I saw the extended DVD edition last night in Chicago on the big screen.
I read somewhere that the extended DVD is in some ways a different movie than the original theatrical version. That is very true. The original theatrical version forsakes some characterization for a streamlined plot. Many of the extended DVD version’s new and extended scenese added to characterization. We especially get “new” scenes that add to the characterization of Aragon, Gimli, Bilbo, Boromir, Galadriel, and Celeborn. Celeborn actually gets more than one line! He is even the one who gives the Fellowship their elven cloaks and their boats, so that they can outrun orcs that are after them. The whole Lothlorien scene has much new material added in, so that it is much closer to the book. Galadriel no longer seems so mysterious and perhaps sinister. We now get to see her more caring and lighter side, especially in the gift giving scenes and in her greeting the Fellowship. we even get to see Nenya during the mirror scene, when she tells Frodo to bear a ring of power is to be alone. We get to see wonderful interaction between her and Gimli, both when she first greets the Fellowship and when she bestows her gifts (Merry and Pippin get daggers, Sam gets the rope, she talks to Aragon about Arwen, Legolas gets a bow). In fact, Gimli’s characterization is also much improved. Before, I felt like he was just a stock character. Now he is rounded, with more lines throughout the movie. Lothlorien itself now feels more like a sanctuary than a mysterious, dangerous forest. The other major changes are in Hobbiton, with the opening scene being very much different– Bilbo writing his book and talking about Hobbits, with humorous scenes of Hobbits interspersed, including a Hobbit getting wax out of his ear, and a snippet of Sam gardening. Though, for some reason I can’t touch upon, I liked the theatrical version’s opening better. We also get to see Bilbo’s dread of the Sackville-Bagginses in this opening scene and during the party. There is also much more interaction of Bilbo with the guests at the party, as well as a humorous scene between him and Frodo at the party. We also get to see the Gaffer, Sam, Frodo, Pippin, Merry, and Rosie at a pub. Though I didn’t really feel that scene added that much. In fact, I felt there was a little too much humor added into the Hobbiton scenes now.
There is a wonderful scene when Frodo and Sam first set out on their journey when they see Wood Elves going to the Grey Havens, and Sam mentions how it makes him sad and mentions the towers near the see. Great foreshadowing of Arwen’s plight and the plight of the Elves, and maybe even of Frodo leaving at the end of the books. We also get to see good interaction between Sam and Frodo when Sam tries to go to sleep on the ground under a tree and says he can’t. This is another instance where we see the very close relationship between Sam and Frodo. Although, no place do we outright hear that Sam is Frodo’s gardener.
The journey from when we first meet the Black Riders/Nazgul to Bree is pretty much the same. There are a few more lines at Bree here and there, but things are pretty much the same there.
There is more to the fight scenes with the troll in Moria and to the fight scene at the breaking of the Fellowship at Amon Hen. There are also new lines at the gates of Moria, with a funny exchange between Legolas and Gimli and between Gandalf and Pippin.
We also learn that the riches of Moria was mithril, which makes Frodo’s wearing a mithril coat much more meaningful. Gandalf even says that Bilbo’s mithril coat was worth more than the whole Shire.
There is much more of Boromir’s temptation by the ring, beginning with a new scene at the Council of Elrond, in which he almost takes the ring until Gandalf utters the Black Speech. Boromir seems much more sinister and tortured in this version. I really felt like he was a traitor in the midst of the Fellowship.
We get more background on Aragon, seeing him at his mother’s grave in Rivendell, his interaction over Arwen with Galadriel in the Lothlorien gift-giving scene, his singing of Luthien and Beren after passing through the Midgewater Marshes.
There are many more humorous lines here and there throughout.
In some ways I liked the theatrical version better, with the much more streamlined plot, but in some ways I liked this one better, with much more characterization. In short, buy both DVDs.
I have been a regular reader of your TORn site and have appreciated the updates. Here’s one of my own. I was one of the fortunate few who were able to view the FOTR Extended Edition at the theater last night. It was incredible and that does not do it justice. The difference in sound was the first thing that brought awareness that this was something never seen or heard before. I must have seen the original movie in theaters eight times or more and have watched it at home at least that many, but this was spectacular! The combined effect of the surround sound with the enhanced sound nearly lifted me out of my seat. When the musical themes swelled, the whole theater felt it–literally and emotionally. It does justice to Howard Shore’s score.
