Me too! Peter Jackson has turned us into the old men that fall in love with a painting at the museum. They sit there and watch other people experience that painting for the first time allowing them to relive their own moment.
@@stefsolari :) :) :) We're all glad to hear it! This movie came out 22 years ago, and won 4 Oscars. The second movie of the LOTR trilogy won "only" 2 Oscars, whilst the third, and final movie won 11 Oscars, more than any other movie in existence.
I find very hard to believe that all these people in RU-vid have apparently never seen LOTR, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, The Matrix and what have you before opening a RU-vid channel, but I feel ya.
6:45 Gandalf had known for years that Bilbo had a magic ring, but he did not suspect it might be the "One Ring" until he saw how hard it was for Bilbo to give it up. The sudden suspicion compelled him to ride down to Gondor (The Kingdom Isildur, who cut the ring of Sauron's hand, became King of) to look through their old records at their capital (Minas Tirith) to see if he could find a way to be sure.
Bilbo got the ring when he was 50 and Gandalf discovered he had a magic ring shortly after. Being that Bilbo was having his 111th birthday, that makes it 60 years that Gandalf knew Bilbo had the ring (pretty much the whole time he had it). He just had no idea it was the One Ring yet.
@@reasonforge9997 I meant when he suspects it and leaves for Gondor and comes back to Frodo to tell him. The movie seems to drastically decrease how long that took from the book.
@@reasonforge9997 Indeed. On top of that, it was nearly 17 years from the party until he threw the ring into the fire in Bag End to see if had the markings to determine for sure if it was the One Ring or not. During most of that time, he and Aragorn were searching for Gollum. Having given up that search to Aragorn, he went to Minas Tirith to do more research. That's when Aragorn finally found Gollum. Aragorn took him to the Legolas' father for safekeeping. Gandalf went there and "interrogated" Gollum before going to the Shire. That's how he knew about Gollum being captured and tortured by Sauron. The reason Legolas was at Rivendell for the council was to inform them that Gollum had escaped.
@@goosewithagibus Oh yeah, the timing in the movie and the book are very different. They left out lots of details in the movie to simplify the story to fit in a movie (I don't want to mention details as it might be spoilers for those who have not read the books yet).
OMG, a young newcomer to the amazing Tolkien world, what a treat! There's a lot going on for someone new, so here's a few things: 1)The Ring does have a will of its own and affect things and people around it. It speaks to people close to it and corrupts them with visions of power and fame. Like Gandalf said, you may begin using it from a desire to do good, but it clouds your judgement and turns you obsessed and evil, serving its own purposes. The scene where Bilbo let it go was deliberately slow, showing Bilbo's immense struggle to let it go, then it falling very heavily on the ground, unlike a normal ring. Also, when Frodo fell inside the Inn, the ring followed an unnatural path in the air to fall onto his open finger, showing this was no accident. 2)The Nazgul, the Ringwraiths are the Nine, Saruman spoke of, also the nine leaders of men who accepted nine rings of power from Sauron in the movie intro. They were corrupted and turned into this. 3)The Elvish language they speak in the movie is one of the actual languages professor Tolkien invented (he was a prof. of linguistics) and he created a fantastic world around them, with people speaking them (the dark speech of Mordor etc). He kept imagining and writing down this world throughout his life. This series and especially the books defined my childhood as it has also defined the fantasy genre of books, games and movies all over the world. As you noticed, the characters of Gandalf, the Nazguls, the trolls, even the Ring etc all have direct crossover to later works like Harry Potter. I'm so glad to see you connecting with the movie, riding its emotional train along with the characters and everyone else before you. Even though the books are always better, i feel these movies are extremely well done and it is reflected by how popular and successful they have been, winning the most oscars in the history of awards. I can't wait for the next parts! Subscribed!
The more time passes, the more I'm convinced these are the best movies ever. Infinitely rewatchable (given enough time between sessions). There are movies with better things about them (incredible performances, outstanding scripts, etc.) but I don't know of another movie that combines all the best aspects of filmmaking together at such a high level for the complete package this trilogy provides.
Sorry I'm wrong in my comment. It is the extended version after all. I realized my mistake when I re-watched it and saw when Gimli says never see the ring in the hands of an elf. In the theatrical version snot comes out of his nose when he says that hahaha
Something to keep in mind is that Gandalf is NOT a man or elf. He’s one of the Istari (Wizard) who are Maiar (spirits). So basically an angel within a mortal body.
And the istari are not allowed to use their full power to defeat Sauron. They are sent to help and guide the people of Middle Earth against him. If they try to match power-for-power, they would just wind up becoming alternate dark lords themselves.
@@PhilBagels mmm yes and no. They were given “mortal forms” to contain and lessen their powers because the Valar believed it would intimidate and confuse the children of Illuvatar and their entire purpose was to guide them and counsel them against the forces of Sauron. The Valar had already tried matching force with force in the War of Wrath and won against both Morgoth AND Sauron, but that created its own issues which is why they chose a different approach.
@@newton617 Another big factor is the relationship between the Valar and Free Will, and how much they felt that they could do for the Children before it became counter-productive.
Good explanations! Many view Gandalf likes dungeons and dragons wizard. But his Maia powers are not magic as we would think of it. There is more to it but that’s enough for this story.
