#gimli would make an awesome uncle

[rosie-love98]

The Women Of Oropher's House:

Winduirost:

Wife of Oropher and mother of Thranduil.

Name means “Windy Rain” in Sindarin. She was called this due to her gray eyes.

Daughter of Tauraear (“Vast Ocean”) and Erinmidh (“Morning-Dew”).

Was sister to an elder brother named “Duinlung” (“Riverbend”) and a younger sister called “Loebnen” (“Fresh-Water). Along with their parents, both Duinlung and Loebnen would be killed during an Orc attack in the First Age 585. Winduirost was the sole survivor when Oropher had managed to rescue her.

Married Oropher in the First Age 588 and made the move to Mirkwood with him.

Had the unique trait of having golden-blonde hair. This may be the result of a Vanyar or Noldor ancestor.

Winduirost didn’t think highly of the Silvans of Mirkwood. This was why she was against Thranduil marrying her handmaiden, Lisselote.

When Oropher gave Thranduil and Lisselote his blessing to their engagement, a petty Winduirost gave Lisselote dozens of hard tasks to prove her worth.

When Oropher perished during the War Of The Last Alliance, Winduirost would soften her harsh judgment thanks to Lisslote’s kindness towards the grieving queen.

Sailed to the Undying Lands in the Third Age 87, shortly after the birth of her grandson, Legolas.

Despite (somewhat) softening her cold disposition, it still didn’t stop Winduirost’s initial objection to Legolas’s romance with the Wingildi, Nenselde. Though, in Winduirost’s defense, she had more legit reasons.

Lisselote:

Wife of Thranduil and mother of Legolas.

Name means “Honey-Blossom” due to having honey-blonde hair.

Daughter of Malinurin (“Yellow-Sun”) and Tuilevire (“Spring Rose”).

Had a younger sister named “Incadaisime” (“Small Daisy”).

Was a hand-maiden to Queen Winduirost when Lisselote became acquainted with Thranduil.

Married Thranduil in the Second Age 3500. They were engaged back in 3429 but they were forced to halt the wedding due to the War Of The Last Alliance breaking out.

Was given the White Gems Of Lasgalen as a wedding gift from Winduirost on the late Oropher’s behalf.

During an Orc attack on Mirkwood, Lisselote was kidnapped by the enemy and taken to Angmar where she’d be tortured to death. 

Her untimely demise was sacrificial as the Orcs were trying to find and kill the then-infant Legolas. Little did they know Lisselote had given Legolas to her maid-servants who were already protecting the other Mirkwood Elflings (including little Tauriel).

This Orc siege had also cost the lives of Tuileveire and Incadaisime. As for Malinurin, he had already died during the War Of The Last Alliance.

Nenselde:

Wife of Legolas and mother of Marillalote.

Is the very last of all the Wingildi (“Foam-Maidens”) to have been created. 

Name means “Sea-Child” in Sindarin.

Unlike the Wingildis, she was made with the tear of Nienna. As a result, she was made and grew as an Elf child rather than a grown adult like her sisters. Yet, the other side-effect was that Nenselde was prone to grief and depression.

When Nenselde was a small, Elf child, she was given to Osse and Uinen to raise along with Wingildis.

By the time she turned 200-years-old, the now adult Nenselde would be so overwhelmed with her depression that she left her family for seclusion within the Bay Of Belfalas.

As much as she loved her family, Nenselde forbade herself from returning to them. The likes of Gandalf and Cirdan even tried to talk with her but whenever that arrived at Belfalas, a nervous Nenselde would hide away from them.

For centuries, Nenselde would be all alone at the bay until the Fourth Age arrived. From the Fourth Age 190-220, she would have mysterious visions of Prince Legolas Of Mirkwood. From all of these shared visions, the two would grow romantically close.

Yet, as Nenselde longed to be with Legolas and his friends in the Undying Lands, she was still torn with the Bay Of Belfalas. 

To make matters worse, their shared dreams would be corrupted by an evil force, the Dark Tree Cult that also made both Legolas and Nenselde undergo a deadly coma.

Still, by the Fourth Age 221, Nenselde would finally leave the Bay Of Belfalas and wed Legolas to the joy of Gimli Gloinul, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Gandalf The White along with Thranduil and Winduirost.

