March 31, 2004

S: Shelob
Elendur

"What?" you're thinking. "Didn't like Shelob? Is there any part of the movie this guy DOES like?" There are several, but the A-Z is made for writing about bad parts, and I think Shelob was bad. Or, you might say, not bad enough. Let me explain.

"But other potencies there are in Middle-Earth, powers of night, and they are old and strong. And She that walked in the darkness had heard the Elves cry that cry far back in the deeps of time, and she had not heeded it, and it did not daunt her now. Even as Frodo spoke he felt a great malice bent upon him, and a deadly regard considering him. Not far down the tunnel, between them and the opening where they had reeled and stumbled, he was aware of eyes growing visible, two great clusters of many-windowed eyes--the coming menace was unmasked at last. The radiance of the star-glass was broken and thrown back from there thousand facets, but behind the glitter a pale deadly fire began steadily to grow within, a flame kindled in some deep pit of evil thought. Monstous and abominable eyes they were, bestial and yet filled with purpose and with hideous delight, gloating over their pray trapped beyond all hope of escape."

I've been criticized before for just copying passages out of the books, and now is an obvious time to explain why I do it. Tolkien is a better writer than I am, and Tolkien knows more about The Lord of the Rings than I do, so it makes sense to copy what he says.

Back to Shelob. Do you see what I'm getting at? She wasn't just another dangerous animal, she was the last child of Ungoliant. She was a Power. In the movie she was too small, to stupid. And she didn't have near enough eyes.

-Elendur

PS- To Celeborn: I didn't see your post until after I'd done R. I should have mentioned the Rammas in P: Pelenor.