Great video! Thanks! You speculated on whether Frodo has some "power" to keep him safe from the ring. My answer is, yes, partially - the ring has less sway over Frodo than over most. But here's the thing: Frodo's secret power is that he's a good, ordinary guy. He doesn't want power, he doesn't want to rule the world, he wants to have good food and drink and hang out with his buds. Thanks again, looking forward to the next installment.
I think that’s what also pulls me in as well. The fact that Frodo is portrayed as ordinary. It makes it all that much more special when you watch everyone’s pull with the ring!!
There’s also the fact that Hobbits in general are pretty small and weak in comparison to other races and so don’t tend to wield a lot of power over others. But yeah, Gollum was originally very similar to a hobbit and he turned to evil connivingness very quickly. Frodo’s natural contentedness and wish to lead a quiet life help him hold out longer than most anyone else. I think perhaps Sam might actually be better in that sense, but being even more innocent the taint of the ring’s influence would perhaps be ultimately more damaging to his psyche.
You are right even though it's not much about Frodo's desire (which still matters), it's also worth noting that the more powerful you are,the more influential the ring is on you. Frodo,a Hobbit,at the beginning of his journey has little to none strength,so the ring can at best sharpen his senses and take him to the shadow world. Also the fact that he got the ring in a "peaceful" way surely helped him in his struggle to resist it
One of the power of the One Ring is that it prays on your emotions. It will amplify them. Smeagol took the ring by murdering his friend. The ring prayed on his guilt and on his act and used it against smeagol. Smeagol was affaraid and everyone rejected him after what he has done, so he went into hiding. Gollum thought that even the Sun was spying on him. That's why he hid deep in the misty mountains.
Written in stages between 1937 and 1949, The Lord of the Rings is one of the best-selling books ever written, with over 150 million copies sold. The first book in the Harry Potter series was written in 1997.
Regarding the importance of the ring. One of the things the film doesn't mention is that there were many more rings made than the ones they talked about. The rings mentioned here were the created at the pinnacle of their craft, but prior to this, many thousands of rings were made while the elves learned how to create them. Initially, Gandalf thought Bilbo's ring was a simpler more common magic ring. He had believed that "the One" had been ultimately washed out to sea after thousands of years.
And the reason Gandalf believes the One Ring is irretrievably lost is because his fellow wizard, Saruman, told him as such. Saruman is the foremost expert on the workings of Sauron. When he says that the Ring was washed down into the sea after being lost by Isildur, everyone believed him. But Saruman was lying. He's long desired the ring for himself.
I would think "thousands of rings" is out of the question, but there were indeed "many" lesser rings certainly, perhaps dozens, unlikely there would be hundreds. However many were crafted, many would have been taken by Sauron during the war with Eregion. And those rings may have been distributed to his followers - so many would have gone east or south to lands outside the usual map of Middle Eaeth. And of the remainder, many (most?) would have been taken out of Middle Earth by Elves who went west, others might have been destroyed, ended up in dragon hordes etc. so I expect that by the late third age it's not like you'd be tripping over magic rings or even finding them in treasure hordes regularly. I believe the description of the lesser rings given by Gandalf is "The lesser rings were forged by the elves as essays in the craft of ring-making." Sauron is in Eregion for 2-3 hundred years but it would take him time to earn the elves' trust. And once he did, I doubt he would have the patience or interest to help the Elves craft thousands. I would expect that he would have them make only as many as was needed to get them enough skill and experience to craft the 16 rings of power.
@@RobinSteeden It even could have been one of the Dwarven Rings of Power. Of the ones that werent destroyed, it was assumed that Sauron had captured the remaining ones but no one knows for sure.
@@RobinSteeden It really depends on how many elves produced how many rings for how long, doesn't it? Even with the number of years you listed, 3 elves producing 1 ring a year for 3 hundred could approach that number, could they not? That said, I don't really know the numbers, so, yes, it was speculation on my part but... which creates more uncertainty? The less rings made, the greater likelihood that Bilbo's was "the One". Two cents.
I like how Stef doesn't laugh at "I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve", but she DOES laugh at Gollum giving info on the Baggins' and the riders heading out to find him at full speed 🤣😂
I’m sure someone has said this but Frodo has no desire except to enjoy an adventure, not for power or any form of desire. He represents common folk, like normal people who go through life, day to day. Tolkien loves to emphasize that normal people can change the course of the world in a positive way by good actions, either lesser or greater, with either intentional or unintentional. What makes Frodo special is he takes this journey and responsibility regardless on what he feels about it, even when felt his need for adventure was satiated after his close encounter with death.
It's always delightful to watch people experience LotR for the first time, but your reaction is very entertaining and I really like how inquisitive you are about the story. This is not a simple plot by any means, and the names and places get really confusing at times 🙂 Hopefully you'll have your favorites by the end you'll never forget
Thank you!! Yes I try to indulge myself in the story, just gotta keep up a bit with all the names to fully understand everything so I will be rewatching this one before my second one 🥹 Part 2 is going up today!!
@@stefsolari One way to help yourself follow the story line is to write stuff down, like names of characters and areas. You could also have a map of middle earth close by. Great reaction, loving it.