The only word that comes close is “seamless.” The introduction of new music and scenes and dialogue was all perfectly seamless. Even when you know where it is different, it is so well done it feels right–like the difference between the movie and the book. It was so true to the spirit of the original that the changes did not detract. The fact that Howard Shore wrote new music to accomplish this is part of the secret. The music with which you are familiar flows into the new and carries the other components with it.
Since the first few scenes were unchanged, one had time to adjust to the sound difference before being treated to the additional screen material. Every bit of added scene only complimented the original. I dearly love the way the original handled the opening and agree it was perfect for a time-limited version. This time the worlds and characters were given more depth–some of which I wish had made it to the theater cut. The viewer is given a much greater understanding of who the hobbits are and what the values are that makes Frodo who he is. The light-hearted nature of the hobbits has more time to emerge as you watch Merry and Pippin.
Likewise, the conflict in Aragorn is conveyed MUCH better. You–and especially the viewer not so acquainted with the books–now understand how deep the struggle goes in him regarding his heritage and a little more concerning his relationship to Arwen. As one reviewer put it, you see the high regard the elves have for him. And you feel the weight of the destiny he has to choose to accept or reject. The struggle in Boromir also is given new dimension.
The relationship between Legolas and Gimli begins to show glimmers of humor and depth of feeling. Both characters are strengthened by the exposure. This satisfies a little the wishes of all who wanted to see more interplay like the books portrayed. The humor introduced in all the characters such as Gandalf’s impatience with Pippin, Pippin’s over-indulgence with food, and Aragorn’s addition to the sword-training scene make them warm and authentic. They emerge as real people with feelings with which one identifies.
The scene that benefitted the most from the additional material was Lothlorien. The added exterior and interior views of the land as well as the depth given to Haldir and company was very helpful and enjoyable. The gift-giving scenes make sense out of things they will have to explain somehow in the movies to come. Gimli’s affection for Galadriel has a much greater basis for its existence now. The gravity of the situation and the respect the elves have for the Company are emphasized as the elves reveal they have never before clothed outsiders in their cloaks.
My suggestion to New Line would be to show this Extended Version in theaters in limited scope–many theaters but only limited screens–just before the premiere of The Two Towers. The fans who wanted a refresher, those poor souls who never got around to seeing the first one, and all of those of us who want to see the Extended version in all its glory would come. I know I would go again, and I have ordered the Extended DVD Collector’s Gift Set! It deserves to be seen in the theater. Nothing else will quite do it justice. It would be quite a money-maker and would only strengthen the fan base for TTT. One runs out of superlatives when talking about this movie, but they really are all that apply!
As far as the new ‘introduction to Hobbits’ at the start…well, the background stuff between Frodo and Sam, and at the Green Dragon was very useful for the emotional buildup of the central characters, but, otherwise, I felt that the originally released version of the intro/Hobbiton part was more likely to grip the interest of an audience.
Further on, the Frodo/Sam relationship was deepened well in the additional traveling scenes.
Throughout the film, one could see where PJ had sliced a few seconds here and there to try to edit down to the 3 hour limit.
It was however, incredibly heartbreaking to see how much had been lost by the cuts at Lothlorien. The giftgiving for all was beautiful, and Gimli really grew as a terribly touching character.
The other thing that I think was tremendously amplified in emotional impact was Aragorn and Boromir’s relationship, and the importance of this relationship for setting Aragorn on his path to take up the challenge of his heritage. Yes, Boromir showed more terrible lust for the ring at Rivendell, held back only by the powers of Gandalf. But he also challenged Aragorn more to remember the world of Men and his heritage. “Yes, there is great weakness [in the world of Men]; but there is also great strength.” And at the same time the scene at the grave of Aragorn’s mother really underscored how distanced Isildur’s heir had become from Humanity — and thus from _himself_ and from confidence in his own strength to fight the Evil.
Boromir was seen killing many more Uruk-hai, and Aragorn had a heartbreaking added line before the tear fell from his face after Boromir’s death…recalling the exchange between the two at Lochlorien, when Boromir had dreamed of returning to the White City with him, and the guards calling out that the Lords of Gondor had returned. The guards would still call, but Boromir would not be there.
