someone coming in fresh to this wonderful movie, and someone who knows whats coming. I also loved in part 1 where Carly tried to dodge the arrow that shot past Elronds face. Love how drawn in she gets!
Boromir is one of my favorite characters in stories period. Those are the type of characters I like, the average man thrust into a tough situation and trying to make things right. He isnt perfect, he makes serious mistakes, but his heart is in the right place and he really tries to do good. I always cry a little at his death.
I will never forget seeing this movie on the big screen for the first time. I was in awe even during the prologue. It stoked the fire to make me want to read voraciously the books again, and other fantasy and sci-fi novels that I hadn't read in a long time or hadn't discovered yet.
There are so many other fantasy and science fiction novels that would make wonderful films--if they got the same thorough, caring treatment that Peter Jackson carried out. Sadly, it's a rare thing when directors/producers revere the literary works they turn into films.
I remember when coming back from theaters. It was -21 degrees, star bright sky. I was so amazed by the film that only half way back to home, it actually hit me: Dang I had to wait a year for next one and two for conclusion.
Wow, must be so hard for you not to spoil this for your sister, there' nothing quite like the first watch through on this. So it's great that you're letting the story unfold so she can experience the ride on the first viewing.
In the books we learn that Bill the pony finds his way back to Bree safely and he is reunited with Sam when the hobbits are on their way back to the Shire at the end of their journey. I love that Tolkien went into so much details with every single character, even the horses
(Note: edited to get the names right) Fun fact: when Aragorn deflected the thrown knife, that was a live blade. The stuntman he was fighting messed up. And if Viggo Mortensen messed up his parry, he'd have been badly injured. Bob Anderson trained the cast on swordplay and you two would know him as the man who was in Darth Vader's suit for the lightsaber fights in the original Star Wars Trilogy. Bob said that Viggo is easily the best student he ever had.
@@RaderizDorret It happens, dude. Not too long ago I was discussing the Darth Jar Jar theory and recommended the horrifying Sith Jar Jar artwork of Kevin Cassidy, although I initially called him David Cassidy. Totally different person. Got burned pretty hard for that one....
@@LarsonPetty One memorable one was talking about the cast of Vikings and confusing Travis Fimmel with Calvin Klein. I'm still kicking my own ass over that faux pas.
Tolkien and C.S. Lewis (author of The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe) served alongside each other in the military and were good friends. Both authors took inspiration from their real life experiences during war. It's interesting to see both of their perspectives and how they visualized the heroics and tragedies of the war they saw firsthand.
They didn't serve in the same unit, but both served in World War 1. Both of them had to deal with the loss of the great majority of their college friends who also joined. Tolkien's portrayal of the cameraderie of the Fellowship is based upon those experiences.
Lewis: Okay so this battle will have Father Christmas, Bacchus, and *casually sips drink* a Minotaur Tolkien: *Visibly shaking, grasps pint with such force, it shatters the glass, spilling drink everywhere*
@@AoRArchAngel Yes. They were both Dons at Oxford and they formed a literary society that they called "The Inklings." They met in a pub just off Oxford campus with some of their students. They shared their writing, discussed literature, mythology, languages. Can you imaging being in that group?!
Carly has gotten so good on camera! I love her more understanding perspective on fantasy and glad she's more free in sharing her perspective. Perfect movie for you both.
34:01 I mean the Hobbit and subsequently Lord of the Rings IS basically the precursor to all modern fantasy. You're seeing why every other fantasy story uses the tropes they do.
So glad your sister liked it! There's good reason why this story and these movies are considered such a masterpiece, what Tolkien wrote is really what all modern fantasy is based on, the granddaddy of it all if you will. Can't wait to see you two watching the two towers and return of the King next!
The dead dwarf holding the book by Balin's tomb was Ori, who was also part of Thorin's group in the Hobbit. He was the goofy looking one who couldn't really grow a beard. Oin, another dwarf from the Hobbit, got killed by the giant octopus monster and would've either been one of the corpses at the entrance or got dragged into the water.
whenever you hear Hope, think Aragorn. Tolkien loved puns especially in other languages. the riddle on the door into Moria for example. when Aragorn went to Rivendell he was given a code name so his identity wouldn't leak. his Rivendell name was Estel, Elvish for Hope.
I always get goosebumbs from the "You shall not pass", looking at Carly's face was priceless. Then her saying "That was soo good", when you know it's about to get even better. Great movie, Great reactions
If you haven’t already watched the making of these movies then you must make it a definite to do and you will love and marvel at all the work gone into them and you’ll be amazed at the skill and dedication. I’m in utter awe of everyone involved with the making of these movies! For me it doesn’t diminish the magic and makes me love them even more!
Thanks! I am anxiously waiting for Carly to see the rest of this trilogy. I have watched your solo reaction to these films multiple times and they are my number one favorite reactions to any movie. Keep going!
The Making Of doc you referenced is well worth it. It’s very well produced and shows you what an amazing, National effort these movies were for NZ, and how much love and care went into making them. It deepened my love for these movies, and shows how special they really were.
It was a great holiday treat from our family; rabid Fantasy/Sci-Fi readers all; when the LOTR movies debuted in December of 2001-2003. As we gathered from across the country to celebrate Christmas; it was also time to trudge off to the movies to watch what would become the best adaption of Tolkien's work to date. Especially since our Mom(Peggy Z, of beloved memory) was a huge fan of not only this series but everything that J.R.R. had originated, translated, or commented on. And also before LOTR, in November Harry Potter arrived in the theaters as well. Mom had already started on the books; because my nephew was reading them. I didn't read the entire series, but love the movies.
The amount of detail is amazing. You both wondered how the Argonath was built, well if you look at the riverbank and see the stone, you can see the cuts in the rock, they cut our the stones to build and haul the pieces to build it. Pretty amazing detail 😊
The making of encapsulates the heart and soul of this unique masterwork of art PJ crying at Elijah Woods last scene makes me cry like everything in the movies itself ❤
Awesome reaction. The Squad of the Ring - Nice throwback to your first reaction. Hilarious. Thanks for doing this. But now I have to watch your original reaction AND this one, over and over. Love it.
What's so special about it, in my opinion, is yes we all want to be heroes, but these characters are relateable, because they have fear and doubt and still go on. That's what makes it so special.
So these videos touch all the feelings, absolute loss of hope, loss of friends like Boramir, to the most happy and joyful ending and the perfect little bowtie ending.
My favorite movie series of all time. Boramir’s death was so sad and his final words….. ‘I would have followed you, my brother, my captain, my king…hit me hard, I was a sobbing mess!
"I think he would value a sense of leadership...its important in a group" I had to pause, crying laughing. So perfectly popcorn in bed. Love this. Thankyou both x
Seeing your original reactions to LoTR is still one of the best (if not the best) reaction series on TH-cam. This is like an early Chriwtmas gift, absolutely fantastic, can't wait for the next movies. I'm so happy to see you love it even more on the second viewing. I've probably watched these movies close to a 100times and I'm spellbound like you every damn time.
Yes, Balin, who became Lord of Moria, was one of the dwarves who followed Thorin Oakenshield. He and Ori as well as a third dwarf from the Hobbit trilogy were part of the expedition that tried to retake Moria, and died there. When Gandalph picked up the book and read about the last stand of the dwarves, the dead dwarf who was holding it was Ori. Until the battle where Boromir dies, I think Aragorn truly had no faith in Men. I think it was Boromir's sacrifice that changed him, as in Boromir he saw both Man's greatest weakness, but also Man's strength. And if you notice, from here on, Aragorn wears Boromir's leather vambraces throughout the rest of the trilogy. And Fun Fact, at 28:20 when Aragorn deflects the thrown dagger with his sword, that was not intentional. It was supposed to fly past him, not at him, but his quick reflexes saved his life - and made an awesome scene! The man who trained Viggo Mortensen in sword fighting called him the best he'd ever trained.
