sick in bed. plenty of time to think.

[everysecretcode]

If I were ever going to audition for anything, ever, I think I'd use Father Barry's "crucifixion" speech from On the Waterfront. It might not work for a girl, actually, but since I'll never audition for anything, it's all good. I think it's the greatest speech, though. Oh, old movies.

I'm thrilled that The King's Speech won as much as it did

Comments

[kaequest]

I totally don't remember anything from On the Waterfront cause it's been years. I'll go re-watch that scene on youtube if I can find it :)

I totally didn't check the Oscars results yet; so glad The King's Speech won a lot! Best acting Colin Firth has ever done. Ever.

Feel better soon hunny bunny!

[everysecretcode]

Feel better soon hunny bunny!

Thank you!! I just woke up from a two-hour nap, actually able to inhale through my nostrils. I hope this keeps up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDH3wvlC9pY
The whole movie is less than two hours, and Marlon Brando and Karl Malden are amaaazing.

[kaequest]

I watched it in high school for class, I just have a bad memory and probably didn't appreciate it enough back then. It's on Netflix instant play so I can watch it immediately!

[olivia_cochrane]

Apologies for the length of this. Skip it if you've heard me talk about Lord of the Rings enough for one lifetime :)

they're all pretty much the same vague outline of a heroI think this is a little true on the surface of it; Tolkien's greatest strength is not scene-by-scene character development. For most of the characters, it really happens from one end of the story to the other, with very small variations in between. But there are little side-themes, like the way that Legolas and Gimli learn to overcome centuries of racial hate and become best buddies. Actually, one of my favorite parts of that is the competition they have during the battle of Helm's Deep to see who kills the most Orcs; they make kind of a child's game out of it. That is a great example of "show, don't tell." They are learning that being different isn't as big a deal as sharing the same goals and values. Given that racial intolerance and the question of what defines a person in the context of their race are huge themes in Tolkien's stories (not just the

[everysecretcode]

I think Gollum is kind of the most interesting character of the bunch. I remembered the ending of RotK (the film) when book-Gandalf said, with a nudge and a wink, that "Gollum might have some role in the fate of the ring, get it? Get it?" Yes, JRR, I get it.

This is my thing with the characters: it's their situations that differentiate them, and not their personality traits, but characters are really supposed to have thought processes and not just stick-to-itiveness. Basically, I agree with "adam's" review of Fellowship on Goodreads (third review down). I'll finish the series, but not with as much delight as I had when I was at the beginning - alas!

[everysecretcode]

I agree with "adam's" review of Fellowship on Goodreads (third review down)

I should probably add that my opinion is much less virulent. I care less and admire more than he does. It has all the makings of a great story - if only Tolkien had paid as much attention to personality as he did to topography!!

[satakieli]

I say to you again what I said a month or two ago: Tolkien is all about myth, not story. Myth isn't so much much about characters; at best, the figures are archetypes, at worst they're props. Character isn't the point, much less character development. You (and I, sometimes) may read this as a flaw, but I'm pretty sure it's not an oversight.

And here I'm using 'myth' in approximately the Joseph Campbell sense, so help me (what is this world coming to?) instead of the non-modern-lens classical sense.

[satakieli]

Ugh. I hope you feel better soon.

Re PT: I now feel stupid. I've been thinking I should foist Among Others on you (bildungsroman of a book addict, and thus possibly right up your alley, also awesome in its own right, also I keep wanting to expose you at least tangentially to SFF that doesn't suck)... and the main character's leg thing didn't even occur to me. Which either makes it totally appropriate for me to foist the book on you, or possibly totally inappropriate.

[everysecretcode]

Hee! I have no problems reading about characters with leg things or arm things or who are perfectly able-bodied. I was just proud of The King's Speech for portraying the frustration so well.

[bitchcat]

Re the On the Waterfront speech: Yes. Omg, yes. I'm sure plenty of people have used it. I would think, anyway.

Hope you feel better! ♥