Marillalote, Legolas and Nenselde’s daughter, would be born shortly after the wedding in the Fourth Age 225.

Marillalote:

Name means “Pearl-Blossom” in Quenya.

Was going to be called just "Marilla" but Legolas wanted to pay homage to his late mother.

Born in Tol Eressea, an island of the Undying Lands.

Thanks to having Gimli Gloinul as her godfather, she’s prone to having a Dwarf-like personality; adventurous, strong-willed, along with being able to forge and wield an ax. This is why she’s often called “Dwarf-Kin”.

Also, like a Dwarf, Marillalote is knowledgeable on mining and jewelry-making.

Godmother was Legolas’s childhood friend, Tauriel.

As a Wingildi on her mother’s side, Marillalote inherited the ability to sing wildly.

By the time Marillalote was 20 (seven in Elf years), Gimli, Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee would all pass on peacefully.

Would eventually marry Elenimir (“Star-Jewel"), grandson of Elboron (son of Faramir and Eowyn) and his wife, Alasse (daughter of Aragorn and Arwen) in the Fourth Age 500. 

Elenimir and Marillalote would later have two sons and two daughters.

[headcannonballs]

I know the hobbit movies make a big deal about how angsty teen Legolas is and completely screwed his relationship with his dad Thranduil. But whenever I read the Lord of the Rings I cannot help but think: my goodness, but Thranduil must have really spoiled Legolas rotten.

We first meet Legolas at the Council of Elrond. He is dressed simply and for light travel, and does not choose to wear his title as a Prince, instead identifying himself as a messenger from Thranduil, his king. Indeed he often chooses to call Thranduil his king rather than his father, which many have taken as a sign that relations between the two are strained.

However, I propose the direct opposite - that his many mentions of Thranduil as his Elven-Lord demonstrates not only his love for Thranduil, but also his respect and admiration of what a great king his father is for his people.

Consider this: whenever he mentions Thranduil or Mirkwood it is always with warmth and a subtle longing. He doesn't ever speak of his home in anything other than good terms, even if it has been marred and fallen into becoming Mirkwood (as opposed to Greenwood the Great).

And it isn't just to maintain pride in front of outsiders. When you contrast the way Boromir speaks of Gondor and his father the steward Denethor, to the way Legolas speaks of Mirkwood and Thranduil, it becomes clearer. Boromir is proud of his family, country and heritage and boasts of it. He claims Gondor is the main protector of Middle-earth, and that they have been fighting Mordor the hardest. But deep down he is questioning his father's rule, and is uncertain of Gondor's future.

Legolas is almost the opposite. He doesn't ever boast of his country, although Mirkwood, just like Gondor, is right at Mordor's doorstep. Instead he shares with the company personal anecdotes that show (not tell) exactly how good life is there despite the Shadow. He doesn't waver in his believe of his people's strength; indeed only he and Aragorn could face Galadriel without any fear or hesitation.

I think the reason why Legolas always mentions Thranduil as a king or lord is not because he doesn't want to acknowledge Thranduil is his father. It is that Legolas is so in awe of Thranduil and so respectful of him that whenever he is mentioned Legolas' first thought is not 'that's my dad and we're related', but instead is 'that's my king and my hero and he's so awesome'.

He doesn't consciously mention Thranduil as his father because his mind frame is not to introduce the company to Thranduil the way you would introduce your friends to your parents. He doesn't want them to think of him as just a nice uncle who is the father of a friend.

Legolas introduces Thranduil as his king because he wants the company to respect him as such, as the ruler of a great country who has done great deeds. He wants the company to see Thranduil as someone in-charge, as someone who is capable and should be given the proper courtesies accorded to him.

Some may question, in that case why doesn't Legolas call him 'my father the king'? It would highlight both Legolas' relationship to Thranduil as well as Thranduil's kingship.

I think this has to do with the circumstances as well as Legolas' humble personality. It is true that he doesn't ever make a big deal out of being prince, but at the same time this title means nothing much in the fellowship company. There is Aragorn, who would be king of Gondor. Boromir, eldest son of the ruling Steward of Gondor. Gimli, cousin of Balin who is the Lord of Moria. Gandalf, member of the Istari and councilor of many kingdoms. Peregrin, son of the Thain of Shire. Meriadoc, son of the Master of Buckland. Frodo, heir to Bilbo and a celebrity (of sorts) of the Shire.