The Behind the Scenes stuff definitely doesn't take away from the magic. If anything, it helps you realize that creating the movies were as much of an epic journey as the stories themselves.
when I heard Carly say " What are they, beasts of the Dark One?" I about spit my drink. Definitely did not think Id hear her make a Wheel of Time reference during this. Well done Carly lol.
One thing that IU think is somehow simply captured by Cate Blanchette as Galadriel is just how... Old she is. Old, wise, and powerful. Of all beings in Middle Earth at the time of the events of Lord of the Rings, there are maybe three who are older, know more, and have more power. One is Sauron, because Sauron is basically an Angel made before time existed. One would be Cirdan, the shipwright, who you barely see at all in the movies. But he's probably the oldest living elf in existence and he just hangs out on the west shore of Middle Earth making ships for elves who go to the west, over the sea. *Maybe* the Balrog, since Balrogs are also essential Angels that were created before the dawn of time, and (according to the Mythology, are the most powerful, ancient, and deadly of all Elfbanes). And one more, but I'll maybe talk about it in two towers. Just about anyone or anything else is younger than she is. She is currently the eldest Elf in Middle Earth who still remembers the Undying Lands, where the Valar live with the elves who never left. She lived through much of the first age, and was involved in the wars against Morgoth (Sauron's boss who is even worse), and was slightly involved in the wars against Sauron in the second age. She has seen and felt grief and joy on a scope that it would be impossible for us to understand. And none of that is really revealed or talked about in the movies. But Cate Blanchette's precense, and her voice, and her eyes... They basically just say all of this. It's wonderful. I don't think I shall ever get over how absolutely perfect the entire cast of these movies were. I just finished my own rewatch of the trilogy recently and they're still as good 20 years after they were made.
Yeah, Cate puts so much time into her performance. You feel the ancient millennia of her memory and experience every time she speaks. She has made her fair share of mistakes and learned from them. It's a hell of an acting job to put all of that into your voice, body movement, and eyes. Truly the cast for this is perfect. In every way.
I recently found your channel or rather the algorithm suggested it :) Just wanted to say that y'all's enjoyment of LOTR is amazing to see! I could talk for days about lore of Tolkien's world! Have a great day!
Welcome to the channel! As you watch thru the back catalog, and have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments! Here's a list of nearly everything Cassie has seen, even before she started her "First Time Watching" channel. Check out her Letterboxd page: letterboxd.com/pib1/films/by/name/
Ok, I’m so glad you released part 2. I was so sad when part 1 end. God these movies are so special, and the joy of watching someone experience them the first time is such a treat
Love seeing your sister react to this the first time. I hope you plan to shower her the final film too. Was a treat to see you see this a 2nd time as well
Oh, no, Cassie. Watching the behind-the-scenes for these movies will make you love then even more. You will see the absolute love and passion for Tolkein and his stories in every single person involved, from the writers and director, to the actors, to the set and costume designers, and even the people who volunteered their land for shooting outdoor scenes that were done on public lands. One example: the scene where we dive down from the top of Isengard and weave through the newly constructed tunnel works before pulling up to Saruman is actually all physical photography. That wasn't CGI but a painstakingly detailed scale model that a real camera was passed through. The fire and orcs and ravens were then added digitally in post.
SQUEE! Didn't even dare to hope of a revisit on LotR. It remains my favorite reaction of yours and adding Carly into the mix is the perfect way to come back to it. Can't wait for the next two! :D
One of my favorite details were all of Boromir's interactions with the hobbits prior to the Battle at Amon Hen. He consistently thinks of them during moments of danger and grief. He is seen laughing and training with Merry and Pippen along with saving them multiple times in Moria and on top of the Mountain. He tries to speak on the hobbits behalf to let them grieve for Gandalf, and as we see he is also grieving. He comforts Frodo when his thoughts are in a scary place in Lorien. And his first words when Aragorn came to try and aid him at the end? "They took the little ones." Boromir cared. A lot.
Amon Hen! Weathertop was earlier where Frodo got stabbed
@@tbirdUCW6ReAJ My bad. Mixed up my Amons ha.
@Raylan Givens He was beloved by his people in Gondor as well. He really was a good, caring leader--it's just that the Ring preyed upon that care and twisted Boromir's fear for his people's survival into his desperate need to seize the Ring from Frodo as the only way to save them. Even after Frodo got away from him, he quickly realized his error, and how corrupting the effect of the Ring was on him. I think, if he'd have survived the Uruk-hai, he would have understood Gandalf and Aragorn better and stayed away from the Ring as well.
@@rikk319 and yet that precipitated Frodo going off on his own as needed.
GREAT points,a sign of a GREAT warrior and a GREAT human being.
22:07 I honestly love how the girl on the left has already seen the movie but still doesn’t quite understand Galadriel, meanwhile her friend watching it for the first time was able to put two and two together instantly “I feel like she is good but she knows all the bad things that can happen”. Good job (:
It makes me ridiculously happy that you see Boromir (Sean Bean) as a regular man who was tempted and nearly corrupted by the ring, not a villain.
Also, when someone says, "No! That's the end?!" after a 4-hour movie, it's a sign that it's a great movie.
Yes.
@Raylan Givens Yes - his corruption was because of his love for his people, to defend them. His salvation came because of his love for the Merry and Pippen he could atone for his error by defending them. And he convinces Strider to save his city and people in his stead.
He gave The ring back to Frodo at Caradhras. He definitely showed a great strength there. The fact he endured so long near the ring without falling for it is remarkable.
Taking 3 arrows to the body and keeping on with the fight. That's valourous soldiering.
@@jdelark6428 If only Harper had been with him!
"The elves are kinda snobby"
Well they are immortal, they're basically an entire race of older siblings
implying that older siblings are somehow snobby? a bit of projection going on in that, their snobby because they have seen corruption in the hearts of men and the greed in the hearts of dwarfs through their long existence.
Funny comparison lol
Boromirs death always gets me. It doesn't matter how many times I watch the movie, the onion fairy always comes to visit.
It is one of the most epic deaths in a movie of all time.
NGL, I bawled in the theatre and still shed a tear every rewatch when takes that first arrow 💔😭😭😭😭😭
@@michaelriddick7116 I watched this one when I was 9 years old, no one in my family knew anything about LOTR (surprisingly since my mom is so big in literrature). Everyone in the family was like wtf why did you pick a 3 hours long movie at Blockbuster, and I was like idk I heard good things and it has orcs (which I saw in Warcraft when I used to play on my old PC, the RTS game). Anyway by the time the movie ended we were all balling for Boromir and hyped for Orc hunting. Then it ended and we were like WTF what happens next? It became in my top 2 franchise and we saw the last 2 in theatres. ROTK got me in a puddle of my own tears and I swear I cried so much I probably needed an IV exiting the theatre.
This is the scene that I would skip because I can’t deal with the heartbreak 😢
@@zerpblerd5966 Tread softly, because you tread upon my dreams ... 💔😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I lose it every time when he says "my brother, my captain, my king..."
Boromir's redemption, and calling Aragorn his king, is like weapons-grade feels.
Absolutely. I'm well into my 30s and watch this movie in the theaters. I cried at that moment then and I still cry at that moment today. The scene, the context, the delivery. Everything was done so well.
First time I teared up in a movie was watching him keep pushing, in spite of arrow after arrow, to defend Merry and Pippin.
