The Hobbit Movie Forum » Hobbit Movie

1. Stuart Carrier
   Member

   Ayup All...

   Much has been said of the new Character 'Tauriel, 'Daughter of Mirkwood', and the slight Horror that like (for me) 'Lurtz' in FOTR, she's been added as window-dressing to redress Prof. Tolkiens 'Lack' of female Characters in the Middle-Earth Mythos. Now me, I'm beginning to think that maybe Mirkwood's being tweaked for her to maybe do for the Hobbit, what Haldir did for ROTK ? and she'll be there to kill spiders with and for Bilbo (Heavens forbid !) or replace the Thrush and get that Message to Bard ? Anyone any other ideas for tasks she could do ?

   Posted 8 months ago #
2. Todd VanDelinder
   Member

   Honestly I think they'll put her in Mirkwood watching the dwarfs possibly helping Bilbo kill some of the spiders and then we will see her later on in laketown getting all lovestruck over Bard (vomit) so they can have some sort of romance in the movie (vomit again). Hopefully whatever her role is it will be small and NOT interfere with the hobbit story by side tracking it.

   Posted 8 months ago #
3. Nora Johansen
   Member

   Honestly I hope she is like Haldir.
   NOT helping Bilbo with the spiders
   NOT helping them escape
   NOT having a romance affair
   NOT replacing the thrush
   NOT looking funny at Legolas
   NOT NOT NO!
   I wan't Tauriel to "arrest" the dwarves and maybe fight at Dol Guldur and in the war of five armies. Nothing more. It will ruin it all if she plays all those parts. It is about Bilbo, not freaking elves in Mirkwood.

   though I do wan't to see some elvish children :) they did exist u know ;)

   Posted 8 months ago #
4. Dave Goecke
   Member

   There is the possibility that she is Legolas' mother. His mother is not named in any of the texts that I am aware of the only thing I could find was the suggestion that she was a Silvan Elf.
   I really doubt anyone needs to worry about a romance with Bard. Human/Elf relationships are very rare in the Tolkien mythos with only 4 being recorded.

   Posted 8 months ago #
5. Todd VanDelinder
   Member

   yeah in Tolkien's world Dave but Jackson invented this character so who knows I really hope there isnt ANY romance in the movie

   Posted 8 months ago #
6. Kevin White
   Member

   Could she be Legolas's sister. Orlando and Lily are around the same age, they would be able to play siblings more better than mother/son. Plus the name Tauriel sounds nearly like Tranduil so she could be her daughter....plus the whole "Daughter of Mirkwood" would suggest that she is a princess

   Posted 8 months ago #
7. Kevin White
   Member

   Could she be Legolas's sister. Orlando and Lily are around the same age, they would be able to play siblings more better than mother/son. Plus the name Tauriel sounds nearly like Tranduil so she could be her daughter....plus the whole "Daughter of Mirkwood" would suggest that she is a princess

   Posted 8 months ago #
8. Julia Mellor
   Member

   I think her role is to get bitten on the bum by one of those black squirrels, and then blow up like a balloon so that bilbo can sail on her down to Laketown. (just kidding folks) she will probably fall for Kili in the dungeon and decide to free them all. (pavement pizza anyone?) I don't know what her role is,its probably something ridiculous.

   Posted 8 months ago #
9. Todd VanDelinder
   Member

   I wish they would just say HEY we made a mistake and your role in these films has been cancelled and write her out of them but I guess we have to live with it

   Posted 8 months ago #
10. Julia Mellor
    Member

    Just want to say to anyone near Hurricane Irene, keep safe people.

    Posted 8 months ago #
11. Todd VanDelinder
    Member

    it was supposed to hit us but its 90 and sunny here

    Posted 8 months ago #
12. Barndog
    Member

    Some are going to not like this post but here it goes. I love Tolkien. I love his work and as a pastor strongly resonate with many of themes that I see in his work. I am fairly traditional in my views. One of the things that stuck out to me in books was not just that the book was light on female characters. But in the character of Eowyn you see a character whose actions have very noble ends those actions are linked to her despair. Once she recovers in the houses of healing and falls for Faramir her despair is broken and she swears off in a sense the way of the sword. Further her new reputaion is that of one who nurtures a garden and falls into a role very similar to that of Galadriel a strong person, revered leader, and know for her beauty. There is feels like a soft rebuke to me. Like her motives were good but there was something unseemly that she did it.