Virtually everyone in the fellowship had a title (except Sam) and there is really no point in highlighting it among themselves when it doesn't matter. The only time where Legolas being Prince of Mirkwood would matter is when meeting other elves or when meeting allies of Mirkwood (like Dale for example). In which case in the former, Legolas being son of Thranduil is more than enough recognition for Elrond and Celeborn (as both of them were Sindar elves, and thus kin of Thranduil). And for the latter there wasn't any opportunity to do so.

Thus Legolas not mentioning the king is also his father is his way of downplaying his title as Prince, something which signifies his humility as well.

Finally, what makes me certain that Thranduil is a very caring father is Legolas' personality itself. Galadriel mentions that Legolas had always lived in joy, and this is very evident throughout the book.

In the entire journey, Legolas is shown to never despair. The only moment of fear was when he saw the Balrog (a famous elves bane) but otherwise he was also never fearful. This is despite the overwhelming circumstances the company finds themselves in. He always sees the bright side in every situation, frequently makes jokes and funny quips, and is in an overall joyful mood.

From the Hobbit, we learn that this cheerful outlook is shared by the Mirkwood elves, regardless of the growing Shadow. The only person who was affected at all was Thranduil himself, who was always wary of Mordor rising again. But he took careful pains to never affect his people, and they were always in good spirits despite the war that was happening.

I think Legolas was very well loved as a child, and always carefully sheltered. Not from the horrors and realities of war like death and destruction (because we can see he is a very capable warrior). No, he was instead sheltered from the despair and sorrow that would normally accompany death and destruction.

Legolas would see death and elves dying in battle, and Thranduil would tell him of the halls of Mandos and how death is just a path back to the Valar. He would look at the destruction of the woods and the land, and Thranduil would tell him it is like the passage of winter, but spring would come and the land would flourish again.

Legolas would have grown up knowing that even though bad things are happening, good things are still to come, and that's why he always has such hope in him and such joy. Unlike the mortal lives of Men and Dwarves, Elves are immortal and they can afford to wait for the end of the Shadow. There is no hurry, and because Mirkwood is untouched by any of the Rings, they don't need to worry about the power of the Three fading.

Legolas is happy and joyful because he is beloved, and I think that is a consequence of Thranduil's nurturing personality. It just makes much more sense when you compare him to the other characters who had lost both parents (Aragorn and Eomer), or had a stern and demanding father (Boromir and Faramir).

Legolas remains unchanged for the most part at the end of the journey because he was already in such a good place to start with. I think that is quite a comforting thought.

[ragsweas]

Pass the happy! 🌻 When you receive this, list five things that make you happy and send this to 10 of the last people in your notifications. 💛💛💛

Ah, back it arrives in my inbox.

On the honour of Father's Day, let me just list top five dads who give me happiness.

1. Bilbo Baggins

Look, he raised Frodo Baggins. With all that Frodo went through, he remained kind and courageous, and I have no doubt that papa Uncle Bilbo had a huge hand in it. He was mischievous, kind and so in love with this little cousin he had the chance to raise.

And he loved Fili and Kili. Don't even deny it. And Sam. And Merry and Pippin.

2. Thorin Oakenshield

He was there for the boys and made sure they always had someone to rely on. Look at that forehead touch! That's like...the softest one ever! And even when he was hard on Fili, he still worried about him. Best Dad. Uncle. Ever.

And we all know he would have been awesome with Frodo, his Hobbit son

3. Théoden

Éomer, Éowyn and Théodred. Later on he also adopts Merry. He was always so worried about his kids. He only wanted happiness for them. And let's not even go to the crying scene. But yes, A+ Dad. I would want him.

4. Glóin

Proud Papa of Gimli! He is the one Father who is always proud of his kids no matter what and honestly we all need Glóin. Absolutely lovely dwarf, dotes over his son, would do anything for him.

5. Bard

We saw him enough to know he is the best Dad ever! With Sigrid or Bain or Tilda..ughhhh!! He is so caring and loving and honestly, all those who say anything about Bain being used as the bow, he was so worried and calmed him down so well. Hell yeah.

HONOURABLE MENTION

Thráin

We seem him like, two times and both times he is busy protecting Thorin. Look me in my face and tell me he isn't a good dad.