Its brutal
In the book he was shot because no Orc, even a Urak, could stand against him in combat and he was chewing them up.
Sean Bean’s acting was right on the mark.
I cry every time
All these years later and I still cry at Boromir's last words.
“My brother, my captain, my king.”
Hits so hard.
So True
Same. The acting was Oscar worthy. The funny part of the whole scene was that they filmed the death scene in between lunch time, so Sean Bean found it funny that he had to keep "dying," for all of those takes Peter Jackson wanted from the actors that day. 😁
"They will look for his coming from the White Tower, but he will not return"
So glad that they snaked in that line from the Lament for Boromir poem, I broke every time.
@@joshwhite1606I would argue this is a pivotal moment for Aragorn too. Without Boromir, Gondor’s finest living son, being the first to declare Aragorn as King here, would Aragorn have been ready to assume the mantle in time for the battle of Pelenor Fields?
Gimli asking for just 1 golden hair and Galadrielle giving him 3, because she senses Gimli has a pure and good heart is a great piece of lore. Faenor the most powerfull elf that ever lived once asked her 3 times for 1 hair, but everytime she turned him down because she sensed he had a dark heart.
And Legolas would know that story. So he smiles knowingly when Gimli tells him what she gave him.
@@gabedavis3294 exactly ... the trilogy has so much hidden lore gems in it.
A similar darkness was in her too, that's why the Valar banned her from returning until she refused the one ring outright
Also when Gandalf says "A Balrog" they cut to Legolas, and he's TERRIFIED, because he knows just how powerful a foe it is.
@@McBrannon1000In the book it's more extreme even, where Legolas is described as throwing down his bow and falling to his knees in sheer despair when he realizes what they are dealing with.
I ALWAYS replay it, but Boromir's "Frodo I'm sorry!!" Always sends shivers down my spine.
Sean Bean, man what a actor.
Yes, but i think he is the actor with the most deaths in his career...take a look how often his Character dies.
I always start weeping when he cries to Aragorn, “They took the little ones!” Oops, made myself misty-eyed
Absolutely. Nobody dies in a movie quite like Sean Bean.
@@drhkleinert8241 I think its a punishment. He used up all his acting lives in Sharpe. ;D
Peter Jackson must deserve great props for getting these performances from the actors. So many close ups filmed over 400+ days of filming all the expressions are magnificent. Hitting the proper tone of voice, it is so easy to do it wrong, And I struggle to find a single word of dialogue that is off in tone or intensity for the scene.
For Sean Bean, this movie and Ronin, are challenging characters in that they are very tough/confident, but also need to have believable mental break downs. He nails it.
Boromir is really something else in the extended version, now every time I see him die makes my eyes teary, his last words to Aragorn are so full of regret, and yet he still accepts Aragorn as his truthful king, what a way to die.
The contrast of his first words to his last.
“Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king.”
To
“My brother, my captain, my king.”
Hits so hard. Is so good.
@@joshwhite1606 Aragorn says "they will look for his coming from the white tower, but he will not return" and then sheds a tear, be at peace son of gondor.
he was a misguided hero in the books all along, but let me say Peter Jackson basically made the definitive version of LOTR, so well shot, so well done!
@@benvanwessel1984 The Ring used Boromirs desperation to save his people to corrupt him. That together with his fathers insistance to bring back the Ring to Minas Tirith destroyed any chance Boromir had to resist.
You won't lose the magic watching the behind the scenes. You'll be utterly amazed.
Yeah, it actually adds a whole nother layer of magic
@@AlbertKekstein For sure. Those extras became my precious.
@@antoinettelopes i always think of those two dudes sitting in a room for months and months putting those little pieces together to form the chainmail. Bloody legends, all of them.
@@AlbertKekstein FR. Making mail would be incredibly tedious but I bet they got mega fast through sheer repetition.
@@AlbertKekstein I used to know all their names. I think one of them is Gene(?) Acevedo. The commentaries we're my favorite. I hope you watched One Zoom to Rule Them All that the fellowship did during the pandemic.
The acting in these movies is just 1st rate. The awkward silence when Pippin knocked the skeleton down the well, and the way the camera panned to show the looks on the other character's faces. Those faces said it all. We felt it.
I hate that feeling so much!
FOOL OF A TOOK!!! Throw yourself in next time and rid us of your STUPIDITY!
Legolas was walking on top of the snow because elves don't leave tracks. I remember seeing this in a theater with a 70 ft screen and the entire place just shaking when the Balrog roared. It was epic!
Also Elves are light as a feather, that's why they can walk on the top of the snow.
I like how Legolas and gimli never say a single word to frodo in all 96 hours of the series.
What does that have to do with him walking on the snow lol? OrdinaryInspiration said the correct answer.
The contrast between Aragorn (the idealised herioc human being at their peak without any fear) and Boromir (Humans as they actually are in reality, not neccessarily bad but vulnerable to fear and acting irrationally due that fear) is so great. its important to remember that even before the start of the movie Gondor has been in a steadily losing war of attrition with Mordor that Boromir himself has been leading on the front lines. To him the threat of Mordor attacking is way more close in his mind as he knows first hand that Mordor is about to overtake Gondor even without the Ring, so the ring appearing seems like the last ditch opportunity to save his entire country
And Aragorn served Boromir's Grandfather as chief captain of Gondor's armies in its wars before Boromir was born under a false name
Id actually say that Aragorn is not free of fear, that would take form in an overconfident cocky persona. The ever lingering real fear of things is there, but it is his courage and bravery along with his moral standards that allow his character to embody the ideal heroic, it is with the presence of fear that he can still overcome and truly be greater.
Aragorn is also capable of the same actions so I wouldn't say he was exempt from vulnerabilities, nor guaranteed good...and I'd segue that into the part of Boromir's archetype as humans are as you said broad in the scale, but Aragorn is part of that group too. So it makes him so special because he came with the same bunch, but prevailed with the same hardship everyone else faces.
~I get that he is also a very special person in Middle Earth, and superior in one way or the other from the average Joe, but the point still translates to the grand scheme of fear, heroics and what have you.
I mention this as Aragorn is an ideal I believe can be achieved, so to separate him from other humans in reality would be a disservice. Thanks for sparking me to think of this, it's always nice to type about LOTR.
“By OUR blood are YOUR lands kept safe!!” Love how much frustration and bitterness was laced into that line that perfectly demonstrates what you talked about
Yes, I have always identified with Boromir.
Aaragorn had fear his fear was his own worthiness to lead because of his ancestors legacy. It took 2 instances Aaragorn refusing the ring of power and Bormir dying to accept the responsibility of being the future leader of Gondor and Arnor.
It's funny how Cassie is still getting surprised at the scary parts 😂
Not only that but she is also still emotionally moved by the sad parts. Watching her right before Gandalf dies, you can tell she knows what's coming. She knows the whole story and yet you could tell she was still sad that he died.
This! 😄
Yes, you can see the stress when the balrog appears.
@@adrianrocha49 there are some moments that never lose their power
I know I love her she is such a gem.
Okay, can we talk about how Carly's gradual smile during "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!!" was the cutest thing ever?
oh and the, "I think he'd value a sense of leadership--it's important in a group." lol. That was hilariously true! 😂
Everyone needs a Sam in their life.
And if you can't find one, be one.
Great words
I *guarantee* you that watching the behind the scenes documentaries will make you appreciate these movies even more. The passion, the love, and the heart that were put into these films is something different entirely.
I completely agree with you. To see and hear PJ, Philipa and all the others show their passion and respect for Tolkien and the trilogy showed that the right people made these movies. You don't get 17 Oscars for bad movies.
