Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Thoughts on Frodo
WHY does Frodo get such a bad rap? Even in fanatic LOTR circles, poor Frodo Baggins, the main character, is at best ignored, at worst mocked and derided. Admittedly, the movie portrayal is, well, stilted and stylized, but so it is for every other character! Is it because he delivers his lines so seriously? Are modern audiences just intolerant of sobriety and epic/tragic sentiment? Is it that as pampered, spoiled modern-age children, we cannot imagine a true hardship, and so think he's whining and being a wuss? Will someone explain?
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As far as Frodo is portrayed in the books, I think he's great. He's a very relate-able hero: shy, not apparently brave, very stay-at-home-ish. But I do not like the way he's portrayed in the movies. He's too flat, nearly always has the same expression, and, to me, does not come across as the shy, self-sacrificing hero which he was in the books.
ReplyDeleteI could go on for a while if I didn't have to work right now. Maybe some other time... :)
There is a distinct possibility you are on the right track ;) I might come back to this if I develop new thoughts on the subject.
ReplyDeleteI realized I didn't really finish answering your question. I think the reason people tend not to like Frodo is because they are more familiar with the movies than with the books. Coming from that angle, I can definitely understand. However, they ought to just read the books.
ReplyDeleteWell, I agree with you, Mpfeiffer, that that is the perspective of most people. However, I am currently reading the books, and I still find Frodo to be a bit bland. Sam Gamgee is shy, doesn't talk much, we don't often get his point of view, and he isn't even our hero. And yet...I like him more. Why? He is much more three-dimentional. His character 'moves' me (Sorry, I know that's a bit 'touchy-feely' and everything). I see much more in Sam than I do in Frodo. Frodo wants to "Get in, get it done, and get it over with. Get it?" "Got it." "Good." [Sorry. You have to say it fast for it to work :)]. He has a mission, and he's going to complete it. Sam has a mission too, but it's more indirect.
ReplyDeleteWhile I read the books, I still find that I'd like to meet about thirty percent of the characters before Frodo. At least that's better than after I watched the movie; it was one-hundred percent then. Sorry, I guess I'm still not exactly sure why I don't like Frodo as much as some of the other characters.