(I might make him villainous but honestly we can never ignore the fact that he loves hiw children. So bloody much!!)

[tolkienuntangled]

Fact for Fans #3 - Galadriel Untangled: Ambition VS Wisdom

One of the reasons I love the wider Legendarium of Professor Tolkien so much, is that when you scratch the surface, he takes a number of the characters we all know and love from The Lord of the Rings, and he illuminates a whole extra layer of their story and character. And in my opinion one of the best examples of this, is the Lady Galadriel. Now everyone who's read The Lord of the Rings knows who Galadriel is, but it's only after reading The Silmarillion that we truly discover who Galadriel is at her core, and who she was before that. So today's fun fact is going to chronicle the Ages of Arda from the perspective of Galadriel. And hopefully this information will make her character seem even more awesome!

So the first thing to say about Galadriel, which I feel like every single one of you will know, is that she's old. Like very old. Like older than the sun kind of old. And she wasn't even born in Middle Earth. She was born in the Undying Lands that lie west of West. The Land of Valinor. And even from birth, Galadriel was kind of a big deal. Her father was a Prince of the Noldor, her mother was a princess of the Teleri, and her grandmother was a Lady of the Vanyar. So Galadriel can trace her lineage to all three of the clans of High Elves in Valinor. But Galadriel's story truly begins when she develops a close relationship with her uncle. Fëanor.

Now I feel that at the very heart of Galadriel's character, there is an internal duel between her ambition and her wisdom. On the one hand, she's among the wisest beings in the entire Legendarium. The only other people on her level (at least in the Third Age) would be the likes of Gandalf, Círdan, and Elrond. And yet unlike the other bearers of the Elven rings, Galadriel is not defined by her humility. Quite the opposite in fact. For better or for worse, Galadriel is afflicted with ambition. And more than once throughout her story, Galadriel is forced to choose between her conflicting wisdom and her pride.

But anyway, in a group that's all about the Silmarillion, I reckon you'll all know about Galadriel's uncle Fëanor. The arrogant genius who forged the titular Silmarils. And in the beginning, his story is very closely connected to his niece's. You see, Galadriel actually served as a sort of inspiration for Silmarils of Fëanor in the first place. Or at least her hair did. In the Unfinished TalesTolkien tells us that Galadriel's hair was "held a marvel unmatched. It was golden like the hair of her father and of her foremother Indis, but richer and more radiant, for its gold was touched by some memory of the starlike silver of her mother; and the Eldar said that the light of the Two Trees had been snared in her tresses." Now this is particularly special because of course these Two Trees are the source of all light in the world. And this light comes from the gods. So Galadriel's hair is a lot more than just pretty to look at.

Anyway, the first example of Galadriel's internal conflict between wisdom and ambition comes when she begins to discuss the lands of Middle Earth with her uncle Fëanor. Now it's important to remember that Middle Earth is a place that neither Galadriel nor Fëanor had ever seen or set foot upon. They were both born in the Undying Lands. They are natives of paradise. And yet in her youth, Galadriel's ambition blinds her to this reality. You see, at this early point in the tale, both Galadriel and Fëanor seek power above all else. And Galadriel makes the decision that one day, she will leave the Undying Lands and rule a kingdom of her own in Middle Earth.

But, I certainly don't want to imply that Galadriel was ever foolish. She may be ambitious, but her wisdom is ever present. And we can see this in the unravelling of her relationship with Fëanor. So Fëanor's wrath and temper, mixed with his fiery pride, soon becomes too much for Galadriel to bear. And this is where her hair comes back into play. So just before Fëanor forged the Silmarils (the thing he's most famous for doing) he asked Galadriel for a strand of her gold and silver hair. But Galadriel saw darkness in her uncle and she refused him. Three times Fëanor requested a tress of her hair and three times she refused him. Not even a single strand. Now what makes this especially interesting is that if we skip forward in time about 7500 years, we'll come to a familiar scene from the Fellowship of the Ring. And Gimli will also ask Galadriel for a strand of her hair. And what does she do? She gives him three. So make of that what you will.