Watching Stef fighting back tears and trying to keep it together made me recall how I felt watching this in the theater.. watching as Frodo's companions fell away, one after another, as the Fellowship broke. I had forgotten how utterly alone Frodo must have felt, carrying a terrible burden, and then Sam insisted on accompanying him, faithful to whatever bitter end awaited them. Stef's tears made me remember.. I haven't gotten that from other reactors. I salute your sensitivity, keep up the good work Stef!
Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the reason the wraiths abandon the chase at the Brandywine is because the water is simply too deep to continue, and the reason they hesitate later is not because they’re afraid of water but because they know it’s the border of Rivendell and there is something dangerous about that for them.
From memory, it is said that Khamul, the only named Nazgul ( After the Witch King ), had a fear of water ( Unfinished Tales ). They rightfully should respect the realm of Ulmo though, as he is known to take a very protective stance against evil in the stories of Tolkien. This is not a correction. It is supplemental information.
They also know they are tracking four bumbling hobbits. There is perhaps on overconfidence to wait for them to be out in the wild. Also why they withdraw at weathertop.
So many RU-vidrs come to the conclusion that the wraiths are afraid of water! That never entered my head when I watched these, 20 years ago! My natural thought was…the horse will break its legs by trying to land on that raft, or be slowed down by the water, depending on how deep it was…I mean, they’re using a damn raft!!! Lol
About the heir - Isildur was ancient king 3000 years ago, who cut the Ring of Sauron's hand and later kept it and refused to destroy it. His sword Narsil was broken under Sauron stepping on it (the scene in the prolog). He founded two kingdoms in Middle-Earth - Arnor in the North (which is destroyed at the time of LOTR, only ruins left, like the watch tower where Frodo was stabbed) and Gondor at the South (where Boromir came from). Elves like Elrond who survived (they do not age) kept the pieces of Narsil safe for a long time until Isildur's heir at right time show up - that being Aragorn. There is much more too it, but those are just the basics without spoilers to future movies.
So excited to watch you take this journey, this is by far one of the best stories ever told! I watch the extended version of this trilogy at least once a year lmao
The Ring amplifies the powers and abilities that you already possess, especially the desire exert control over others (even if that desire was originally to use your power and abilities to create good). Given time, it will turn your good ambitions towards domination and darkness. This is why Gandalf with his great power, as he explains, dare not take the ring! 'Hobbits' however, tend to be especially resistant to the corrupting influence of the ring because they generally have very little desire for much outside of an easy life of food, drink, good company and love of the simple things.They have very little desire to influence the Big events of the world for the Ring to work on. It will of course eventually corrupt them but it will take MUCH longer than, say, a man ("who above all else desires power over others")
And more than that, the less you want the ring, the less power it has over you. Later on, when Sam offers to carry the ring for Frodo, it would have corrupted him. Simply because he wanted to hold it for Frodo. He wouldn't be able to give it back.
I like how dedicated she is to understanding the story in detail, it’s a rare thing and I appreciate it as I adore these movies and the books, the lore is all so very cool. But it can be a bit overwhelming for someone new to it watching it for the first time, but once you’ve grasped everything it’s just a fantastic story and world.
Interesting reaction. Tolkien is considered the father of modern fantasy. The Sword is still sharp, because it is not an ordinary sword. It was forged in the first age by a Dwarf ( Telchar of Nogrod ), so we are talking about cutting edge technology here.
"The Ring wants to be found", that's why the Ringwraiths can sense where it is. I read the books several times before the movies were made (yes, I am that old), the books are wonderful and these adaptations to film are the best of any books I've read. Seeing a younger generation enjoy this story is very pleasing.
It is and PJ didn't follow the books like a slave, but the transformed the book into a from that could work in movie form. Sure he made some mistakes and added some idiotic scenes. But he also cared and didn't force the story to be something different. Like ROP.
Gandalf didn't know at first that this was the One Ring. He actually scolds Bilbo for his invisibility party trick, by telling him that "there are many magic rings in this world and none of them should be trifled with'.'
2:25 it's interesting that Andy Serkus saying "My Precious" is so iconic that it's always the one thing all the reactors know about before they see the movie.
From the start you seem to find the deeper meaning in things, and I’m excited to watch you experience these films with you keen ability to see the fine print. If I could experience one thing for the first time again, it’d be these films. Thanks you for tackling the Extended Editions. There’s so much more information that helps someone first venturing to Middle Earth more fully grasp things in detail. May the Blessings of Elves, Men, and Free Folk go with you, cheers :)
Gandolf suspected Bilbo had one of the rings, but he did not know which ring. Once Bilbo put it on and disappeared, Gandolf knew for sure that Bilbo did have one of the rings of power, and he suspected that it was the one ring.
