A humorous contribution from the group’s very own Tolkien
encyclopaedia, Anna Milon, this week. Take it away, Anna!
Seven objects/props/creatures in
BotFA that made me squeal with joy and three that absolutely annoyed me.
Good things:
1. Bilbo's acorn
A beautifully acted emotional scene is made
complete with this simple symbol embodying everything to do with hobbits, but
also harkening back to Thorin’s given name ‘Oakenshield’. Anticipate large
numbers of fans in forests near you collecting these wonderful nuts.
2. The gold bell
Dramatic
and yes, cast in pure gold, this bell makes an appearance at the start of the
film, lying dejectedly on its side by the entrance to Erebor. Later the dwarven
company uses it to breach the barricade, their desperate charge to help Dain
accompanied by the mournful knell. It is a good foreshadowing device, although
I wonder how they managed to lift it from the floor in so short a time.
3. Light of Earendil
I
would not object to owning a vial of water that makes me go green and command
demi-gods.
4. Alfred's corset
Suits him.
5. The were-worms
For
the sake of the poor creatures, whom nobody remembers to have been in the
canon. Bilbo mentions them in ‘An Unexpected Party’.
6. Bilbo's handkerchief
Seeing
them at the very end of the journey just hurt, but it was a wonderful cathartic
roundup of the adventure.
7. The elk
The
top place in this list must go to Thranduil’s steed, whom some fans dubbed
Echo. The creature takes a rightful place next to Sebastian the Hedgehog, Boris
the War-boar, Beorn the Under-portrayed Bear and the Eagles. Beautiful and
clearly battle-scarred, Echo falls victim to violence, steadfastly protecting
her master. And she is a deer! Deer are awesome, steeped in mythological and
literary connections to fey magic, innocence, transcendence and duality of
pagan deities! Let’s hope we see more of her in the extended edition.
Bad things:
1. Thranduil's cape
Made of something akin to
brocade, topped with plate-armour shoulder guards with feather-like scales
coming out of them, this is not something you can fight in, be you an elven
king or not, especially considering Thranduil’s physics-defying move, when he
falls from his Elk.
2. Pure starlight
Is it me or are ‘the white gems of Lasgalen’ a
tasteless piece of bling straight out of Moulin Rouge?
3. The horizontal tower
No construction has structural
integrity to maintain that kind of position. None!