@@johnjames6980 I recently rewatched all the behind the scenes docus on my box-set. They were truly such an incredible gift to the fans.
@@mosovanhe Mad props to them for thinking to document it all on film.
what about In front of the scenes documenatary?
Yeah, whether they react to them for our enjoyment, or just watch them privately themselves offline, they really need to watch the documentaries accompanying the extended cuts. I think I may have actually watched them more times than the movies themselves. They tell an incredible story in their own right. These movies should have been impossible to make, but so many talented and determined people came together and did them anyway, and it's sort of a miracle that they pulled it off so well.
Galadriel is approximately 8,000 years old (and Elronds mother in law) and wears one of the elven rings of power. So you are correct in feeling that she is both kind and terrifying. She is the perfect example of writing an excellent/strong female character without needing them to be physically strong like so many modern movies.
I also like to remind people that she worked hard to set Aragorn and Arwen up together and that she also shipped them as hard as Carly did😂
I think that is one of the things that PJ’s films pulled off very well. The balance of her great power combined with her age. She seems ethereal and almost outside the bounds of a simple understanding of “good” and “bad.”
I mean, you don't need to be physically strong with a mind as powerful as hers ^^
In the book, Galadriel doesn't give out the sinister vibe that you feel in the movie. Remember that she is being described as an "Elf Witch" by a Dwarf, who is probably biased.
Isn't it 10k years? I need to google.
Quick search claims Galadriel is 8382 years old when she meets Frodo.
I'm so happy you chose to include Galadriel's gift Gimli. It was not included in the theatrical release but it's of highest importance for Tolkien's story at a much larger context.
For one, Gimli didn't ask Galadriel of anything, it was Galadriel who asked what he most desired, and she gave that to him, threefold. But he didn't ask for it. And what was it that he asked for? A strand of hair. What kind of significance could that mean? Wayback when, three ages ago, like 10 thousand years ago the most powerful elf in history, Fëanor, proud and magnificent and uncle to Galadriel, cast a curse of the Valar (the gods) as he saw how Melkor (Sauron's master) raped the home of the Valar and Middle Earth while the Valar did nothing. Fëanor went to war with Melkor in Middle Earth and took half of all elves with him, including Galadriel's family. It was said that her hair kept the light of the Two Trees that gave light to Valinor and Fëanor coveted this more than anything. He asked her for a strand of her hair, and she refused him, thrice. This is her showing that there's no ill will between her and the dwarves. So why did Legolas smile? He knows this tale, and it's a sign to him that it's OK to befriend a dwarf. Gimli has no idea, he's just in love.
That is why it's so adorable too...he is so humble that he did not ask out of covetousness. He asked because he was giving her praise. 🤗 Gimli is ADORABLE!
Wow! Thank you. 🐾
There was an elf named Feanor who harrased Galadriel for three strands of her hair but she never gave them to him. That she gives them to Gimli is actually a great deal. Galadriels hair had catched the light of the two trees in Valinor that once gave light to the whole world. The tree in Minas Tirith is a sapling of one of those trees.
Correction, feanor ask galadriel 3 times for a single hair from her head as it has the light of the trees of valanor but she denies him. But gimli asks once and receives three.
Also the tree of gondor is a sapling of a tree from valanor but not of the two trees of valanor
Also this simple act (this gift from Galadriel to Gimli) has so many symbolisms attached to it, respect between both of them, friendship between elves and dwarves and many others.
@@declansalisbury5698 He didn't ask for a single hair but a lock of her hair and she denied him because she saw the darkness in his heart.
This story brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it. Not only does Galadriel give Gimli 3 hairs, but she lets him be the only dwarf to enter the Undying Lands.
Yes! This is Galadriel. I don't know what they are doing to her character in rings of power. While the younger Galadriel is well played as in well acted, the whole story is just not what I had hoped.
Cassie tearing up when Bilbo said he’s sorry that he gave Frodo this burden got me because this is a part when you’re new to the franchise maybe doesn’t get you but when your involved that is one of many parts that get you…. Loved that… and also the side-eye to her sister before for checking on reactions 😂♥️🥲😎👍🏻
LOTR: Why Is Galadriel Giving Gimli 3 Of Her Hairs So Significant?
And what does it have to do with the Silmarils, the most precious gems of Middle Earth?
Galadriel
The fellowship comes to Lothlorien at a time of desperate need, when they are on the brink of breaking. They have just lost Gandalf to the Balrog in Moria, and they don’t know which direction he meant for them to take, so they have never been more in need of Galadriel’s guidance. Not only does she welcome them into her lands, give them food and places to sleep, and time to rest and heal both their physical and emotional wounds, she also gives each member of the company a parting gift.
These gifts are not trivial tokens, they are carefully thought out and generously bestowed treasures and each one has an essential purpose in the fellowship's journey, whether it is the lembas bread that keeps Frodo and Sam alive during their dangerous quest to Mount Doom to destroy the ring of power, or the ring of Arwen that she gives to Aragorn to remind him that he can overcome the greatest of challenges. But of all the gifts she gives, there is one that is very different from the others, and also has a very different symbolism.
Most of the things that she shares are objects, including the elven cloaks to keep the company safe during adverse weather and help them stay disguised from the enemy, and a whole hoard of weapons, including daggers, bows, and arrows, and even a golden belt for Boromir of Gondor, as well as the light of the most beloved star, that saves both Frodo and Sam from imminent death. But as she passes along the line of people before her, she stops in front of Gimli with nothing to offer him.
Gimli and Galadriel
It has been hundreds of years since a dwarf has set foot in her lands, and there has always been an uneasy rivalry between the two races, with much history and bad blood behind it. So when she gives him the chance to pick a gift, anything that his heart desires, this is a true honor indeed. And perhaps, thanks to her powers of foresight, she already knows what he will ask, and it is because he asks for something so modest, so sweet, that she is happy to bestow it.
But the three golden hairs that Galadriel gifts Gimli at his behest have far more significance than their just being very pure and innocent requests, rather than all the gold or power or wisdom he could have asked for. Any fans who have read the Silmarillion will know that Feanor, one of the greatest elves, and most amazing crafters of the world had made a similar request of the golden lady thousands of years earlier.
Feanor was so inspired by Galadriel’s grace and beauty, that he wished to use strands of her hair in the making of his three Silmarils, the most precious gems ever created in Middle Earth. He begged her three times for a single strand of her hair, but even though she was young and inexperienced at this point, she looked into his soul and saw that his intentions were not fair and benevolent, but were driven by greed and a desire to possess something more precious than the other elves of the time. She, therefore, refused his request, causing much wrath and anguish, and he was forced to find other precious substances to infuse into his gems.
Gimli very pleased
It is incredible then, that Galadriel would give this gift to Gimli. Her husband Celeborn is the only other being in all of her many long years who has been able to so much as touch the golden strands of hair on her head, let alone pluck them out and keep them.
So when she allows this incredible rarity to Gimli, she essentially gives him the three hairs that Feanor demanded of her, because she has looked into his soul and found that he has a good heart and that he desires them for nothing more than to treasure the beautiful days he spent in her lands. Here, she finds a dwarf who is worthy of ending the hundreds of years-long rivalry between their races, who proves that a dwarf can be loyal and brave, and all of the amazing qualities that Gimli shows, despite so many of his people simply being greedy and power-hungry.
It is also thought that many of the elves of Middle Earth know about Galadriel’s altercation with Feanor, and that at this moment, Legolas sees what an incredible honor the she-elf has given his companion, and realizes that he can finally trust him and put aside their differences. This is the start of their life-long friendship, and a strengthening of the fellowship that will survive many dangerous times ahead together, all thanks to Galadriel’s three golden hairs.