But anyway without wanting to get too bogged down in details, the darkness of Fëanor eventually erupts into a full blown rebellion, when he leads a small faction of the most radical and prideful Noldor away from the West, in the hopes of going to war in Middle Earth. And every single woman of the Noldor rebukes Fëanor. His wife, his sister, his step-mother, all of them refuse to join him on his outrageous mission. Except for Galadriel. Due to her ambition, she stands alone as the only woman amongst the Eldar to march to war alongside Fëanor. But once again, Galadriel is soon forced to choose between ambition and wisdom.

Because before Fëanor can sail east, he first needs ships. And the only fleet of ships in Valinor belongs to the Teleri - the Sea Elves of Alqualondë. So Fëanor demands that the Teleri give their ships to him, and when they refuse, Fëanor initiates the first ever elf on elf violence. So this is one of the first true turning points for Galadriel. Because although she's loyal to Fëanor, and she desires to sail to Middle Earth as much as he does, Galadriel is not a murderer. She has the option to do evil, but she wholeheartedly refuses. And this is a very good thing, because remember Galadriel's mother is one of these sea-faring Teleri. In this moment, her wisdom far exceeds her ambition. But her ambition doesn't disappear.

So at this point, you would definitely be forgiven for thinking that Galadriel would simply turn away and leave her (psychotic) uncle behind her. But this isn't what happens. Her hands are completely unstained by the murders at Alqualondë, and so unlike her uncle, Galadriel has the choice to repent and turn back. But she doesn't take it. She refuses to beg for pardon. She no longer has any love for her uncle, but her ambition still wins out. She still wants to rule a kingdom in Middle Earth.

So Galadriel sets off with her other (much much better) uncle, and she leaves the Undying Lands behind her. Which is kind of crazy because, again, she didn't have to do this. Her own father begged her to return with him to paradise, but she won't do it. And she journeys away across the frozen sea. Her pride and ambition effectively drive her to banish herself from heaven!

But, it seems that the violence at Alqualondë truly did affect Galadriel, because when she does finally arrive in Middle Earth, she almost immediately passes out of the spotlight. For the rest of the First Age she lies low. She meets and marries Celeborn of Doriath, and for 500 years, she lives a peaceful life there; in the kingdom of someone else. Extra fun fact, it's at this time that Galadriel learns to make Lembas!

Now throughout the following 7000 years, Galadriel's ambition seems to soften, and her wisdom seems to grow. During the Second Age she is given Nenya, the Ring of Water, but she uses it only to preserve and defend that which is good. And despite the fact that Tolkien tells us she was "the mightiest and fairest of all the Elves that remained in Middle-earth," Galadriel was not mighty in the way that she and Fëanor had perhaps once intended to be. She was no warrior. She didn't fight in the wars of the Second Age, and she didn't fight much in the Third Age. Despite what the Hobbit movie would have us believe, by the Third Age Galadriel's might is almost entirely founded upon her wisdom.

And this is explicitly demonstrated when she and Celeborn come to live in the Golden Wood of Lothlórien. When Galadriel and Celeborn first arrived there, the realm was ruled by an elf called King Amroth, and Galadriel was simply his guest. But when Amroth died, Galadriel had the perfect opportunity to declare herself the Queen of Lothlórien, and to finally rule a kingdom the way she'd always wanted since she first met Fëanor. But she doesn't do it. She never declares herself Queen of anything. Instead she is simply "the Lady of the Golden Wood." She is its protector but not its monarch. It seems that by the time the Third Age was in its prime, and Galadriel was an ancient being, she had truly learned to place her wisdom over her ambition. That is, until she faced the ultimate test.

So in the year 3019 of the Third Age, this whole internal conflict that's defined Galadriel's character throughout her entire life, suddenly comes full circle when Frodo Baggins arrives in Lothlórien. And as we all know, he brings with him the One Ring. A source of unlimited power. And Frodo offers this power to Galadriel freely. Now in this moment Galadriel is faced with the most important choice of her life. On the one hand she could take the One Ring and claim immeasurable power to rule all of Middle Earth as a "queen, not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn! Tempestuous as the sea, and stronger than the foundations of the earth!" Or she could let it go. Ambition versus wisdom.

Now we all know that in this moment Galadriel makes the right choice, and this is the reason for her statement that she "passed the test." Finally, her wisdom overcame her ambition. And so this casts a whole new light on Galadriel's final scene in the Legendarium, only two years later. Right at the end of Return of the King Galadriel stands with the other ring bearers on the deck of the White Ship, and for the first time in millennia, she is able to return West, to sail home, and to end her 7000 year long banishment.

