In our latest Library feature, Tedoras takes up the vexed issue of Tolkien and allegory.
Majesty and simplicity: on Tolkien and allegory
by Tedoras
Tolkien’s disdain, and avowed desuetude, of allegory is widely known by most familiar with his writings. Snippets from essays, letters, and remarks all show the Professor rejecting the notion that allegory is employed in his mythology; instead, Tolkien directs readers to the difference between allegory and applicability. Continue reading “Majesty and simplicity: on Tolkien and allegory”
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Earlier today, the music video for “The Last Goodbye”, the end credits song for the last chapter in The Hobbit Trilogy, premiered exclusively on EW.com.
As much a farewell to Peter Jackson’s entire Middle-earth filmography as the Hobbit films themselves, the video features our beloved Mr. Boyd singing his wonderful tune to images of the entire saga.
Is the third and final Hobbit movie complete? There is some evidence to suggest it is, as social media folks from Weta Digital say they have finished the long, long job of bringing Middle-earth to the cinema.
From as good a source as a source can be, “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” is not only virtually done as you read these words, this is the final day of production on the film. Keeping in mind that New Zealand (where, if you haven’t heard, the films are made) is 16 hours ahead of Hollywood, the following quote comes to TheOneRing.net from the future, Friday morning:
“Today is the day!! The last reel goes out the door tonight.”
We have also learned from two sources that Weta Digital delivered its final shot Thursday night, leaving the final touches on the final reel of the final film. Pure speculation here, but that must be an emotional process, knowing that the great big collection of talent is completing the task it set out to do years before. And for Jackson and those around him, it is definitely the end of an era.
A lot of tired workers at Weta Digital will be getting sleep soon but the filmmakers now begin the job of promoting the film around the world, starting with the world premiere in London.
There is of course the extended edition of the final film, but heading directly to the home video market is different from unfurling a film in a theater. But there you have it folks, this is the last work week for the full post-production team on The Hobbit. Fans will feel an era has ended as well. The original, more speculative article follows below.
Director Peter Jackson – who if you paid careful attention to the latest Hobbit trailers, also directed a trilogy based on The Lord of the Rings – likes to push deadlines and make changes on his films up to the last moment. He was clear at the world premiere of the first Hobbit film about how he literally made changes the night before the premiere.
So is the film finished or is just Weta Digital’s work finished? Or is only a division of Weta Digital’s team finished? Nobody who knows is saying for sure (although we have asked!) but it is very possible “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” has had its finishing digital touches added and is complete. All this inspired by the pen of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Galadriel and Gandalf at Dol Guldur.
Typically the director or some combination of the director, producers and studio work on the film until they nail down its moments, beats and running time. Then the digital team finishes the film, working and polishing as much as time and money allow. With Jackson films, Weta Digital finishes parts way ahead and parts at the very last minute, working with the director closely. Concurrently, the score and sound effects are being mixed into the final finished product.
The film is shot in high frame rate, 3D and sound comes in a variety of format choices at the cinema including the most complicated and best sound: Dolby Atmos. All of these processes take time. In other words, there may still be a lot of details to get done before the film is done, but finished or not, the end is near and it is like twilight on the final day of Middle-earth movie making. Only clips for the inevitable extended edition remain and then, Jackson and company will soon say goodbye to Middle-earth forever.
In our latest Library piece, TORn reader and Tolkien Italian Network member Gabriele Marconi explores how a 2 minute video doesn’t pay full tribute to a fans love of Tolkien.
Gabriele told TORn, “The point is that a 2-minute time video could not contain nor the smallest part of the reasons why Tolkien is so strongly related to Italy and the Alps, the mountains we know so well (even if Tolkien went through them only from the Swiss side).
That is also why Italy is Middle-Earth, or at least a part of it, “Gondor“, as the very one John Ronald used to say. So I choosed to speak about the famous postcards of Der Berggeist and used them as a spark to tell more about the relations between Tolkien, Switzerland and Italy. Not only the postcards: every opened issue has been deepened in the shape of Q&A”
The article is translated from Italian to English by Greta Bertani.
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
They’re coming thick and fast now. Following hot on the first TV spot for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies , Warner Bros. has now released the third.
They’re calling it King.
And, yep, it focuses completely around Thorin and features some new scenes. The key one is probably the opening, an exchange between Bilbo and Gandalf somewhere in what seems to be the ruins of Dale:
Bilbo: I’m not afraid of Thorin.
Gandalf: Well, you should be.
Following hot on the first TV spot for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies just a couple of days ago, Warner Bros. has now released the second.
Like its predecessor it runs 30 seconds, and features much footage that already appeared in the trailers. The key talking point is probably at 0.08 seconds, where we see Bard atop a belltower in Lake-town as it burns, nocking an arrow to his bow.
Is this the same tower where, in the main trailer, we see him collapsed to the floorboards staring upwards into the night? Is this the fatal shot? Hard to guess right now…
In our latest Library feature, Tedoras takes up the vexed issue of Tolkien and allegory. 
They’re coming thick and fast now. Following hot on the first TV spot for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies , Warner Bros. has now released the third. 
Following hot on the first TV spot for The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies just a couple of days ago, Warner Bros. has now released the second.