Gandalf doesn't look like Dumbledore, Dumbledore looks like Gandalf. Just sayin' And the Ringwraiths/nazgul doesn't look like dementors, dementors looks like them... hehee ;)
As a lifelong fan of the books (which I was introduced to at age 6) and of the movies as long as they've been around (I was a freshman in college when the this movie was first released), I always enjoy seeing other people discover the story for the first time! It is quite a complicated plot, especially if one is only going off the movies, which are wonderfully made but still have to shorten the story immensely to get it down to movie length. I will try to explain some key parts of the story as simply as possible up to the point in the movie that this review covered, but it is likely to still be a "great wall of text". - Isildur was the ruler of two kingdoms of men after he defeated Sauron. Gondor in the south, which he gave to his brother's son to rule, and Arnor in the north. Isildur was traveling north to Arnor when the Ring betrayed him to his death, as seen in the movie. Isildur had a son already in the north, who was the ancestor of Aragorn, many centuries later. That is why Aragorn is called "Isildur's heir". The servants of Sauron gradually destroyed the Kingdom of Arnor over hundreds of years. The "Rangers" are the last descendants of the people who lived there. In Gondor, the line of kings died out, but the kingdom itself survived, ruled by the Stewards. Boromir is the oldest son of the current ruling Steward of Gondor, and doesn't like the idea of Gondor having a king again because it would displace his father as ruler. - The Ring was lost in the river, where it had fallen when Isildur died, for about 2,500 years. It was found by two hobbit-like fishermen, one of whom got possession of it and was corrupted, gradually turning into the creature known as Gollum. - Gollum had the ring for 500 years, before it abandoned him and was found by Bilbo. Bilbo had the ring for 60 years, during which time the Ring kept him from aging physically. - The movie doesn't really show it, but there was a long time (17 years to be exact) between Bilbo's birthday party and Frodo setting out for Rivendell. During that time, Frodo chronologically aged from 33 to 50, but stayed the same physical age because of the Ring. - The Ring gives power to the one who holds it based on how much innate power they have. Thus, it is much safer for a not-very-powerful being like Frodo to possess it than for a very powerful being like Gandalf to do so. It also has an easier time corrupting powerful beings. - The Ringwraiths (or "black riders") aren't afraid of water in general, but were balked by the Brandywine River (where the hobbits crossed on the ferry raft) because it was too deep for their horses, and were hesitant to cross the much shallower Ford of Bruinen (where Arwen confronted them) because they were worried (rightly, as it turned out) that she might have power over the river. - The Ring draws any servant of Sauron to some degree, but draws them much more strongly when someone puts it on, which is why the Riders reacted the way they did when the Ring landed on Frodo's finger. - When Frodo put the Ring on during the fight against the Riders on Weathertop, it put him on the same plane of existence as the Riders, which is why he could see them in their true forms. They could also see him (which they normally couldn't, hence the reason that they usually sniffed the air for his scent). - Aragorn and Arwen have been in love since they first met, over 60 years before the scene takes place. Aragorn was brought to Rivendell for safekeeping as a child, along with his mother, after his father was killed in a battle against some orcs. Arwen was away on a long visit to her grandmother, who lived far away, until Aragorn was 20. The first time he saw her, he mistook her for a mythical Elvish princess and called her by that princess's name, "Tinuviel". - The narrator of the opening scenes of the movie is Arwen's grandmother, Galadriel. She briefly appears as the golden-haired lady Elf who receives one of the three rings that were given to the Elves.
Discovering this amazing franchise is also how we get to discover amazing new people and in this case Reaction channels...So many people have reacted to this as an early rite of passage and it never get's old and those three movies are absolutely flawless from beginning to end and get better all the time- glad to embark on the journey with you!
So far you are among the few ones on RU-vid watching these movies unasserting, unpresumptively, paying attention to details and asking questions instead of jumping to conclusions about the plot or the characters. Respect and kudos to you for that 😎 Enjoy the following 🤗
This whole journey with you across the whole trilogy was best thing for a long time! The want to understand these movies and Tolkien is so refreshing to see! Thanks Stef ❤ I now have new hope for the youngings
20:47 It's only really talked about considering the blade is well over 1000 years old and still retained it's edge even after all that time had passed. Not many weapons can boast being so resilient
"They are like Dementors" Oh gee, what a coincidence xD The Lord of The Rings books, written between 1937 and '49 and published in '53 are one of the great works that kind of sparked the fantasy genre as we have it in film, print and (video-)games today. JKR was by no means the only one who took inspiration from Tolkien. You can trace back at least some sliver of inspiration in basically all modern fantasy stories to this his stuff.
These films are so wonderfully adapted & written that in the first 45 minutes, or whatever, every single reactor asks 50 billion questions a minute, but always gets an enlightening answer within 1 to 5, maybe 10 minutes at the most....its part of what piques pppl’s interest & draws them in, & hooks them, & engages them.....anyway, by somewhere during the first quarter of two towers ppl stop asking questions, & are knowledgeable enuf & trust the writing by that point, & then they are just along for the insane ride of it all.
It was said in the intro that the existence of The Ring had faded from history to legend to myth. It had been so long that most didn't even know of it's existence.
hi from brazil, there is something special about this trilogy, something magical, it's like it has its own soul, something heavenly, it makes me want to move forward, everything that frodo went through, without retreating and with faith is admiring.