    This I believe is one of the reasons we see PJ push Glorfindel aside in favor of Arwen. Keep in mind it was originally scripted to be Arwen at the head of the elves at Helms Deep not Halidir. They were looking for more women to be involved. Now we come to Tauriel. It is literally possible to film both movies and have no need for an actress to even speak on the screen. I mean a party of 15 no women. They meet Elrond, Beorn, an Elf King, and Bard the BowMAN. If they add the events of the White Council the only strong woman is Galadriel again.

    I think it is pretty easy to understand why they would seek to add more women wherever they can.

    Posted 8 months ago #
13. Todd VanDelinder
    Member

    yeah to put more womens butts in the seats is the only reason I can think of, or maybe giving the guys some eye candy too... either way its uncalled for cause it just lets keep things PC ploy

    Posted 8 months ago #
14. Barndog
    Member

    I agree it is a PC issue one that I am not terribly comfortable endorsing, however as a father of a little girl I am glad to think there may be a charter that she can look up to just as my son might look up to Bard or Beorn or Bilbo. If pulled off right it is easily forgiven for me.

    Posted 8 months ago #
15. Julia Mellor
    Member

    I think Tauriel is there as the token 'woman of action' just as Eowyn was and to a lesser extent Arwen was in LOTR, all very pc but as you said, maybe for girls its important to identify with a character on the screen. in LOTR most girls identified with Eowyn. its like these days even fairies can't just be fairies, they have to be Winx (dont know if you have them in the States?) they have to be muti cultural and kick ass for girls to be interested. girls mature much quicker these days, whats normal for a 13 year old these days in the 70s would be ok for an 18 year old. this teen market needs its heroine otherwise the movie and the money men are going to lose cash.

    Posted 8 months ago #
16. Todd VanDelinder
    Member

    yeah I agree times change and girls need someone to look up to, but COME ON< REALLY? in the hobbit? I think not. its all just a marketing ploy for the exact reasons you guys just mentioned.(daughters having someone to look up to, money men losing money) Maybe i dont understand cause I have 2 boys,and No offense meant by paraphrasing what you said Barndog, but to me a good movie shouldn't have to have a "strong female character" to be a good movie. and I think its sad that film makers cower to what is PC just to sell tickets. and MARK MY WORDS, theres gonna be some sort of romance with this Tauriel character somewhere in these movies, which makes me wanna barf

    Posted 8 months ago #
17. Barndog
    Member

    I agree Todd not every movie needs a strong female character. It is not just a marketing decision. Tolkien's trilogy is marked as the greatest literary work of the last hundred years (at least it was 10 years ago). People will be writing thesis papers on its sexism for hundreds of years to come or lack of sexism for that matter.

    Posted 8 months ago #
18. Ghan-buri-Ghan
    Member

    There are many negative and critical posts in this forum regarding the Tauriel character, and some posts that criticize Evangeline Lilly personally (such as her facial features or physical appearance). There is much hostility and paranoia regarding this character’s role in the film and rampant speculation and assumptions as to the producers’ intentions (i.e., whether for political correctness, adding a “warrior princess,” attracting more men, attracting more women, etc.). Peter, Fran and Philippa have their reasons (which will be explained in due time) for wanting to include the additional characters (including Alfrid) into the story and I’m looking forward to viewing their interpretation of “The Hobbit” next year. I am intrigued by the few additional characters and how they will be incorporated into the storyline, and hope to keep an open mind without jumping to any conclusions just yet.

    Posted 8 months ago #
19. Julia Mellor
    Member

    I think the market research people at the studio will have pushed for some romance in the movie, why else are there two obviously 'cute' actors for tauriel and kili?

    Posted 8 months ago #
20. Stuart Carrier
    Member

    Ayup Barndog...

    I don't think that Tolkien was EVER 'sexist'. Or even meant to be. It didn't even exist as a concept when he wrote his books. Had he 'Needed' a 'strong' female Character, then (shirley !) he would have written one. In his day girls and women were treated very differently than nowadays, and that comes across in how he writes about the Likes of Yavanna, Elbereth, Galadriel, and of course, (his wife, Edith) Luthien Tinuviel.

    They were His concept of 'Perfect' women. Its just that we look through everything with 'Modern' eyes. He may seem Misogynistic, but I don't think he hated women. He loved his wife totally. Tauriel obviously will 'Do a job' like Lurtz and fill a hole where a non-named character does something Important in the story.

    'Alfrid' ? Now we're into Batman ! Cripes !