And Galadriel does not return home in shame. She has nothing now to atone for. The misdeeds of her past are utterly redeemed, and she is free to "diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel."

Now when I first read the Lord of the Rings, I knew nothing of the Silmarillion, and so I assumed that Galadriel was just this inherently perfect character. But that's not the case. She's so much more interesting than that. Galadriel isn't great because she was born perfect. She's great because she made mistakes, and she learned from them, and those mistakes are what caused her to grow into what she finally became. "The mightiest and fairest of all the Elves...in Middle Earth."

So, thank you all for reading. Over the course of this year’s lockdown I’ve been working on a series of Tolkien themed YouTube videos called Tolkien Untangled. So far I’ve uploaded 10 episodes explaining the beginning of the Simarillion, the Beginning of Days, and the tale of Fëanor and the Silmarils. I’ve also released four episodes about the differences between the Lord of the Rings books and movies, and I’m currently releasing a weekly series of Tolkien lore videos. So check out Tolkien Untangled on YouTube if you’d like to learn more.

Thanks again everyone. Much love and stay groovy ❤️

[sc-reviews]

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) Review

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword joins the list of many filmed interpretations of King Arthur’s story that came before it. The source material for these films and television shows like the BBC’s Merlin are derived from collections of stories about Arthurian Legends. Arthurian Literature is full of a rich palette of characters from Merlin to Tristan to Morgan Le Fay, but I’ve never been very invested in the iconic character of King Arthur himself. He always seemed too noble, idealistic, and more vague than any of the minor characters that surrounded him. I could not, no matter how much I tried, find a way to relate to this guy no less actually see him as a realistic person. His character was simply overwhelmed by the scale of his mission, the power of his weapon Excalibur and the importance of his destiny and heritage.

So honestly, when I first saw a snippet of the trailer for this film, I did roll my eyes because here there would be another film version of a story that I felt had been told enough times already. How many times can Hollywood recycle ideas with all its remakes and sequels and generally the inability to let something original stay original? However, I did watch the trailer and what I saw was something vastly different from the King Arthur versions I had seen and read before. The tone of the movie was hardly dull or set up an ambiguous character. This Arthur had drive, had passion and humor and overall seemed like a realistic, complex character that I could believe in. So, I decided to go see the film despite all the horrible reviews that I had read because it seemed like something special or at the very least I knew I had to find out for myself what this movie felt like.

The opening sequence immediately inserts you into the film. It’s the middle of an intense battle with giant elephants and armies and dark magic. The King, Uther Pendragon, is hardly the type of guy who sits on his horse and gives commands to his soldiers. No, he’s heavily engaged in the action and in this visually stunning sequence, Excalibur makes its first appearance and Uther uses it to defeat his enemy. Therefore, magic and the crown (the Pendragon line) are tied together and fighting with that sword, believing in it, is what helps this king rule. However, the tension certainly does not end with that battle sequence. Danger lies not only in magic but in blood, which creates an interesting dynamic for the story as it proceeds into Arthur’s timeline as a young man growing up. The entire movie creates this very dangerous, yet realistic world for young Arthur to grow up in and makes the point that we are products of the world we live in and vice versa (the world is a product of the people in it).

Due to the betrayal toward his family and awful massacre, young Arthur becomes an orphan and barely manages to escape. He grows up in a brothel and is raised by the women that work there, which certainly shapes his views of women and the way he respects them later on in the film. This future king has nothing and from nothing he finds his strength. It turns him into this epic warrior who isn’t polished with graceful moves or formal manners or fine clothes and weapons. His fighting is rough like the life he grew up in and he becomes a sort of wise con man, navigating deals and earning money. It also seems a big reason for him learning to fight was to protect the women of the brothel that raised him, who were being beaten by their customers. In that respect, Arthur is noble and chivalrous in one of the best ways possible because he values women and does not appear to treat them as his inferiors at any point in the movie.