Firstly: All 16 rings were meant to go to the elves (300-500years world of infiltration & deception down the drain) but Mairon of the Maiar(primordial angelic beings in laments terms as they are sort of beyond angels) disguised as a high elf named Annatar when he came to the elves pretending to be an emissary from Valinor on behalf of the Valar so it makes sense how alluring the ring is and how strong it’s pull on people is. (A bit too instant in the movies though) Galadriel soon saw right through him and especially when after speaking with him regarding not remembering him when in Valinor long ago where she learned from all the Valar thanks to being dominantly Vanyar/Teleri side over her Ñoldorin side where she gleaned from that encounter that she did not study under Aulë the Vala with any elf named Annatar ! But later named Sauron by the elves meaning deceiver! After all of this, The three elven rings were made in secret without Saurons touch upon them thanks to Celebrimbor! Remember Gandalf before he became Gandalf was the same species of entity Sauron used to be!! Wow hey? The Rings, in this case, would have lost their powers eventually due to the lack of the One Ring and possibly because they were designed to defeat evil, and evil, in the form of Sauron, had been defeated. The Three Elven Rings served their purpose for a long time. Two out of three of them had several different bearers Unlike the other Rings, the main purpose of the Three is to "heal and preserve", as when Galadriel used Nenya to preserve her realm of Lothlórien over long periods. The Elves made the Three Rings to try to halt the passage of time, or as Tolkien had Elrond say, "to preserve all things unstained". I can expand upon this based on any further statements and questions you have for me as a reply to this comment ! ❤ There is problem here with the Rings, the Three were supposed to be never touched by Sauron and that's why they were not corrupting…Sauron had not taken part in their making which made the Three more 'pure' unsullied by his dark power, unlike the Nine and Seven Rings! But Sauron in the show touched the very material they were made of!!! So technically he could have tainted them and corrupted! Even appendices of Lot tell us the order of making the rings, so they didn't even need the righs to more detailed writings in UT or Silmarillion: 1200 Sauron endeavours to seduce the Eldar. Gil-galad refuses to treat with him; but the smiths of Eregion are won over. The Númenoreans begin to make permanent havens. c. 1500 The Elven-smiths instructed by Sauron reach the height of their skill. They begin the forging of the Rings of Power. c. 1590 The Three Rings are completed in Eregion. c. 1600 Sauron forges the One Ring in Orodruin. He completes the Barad-dûr. Celebrimbor perceives the designs of Sauron. 1693 War of the Elves & Sauron begins. The Three Rings are hidden." 'Did you not hear me, Gloin?' said Elrond. 'The Three were not made by Sauron, nor did he ever touch them. But of them it is not permitted to speak. So much only in this hour of doubt I may now say. They are not idle. But they were not made as weapons of war or conquest: that is not their power. Those who made them did not desire strength or domination or hoarded wealth, but understanding, making, and healing, to preserve all things unstained. These things the Elves of Middle-earth have in some measure gained, though with sorrow. But all that has been wrought by those who wield the Three will turn to their undoing, and their minds and hearts will become revealed to Sauron, if he regains the One." The One Ring’s power over people explained here:As for the rings given to these groups:They were all meant to go to the elves but Mairon of the Maiar disguised as a high elf named Annatar when he came to the elves pretending to be an emissary from Valinor on behalf of the Valar so it makes sense how alluring the ring is and how strong it’s pull on people is. (A bit too instant in the movies though) Galadriel soon saw right through him and especially when after speaking with him regarding not remembering him when in Valinor long ago where she learned from all the Valar thanks to being dominantly Vanyar/Teleri side over her Ñoldorin side where she gleaned from that encounter that she did not study under Aulë the Vala with any elf named Annatar ! But later named Sauron by the elves meaning deceiver! After all of this, The three elven rings were made in secret without Saurons touch upon them thanks to Celebrimbor! Remember Gandalf before he became Gandalf was the same species of entity Sauron used to be!! Wow hey? The Rings, in this case, would have lost their powers eventually due to the lack of the One Ring and possibly because they were designed to defeat evil, and evil, in the form of Sauron, had been defeated. The Three Elven Rings served their purpose for a long time. Two out of three of them had several different bearers Unlike the other Rings, the main purpose of the Three is to "heal and preserve", as when Galadriel used Nenya to preserve her realm of Lothlórien over long periods. The Elves made the Three Rings to try to halt the passage of time, or as Tolkien had Elrond say, "to preserve all things unstained". I can expand upon this based on any further statements and questions you have for me as a reply to this comment ! ❤ Aside from the three Elven Rings Made In Secret Without Saurons presence or touch upon them through Celebrimbor!
Elendil was the leader of the men who came out of the Western ocean, and founded two realms (originally meant to be one, but Sauron's forces separated them). Arnor was the area in the northwest, and Gondor the south region. Each was controlled by one of Elendil's sons, Isildur and Anarion. Sadly, both Elendil and Anarion were slain in the battle of the Last Alliance, as we saw in the opening moments of the film.
10:54 The sword is 3 thousand years old. A regular sword realistically would have rusted to dust. Remember when Isildur cut Sauron's finger to the current time its been 3 thousands years since those events.
You are correct in how the ring is an active agent! It has a will and acts of its own accord.... Indeed the ring should be seen as the chief villain in the series!
The nine Ringwraiths are the nine Kings of Men you see in the prologue. Accepting Rings of Power from Sauron is never a good idea... They don't like water, but in the Ford of Bruinen scene they are also attracted by the power of the One Ring.
Im so privileged that i got to watch these films in the cinema. I love the books! And love these films. Even now they are incredible. But back then they just took your breath away. Absolute masterpieces
The broken sword, Narsil, was forged in the First Age by an incredible Dwarf mastersmith named Telchar. So it is at the very least 6000 years old, which is insane...
