I prefer book Legolas for his complexity, but Orland Bloom did a really good job playing an elf who maybe didn't know much of the world despite his many years of living, as if he hadn't much left the forest or dealt with mortals. I remember at one point rewatching LotR for who knows how many times and seeing the scene after Gandalf died and the way he looked almost confused, as he doesn't quite know what to feel or how to react, how he even when he was told to get the Hobbits up, he doesn't seem to force them up, taking Pippin's arm, but giving him time to put himself up, and I remember thinking to myself that he looks like he doesn't fully understand the concept of mortal grief, he doesn't understand what to do and how to feel about losing Gandalf, and I thought that was really well done for someone who's screen time doesn't exceed even a full hour over all three extended editions

@Jess_of_the_Shire

6 ай бұрын

That's one of my favorite moments for his movie-character!

@Kai-Xi

6 ай бұрын

background acting is kinda like editing in that, when it's bad, it draws attention to itself, but when it's good, it just helps you focus on the narrative

@danielmcbriel1192

6 ай бұрын

Where is Legolas a complex character in the books? I can definitely understand why the movie Frodo can't remember his name at the end.

@IsaacKuo

5 ай бұрын

I think that Orlando Bloom did a really good job of looking almost confused because Peter Jackson mostly didn't give him any direction at all when he wasn't the focus of attention (which was, let's face it, most of his screen time by far). Basically, most of the time Orlando Bloom doesn't really know what's going on (on set) and so he's kinda doing his own thing just trying to look like he's focused on ... something ... most of the time. It kinda sucks that most of movie Legolas is just sort of an accident of Orlando Bloom working without context, rather than crafted by deliberate direction, but it DOES make him feel weirdly distant and alien compared to the more "human" characters.

@ProgressIsTheOnlyEvolution

5 ай бұрын

I agree with everything you said here, movies tend to loose a bit more than books when it comes to supporting characters, which a book has more time to give debt to, than a movie where it is very hard to go too far into anyone but the main characters. I loved Legolas in the books, and it is of no fault to Orlando Bloom that I think less of the movie Legolas, there just isn't the time to delve too deep into his character, and as pointed out he barely says anything in the series.

I love how intentional Tolkien was about writing ancient characters, and how even though the elves are so old they retain a sense of playfulness. The more mature we are, the more we see the importance of joy and play.

@Dowlphin

4 ай бұрын

If by maturity you mean not being motivated by fear, as I roughly define it. Young children have a nature of appreciation for joy and play, too.

@marocat4749

3 ай бұрын

I wonder if he took that from lewis XD who coined that famous quote.

The singing was really nice. It's always hard to imagine how songs go when reading a book but now I know how I'll imagine this song from now on.

@chables74

6 ай бұрын

I always enjoy it when Jess sings

@willemvandebeek

6 ай бұрын

hear hear

@MistbornPrincess

6 ай бұрын

I think she needs to make a folk album!

@obadijahparks

6 ай бұрын

I have an old nursery rhyme book. There's an old song about the storm King in there, but no musical notes. So.. I instantly came up with a melody.

@Jess_of_the_Shire

6 ай бұрын

Thank you so much! I really enjoy making up little tunes for them

I definitely agree with your observations. In my opinion, Jackson's Elves were depicted as otherworldly. Alien, even. They were detached from Middle-Earth, and their ultimate desire was to leave it entirely, almost as if returning to their home planet. I think Tolkien's intent was very different, and was in direct contrast with the movie's depiction. So movie Legolas was similarly an alien among the natives, and couldn't portray the deep understanding of the world, and the enlightenment that results from many hundreds of years of experience. He couldn't show the humility, and gentle humor, and the almost-paternal affection that would develop over the centuries for the childlike humans. That would be incongruous with Jackson's intent of showing Elves as being "apart" from the rest of Middle-Earth, though in fact it was they who were most closely entwined with it, and who understood it best. So to make Legolas more relatable than his alien kin, he was "bro"-ified. He was the token jock among the nerds. Or that's how I see it, anyway.

@micklumsden3956

4 ай бұрын

That Legolas and other elves were in the movies detached in this way was to me a great loss. From the books I had the impression that their love and understanding of the world grew through time, including their love of trees, hobbits and men. I felt that in the films the Elves were not treated with the respect that they deserved.