@Raylan Givens Bilbo also got a seed from his time in Rivendell, it grew really quickly and became the Party Tree if I am not mistaken.
@@ronweber1402 No, Bilbo didn't get any seeds from the elves.
Spoiler:
Galadriel not only gave Sam elven rope, but a small box with soil from her own personal garden in Lothlorien--as well as a seed of one of the giant mallorn trees that grew only there. After the party tree was hacked down by Saruman's goons when they took over the Shire in the book, Sam planted the mallorn seed where the party tree had been, and it grew into the only mallorn tree in Middle-Earth outside of Lothlorien.
@@rikk319 Ah, that's where I got it in my head from.
@@ronweber1402 It's a deep lore, it's easy to mix parts up ;)
When the company meets Celeborn and Galadriel, Galadriel responds to Celeborn's blame of Balin's colony for awakening the Balrog. "Repent not of your welcome of the dwarf. Were the elves exiled long and afar from their beloved home, who among the Galadrim, even Celeborn the wise, would draw nigh and now wish to gaze upon their ancient home, though it had become the abode of dragons." Gimli looked up and their eyes met, and "it seemed he saw into the heart of an enemy, and there was love and understanding." This is more than a schoolboy's crush. During the month they rested in Lothlorien before the gifts, he and Legolas often set off together to see the sights of the forest to the surprise of the others.
Watching Cass trying desperately to hold back tears knowing what was coming was honestly hilarious!
I'll never forget when The Two Towers trailer was available online. My family had dial-up internet. It took 45 minutes for the trailer to completely load. I had to instruct my family to not pick up any of the phones (or internet connection would be lost). I watched the trailer as many times as I could before my parents made me 'disconnect' so they could make a phone call.
I remember those days...it took me 4 hours to download the first teaser trailer for Fellowship of the Ring on dial-up...but it was so worth it.
Luckily I was in college at the time and had access to the University's high speed T1 line. To this day the music during the battle of helm's deep scene in the trailer, the orchestral remix of the Requiem for a Dream music plays in my head randomly. It fit so perfectly.
@@mycroft16 "And I come back to you now! And the turn of the tide."
@@rikk319ah the good old days
I love when you say “let’s put another rock in his backpack”. Your caring for Frodo is so lovely.
Carly was really good at picking up details!
So was Cassie a year ago. They're both sharp chicks
They are both sharp and they are 🔥 together!
I have always noticed that Carly is incredibly shrewd at picking up details when she watches movies. She honestly could have been a film critic in another life!
@@enderjed Carly more than Cassie. I think Carly is smarter and more serious and appreciate deep themes more.
Yeah Carly doesn't miss much - you could see it when they were watching the first Mission Impossible movie. I'd bet it's hard to play a trick on her because she'd figure it out. She could probably be a lawyer.
@34:36 - Tolkien was an Oxford professor of languages, and drew on myths and legends to build his stories. "Middle-Earth" comes from Norse culture where the world was called "Midgard" - the middle land between Asgard (home of the gods) and the underworld ruled by the godess of death (Hel).
That look on Carly’s face when Aragorn showed his full face for the first time was so funny, yet kind of expected: “hello, handsome!” 😂😂😂
I was too busy watching Cassie just MELT at the first sight of Aragorn.
They down bad
the lip bite XDD
Agree with Carly. This might be my favorite of any movies because the whole thing isn't the battle scenes. There definitely is that...but you also get to see the peace and innocence of Hobbiton. And you get the mystery of Middle Earth where anything seems possible...the fields, and hills and mountains and statues with some panoramic shots of the cities. Black riders, Bree, Sauromon, orcs, rivers, Isenguard, elves, forests, Rivendell, the backstory of war and the rings...a little bit of everything gets thrown at the screen and it's magic. I knew jack sh*t about Tolkien's world before seeing this in 2001 and it blew me away. Immediately hooked.
The fact that Galadriel gave Gimli three hairs - especially when he asked for just one - has incredible significance, much moreso than he realized at the time. It was that gift, in part, which made Legolas reconsider his opinion of dwarves and Gimli in particular and inspired their legendary friendship.
The behind the scenes features aren't just interesting, they are incredibly entertaining and will only enhance your enjoyment of the series, I assure you. The cast interviews are especially good - some of them can be found here: th-cam.com/video/DvW3N0mXV24/w-d-xo.html
There is also the story of the elf that kept asking her for 3 hairs and she never would give them, but she gave 3 to Gimli when he only asked for 1.
@@Zankaroo No, that's specifically what I'm referencing, without getting into the deep lore here it was a very powerful symbolic gesture on her part, one that was lost on Gimli at the time because he was unaware of its historical significance - thousands of years earlier she had denied giving those same three hairs to the master craftsman Feanor, who wished to use them to create the Simarils. She did so because she aw the impurity of his heart. Her bestowing them upon Gimli was a recognition of the sincerity of his, not just to him but to all the elves of the world.
I loved watching all the behind the scenes videos, especially the horse ones!
@@Ellis_Hugh I think its beautiful that Gimli has no clue how significant the gesture is... and I think its part of why Galadriel gave him 3 hairs, especially when you consider what they wanted them for. Feanor wished for them so he could craft the greatest relics ever made and horde them to himself, it was about possessing Galadriel's beauty. Gimli wanted to suspend them in crystal as an heirloom to his house, to mark the friendship he found with Elves in Galadriel. Sharing beauty for beauties sake.
@@Ellis_Hugh I'm also of the opinion that it's another example of Orlando Bloom knocking it out of the park. There are two scenes in this movie, the one in the boat that you referenced, and the one where Gandalf named the Balrog, that the camera cuts to Bloom's face, and both times, he utterly and completely sells the emotion.
In Moria, he was TERRIFIED. He's an elf, he *KNOWS* how terrifying a Balrog is. The others are scared because 'big scary monster and Gandalf said it's bad'. Legolas would have heard scary bedtime stories about Balrogs and all the horrible things they did, and now...there's one coming to kill them all.
And in this one, the little smile he gives Gimli. Again, I have no doubt that Legolas is very well aware of the story of Feanor and Galadriel, as well as the implications of her giving Gimli 3 hairs, and Bloom again absolutely sells the reaction of someone in that situation.
It's a masterclass in non-verbal acting, and both shots are two of my favorite bits of the movie. The only non-verbal reaction that's more impactful IMO is Gandalf's face when Frodo declares he'll take the ring to Mordor. That couple of seconds, Sir Ian managed to tell a whole movie's worth of dialogue with just a couple expressions. Absolutely *CHEF'S KISS*!
"People had to wait a whole year..." The pain was real. I read the books as a teen, watched the animated Hobbit as a kid, saw the teaser a year before the release, then when this finish, my wife (who only went with me to the theater because she knew I was excited) looked at me in sadness and said, we have to wait a year for the next one (she was hooked)! It was torture!
That was torture! I remedied it by watching it in the theaters another 3 times.
I still remember that anxiety. I had read the books multiple times before the films were made, but I *STILL* had to see how this "unfilmable story" was going to be put on screen
This was a lovely watchalong. Usually when one person has seen the movies they overexplain to their partner who's trying to watch. You let Carly watch the movie herself and digest it instead of explaining to her everything that's happening, which was wonderful.
I saw a couple react to The Lord of The Rings, where one of them had seen it many times before and kept explaining things the whole time, which was weird because almost all the explanations were wrong, and the one who was watching it for the first time seemed to understand the movie better and actually ended up correcting one of the wrongful explanations.