So in sum, the majority of the additions layered great depth to the emotional charge of the story for virtually all the protagonists, and these are the strengh of the Extended Edition.
Like everyone else who has written in, I was lucky enough to win one of the passes to see the Special Edition DVD on the big screen. However, I may have driven farther than anyone else to take advantage of the privilege … 8 hours each way from Charlotte, N.C., to Merrifield, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. Two hours into the journey, I stopped off in Winston-Salem, N.C., to pick up my faithful elven sidekick, Lithilien Quicksilver, and we made the rest of the jaunt to our nation’s capital together.
We were the first in line at noon Tuesday, much to the dismay of the manager at the National Amusements Lee Highway Multiplex. Despite the sad shake of his head that clearly conveyed he thought we needed to get a life, he and his staff made us welcome, letting us hang out in the lobby rather than the cold driving rain and allowing us unfettered use of the facilities.
We were the entire line until about 3 p.m., when two local Ringers and members of council-of-elrond.com, Erendis and Iorethdttr (who also leads the TOR.n line party for Washington, D.C.), arrived in full costume, including gorgeous hand-made elven cloaks.
Ultimately, the D.C. showing was rather sparsely attended (approximately 90 fans), which was a blessing given the fact that New Line had distributed 400 passes for a 300-seat theater and then reserved the 100 prime seats – virtually all of the center section of the theater – for VIPs who never showed up. Fortunately, New Line did not consider the first six rows of the theater to be prime real estate, so those of us at the front of the fan line were able to snatch the very seats we wanted most. It was sad, however, to see the rest of the fan faithful, packed into one narrow side section, outside the best audio zone, while all of those sweet seats in the center section went unused. (To be fair to New Line, they did open up the unused section just before the movie began, but moving was awkward so most fans stayed put in their original seats.)
Others have covered the new scenes in great detail, so let me just say that while many will insist on calling the Special Edition the “Director’s Cut,” I will always think of it as the “Book Lovers’ Cut.” So many wonderful touches from the books are there – the charming new “Concerning Hobbits” section that gives us so much more insight into the nature of hobbits; Bilbo’s battle with the Sackville-Bagginses; Frodo’s wonderful quote explaining to his hobbit companions that he is choosing to trust Strider because servants of the Enemy would “look fair and feel foul” while Strider “looks foul and feels fair”; Merry’s reflection on what midges in the Midgewater Marshes eat when they can’t get hobbit; a glimpse of Sam’s father, The Gaffer; the first mention of Gollumhttp://theonering.net/movie/char/smeagol.html’s real name; substantial new insight into Aragorn’s reluctance to lead and his ongoing conflict with Boromir; and, of course, the brilliant gift-giving scene (although some of the gifts are changed from those in the book).
Those fans who thought Peter Jackson drew too generous a picture of Boromir in the theatrical release will find plenty in the Special Edition to balance the portrait. The Boromir in this version is much darker and sinister, and more well-rounded
Marton Csokas’ Celeborn is reborn in this version as well – his new lines and scenes give us a completely different view of Galadriel’s husband and the actor who plays him. The vicious running jokes about Csokas should begin to dissipate once fans get to see the new-and-much-improved version. Haldir, Gimli, Merry and Pippin fans also will find much to like. Boromir’s death scene, which I would have sworn to be the peak of perfection in the theatrical release, is even more powerful here.
Howard Shore’s additional score is, in places, even more hauntingly beautiful and grand (who would have thought that possible?) than the music in the theatrical release. His touch is absolutely unerring, and there were times when I was so swept away by his stunning new musical phrases that I could barely absorb what was happening on the screen.
DLP Cinema, a Texas Instruments Company, deserves mega-kudos for their incredible digital projection system. It was electric to see the movie in all its glory – flawless, crisp, richly hued and free of those annoying black dots and jumps that mark film reels. The sound, too, was far and above anything I had heard before, even in far more modern theaters. You didn’t just see and hear the flood at the Ford of Bruinen – you could actually feel it rumble through the core of your body, as if the weight of the water were about to crash down on you personally. It literally swept us away.
Be prepared, however. Once you see the SE DVD, you’ll never want to watch the theatrical version again. This has to be the movie as PJ truly intended it, and it is brilliant beyond belief.
