Whispering and Muttering

[Valandil]

In the LotR movies, there are a fair amount of lines spoken which are not so easy to distinguish. I seem to be particularly bad about picking up what's being said at times like this. I can tell someone is saying something (like in a voice-over) but can't exactly make it out.

I've only seen RotK twice, there IS one that I picked up the second time, late in the movie. It's when they're before the Black Gate and the armies of Mordor have just encircled them... and there's a voice-over of Sauron. He says the name 'Aragorn' in it... but I can't tell if he's just talking to himself, noting who his enemy is, or if he's trying to 'seduce' Aragorn and appealing to him to switch sides, or taunting him, or something else.

Has anyone picked out just what was said there? Were there other things like this that you picked up on in this movie... or one of the other two films?

[Twista]

Yup. In FOTR, when Gandalf is just about to fall down past the bridge of Kazad-Dum. He either says 'Fly you fools! - like in the books or 'Run you fools!'. i cant make it out

[gollum9630]

he says fly you fools just like in the books, but other then that i havent really noticed any other whispering

[Nerdanel]

Originally posted by Valandil

I've only seen RotK twice, there IS one that I picked up the second time, late in the movie. It's when they're before the Black Gate and the armies of Mordor have just encircled them... and there's a voice-over of Sauron. He says the name 'Aragorn' in it... but I can't tell if he's just talking to himself, noting who his enemy is, or if he's trying to 'seduce' Aragorn and appealing to him to switch sides, or taunting him, or something else.

At least I think he "says" Elessar and then Aragorn. I think Sauron is trying to "seduce" Aragorn somehow, since he is the heir of Isildur. But that can be totally wrong.

I've thought about fly you fools too; why does he say fly?

[Beruthiel's cat]

Originally posted by Nerdanel
I've thought about fly you fools too; why does he say fly?

Because he wanted the rest of the Fellowship to get away as fast as they could and flying is a lot faster than running!

[Elf Girl]

'Fly' is very often used to mean 'flee', 'run', or 'get away as fast as you can'. He doesn't mean like birds.

[Valandil]

Originally posted by Nerdanel
At least I think he "says" Elessar and then Aragorn. I think Sauron is trying to "seduce" Aragorn somehow, since he is the heir of Isildur. But that can be totally wrong.

I've thought about fly you fools too; why does he say fly?

Thanks Nerdanel... I had thought that was most likely... especially since as Aragorn turns back to his comrades, before he gives the battle cry, "For Frodo!" - he gives a look to make the viewer wonder if, perhaps, he HAD been persuaded by Sauron.

I noted too that he was holding up Anduril... as though displaying it for 'The Eye' to see... so I wonder if whatever Sauron said there indicates he's making (or had already made) the connection to Elendil and Isildur. Anyway, that will be interesting in the EE... especially if we see that it refers back to a scene of Aragorn taking up the palantir to challenge Sauron.

Yes... to say 'fly' in English can indicate for someone to make the best speed they can, not necessarily the literal act of flying in the air.

[Goldberry1]

i'm pretty sure in fellowship they try to "give the ring a voice".... so to speak. like in bag end and it's on the table and frodo and gandalf sort of look at it and you can kind of hear these sounds. (closed captioning is all-knowing by the way.... at that point it comes on the screen and says something along the lines of "ring talking in black speech"). also at the end of fellowship just before frodo is about to leave and he's talking to aragorn, and you hear something say "elessar"... i guess it's supposed to be the ring. but, yeah, if you're at home watching a DVD or whatever, put the subtitles or closed captioning on... then you wont miss a thing!

[Valandil]

Originally posted by Goldberry1
i'm pretty sure in fellowship they try to "give the ring a voice".... so to speak. like in bag end and it's on the table and frodo and gandalf sort of look at it and you can kind of hear these sounds. (closed captioning is all-knowing by the way.... at that point it comes on the screen and says something along the lines of "ring talking in black speech"). also at the end of fellowship just before frodo is about to leave and he's talking to aragorn, and you hear something say "elessar"... i guess it's supposed to be the ring. but, yeah, if you're at home watching a DVD or whatever, put the subtitles or closed captioning on... then you wont miss a thing!