Boromir is surprised the blade is still sharp as the sword is over 2000 years old at that point in time. It has not dulled, rusted, or otherwise been blemished
At the start, Gandalf left after the party right away because he was beginning to suspect that Bilbo's magic ring was the One Ring. Until now he had thought it to be just a novelty Bilbo had picked up along their previous adventure (from The Hobbit). Then once he was almost certain it was the One Ring, he rushed back to Frodo almost in a panic hoping he was wrong.
The significance of the sword staying sharp is symbolic - everyone is saying that humans are weak, and Boromir says how Gondor doesn't need a king. But the sword of Aragorn's ancestors remaining sharp symbolizes that the strength of humanity is represented in Aragorn himself, that he will restore a new age of glory for mankind.
The guy who cut his hand is Boromir. Since there has been no king for thousands of years (remember the guy who got an arrow in the back in the beginning, he was the last king), Boromir's father is now the Steward, which is someone taking care of the kingdom in the place of the king. Aragorn is the true heir to the throne, but Boromir feels that his family doesn't need to be replaced by a mere "ranger".
No, Isildur was definitely not the last king. His youngest son Valandil became king. There were many more kings of Arnor before the kingdom went to crap and the line became the Dunedain Rangers. And Gondor is of the line of Anárion, Isildur’s brother. They were brother kings. Though After the death of Elendil, Isildur was the high king of both realms. You’re right about Boromir’s thoughts tho 👍🏻
@@sourstuff Don't be sorry, I honestly appreciate the correction! I haven't read the books in many years and forgot many of the details, I'm glad I understand it better myself!
A good deal of complex history. There was a south kingdom (Gondor) and a north kingdom (Arnor, the senior of the two kingdoms). Over time, the north kingdom split into three realms and all were eventually destroyed by the Witch King (Nazgul). The king in the north no longer had a kingdom but wandered in the wild as Chief of the Rangers. Meanwhile the south kingdom carried on, but the line of kings there ended (a childless king was killed by the Witch King). So the north had a king with no kingdom and the south had a kingdom with no king. The obvious solution was not taken because of human pride. All of this took place over thousands of years.
9:00 the crows were spies from Saruman, watching for any hobbits leaving the Shire because it’s highly sus for a hobbit to wander outside their boarders and its how the wraiths were right on them like they already knew they were there.
The song heard when the elves were spotted in the forest by Frodo&Sam near the beginning of the movie: here is the song the Elves were singing & chanting a very beautiful Hymn along their journey:(English translation too) * Á Elbereth Gilthoniel “o Elbereth who lit the stars” * silivren penna míriel “from glittering crystal slanting falls with light like jewels” * Ò menel aglar elenath “from heaven on high the glory of the starry host” * na-chaered palan-díriel “to lands remote I have looked afar” ò galadhremmin ennorath “from tree-tangled middle-lands” * Fanuilos, le linnathon “and now to thee, Fanuilos, bright spirit clothed in ever-white, I will ... sing” * nef aear, sí nef aearon “here ... beyond the Sea, beyond the wide and sundering Sea” * Ã Elbereth Gilthoniel² “o Elbereth who lit the stars” * Ò menel palan-diriel “from heaven gazing far” * le nallon sí di’nguruthos “here overwhelmed in dread of Death I cry” * Á tiro nin, Fanuilos “o guard me, Elbereth” (Elbereth is one of the main Valar who are of the main group of entities known as the Ainur who sang the world into being and helped shaped it further from within after some entered into the young world. She is most loved & honoured by the elves for many reasons) It’s very important as regarding the elves history that spanned over 40,000+ years. Because even one of the three high kings within Valinor was 30,000 years old well before the third age. Galadriel is his granddaughter just do you know. Yeah. She’s very important throughout the entire histories. They are passing away with what’s left of their kin to the undying lands. Many thousands had their home in middle earth just like the high kings ancestors that woke to the stars. Their birth is shrouded in mist as is their entire existence itself. That in itself is a whole story. You’d love to react to the immersive and entertaining lore videos like moviejoob & OmarioRPG have done. It’s ever vast and rewarding to let touch your soul.❤❤❤❤
Not sure if you read the comments, but the gist of it is that Sauron made rings for the 9 kings of men, 7 dwarves & for the 3 elven lords. The idea is when he created the one ring, and would wield it's power, it'd basically overtake & control the minds of the men, dwarves & elves who wear their rings. The 9 men got turned into the Nazgul, while you'll see the effect of one of the rings on an Elf soon enough. Essentially, it's a deceptive take over of power without fighting, as Sauron knew he couldn't defeat his enemies through warfare (which was correct as the battle that opens the movie shows!)
Boromir cutting his finger to me feels like the line of kings, or the sword of the king, is rejecting him because he would fail. Especially since he rejected Aragorn's title of heir to the throne. He was too proud and had that weakness that Elrond and Aragorn mentioned.
the reason why Narsil (the sword) still being sharp is significant, is because just over 3,000 years have passed between the ring being cut from Saurons hand and that scene where Boromir picks it up.
@@stefsolari Don't need to rewatch anything, as perfect a job as Peter Jackson did translating Tolkien's works to film, the one thing that doesn't seem to translate is that thousands of years pass between the creation of the ring to Frodo's journey, so just keep in mind, Elrond, Galadriel, Gandalf, they're old as shit...also Aragorn is around 80...