The way that this film is shot with the cutting back and forth is a signature thing for Guy Ritchie and he’s used it in many of his films before. I think it works really well in this film because Arthur is the same way. He’s very physical sure, but he’s also an intelligent, fast talking guy and it’s almost as if the way the movie is shot is representative of Arthur’s personality. His language is notably different from that of Vortigen and the people in the castle. I don’t see that as a clumsy mistake, but a careful detail included in order to ensure the separation of classes and emphasize Arthur’s place as an outsider.

Another element that I really want to focus on is the music in this film because it felt like a whole other brilliant character. The soundtrack was done by Daniel Pemberton, whose other credits include: Steve Jobs and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. I think his music was a beautiful addition to the film and that it has tremendous presence in scenes without dialogue. Particularly the scene where Arthur is riding into the castle after he is bitten by the snake, Pemberton’s song The Devil and the Huntsman featuring artist Sam Lee is playing and it transported me so vividly into that world with all its magical realism and brutality. A face moving in a tree and a giant snake could’ve easily become silly, but the film kept a nice tone of gravity in dealing with the magical elements of the Arthurian world. It set up the stage for something epic to occur. Even the shot with the famous Lady of the Lake was breathtaking and the shot right after with Arthur rising out of mud and holding up Excalibur was such a powerful image. I think it captivated the struggle of rising out of poverty and essentially thwarting all the dangerous obstacles his uncle put in his way. I suppose that’s also one of the reasons I love fantasy films because they key in on images and how powerful they can still be without words. Some people might see that as a weakness in saying that there isn’t enough dialogue in the film, but I disagree. I see it as a strength and there is certainly enough fast talking banter between Arthur and the other characters to add a wonderful layer of comedy to this film.

I also enjoyed Arthur’s teamwork with all his friends. It felt like a very different Knights of the Roundtable because it seemed like a bunch of good mates that were hardly knights. Yet, they had the qualities of knighthood and would each sacrifice their lives for each other. Also, the character of the mage was fantastic and my favorite thing was that she was not made into a love interest. She was an important part of the narrative and showed how magic helped Arthur regain his throne, but she didn’t have to become his Guinevere.

Overall, I was impressed over the attention to detail that this movie had and it really disappointed me that so many reviews were writing it off as unoriginal and accusing it of plagiarism. There was a mention of the elephant scene being too similar to Lord of The Rings. I’m a huge LOTR fan and the scene in Pelennor Fields where those massive creatures show up is totally different in my opinion to the scene in King Arthur. I just feel that scene in LOTR:ROTK is so iconic and the shots feel different, especially the way that the elephants become obstacles for people on the battlefield in LOTR is different. In King Arthur it’s really short and the elephants just don’t feel like they have as much presence. They’re just there being controlled by magic and represent the power and danger of magic in that world whereas in LOTR they were enslaved creatures trained for war. The scenes are different also because of the scale and the focus. In LOTR it’s much more of a collaboration of all these warriors and the focus is constantly switching from Eowyn and Peregrin to the other Rohirrim and then Aragorn and Legolas and Gimli. It’s the battle before the final battle. In King Arthur, this battle is just the beginning and it sets up the war setting that Arthur grows up into. The focus is on Uther solely and everything else around him is just there so he can prove himself as a capable king. Now, could other animals been used at the beginning so as not to cause such a controversy? Of course and I do see how people could easily call it plagiarism. Perhaps the director was paying tribute to other fantasy movies in his film by having creatures like the elephants, giant snakes, big rodents, bats…etc. However, I’m an English major and I want to point out that there is a serious difference between plagiarism and paying tribute to other films. Also, I’d like to point out that Arthurian Literature is much older than a lot of the fantasy stories we know well like Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter…etc. All modern fantasy stories draw upon centuries of folklore and Arthurian literature is medieval. So, a lot of stories that include these strange beasts are actually not as original as we’d like to think. J.K Rowling did not create giant snakes (basilisk) just as Tolkien does not own the myth of dragons or elves. They did what great fantasy writers do and they did their research and brought new interpretations to old myths. I would say that King Arthur has also done that because it is relying upon characters that have been around for a very long time and it uses magical beasts, but why is that such a bad thing when it creates something pretty awesome and unique in the process? I recommend this movie for anyone that wants to go on an exciting, adrenaline pumping action ride and also feel like what they’re watching is witty and funny and worthy of their time. Feel free to ask me questions if you’ve seen the film ad want to discuss it!