I recall a quote from Tolkien (perhaps in one of his letters?), in which, while discussing the withdrawal of the Elves from the forefront of the major events of Middle Earth, he stated that "of all the Fellowship, Legolas achieved the least". So he definitely had the intention of Legolas serving as a vestige of the world that was passing, with the coming of the Dominion of Men. Even so, book Legolas was always one of my favourite characters, much moreso than movie Legolas. P.S. Pixies aren't from Irish myth, but from the Brythonic folklore of what is now the south-west of England (Devon and Cornwall). Edit: I found the quote. It's from Unfinished Tales, in the section dealing with the Istari: "In Sauron’s final overthrow, Elves were not effectively concerned at the point of action. Legolas probably achieved least of the Nine Walkers..."

@Jess_of_the_Shire

6 ай бұрын

That's a great quote! I think a lot of people read it and think of it as a criticism, but I think it was very intentional. He was meant to accomplish the least, because elves were going to have to accomplish the least in order for history to move forward. And thank you for the correction! I was using it in the modern general sense, but I totally understand that may have confused things a bit.

About taking Glorfindel instead of Legolas, there are many reasons not to take Glorfindel. One of them would be that by simply being himself, he would over-arch Aragorn, taking away Aragorn's chance to step up into his Kingship. The story is about the time of the Elves finally coming to an end, and men taking their place. With Glorfindel, High Elf of a nobel house, befriending Gandalf in Valinor before their return to Middle Earth, slayer of a Balrog, it would be more like a repeat of the Last Alliance but on a smaller scale: a not-quite high king of the Elves defeating Sauron together with a not-quite king of the Numenorians. Which would make the Last Alliance, Not The Last Alliance.

@davidcook2513

6 ай бұрын

Not to mention that it would have been almost impossible for the fellowship to go ANYWHERE undetected or stealthily with an Elf like Glorfindel, who would be on the target radar of Sauron, Saruman and the Nazgul.

@KS-xk2so

6 ай бұрын

@@davidcook2513 yeah I've often thought this myself. The sheer majesty that Glorfindel would project into the spirit world would certainly draw at bare minimum, Sauron and Saruman's attention, so stealth would be out. I mean if you send Glorfindel, might as well leave the other Hobbits at home and just stack the Fellowship with studs. Its a stealth mission though, so extra decoy Hobbits just makes way more sense, and literally works lol

@erynlasgalen1949

2 ай бұрын

​@@KS-xk2soPlus, Glorfindel has died already, and it was getting old for him.

I'm torn on this one. Book Legolas really does seem like more of an Elf, more light, more chill. But his relationship with those around him (Gimli aside) was relatively well shown in the movies despite everything. The random additions to the movies (like Aragorn's unceremonious falling off a cliff) was a bit silly but did give an opportunity to show Legolas caring for a moment. But, that is the problem, it's a moment. And the book has many moments of him being a very cool character, and so ultimately it's hard to say that snippets are in any way better. Still, I liked the portrayal in the movie for the most part.

Movie-Legolas is definitely a less compelling character, but, to be fair to Peter Jackson - with Arwen's expanded role in the movies, Legolas no longer had to carry the burden of representing all elves by himself. Not to the same extent, at least. Arwen now shares some of that role, so, it makes sense to reduce his complexity and screentime in that context. It's okay that he's less compelling. Think about his "leaving middle earth for Valinor" arc, for example, which is axed in the movie - Arwen already gets a whole arc about having to choose between staying in Middle Earth or leaving it, so Legolas no longer needs to represent that concept on his own.

@Jess_of_the_Shire

6 ай бұрын

This is such a great point!

@Lurklen

6 ай бұрын

Well said. Not only was it not needed, there just wouldn't have been time for both. And I think that while Legolas from the books is missed, the uplift of Arwen as a larger presence in the narrative is a welcome one. Sadly, these kinds of choices must be made in those big productions, and for every thing gained, there is something lost.

@thomaskalinowski8851

6 ай бұрын

You've persuaded me to travel back in time and convince Tolkien that there's no need for Legolas at all -- he should send Arwen with the Fellowship. After all, Luthien joined Beren on his quest, Arwen should join Aragorn on his.

@Lurklen

6 ай бұрын

@@thomaskalinowski8851 Hey, I don't think you need to time travel, just write that story. It'd be a cool take. The story of the elven princess who is supposed to stay behind while her destined lover goes of to face terrible evil, and perhaps never return, but who defies her role and instead goes to be at his side, sounds like it could be really good. Not enough stories are about a couple doing something incredible together. Honestly, I would freaking love a good adaptation of Beren and Luthien, but failing that, a story in that vein would be wonderful too.

@TrangDB9

4 ай бұрын

In the book it was Glorfindel who saved Frodo after he got stabbed by the Nazgul.