@@stefsolari but you should just enjoy the films, Tolkein was such a writer that anyone can love it, from a kid like I was reading it for the first time, to the nerd I became understanding the nuance of his storytelling...Envious of someone discovering it for the first time.
@@andrewbird7364 Which is weird that the thousands of years don't translate to some viewers when Galadriel says so in the beginning that the Ring was lost for 2,500 years until Gollum picked it up. Then later in the movie Elrond says that "I was there 3000 years ago."
@@AngelusBrady Think it's because not many films tend to have opening scenes set thousands of years before the rest of the story, with characters like Elrond in both periods in time. Stef is one of the few who actually seem interested in understanding the nuance in lore to better enjoy the story..So props to her!
Q: "So hobbits have an inherit power to resist the ring?" A: It's actually about what hobbits "don't have". Hobbits do not seek power or wealth in the way humans, elves or dwarves do. In hobbit society, cooks and gardeners are highly esteemed, not warriors or nobility. That gives the ring less to work with, but nobody is immune forever. Given enough time and hobbits are also corrupted, but even then the results are different, as exemplified by Gollumn, who was once a river hobbit. I read the books multiple times. The first time when I was 12 years old, almost 40 years ago. It's crazy that these films are now also 20 years old. Great to see people fall in love with it all over again.
I haven’t noticed but they’ve been mentioned to me plenty of times recently so I decided to go ahead and finally start them since I haven’t heard much about the story itself! :) And I watched the beginning HP films ever since I was small so my initial reaction is to connect them, no ill-intentions behind it but not much I can do, I just say what comes to mind to keep it genuine off what my mind does or thinks :)
The reason why Boromir was surprised that the blade was still sharp is this. The events of Lord of the Rings happens 3000 years after the blade cut off Sauron's finger. Normal weapons would have rusted into dust. 3000 years is a very long time... everyone seems to be forgotting that.
I really enjoy watching people ask the same questions we all asked when we first heard this story. The ring having a will of it's own. Why are hobbits able to resist the ring? It's one of the central questions of the whole saga. Great reaction.
I remember that i saw this great movie when i was 8 years old 😊 And i rewatch it from time to time until today. What a series!! I’m glad you liked it and thanks to you that you reminds me a good memory of first watching this film.
Aragorn (Strider) was raised in Rivendell, but Arwen was, during those years, was staying with her grandmother, Galadriel in Lothlorien. (Galadriel was Arwen's mother's mother.) She only returned to her father when Aragorn was over 20 years old. (Remember, time means little to the elves, being immortal.)
14:36 "Like Dementors" You are closer than you think! The books say that Nazgul wore capes because they are invisible spirits, they were always surrounded by an aura of fear, and their moans caused desperation and terror. I do not think Rowling would invent the concept of Dementors with so many attributes like this ones without a little inspiration.
In all fairness to you, you started your journey into these films (correctly 😁) with the extended editions (which gives you so much more information and insight into the lore and world, but it's also THAT much more information that you have to retain). So glad to see you're watching them, though. What I would give to see these for the first time again. Three of the greatest pieces of cinema ever made. Looking forward to watching the rest of the journey with you ✊️
"There's a hobbit, there's a ring" best description ever 🤣 anyhow. The Ring having its own will; to create a Ring of Power, a lot of power is required. If there is a lack of power, the creator can infuse their own life force into it. Sauron did this with his Ring, giving it power and, in a sense, life. The shock Boromir had when he stated "it's still sharp" really no importance. He cut his finger and he's just shocked that after so long, the blade hadn't gone dull, especially after cutting through Sauron's hand. I'm surprised you weren't even making grossed faces when seeing the Orcs and Uruk-Hai for the first time. Everyone is usually making some kind of face, yet here you are as though it's normal 😂 I'm eager to see the rest of your reactions
Little bit of information, the movie skips a large amount of time and compresses it for runtime compared to the book. Between when Gandalf tells Frodo to “keep it secret, keep it safe”, and when he comes back with knowledge of what it is, in the movie it’s like 2 minutes, but in the book, 20 years has passed since Frodo last saw Gandalf.
It's funny that you mention Darth Vader in the Saruman scene. Christopher Lee who plays Saruman was also in Star Wars as Count Dooku in the Prequel Trilogy.
You are 100% correct that the scene with Boromir and the shards makes much more sense once after you learn more about the character. A fantastic foreshadowing scene however.
This video came out a while ago now, but the reason Gandalf doesn't know the ring is for sure evil in the beginning is because it is 1 of 20 rings of power and he wasn't sure if it was THE ring that Sauron weilds.
The best and most emotional movie trilogy ever ❤ and still makes me cry 😢. I remember watching this over 20 years ago and it blew my mind 😍🥲. I knew nothing about LOTR back then. I love watching amazing reactions like yours 😊, as it kinda makes me feel like watching this for the first time again. I'm glad I found your channel 😁!
the sharpness of Narsil to Boromir is a symbol of its potency but also its demand on the wielder. as a son of the Steward he represents the failure of the line of Gondor's Kings.