Like everyone else who has written in, I was lucky enough to win one of the passes to see the Special Edition DVD on the big screen. However, I may have driven farther than anyone else to take advantage of the privilege – 8 hours each way from Charlotte, N.C., to Merrifield, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. Two hours into the journey, I stopped off in Winston-Salem, N.C., to pick up my faithful elven sidekick, Lithilien Quicksilver, and we made the rest of the jaunt to our nation’s capital together.
We were the first in line at noon Tuesday, much to the dismay of the manager at the National Amusements Lee Highway Multiplex. Despite the sad shake of his head that clearly conveyed he thought we needed to get a life, he and his staff made us welcome, letting us hang out in the lobby rather than the cold driving rain and allowing us unfettered use of the facilities.
We were the entire line until about 3 p.m., when two local Ringers and members of council-of-elrond.com, Erendis and Iorethdttr (who also leads the TOR.n line party for Washington, D.C.), arrived in full costume, including gorgeous hand-made elven cloaks.
Ultimately, the D.C. showing was rather sparsely attended (approximately 90 fans), which was a blessing given the fact that New Line had distributed 400 passes for a 300-seat theater and then reserved the 100 prime seats – virtually all of the center section of the theater – for VIPs who never showed up. Fortunately, New Line did not consider the first six rows of the theater to be prime real estate, so those of us at the front of the fan line were able to snatch the very seats we wanted most. It was sad, however, to see the rest of the fan faithful, packed into one narrow side section, outside the best audio zone, while all of those sweet seats in the center section went unused. (To be fair to New Line, they did open up the unused section just before the movie began, but moving was awkward so most fans stayed put in their original seats.)
Others have covered the new scenes in great detail, so let me just say that while many will insist on calling the Special Edition the ‘Director’s Cut’, I will always think of it as the ‘Book Lovers’ Cut.’ So many wonderful touches from the books are there – the charming new Concerning Hobbits section that gives us so much more insight into the nature of hobbits; Bilbo’s battle with the Sackville-Bagginses; Frodo’s wonderful quote explaining to his hobbit companions that he is choosing to trust Strider because servants of the Enemy would look fair and feel foul while Strider looks foul and feels fair; Merry’s reflection on what midges in the Midgewater Marshes eat when they can’t get hobbit; a glimpse of Sam’s father, The Gaffer; the first mention of Gollum’s real name; substantial new insight into Aragorn’s reluctance to lead and his ongoing conflict with Boromir; and, of course, the brilliant gift-giving scene (although some of the gifts are changed from those in the book).
Those fans who thought Peter Jackson drew too generous a picture of Boromir in the theatrical release will find plenty in the Special Edition to balance the portrait. The Boromir in this version is much darker and sinister, and more well-rounded.
Marton Csokas’ Celeborn is reborn in this version as well – his new lines and scenes give us a completely different view of Galadriel’s husband and the actor who plays him. The vicious running jokes about Csokas should begin to dissipate once fans get to see the new-and-much-improved version. Haldir, Gimli, Merry and Pippin fans also will find much to like. Boromir’s death scene, which I would have sworn to be the peak of perfection in the theatrical release, is even more powerful here.
Howard Shore’s additional score is, in places, even more hauntingly beautiful and grand (who would have thought that possible?) than the music in the theatrical release. His touch is absolutely unerring, and there were times when I was so swept away by his stunning new musical phrases that I could barely absorb what was happening on the screen.
DLP Cinema, a Texas Instruments Company, deserves mega-kudos for their incredible digital projection system. It was electric to see the movie in all its glory – flawless, crisp, richly hued and free of those annoying black dots and jumps that mark film reels. The sound, too, was far and above anything I had heard before, even in far more modern theaters. You didn’t just see and hear the flood at the Ford of Bruinen – you could actually feel it rumble through the core of your body, as if the weight of the water were about to crash down on you personally. It literally swept us away.
Be prepared, however. Once you see the SE DVD, you’ll never want to watch the theatrical version again. This has to be the movie as PJ truly intended it, and it is brilliant beyond belief.
Niklas writes: “Just recieved an e-mail from SF (The swedish filminstitute) who is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, cinema-chain here in Sweden. They were sending out mails that tickets will be available to buy starting November 18th. But most important, they clearly stated that the running time is 179 min.” [Maybe that’s including credits? So many other sources have stated that the movie runs for 2hr. 43 minutes. But on the other hand…16 minutes of credits? Who knows? – T. ]