When i learned that Elves could grieve to death, i from then on, imagined them as a bit odd, from holding in so much emotion, ready to burst forth, but seldom doing so.

Definitely prefer the book Legolas. I like the deeper exploration of his Elven heritage and, particularly, the call of the sea arc. That struck me the first time I read them in the early 70's when I was almost a teenager. No movie can ever match the depth of a book and this is a good example of how much can be lost and still maintain a quality film product. Thanks for sharing your insights!

@Jess_of_the_Shire

6 ай бұрын

The idea of "longing" is so important to the elven character, it's a shame it was so difficult to incorporate into the film...still, it's beautifully presented in the books!

This made my day! Always a treat to hear you sing. Song is a great way to artistically experience Tolkien. Book Legolas (maybe elves in general) might be near impossible to represent accurately in film. For all the reasons you have meticulously covered, there is a tenderness, wisdom, playfulness, grace, fierceness and complexity in elves that might only be fully experienced by taking the journey to faerie JRR has thankfully provided us a ticket too, by reading their long tragic & beautiful history. Legolas is such a delight in the book. My favorite Legolas part is in the Ring Goes South, when he darts off from the rest of the fellowship on top of the snow telling Gandalf “Farewell, I go to find the Sun!”

Book Legolas is my personality. Hopping like a child, random bursts at song, forgetting the lyrics to said song, falling of trees, screaming at ancient beings of pure evil and most importantly undying love for the people I hold dear

If Legolas were not a background character in the book, he would own the spotlight entirely.

I prefer the books, but really do love the films. As you said, two very,very different mediums. My headcanon is that the books are the Red Book of Westmarch, but the movies are sourced from the scrolls in the Library at Gondor - Men saw elves as alien, dwarves as cartoonish and hobbits as childlike. Faramir is seen by Frodo as immune to the ring but as told by Men we see the real temptation. Men also beefed up the role their beloved queen played. 😅

Jess, brilliant commentary as always. As you pointed out, book Legolas is much more multifaceted than in the movies, which, honestly, I think, trivialize both elves and dwarves. As I recall, Legolas relates that he doesn't sleep since he's constantly dreaming even while walking Middle Earth. How could you portray such a sublime state except in a book? You have a sweet singing voice. More, please, in future.

Tolkien made legolas , in the book, the least active of the fellowship to represent that elves are leaving middle earth and so it is little of their concern. Certainly movie legolas has limits but i think it's based on the fact movie gimli become little more than comic relief. One thing Jackson did do to show their friendship was before the black gate in Return of the King. Gimli growls "I never thought I'd die standing beside a pointy eared elf." "What about beside a friend?" "aye" and in that brief exchange the comic element drops away and he does show the depth of friendship that is otherwise lost in the movies.

"The guy had a lot going for him." I agree! I have always been a huge Legolas fan (books and movies). I remember when one of the trailers for "The Fellowship of the Ring" premiered. My brother, sister, and I started freaking out because we could tell Legolas was walking on the snow. We were absolutely astonished by that level of detail. I hate it when people say Legolas is effeminate. There is more than one way to look manly. (And LOTR gives us MANY examples of that.) I remember that in the movie theaters (I was in the movie theaters many times for the LOTR movies) young ladies would often clap when Legolas came on the screen.

Any episode where Jess sings is great by definition! Thanks for bringing Tolkien songs to life!

I liked both Legolas representations. One thing I noticed immediately was that movie Legolas fought with two daggers, while book Legolas had only one dagger to go with his bow. Once his quiver was empty, one knife always seemed a bit inadequate to me. 🗡🗡 You sing really well. 🧙‍♂👍 And your videos are always insightful. 🖖

This is such a good analysis on Legolas's character and Elves in general! And your song is really pretty, you have a lovely voice! I do actually like the decision to cast a young Orlando Bloom for Legolas (although I completely agree with your criticisms on how his actual personality was portrayed). While he is clearly ancient in the books, he has a lightness of heart and way of being that is truly youthful, and I always imagined him as one of the youngest Elves in Middle-Earth; from what I gathered, Elves weren't having a lot of kids past the Second Age, but I liked to imagine that Legolas was one of the few born in the Third Age, after the Battle of the Last Alliance (as there was no mention of his participating in it). That would just add an interesting quality to him that, although he is far older than human comprehension, he's still quite young for an Elf - a young sprout caught between the rise of Men and the fading of his own people. A descendent of the older generation fighting to rectify the failures of his forbears, much like Aragorn! That and he's just kind of a goof in the books. Anyways, your videos are always so fun to watch, and I love how in-depth you are with analyzing Tolkien's work in an honest and knowledgeable way while also bringing in some fun and picking things out from places I wouldn't expect or didn't know about (like the History Channel's 'biography' of Tolkien). I learn something new every time! Thank you for pouring so much time into this!