@@bjokvi91 I would actually watch that with great joy. 😁
That's not true at all. In my house if someone's watched something and they start talking about events that hasn't happened yet, they get to suck on a dirty sock or leave the house. They usually choose to leave the house and I tell them they're not allowed at the house anymore.
@@tripstar3563 I would choose sucking the sock, sounds intriguing... 😂
I fall into that trap. It's hard not to try to explain because I remember watching the movie the first time and being confused in the beginning and then I have this false assumption that this means that I need to set the stage for someone else to help them understand what they are watching, but what I often forget is that no one explained the movie to me when I first watched it, and it didn't diminish my enjoyment (if anything, it enhanced it) - if the movie doesn't explain stuff at the start, there's a reason for it, just let the movie do its thing and entertain.
fun fact, the one holding the book that Gandalf picks up was also in the hobbit. he was Ori, the dorky one
LotR was not the first fantasy book by a long shot, but every fantasy work that came after it defined itself in relationship to it; either it was directly inspired by or trying to avoid being like LotR. I hope Carly reads the books soon.
What would be? I guess…Iliad has to be pretty close. Maybe Gilgamesh?
True. But actually defining fantasy is kinda hard to do. There have been tales told of wondrous lands and strange peoples almost as long as folk have been able to talk. Indeed depending on your reference point some tales we would now label `fantasy' would arguably be science fiction if viewed in the time they were written.
I am not sure that all fantasy following LOTR defines itself in relation to it; although I will admit there a large proportion of modern fantasy does. I suggest Gene Wolf's The Book of the New Sun, Bryan Talbot's Luther Arkwright and Zelazny's Nine Princes in Amber. Moorcock wrote most of his books with the intention of not following Tolkien (and terrific stuff it is too) but I am fairly certain that the creation of the other three had absolutely nothing to do with Tolkien and his works.
@@ratspike8017 "depending on your reference point some tales we would now label `fantasy' would arguably be science fiction if viewed in the time they were written."
I love this quote! Never really thought of it like that but you are completely right!
@@joshwhite1606 Gilgamesh is the oldest that we _know_ about, but I feel very confident in saying that it wasn't the first. It also wasn't a book, as books hadn't been invented yet. It was written on clay tablets.
I have never had a bigger desire in the world than to be able to see these movies again for the first time!
Every once in awhile Fathom Events or Alamo Drafthouse holds screenings of the extended editions on the big screen and it's the next best thing to seeing it for the first time. Getting to watch it with a huge audience again, especially the superior version that wasn’t originally available on a screen that size, is amazing.
But that year long wait between releases was a bitch.
@@seanmccready9564 It sure was, especially as I was only a child when it came out, I couldn't really grasp why I had to wait so long to see the next oen
I remember well when this movie came out in Dec 2001 when the whole world was still in shock by 9/11.
And after decades of visits of cinemas and whatching thousands of movies there but that time was the first time i remember when there is the end of the movie but NO ONE stands up, moves or make any noise...it was like everyone was hit by a bat or had problems to realise what happens the 4 hrs before or comes back to reality. I mean, a complete filled cinema but everybody stared quietly at the screen when the end credit shows on.
And of course it was very hard to think about that you have to wait a full year to see the next chapter...
@@drhkleinert8241 Next book.
I cannot help but tear up with Boromir's scene... in the end he understood and was acknowledged by all... Then the bracers passed to Aragorn in remembrance of his kinship.
Fun fact, it was Aragorn's actor that said Aragorn should take the bracers and wear them to honour Boromir. And so it was.
I only just realised that he took them. Thank you!
You two are just so cute together. Watching you react to LOTR together is a blast. More more please.
I love 14:41, Carly all excited for the Balrog being defeated, and Cassie's upset expression knowing what's about to happen.
Carly you'll see as you journey through this series why it's so beloved and why us fans return to it over and over again. It's like a warm hug and it reminds us of the most important things in life, it helps us remember the things that really matter when the world distracts us and tries to pull us away from what really matters and makes life worth living. The timeless reminders and simple, good soul comforting words and deeds that we sometimes forget in trying times. It's why the movies and the books are so treasured by fans.
What’s your favorite scene?
For Cassie it must be sooo damn hard not to tell spoilers about Sam all the time. You can see how she is fighting inside, every time Sam proves his friendship again and again :)
The scene when Frodo offers the ring to Galadriel is so amazing and haunting.
The reason Frodo decided to leave the fellowship is because after he put on the Ring to escape Boromir, he climbed up some ruins called "The Seat of Seeing", where you can see far in all directions, but the Ring was giving Frodo powerful vision on top of that, so he could see things many hundreds of leagues away, and when he turned East to Mordor...
"Then at last his gaze was held: wall upon wall, battlement upon battlement, black, immeasurably strong, mountain of iron, gate of steel, tower of adamant, he saw it: Barad-dûr, Fortress of Sauron. All hope left him. And suddenly he felt the Eye. There was an eye in the Dark Tower that did not sleep. He knew that it had become aware of his gaze. A fierce eager will was there. It leaped towards him; almost like a finger he felt it, searching for him. Very soon it would nail him down, know just exactly where he was."
He sees all the way into Mordor and loses all hope of the Fellowship making it there at all. He decides to leave on his own because he knows even if the Ring doesn't corrupt the rest of the Fellowship, they will all die trying to aid him.
Regarding the name of the pony, Bill, in the book there's a story about how the hobbits acquired him in Bree after all their ponies had been driven off. They named him Bill in mockery of his former owner, an evil man named Bill Ferny.
I loved these movies but I really wish they could have included more of their adventures in Bree and with Radagast.
In german version it is called "Lutz"
@@drhkleinert8241 A bit close to Lurtz. Is Lurtz called the same thing or is that different?
@@LawlTwins There is no character named Lurtz in the book. The whole orc gang is only portrayed after they took Pippin and Merry, and the attack on the fellowship is just described in two short flashbacks, one by the dying Boromir and one by Pippin while being carried. Unlike Ugluk and Grishnakh, who were taken directly from the book, Lurtz is an invention by Jackson to have a face and a leading character for the attack on the Fellowship and the whole fighting scenes with Boromir and later Aragorn.
It had been many centuries since someone genuinely made Galadriel giggle like a young girl like Gimli did when he said she was more fair than all the jewels in the earth, because she knew what that meant for a Dwarf to say that - it's very sweet. Galadriel is at leeast 10,000 years old more likely like 20,000 years. She's heard it all but Gimli made her blush and giggle. Galadriel is ancient, she was born during a time when each year was worth 10 years in the events of this movie
She who was old when the world was young.
The father of dwarves Durin, who walked alone, before the streams or stones where named. Still only lived when the world was young, yet Galadriel was old even then.
Don't forget to listen to the commentaries! Some of the best of any film. These combined with the making of the movies are absolutely magical.
A little Tolkien trivia: He was a linguist. He invented these languages, but wanted a world for them to exist in. So he wrote The Lord of the Rings. An amazing work of fantasy all for the love of language!
I love how everything you're gushing about here... the wholesomeness, the love, the wisdom, the kindness... it's all the things that modern films and culture *aren't*, and it's what we need to get back to.
The music when Frodo is leaving alone in the boat (The Breaking of the Fellowship) is my favourite track in the whole trilogy, it so perfectly captures that moment of everything being on a knife edge and the characters going their separate ways. Just after the 3-minute mark it feels so melancholic and hopeful and accepting all at the same time, I find myself singing it in my head time and time again. Thank you Howard Shore.
