The movies could have been worse (esp. Eowyn)

[Tuor of Gondolin]

I haven't found much in threads dealing with movie/book Eowyn so...
(Excerpts from TheOneRing.com interview of Miranda Otto)
____________________________________________

12-11-03 Latest News

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Warrior Woman

By Nazz

Can we talk about your preparation and training even your sword work as it will play such a big part of this film.

"Well, I originally found out about the sword-fighting from Liv. In the original script that I read, there wasn't as much. And then the script started to change to go much more back towards the original book, for both my character and Liv's. It was Liv who warned me saying, you're going to have to be able to sword-fight and all these other things.' So then I went out and sought out the swordmaster and started to get some training......

Many were waiting for you to break out the sword in The Two Towers.

"I know! It's kind of a big lead-on isn't it? I heard that from a few people, that they were disappointed it didn't happens but just you wait. Originally there was a little bit of sword-fighting in The Two Towers [Miranda shot a scene where Eowyn defends the women and children hiding in the Glittering Caves from some marauding orcs who've broken through the defenses at the Battle Of Helm's Deep. It was deleted], but that wasn't taken from the books. In the books, she really does have to wait until The Return Of The King and the Battle Of Pelennor Fields to get to do it."

"If you saw some of the scenes that were in the original script, you would just die because they're so different to what we ended up shooting. But they told me that from the moment I got the part. They said, forget about the script for your character because we're really changing it.' For other people it stayed much the same but mine had gone a fair way from the book in the original draft that had been done.

"Basically, Liv's character was more action-based and that meant that mine wasn't as much. Then her character became a lot more like more like the Arwen of the book's appendices much more of a strong feminine presence and less of a warrior princess. I suppose they had thought, at one stage that was the way they'd have to go to integrate her. So we both changed to become closer to the way our characters were in the book."
_____________________________________
_____________________________________

That is, the original script plan seems to have been to
radically alter the characterization of both Arwen and Eowyn, in the interests of dramatizing Arwen's role. You have to give them credit for at last realizing the error of altering two major characters when it was clearly unnecessary to deviate from the book, but you wonder at what other "changes" were contemplated.

One change that still irritates me is replacing "By Elbereth and Luthien the Fair you shall have neither the Ring nor me" (book Frodo) with "If you want him come and claim him." (movie Arwen)
But PJ and helpers did also put in positive changes (such as, generally, featuring Arwen more and amplifying Boromir's character).

[The Gaffer]

Nice post.

Originally posted by Tuor of Gondolin
One change that still irritates me is replacing "By Elbereth and Luthien the Fair you shall have neither the Ring nor me" (book Frodo) with "If you want him come and claim him." (movie Arwen)

Well, I know which line would work best in a movie... still, agreed in general



So, we've got Miranda all tooled-up to look forward to. Better bring me hankies...

[Laurelyn]

Ah, that line . . . *sniff* Yes, I do agree . . . *sniff* Blasted Arwen coming in and, among other things, *coughGlorfindelcough* taking it . . . .

I was screaming silently as Eowyn began to speak her line . . .
"But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Eowyn I am, Eomund's daughter, and you stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless; for be you living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him!"
. . . . and then nearly fell into a heap of tears when all she said was, "I am no man." She did it brilliantly, and in a movie context her book-line wouldn't have worked at all, but still . . . *wahhh!* I loved that scene and can recite it from memory. I understood the change, but I didn't like it. Shoot me.

I'm quite upset, actually, that they were going to downplay Eowyn's character. I love Eowyn as she is in the books! I felt even that Movie-Eowyn was a little wimpy in RotK. It seems . . . really scary . . . that they were thinking of making her wimpier yet!

Thanks for posting that, though. It was interesting.

[Eruviel Greenleaf]

I know exactly how you feel, Laurelyn! That was exactly what happened to me at RotK. . .I was all ready to mouth the words along with her. . .but aside from that I thought they did a good job with the Witch King (well, aside from really downplaying the affect killing him had on Merry and Eowyn.)

And I was so disappointed that they cut the Houses of Healing. But I did like what they did with the Oliphaunt, where she cuts up its legs. That was pretty.

I'm so glad they didn't make Arwen in to a sort of warrior-princess, because that would have been just awful, and taken away so much from Eowyn. Considering what it could have been, they did a good job, though I thought it was horrible how they just left her lying on the battlefield, mourning for her uncle, and the next time you see her she's looking all happy next to Faramir at the Coronation. And considering they for some reason had Merry at the battle at the Black Gates, it doesn't make sense, with what they did include, to not have Eowyn there as well. Ah, well.

Thanks for posting that, Tuor.

[Arathorn]

I was also half expecting the book lines of Eowyn but was pleasantly surprised that the change still worked.

I watched it again alone and found the scene more powerfully moving than my first viewing what with my female friend (also an eowyn fan) cheering her like an arsenio hall audience.

As a guy, that scene made me fall even more in love with the character. I guess for some women it's sort of a collective victory (and there's nothing wrong with that) but when I hear basketball game cheers, I sort of lose the moment. I think I'll watch ROTK alone again.

[Elvengirl]

That was interesting Tuor.
I'm glad that PJ didn't go along with his origional plan. I thought both Eowyn and Arwen were excellent in ROTK. Of course the Eowyn scene in the book is much better, but it worked great for the movie. Now if only PJ hadn't ruined the Arwen character in FOTR.