The One Ring affects different people and races differently; some are slower to fall under The One Ring's evil power while some beings are immediately warped by its warped strengths. Very astute, Stef, that you saw a Darth Vader (The Dark Side) parallel; look closely because there are also common themes from Harry Potter movies (Voldemort) and other fantasy tales. The power/influence of The One Ring increases the closer it gets to Mordor; it also grows heavier in proximity to Mount Doom, from whence it was created.
Gandalf did not know that the ring Bilbo had was THE One Ring to Rule Them All. Once he saw Bilbo acting strangely though he was like "I gotta do a research quest to see what in the heck *that* was all about!" And that's the scene of him reading about the fading markings written by Isildur and how he called it "Precious". After that Gandalf was like "Oh shit it's not a mere trinket it's actually the most dangerous artifact I've ever seen. I gotta tell Frodo."
The Lord of the rings still to this day holds #1 for every single movie known to the movie industry. No movie have to pass the amount of awards for money that this movie has made,
You have to remember, from the intro, the ring had been lost for literally thousands of years. Even the few people who knew Bilbo had _A_ ring didn't know it was _THE_ Ring. Hobbits are incredibly humble and diminutive creatures. It's not that they have power, it's that they DON'T have, or desire, power. I guess you could ironically call that a power in and of itself haha. The Ring holds very little temptation for them, other than the ability to become invisible (it affects everyone kind of differently).
I have yet to see anyone explain so here: Think of The One Ring as Sauron's Horrorcrux (He put some of his soul into The Ring). So, in a sense, it is alive. Gandalf and Bilbo didn't do anything about it cause, at the time, they just thought it was just some random Magic Ring cause The One Ring hadn't been seen for thousands of years. The reason Frodo wasn't tempted by The Ring is because he is a Hobbit. The only things Hobbits want are just to Eat, Chill, and get High. Hell, Bilbo was only now starting to get tempted by it.
This is one of the best reactions I've seen! Love how your questions are always answered, how you're trying to figure things out - and your "What's a Hobbit?" timing was impeccable! Looking forward to the rest of the series :) (I'll even forgive the Harry Potter comparisons!😄)
Gandalf spent a dozen years or more searching for proof that the ring was indeed the one ring. Gandalf suspected it as did a few others but no-one knew for sure and that is why neither Frodo or Bilbo were told. Hobbits are lightly affected by the power of the ring compared to any other race. As was told early on Hobbits have one great passion: Food. Any who lust, even a little, for power are easily corrupted.
You picked the right series to grow your subscription base. Many commenters will try to give you all sorts of background but for the first time watching it is best to not burden yourself and just let yourself enjoy the movies as screen masterpieces. On second viewing you can pick the story apart and get into the weeds of Tolkien's ideas that Peter Jackson adapted for screen.
the amount of Lore Tolkien wrote about Middle Earth is positively VAST. it took him 50 years to write & rewrite parts of it & the result takes up an entire shelf of books. he was a scholar at Oxford, a professor of Language. he created a dozen or more new languages in the process. it was an act of world building that has never been matched.
Amazing! You ask a lot of questions which is fine, but I think you’ll learn that this story is incredibly good at revealing answers at the proper moment, so I suggest you simply trust the storytelling to let you know everything in due time. To answer one of your questions, Boromir wasn’t upset about the sword still being sharp literally, but the sword still being sharp metaphorically. See, that sword is the ancestral sword of the kings of Gondor, Aragorn’s bloodline. After Isildor died, the kingship of the nation of Gondor ended, and the throne was entrusted to a line of Stewards instead, and they were to rule Gondor until Aragorn’s family returned from self-exile. Boromir is the son of the current Steward of Gondor, so the idea of the proper Kingship returning, is not a welcome one to him. The sword is broken but still sharp, is not a welcome idea to him, and the swords very existence is a reminder that his whole family is merely a placeholder for the true heirs. I hope that helps. Also, you are quite right, the ring exerts a powerful influence on anyone around it, and the longer one has it, the worse it gets. I think of it like a powerful addiction, or temptation. This power has been growing in the background for decades, and now that Sauron has returned, its power will continue to grow at an increasing rate, especially as it draws nearer to its home and its master. Keep that in mind as the movies unfold. I hope you’re ready for an incredible ride. These films are very special to a lot of people, and I think they will be special to you by the end as well.
8:24 - To answer some of your questions There are several magic rings and a few them had been lost over the years. So yes Gandalf knew about Bilbo's magic ring but he didn't know it was THE ring. He started having his suspicions about the ring when he saw that Bilbo hadn't aged at all and that Bilbo seemed to becoming obsessed with the ring just like Golum was. So Gandalf went off to research the ring and then when he discovered the truth, he also began making plans to get the ring out of the Shire. When Gandalf returns to the Shire, a full 17 years had passed by. The films don't really do a good job explaining all of this and they kind of assume the viewer has read the books and will just automatically know all of this. The reason Gandalf doesn't want to take the ring is, as he says, it would corrupt him and he is a powerful wizard. His power would increase hugely with the ring but it would be used for evil. The ring doesn't effect Frodo as much (although it will eventually corrupt anyone who has it for long enough) because Frodo isn't a powerful wizard or even a great warrior (like Boromir for example). So the only effect it has on Frodo (and Bilbo before) is it can make them go invisible. So of all the beings in middle earth, it would appear that Hobbits are the most immune to the ring's influence because Hobbits are such simple & wholesome creatures.