YES! The Ring DOES do that a lot in the first movie, doesn't it... at Bag End, Rivendell, etc. And I can't make out a word it's saying!

Thanks for the tip about the subtitles... I'll try that next time. Sorry if I seem like a dweeb to have not known that, but I really don't have too many dvd's... the two LotR's and some kid's videos is all, none of which I have watched a whole lot - and have never really explored all the options.

[Artanis]

Originally posted by Nerdanel
At least I think he "says" Elessar and then Aragorn. I think Sauron is trying to "seduce" Aragorn somehow, since he is the heir of Isildur. But that can be totally wrong.

He says Aragorn first, then Elessar (among lots of other babbling which I can't figure out). I don't think he's trying to seduce him, I think he speaks his name in challenge and hate.

[Beor]

I think he is trying to get in his pants, thinking that shining up to him by calling him Elessar will really get him going.

[Rían]

Yes, try the subtitles - at least in the first movie, it usually says what the "ring" is saying. I'll disagree with Arty, tho - I think he's trying to seduce him.

[Grey_Wolf]

Originally posted by Twista
Yup. In FOTR, when Gandalf is just about to fall down past the bridge of Kazad-Dum. He either says 'Fly you fools! - like in the books or 'Run you fools!'. i cant make it out

FLY, YOU FOOLS (Gandalf shouting this to the rest of the fellowship)

Is my impression from reading it.

NOT the mediocre fly you fools as it was portrayed in the movie.

[Nurvingiel]

I pictured him yelling it too, because who's going to hear him whispering?

Gandalf (hanging percariously from bridge): Fly, you fools (whispering)
Frodo: What was that Gandalf? (leans closer)
Gandalf: (whispering) Fly, you fools.
Frodo: (leans forward more to hear, but leans too far and falls in!) Aaaaaaa!
The Balrog opportunisticly snags the Ring, and Middle-earth is ruled by the Dark Lord Balrog, who strives to bring his master back from the void, plunging all Arda into darkness and evil for eternity.

Or not...

[luinilwen]

It took until the third viewing of ROTK for me to realise that Sam said "and this is for my old Gaffer" as I was hearing "and this is murfer murfermer".

Also by the third viewing I realised that the Mordor army was chanting "Grond" in the Pellenor Fields, which makes sense. Saruman's army is also supposed to be doing some black speech chant, but I don't know what they're saying nor what it means.

ALSO, the first time I saw FOTR, just before the Nine Riders leave Minas Morgul, I didn't realise it was Gollum crying "Shire! Baggins!" (obviously while being tortured), I just thought it was some garbled hissing. But then again, my eardrum had perforated the evening before I saw it (Christmas day for the Australians) so the Nazgul screaming was pretty excrutiating...

[Mrs Maggot]

Originally posted by luinilwen
my eardrum had perforated the evening before I saw it (Christmas day for the Australians) so the Nazgul screaming was pretty excrutiating...

How did that happen? But then again the screaming was pretty excruciating anyway…my little brother was nearly crying in that scene where Minas Morgul opens up!

[Kalimac]

And, of course, there is the now elusive and infamous "I love you" whisper during the Grey Havens scene!

[azalea]

What? Hadn't heard that one.

[Nurvingiel]

Don't worry, I think it's just the imaginings of a certain subset of movie fans.

[luinilwen]

Originally posted by Mrs Maggot
How did that happen? But then again the screaming was pretty excruciating anyway…my little brother was nearly crying in that scene where Minas Morgul opens up!

Do you remember the Blue Mountains bushfires on Christmas 2002 that made it look like doomsday in Sydney? The smoke made me sick (flu-like symptoms) so I had a build up of fluid in my middle ear which eventually made a small perforation in my eardrum. I've had it a few times in each ear, usually only when I have the flu. The pressure utterly excruciating until it pops! And then your hearing is really funny and pretty sensitive for a few days, then you need antibiotics to prevent a secondary middle ear infection (which, thankfully, I've never had).

Too much information? Way too off topic? Sorry...