BBC radio adaption

[coolismo]

The BBC radio 4 adaption from 1981 outdoes the movie in so many ways. The quality of the production is very high and though it makes cuts and changes these enhance the themes. The cast is a choice list of excellent British voice artistry. Ian Holm has the range to be an innocent and Boyish Frodo at the first meeting with Gandalf and to grow into a wise and deeper character as his quest progresses.
Episode one had the exchange between Gandalf and Sauron at Orthanc. Michael Horden as Gandalf was both wise and world weary whilst Sauron was played as a kind of fascist administrator with an English accent. So superior to the movie with its Matrix style wizards karate match.
The only downside is Gollum who is hard to hear so affected is his manner and delivery but this overrall is a jewell. Anyone else think it outrates the movie?

[Tessar]

I think that I have that on tape.

NO! there is no way it out does the movie in coolness!!!!!

however if you mean is it better in following the book. then yes.

[jerseydevil]

Is it available somewhere - or is it out on the net?

I have a link to the radio broadcast of Orson Welles' War of the Worlds at my site AboutNewJersey.com/War_of_the_Worlds/

If you know how I can listen to it - or get the tape let me know. I guess I'll look for it on Morpheus too.

[coolismo]

Doesn't outdo the coolness? Well I suppose there are no made up characters or 'cool' fights between Gandalf and Saruman. The radio adaption makes similar changes in structure to the movie but leaves the form and the content of dialogue intact. Plus Holm is way ahead as Frodo, Elijah Wood is not a patch.

[Casana]

Jerseydevil,

I got my copy of the BBC LOTR at the local Costco for only $40. I believe some websites may have links to snippets of it, but its a 13 hour audiobook so I doubt you'll find the whole thing on the 'net (nevermind listening for THAT long off a computer!!)

[jerseydevil]

Maybe that's the audio version they sell in bookstores. I'll have to check it out and see. And no - I wouldn't want to listen to a 13 hour version of LOTR off my computer, unless I could actually bookmark the places where I stopped. But even then - with only a 56k modem it's difficult to listen to streaming audio without it stopping and starting.

Thanks for the info. The radio version of War of the Worlds was only an hour I think.

[Comic Book Guy]

Peter Jackson's Adaptation in my opinion is better than the BBC's Radio Dramatisation, while the dramatisation is closer to the book (Yet no Bombadil) the movie has something the radio hasn't, Visuals, while I listened to the Dramatisation I found it difficult to imagine the surroundings and places, it usually relied on characters saying things like "Look! Orthanc is near".

[Yazad]

Just remember that these are two different platforms. Making a radio drama is different from making a movie. It leaves more to the imagination, but at the same time requires more from the listener (namely filling in the visuals).

Jerseydevil, take care as to the versions available at the bookstores. There are at least three audio performances of LotR...

1. The BBC Radio drama we're discussing (12 CDs, I think in a bluish case with artwork)
2. The Mind's Eye (NPR, I believe) Radio Drama (9 CDs) in the wooden case
3. The unabridged books on tape (or CDs - 42 in total) read by Rob Inglis (Recorded Books, Inc.)

Personally, I like #3 best, but it is a different presentation, obviously, from the other two. Rob Inglis, I feel, does an incredible job and is a delight throughout the set. He's great at voices (though I catch a slip up once in a while). The Return of the King set does include "The Annals of the Kings and Rulers" and the Fellowship includes the Forward.

Now (another chance for everyone to pounce on me!), I grew up listening to #2, the much maligned Mind's Eye radio drama, so I'm afraid it'll always hold a tender spot in my heart. When I listen to it now I don't care for it quite as much as I recall, but there are still some very good parts. I think the adaptation is good, and Bernard Mays plays a great Gandalf. But the peak for me is Gail Chugg as the Narrator and Gollum. I've heard Tolkien read some of his own stuff, and I beg to say that Mr. Chugg does a better job, IMO, than the author himself. However, some liberties are taken here and everyone hates the elves voices. I can agree with that. Frodo and Sam are both mediocre and Strider is laughable at times (but rather good at others). I like Gimli and Legolas a lot. And it does include the Bombadil section. It has a much more American feel to it than the BBC version (for obvious reasons, in addition to removal of almost all the songs), which might appeal to some and turn others off completely.

My problem with the BBC dramatization is that it doesn't use a narrator much at all, and so actors are left to describe things to the listener that no real person would ever say. This happens in the Mind's Eye version too, but less often. Now, one might frown at the use of a narrator as well, as it's certainly not realistic, but I see it more as a story telling mechanism, in much the same way Tolkien would pop his head over the edges of the Hobbit and speak with the reader directly.

Regardless, I suggest you watch and listen to everything you can and decide for yourself which presentation you like most.

By the way, the BBC dramatization is available through Amazon and other internet retailers for about $50US, the Mind's Eye deal runs around $40US, and the Recorded Books, Inc., presentations run about $40US/book. Each of these three also did a version of "The Hobbit".

Lastly, there's an unabridged version of "The Silmarillion" read by Martin Shaw (that I'm actually listening to at the moment (lots of time on a 2 hour/day commute)) which is also very good, if a bit hard to follow at times due to the nature of the beast.

Yazad

[Sauron's Nagging Wife]

Having listened to the BBC version countless times, I must say I like the way they did almost everything, especially the songs. Still, it was a simpliication of the book, as the movies are/will be.

In my opinion, the radio adaptation had a certain subtlety that the movie was lacking. Maybe it's just the essential difference in media, though. No sweeling music as Elrond declares them the Fellowship (but the singing eagle announcing Sauron's downfall is wacky).

I think it would be wisest to wait until we have seen all three movies before comparing them to the complete BBC version

[orald]

I have the BBC version on cd,its perfect when you are doing something,and have it playing in the background,always seem to catch something different each time,they were very well done.

[Churl]

Thank you, Yazad, for mentioning Rob Inglis's unabridged readings. Ever since I discovered them, they've allowed me to enjoy the entire book more times than I'd have been able to read it.

For me at least, Inglis's reading actually adds a minor, but welcome, dimension to the tale. (Before you shout "heresy!", hear me out…)

His voice characterizations are perfect and varied — he has a different, appropriate intonation for every single character. What's more, the producers actually set the songs to music, which Inglis sings a capella! (If I remember correctly, I think I read that the tunes were drawn from English, Welsh, and Celtic folk melodies.) To me, every tune was perfectly matched to the content and cadence of the verses.

In short, the unabridged recordings are great. Check for them in your local library!

[sracer]

Originally posted by orald
I have the BBC version on cd,its perfect when you are doing something,and have it playing in the background,always seem to catch something different each time,they were very well done.

Absolutely! I bought the set last Summer right before my drive from NY to AZ. What a great way to pass the time! I then ripped the discs to MP3 and burned a single CD with the entire set on it. Perfect for my MP3CD player.