Legolas is the silent super hero who only speaks in one liners or wry looks on film. On the page, you get a clearer sense that he is akin to humans but definitely not kin. His "elven eyes" don't just see orcs from miles away, they see a long line of centuries past. His perceptions are featured more than his combat prowess in the Legendarium.

I much prefer book Legolas to the film version of the character, and pretty much for all of the reasons you present in this very well done video. Also, I greatly appreciate your comments concerning the way the Elves were adapted overall into the films. I have never liked the portrayal of the Elves in the movies, though I do quite enjoy films for what they are. Thank you for another excellent video!

@Jess_of_the_Shire

6 ай бұрын

Thanks so much for watching, Jesse!

I would have loved a more fleshed- out Legolas... I was always intrigued by the elves... living centuries upon centuries.. what does that do to the mind and heart of fully aware soul, how do they deal with their griefs with their joys? How do they change over the centuries, or don't they? My husband commented that Legolas was a bone thrown to the ladies in the audience as was the constant on-screen presence of Arwen.

@destinypirate

6 ай бұрын

Those are the truly engaging questions. We get bits of suggestion of this from Bombadil, but not an entire society.

10:44 What a beautiful singing voice!

Legoloas is expository man in the movies. "Crenan from Dunland!" "Fell voice on the air" "Something is drawing near" "Lembas - something something way bread fill up the belly"

The singing was a pleasant surprise, thank you. As I've seen someone say before it's sometimes difficult to imagine book song. Like I was genuinely shocked and happy to find out the Hanging tree was a legit song from the books. Seeing mediums cross like this is beautiful.

Legolas was 12 year old me's dibs also, for the reasons listed ✨ Considering they couldn't really put his exclamation at the Balrog to film, I've always really loved what they did go with. His expression when Gandalf is describing it is such a pure picture of terror and disbelief, his eyes wide and glassy, I found it so troubling. One of the oldest and most skilled members of the Fellowship, looks like he's taking psychic damage just from knowing that thing is around the corner. The degree of his fear manages to convey that he also understands the full picture of just how screwed they are. It's like everything Gandalf is saying, distilled into one expression.

I have wondered if Legolas is from Gondolin. He could recognize a Balrog on sight. And we know there were Balrogs in Gondolin. But my favorite Legolas line is "It is old, very old," said the Elf. "‘So old that almost I feel young again, as I have not felt since I journeyed with you children."

@erynlasgalen1949

2 ай бұрын

He is not from Gondolin. He is the son of Thranduil, the unnamed Elvenking from The Hobbit. That means he is of the Grey-elves rather than the Noldor of Gondolin, and has a totally different culture and language. Eleven history is absolutely fascinating once you read The Silmarillion and the subsequent books of Tolkien's material.

Loved the video! Regarding the example you gave of Legolas's inverted word order, what stands out most to me is the emphasis that Tolkien puts on "tidings". "I must now tell the tidings that I was sent to bring" would change the focus of the sentence, giving greater emphasis to Legolas". "The tidings that I was sent to bring must now be told", firmly places "the tidings" as the subject and emplasis of the sentence.

@Ithirahad

6 ай бұрын

Yeah... that never left English really. "So, all the news they sent me to tell y'all... I'm going to have to tell y'all now."

My nieces pointed out the change in elves in the movies through a different character by referring to elrond as mr.grumpypants. when they said that, I began to notice that yes, elves became snarky serious Vulcan parodies in the film. And then there was Legolas worship like he was a one man boyband that definitely started to happen to Orlando bloom and was even poked at in daily comic strips in some newspapers.

I definitely agree with the points you make, especially about different formats not being interchangeable. The books are of course are much better. When the movies came out a lot of fans of the books hated what they did to the characters, what was left out, etc. However, it did inspire many more people to read the books so I consider that a win. Thank you for singing the poem/song! It gave it more emotion. Beautiful voice by the way!

Looking very Game of Thrones holding that glass of red. Probably saved by being actual Brandywine 😊

People are so bewildered by a person who doesn't like speaking and yet there are a huge amount of people who just don't want to talk all of the time. It's unrealistic to portray everyone as some source of exposition

I forgot about the movies when my husband became Legolas to me. 🥰 He is such a well rounded character now 😂 We still enjoy the books yearly and write our own with his cosplay.