For me, it's the music when they exit Moria. Not sure what it's called, but that vocal just embodies the grief that they're showing so perfectly. *chef's kiss*
@@jamesbelshan8839 In terms of track name, it's the end part of The Bridge of Khazad Dum which has the whole scene including all the dramatic chanting etc, shame it's not a separate track really. It is very beautiful. I also love how in that moment, Legolas has this almost confused look on his face, which apparently is because elves never really die and he's trying to process feeling grief. Although I'd imagine being immortal surrounded by mortals would mean you'd encounter grief even more than most, but I suppose Gandalf is an exception for obvious reasons. What a scene though, there was complete silence in the cinema, then this little kid went "oh no" and everyone laughed 😭😭🤣
Absolutely! The part that gets me in that same song (The Road Goes Ever On... Pt 1) is when the choir sings the shire theme. Chills, absolute chills.
There’s a great video essay by Nerwriter about the leitmotifs in LOTR centered around this moment! ☺️
@@Jefferson_starkid And it ends with my fav part 😌 6:24-6:41 in his video, I don't think I had seen that one before so thank you, it really is great.
Unrelated to the movie, but when elves first made friends with the first men (I think it was Galadriel's brother who discovered men) they made friends with their chief who lived with them, when the elves first experienced mankind dying from age they were distraught and grief stricken because they had never seen or experienced that themselves because they're immortal.
I find it rather sweet and wholesome
You guys are so dope for releasing these simultaneously! Best double surprise today for sure!
2:05 🤣 "Spy birds" is exactly what you said when you first watched it! 🤣
One easily missed detail that I think is an amazing touch: after Boromir's death when you first see Aragorm and he speaks to Gimli and Legolas you see him looking like he's messing with his bracers. If you look closely, he is now using the bracers that Boromir was wearing to honor him.
That reaction to Gandalf and the Balrog was beautiful to behold. Watching the pair of you at the same time, the difference in the facial expressions, knowing that Cassie knows what's about to happen and seeing Carly's face knowing that she's none the wiser.
Amen - on a rewatch I just looked back and forth at their faces during the scene. Carly was like seeing it in theaters for the first time, and Cassie was like the first time we popped the special edition dvd in on Xmas morning.
At 14:41 you see the perfect moment of someone coming in fresh to this wonderful movie, and someone who knows whats coming. I also loved in part 1 where Carly tried to dodge the arrow that shot past Elronds face. Love how drawn in she gets!
Boromir is one of my favorite characters in stories period. Those are the type of characters I like, the average man thrust into a tough situation and trying to make things right. He isnt perfect, he makes serious mistakes, but his heart is in the right place and he really tries to do good. I always cry a little at his death.
I will never forget seeing this movie on the big screen for the first time. I was in awe even during the prologue. It stoked the fire to make me want to read voraciously the books again, and other fantasy and sci-fi novels that I hadn't read in a long time or hadn't discovered yet.
There are so many other fantasy and science fiction novels that would make wonderful films--if they got the same thorough, caring treatment that Peter Jackson carried out. Sadly, it's a rare thing when directors/producers revere the literary works they turn into films.
I remember when coming back from theaters. It was -21 degrees, star bright sky. I was so amazed by the film that only half way back to home, it actually hit me: Dang I had to wait a year for next one and two for conclusion.
Wow, must be so hard for you not to spoil this for your sister, there' nothing quite like the first watch through on this. So it's great that you're letting the story unfold so she can experience the ride on the first viewing.
Agreed. I think she's doing a pretty good job of playing along with the I don't know what's going to happen and surprise of things
I hope she doesn’t because her sister may have different opinions on what is more significant for her.
In the books we learn that Bill the pony finds his way back to Bree safely and he is reunited with Sam when the hobbits are on their way back to the Shire at the end of their journey. I love that Tolkien went into so much details with every single character, even the horses
Thank you for posting both parts back to back. Can’t wait for two towers!
(Note: edited to get the names right)
Fun fact: when Aragorn deflected the thrown knife, that was a live blade. The stuntman he was fighting messed up. And if Viggo Mortensen messed up his parry, he'd have been badly injured. Bob Anderson trained the cast on swordplay and you two would know him as the man who was in Darth Vader's suit for the lightsaber fights in the original Star Wars Trilogy. Bob said that Viggo is easily the best student he ever had.
@@s_g_101 I keep messing that up. Should have googled it and maybe not make comments while being up past my bedtime...
@@RaderizDorret It happens, dude. Not too long ago I was discussing the Darth Jar Jar theory and recommended the horrifying Sith Jar Jar artwork of Kevin Cassidy, although I initially called him David Cassidy. Totally different person. Got burned pretty hard for that one....
@@LarsonPetty One memorable one was talking about the cast of Vikings and confusing Travis Fimmel with Calvin Klein. I'm still kicking my own ass over that faux pas.
Tolkien and C.S. Lewis (author of The Lion, the Witch, & the Wardrobe) served alongside each other in the military and were good friends. Both authors took inspiration from their real life experiences during war. It's interesting to see both of their perspectives and how they visualized the heroics and tragedies of the war they saw firsthand.
They didn't serve in the same unit, but both served in World War 1. Both of them had to deal with the loss of the great majority of their college friends who also joined. Tolkien's portrayal of the cameraderie of the Fellowship is based upon those experiences.
One thing I heard, and loved that they did, they'd meet at a pub and share what they had worked on and critic each other.
Lewis: Okay so this battle will have Father Christmas, Bacchus, and *casually sips drink* a Minotaur
Tolkien: *Visibly shaking, grasps pint with such force, it shatters the glass, spilling drink everywhere*
I heard that tree beard was based off of C.S Lewis.
@@AoRArchAngel Yes. They were both Dons at Oxford and they formed a literary society that they called "The Inklings." They met in a pub just off Oxford campus with some of their students. They shared their writing, discussed literature, mythology, languages. Can you imaging being in that group?!
I love that you're watching the longer version! It's the better way to experience the trilogy
Carly has gotten so good on camera! I love her more understanding perspective on fantasy and glad she's more free in sharing her perspective. Perfect movie for you both.
34:01 I mean the Hobbit and subsequently Lord of the Rings IS basically the precursor to all modern fantasy. You're seeing why every other fantasy story uses the tropes they do.
I love this so much and watching it again with you two is so special. Thank you for doing this. ❤
2:09 "Like 'spy birds'?" Lol her sister said the exact same words in her first reaction of that part.
Thank you for uploading both at the same time, holy fuck. What brilliance.
Cassies smile at Gandlaf yelling ''you shall not pass!'' is great, its how we all feel, its so awesome!
So glad your sister liked it!
There's good reason why this story and these movies are considered such a masterpiece, what Tolkien wrote is really what all modern fantasy is based on, the granddaddy of it all if you will.
Can't wait to see you two watching the two towers and return of the King next!
The dead dwarf holding the book by Balin's tomb was Ori, who was also part of Thorin's group in the Hobbit. He was the goofy looking one who couldn't really grow a beard. Oin, another dwarf from the Hobbit, got killed by the giant octopus monster and would've either been one of the corpses at the entrance or got dragged into the water.
Boromir's death gets me everytime. He went out a warrior, through and through.
whenever you hear Hope, think Aragorn. Tolkien loved puns especially in other languages. the riddle on the door into Moria for example. when Aragorn went to Rivendell he was given a code name so his identity wouldn't leak. his Rivendell name was Estel, Elvish for Hope.
I always get goosebumbs from the "You shall not pass", looking at Carly's face was priceless.
Then her saying "That was soo good", when you know it's about to get even better.
Great movie, Great reactions
If you haven’t already watched the making of these movies then you must make it a definite to do and you will love and marvel at all the work gone into them and you’ll be amazed at the skill and dedication. I’m in utter awe of everyone involved with the making of these movies! For me it doesn’t diminish the magic and makes me love them even more!
