why the movie's Balrog is wrong

[eub]

What it was could not be seen: it was like a great shadow, in the middle of which was a dark form, of man-shape maybe, yet greater; and a power and a terror seemed to be in it and to go before it.

A Balrog is not a dumb beast, this fire-breathing troll with horns. A Balrog is a divine being, created greater than elf or man. It is awe and despair.

We can see every detail of the movie's fire-breathing troll. The Balrog is a shadow, never seen clearly. Well, we once see its nostrils.

The FBT is huge and lumbering. The Balrog "leaped across the fissure", "raced towards them", "suddenly drew itself up to a great height", "with a bound leaped full upon the bridge". Its sword leaps too.

The movie was doing fine when an unseen thing of flame moved among the columns. But the FBT, gah. Swiftness, darkness, and awe. The awe is not available on tap, but they'd have been well towards it with an obscure creature of fire spreading a vast darkness and moving like a shadow, weightless. In its presence the torches shed no light. Then lose the crumbling-staircase bit and you'll have time for Legolas to quail and drop his arrow when he sees the Balrog, maybe time for it to counter-spell Gandalf's holding of the door.

"I have done all that I could. But I have met my match, and have nearly been destroyed. But don't stand here! Go on!"

I want to whine about the stupid way the movie had Gandalf's arms give out, but that's another rant for another day.

Comments

[stresskitten.livejournal.com]

I was disappointed in the Balrog too, although not horribly so. I actually really liked the Balrog in the Bakshi version -- it was one of the things I remember best.

I'm a little apprehensive about the Ents in TT, based on the brief glimpse in the preview -- they seemed too glossy or muppetlike or something. Shadowfax is going to rock, though.

[eub.livejournal.com]

I don't think I remember the Bakshi Balrog... (well, I was five.)

Hmm, is this right? Looks sort of Dark Teletubby in this particular still.

[stresskitten.livejournal.com]

That's the one, but it doesn't really come across in the stills. It loomed well. I liked that it was something odd, a sort of dark lion demon with stained glass moth wings, rather than just being the standard horned, forked-tailed flaming biped one usually gets.

[eub.livejournal.com]

Lion-ness sounds appropriate. Aslan's Evil Twin.

[drakemonger.livejournal.com]

The second time I saw the movie, I was disappointed in the Balrog.

The first time, though...

J, R&I were going to see it at Cinerama. I had ordered the tickets online. The dorks at the theater lied to us about which line to stand in to get pre-ordered tickets, so we ended up standing in the line for people who *already had tickets*. When we got to the front, we discovered we were in the wrong line, so we had to get out, stand in a different line... and by the time we had tickets, we were the last people into the theater.

The best seats available were a mere three rows from the screen. At this distance, the screen is wider than my visual field. The Balrog filled my entire vision and moreso. When I saw it, I knew what it meant to quake in my boots, and I knew how someone could feel fear for only an instant before it was replaced with despair.

It was pretty impressive.

Still, it should have those effects on all the audience, not just those in the first three rows.

[eub.livejournal.com]

Two hours before posting the entry I watched the DVD with friends and they all liked the Balrog, so it does work for some people.

Also, hi. Ideal cow, you say.