    Posted 8 months ago #
21. Joel Becker
    Member

    On the subject of Luthien, if ever someone wanted a strong female character in Toklien's works, there she is. Sure, she didn't wield a sword and hew many enemies in that fashion, but she had some pretty incredible accomplishments.

    Posted 8 months ago #
22. Julia Mellor
    Member

    I for one have always said that Lilly is an attractive actress, but that her features are modern and not in my opinion classic enough to look the part, therefore its a question of casting not personal attacks on her as a person. I liked her in Lost, but I don't want the Hobbit cheapened by some dude in the marketing department saying wow lets get her because she's hip with the kids.

    Posted 8 months ago #
23. Barndog
    Member

    I doubt very seriously we will see a full fledged romance. If they really wanted a romance they would have announced the return of Liv and a young bearly an adult actor to play Aragorn and made them attache extras to the major players in the events at Dol Guldur.

    Posted 8 months ago #
24. Joel Becker
    Member

    That would be somewhat hilarious - and absolutely infuriating - if during The Hobbit, they just randomly cut to romantic scenes between Arwen and Aragorn and then back to the story with no segway at all (similar to what they did in LOTR). It may seem that I'm being rather harsh towards the Arwen stuff in LOTR (and I guess I kind of am), but I just don't like how it seems that it is imperative for every movie to have a romance in it. Romance isn't a bad thing for a movie, but there wasn't much in LOTR (books) and none, as I recall, in The Hobbit. And at the risk of being completely redundant, there's no need for it in The Hobbit.

    Posted 8 months ago #
25. Barndog
    Member

    Stuart I am aware that Tolkien predates modern widespead feminism. That has not stopped feminists from ascribing accusations of sexism from works thousands of years older than Tolkien. My point is that it is part of the puzzle someone moving a mid 20th century novel into a early 21st century blockbuster. I would not go so far to say that he is sexist but other do.

    Posted 8 months ago #
26. Todd VanDelinder
    Member

    I'll just say I posted a link before on one of the topics of this forum that hints at a romance between Bard and Tauriel whether or not its true I dont know but I wouldn't doubt the cash cow money making machine of hollywood is pushing for one in the movie which still makes me wanna vomit. and my wife says I am a very romantic guy before people start to think other wise LOL

    Posted 8 months ago #
27. Kevin Dittmar
    Member

    Personally I hope she doesn't do anything. There are plenty of elves in Thranduil's kingdom. I think only three or four had any lines in the book, but making one of them female wouldn't be too bad. Maybe she'll get shitfaced on wine from the Gardens of Dorwinion & Bilbo will steal her keys.

    And I know I'm just a purist, but Tauriel in strict Sindarin would be "maiden of the forest". Mirkwood is Westron, the common tongue.

    And if they do need a romance & it is an Elven/Mortal thing with her & Bard, I guess I'll have to deal with it. These types of unions were not common, but there were some that were never discussed. Consider the lineage of Prince Imrahil, possibly descended from Nimrodel of Lorien or one of her maidens....only the descendants of Thingol & Melian that married mortals were considered important.

    Posted 8 months ago #
28. Julia Mellor
    Member

    Barndog, being a woman I am certainly a feminist but if anyone suggested to me that Tolkien was a sexist, I would have to say they were seriously off their head. no way is Tolkien sexist, no way, no how. I think the word 'feminism' is sometimes wrongly equated with hairy legged man hating, I think women have evolved since the radical bra burnng days and I have never read or heard of any Tolkien bashing. Its laughable really that anyone could have any valid arguments to say he was.

    Posted 8 months ago #
29. Kevin Dittmar
    Member

    Tolkien wasn't sexist, but people see it everywhere these days. Especially Hollywood. But there aren't many female characters in LotR. So it surprised me that in the movies, Lobelia Sackville-Baggins & Rosie Cotton didn't even get any lines. When they left out Tom Bombadil, they left out Goldberry. When they left out Farmer Maggot, they left out Mrs. Maggot. Then they expanded Arwen's involvement to make up for it. Other than her, the only important female characters are Eowyn & Galadriel. Unless you count Shelob, of course, daughter of Ungoliant that she was. Oh yeah, they even left out Ioreth from the houses of healing...

    Posted 8 months ago #
30. Julia Mellor
    Member

    There are no women in the Hobbit, but that hasn't stopped millions of little girls loving the book. So why change a winning formula just because of some Suit that thinks people want to see a female at all costs. I find it hard to believe that it was PJ's idea.

    Posted 8 months ago #

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