Thanks! I am anxiously waiting for Carly to see the rest of this trilogy. I have watched your solo reaction to these films multiple times and they are my number one favorite reactions to any movie. Keep going!
Thank you so much Steven! The rest will come! Our editor has been out 2 weeks with the flu so it's taking a bit longer than planned.
The Making Of doc you referenced is well worth it. It’s very well produced and shows you what an amazing, National effort these movies were for NZ, and how much love and care went into making them. It deepened my love for these movies, and shows how special they really were.
It was a great holiday treat from our family; rabid Fantasy/Sci-Fi readers all; when the LOTR movies debuted in December of 2001-2003. As we gathered from across the country to celebrate Christmas; it was also time to trudge off to the movies to watch what would become the best adaption of Tolkien's work to date. Especially since our Mom(Peggy Z, of beloved memory) was a huge fan of not only this series but everything that J.R.R. had originated, translated, or commented on. And also before LOTR, in November Harry Potter arrived in the theaters as well. Mom had already started on the books; because my nephew was reading them. I didn't read the entire series, but love the movies.
The amount of detail is amazing. You both wondered how the Argonath was built, well if you look at the riverbank and see the stone, you can see the cuts in the rock, they cut our the stones to build and haul the pieces to build it. Pretty amazing detail 😊
The making of encapsulates the heart and soul of this unique masterwork of art
PJ crying at Elijah Woods last scene makes me cry like everything in the movies itself ❤
Awesome reaction. The Squad of the Ring - Nice throwback to your first reaction. Hilarious. Thanks for doing this. But now I have to watch your original reaction AND this one, over and over. Love it.
oOoOOoooh, can this become a thing! Somebody call Critical Role!!!
What's so special about it, in my opinion, is yes we all want to be heroes, but these characters are relateable, because they have fear and doubt and still go on. That's what makes it so special.
Cassie catches the plot clues so quickly. Nice job.
So these videos touch all the feelings, absolute loss of hope, loss of friends like Boramir, to the most happy and joyful ending and the perfect little bowtie ending.
My favorite movie series of all time. Boramir’s death was so sad and his final words….. ‘I would have followed you, my brother, my captain, my king…hit me hard, I was a sobbing mess!
The behind the scenes absolutely enriches the movies!
You get to see some of the most masterful filmmaking.
Cassie, editing is superb. So glad to see new scenes from what you had in your previous reactions. Well done as always.
"I think he would value a sense of leadership...its important in a group" I had to pause, crying laughing. So perfectly popcorn in bed. Love this. Thankyou both x
Seeing your original reactions to LoTR is still one of the best (if not the best) reaction series on TH-cam. This is like an early Chriwtmas gift, absolutely fantastic, can't wait for the next movies.
I'm so happy to see you love it even more on the second viewing. I've probably watched these movies close to a 100times and I'm spellbound like you every damn time.
Yes, Balin, who became Lord of Moria, was one of the dwarves who followed Thorin Oakenshield. He and Ori as well as a third dwarf from the Hobbit trilogy were part of the expedition that tried to retake Moria, and died there. When Gandalph picked up the book and read about the last stand of the dwarves, the dead dwarf who was holding it was Ori.
Until the battle where Boromir dies, I think Aragorn truly had no faith in Men. I think it was Boromir's sacrifice that changed him, as in Boromir he saw both Man's greatest weakness, but also Man's strength. And if you notice, from here on, Aragorn wears Boromir's leather vambraces throughout the rest of the trilogy.
And Fun Fact, at 28:20 when Aragorn deflects the thrown dagger with his sword, that was not intentional. It was supposed to fly past him, not at him, but his quick reflexes saved his life - and made an awesome scene! The man who trained Viggo Mortensen in sword fighting called him the best he'd ever trained.
The Behind the Scenes stuff definitely doesn't take away from the magic. If anything, it helps you realize that creating the movies were as much of an epic journey as the stories themselves.
when I heard Carly say " What are they, beasts of the Dark One?" I about spit my drink. Definitely did not think Id hear her make a Wheel of Time reference during this. Well done Carly lol.
One thing that IU think is somehow simply captured by Cate Blanchette as Galadriel is just how... Old she is. Old, wise, and powerful. Of all beings in Middle Earth at the time of the events of Lord of the Rings, there are maybe three who are older, know more, and have more power. One is Sauron, because Sauron is basically an Angel made before time existed. One would be Cirdan, the shipwright, who you barely see at all in the movies. But he's probably the oldest living elf in existence and he just hangs out on the west shore of Middle Earth making ships for elves who go to the west, over the sea. *Maybe* the Balrog, since Balrogs are also essential Angels that were created before the dawn of time, and (according to the Mythology, are the most powerful, ancient, and deadly of all Elfbanes). And one more, but I'll maybe talk about it in two towers.
Just about anyone or anything else is younger than she is. She is currently the eldest Elf in Middle Earth who still remembers the Undying Lands, where the Valar live with the elves who never left. She lived through much of the first age, and was involved in the wars against Morgoth (Sauron's boss who is even worse), and was slightly involved in the wars against Sauron in the second age. She has seen and felt grief and joy on a scope that it would be impossible for us to understand. And none of that is really revealed or talked about in the movies.
But Cate Blanchette's precense, and her voice, and her eyes... They basically just say all of this. It's wonderful. I don't think I shall ever get over how absolutely perfect the entire cast of these movies were. I just finished my own rewatch of the trilogy recently and they're still as good 20 years after they were made.
😯 you know so much about the characters. Ty
Tom Bombadil is possibly the oldest beings of them all, although it's theorized he might just be Eru Illuvatar himself.
I know who you're refering to but you forgot Saruman, who's just as old if not moreso.
@@Zombie-lx3sh well I wasn't going to bring in the Istari until later so
Yeah, Cate puts so much time into her performance. You feel the ancient millennia of her memory and experience every time she speaks. She has made her fair share of mistakes and learned from them. It's a hell of an acting job to put all of that into your voice, body movement, and eyes. Truly the cast for this is perfect. In every way.
I recently found your channel or rather the algorithm suggested it :) Just wanted to say that y'all's enjoyment of LOTR is amazing to see! I could talk for days about lore of Tolkien's world! Have a great day!
Welcome to the channel! As you watch thru the back catalog, and have any suggestions, please leave them in the comments! Here's a list of nearly everything Cassie has seen, even before she started her "First Time Watching" channel. Check out her Letterboxd page: letterboxd.com/pib1/films/by/name/
Ok, I’m so glad you released part 2. I was so sad when part 1 end. God these movies are so special, and the joy of watching someone experience them the first time is such a treat
In the english audio boromir Sounds so relaxed in His voice after He saws the cave troll
Love seeing your sister react to this the first time. I hope you plan to shower her the final film too. Was a treat to see you see this a 2nd time as well
Oh, no, Cassie. Watching the behind-the-scenes for these movies will make you love then even more. You will see the absolute love and passion for Tolkein and his stories in every single person involved, from the writers and director, to the actors, to the set and costume designers, and even the people who volunteered their land for shooting outdoor scenes that were done on public lands.
One example: the scene where we dive down from the top of Isengard and weave through the newly constructed tunnel works before pulling up to Saruman is actually all physical photography. That wasn't CGI but a painstakingly detailed scale model that a real camera was passed through. The fire and orcs and ravens were then added digitally in post.
SQUEE! Didn't even dare to hope of a revisit on LotR. It remains my favorite reaction of yours and adding Carly into the mix is the perfect way to come back to it. Can't wait for the next two! :D
Also Props to the editor, this is a very enjoyable cut for a YT reaction.^^