@thedarkdane7

6 ай бұрын

OK, that is really cute.

While reading the books, I was always surprised that Legolas's character was not more fleshed out. But you make a compelling case - Legolas is present yet distant and this communicates his ancientness.

My first exposure to LOTR was through the movies. (Well, I had tried to read it in middle school and was completely bogged down within the first chapter and gave up.) So I have a very fond place in my heart for movie Legolas. After FOTR came out, I got the book and read it, and saw how very different both media were -- and still loved both. I guess because my first exposure to the Elven race was through the movies, I've always preferred they be a bit sombre -- after all, their time is fading, they're less invested in all things Middle-earth. And they're so old, they've seen so much, I would think by the end of the Third Age they would be less "merry". When I read the Hobbit, I was actually quite put off by the seemingly silly, cavorting Elves. (Maybe that was because I read the Silmarillion first and couldn't imagine the same people who killed their own kin over the jewels with the Light of the Trees in them would be singing merry songs and dancing like children -- that was my first read of the Sil...on the second reading I realized they weren't exactly the same people, that these Elves that were being goofy and having Middle-earth raves every night were the ones who had not been to Valinor and perhaps hadn't been in on all the battles and horrors of the First Age.) So -- I love both versions, and wish there could have been a way to combine both Legolases in the movies and fleshed him out a bit more. (The Hobbit movies Legolas is just ... gross.)

thanks for another great video Jess. I sometimes skipped the song parts in the books, but having you sing Legolas's lament was a gut punch!

I love when you sing, such a beautiful voice.

I find it interesting that Tolkien chose a Wood Elf for the Fellowship rather than a High Elf from his household. The time of the elves was ending.

thank you for the reminder of my love for these books. I appreciate your singing too.

In the books Legolas comes across as a wide eyed innocent in many scenes. His skill as a warrior and his Elven field craft and wisdom are unquestionable, but he is constantly exclaiming at new and amazing wonders. And expressing sorrow at misfortune. In Jackson's movies Legolas is more of a laconic death dealer--Orlando Bloom actually described him as an assassin. He's like Clint Eastwood in Sergio Leone's westerns from the '60s. All he needs is a poncho, a hat, and a cigarillo. Pretty cool as a cinematic action guy, but l prefer the heart and relatability of Tolkien's original depiction.

And let us remember that Legolas shot a fell beast out from under a Nazgul on the Anduin River; a feat which Isengard Uruks used to mock the orcs of Mordor when they demanded Merry and Pippin.

I just have to comment again about how amazing your renditions of the songs and poems are! I would 100% save shorts of them to listen to again and again. You manage to get a very fresh take on them that I have not heard anywhere, and the mood always seems to fit extremely well with the imagery I have in my head

I agree with what you're saying at the end. I somewhat naiively thought that folks who loved the movies but hadn't read the novels, would go out and read the novels. Because they loved the story, and the characters, and so much of that got trimmed to make the movies. It broke my heart that I was wrong, knowing only ONE person who loved the movies and then read the novels.

@auntiegravity7713

6 ай бұрын

Add me to this short list.. I loved the movies so much I read the books, and ended up loving both for different reasons

@erynlasgalen1949

2 ай бұрын

I read the books as a college student in the early 1970s. The movies rekindled my interest, which hasn't stopped.

Beautiful singing, Jess. Movie Legolas is perhaps more memorable for his skill with the bow and his super human agility (taking down the mastodon, oh my!)

Does Legolas's unusual speech patterns reflect that his first language is Silvan and he has spent millenia primarily speaking that and other Elvish languages?

@kevinroche3334

6 ай бұрын

As said elsewhere, pixies are certainly not Irish; in fact, legolas, and Tolkien's elves as a whole, are a very good reflection of Irish elves and their history, to the point where I would suggest he modelled them specifically that way. Beware the influence of American elves, dungeons and dragons, and Hollywood on your, otherwise fascinating, observations!

I prefer book anything to what was done in the movies. One thing I found interesting in the book is how little the fact that Legolas is the son of the King of MIrkwood forest is played up in the book. Among men he rarely gets accorded much respect for that. It kind of shows how remote the Elves of MIrkwood are from the lives of men in Middle Earth.

I enjoyed both Tolkien's original Legolas in the novels and Peter Jackson's interpretation of the character in his films; unfortunately, as you said, Tolkien's Legolas is far to complex a character to fit into the films (which, in many ways, is true of all of the characters of the "Lord of the Rings" books.) And I think you have nailed Legolas' "otherness" to the mortal characters of the book (and us.) Very well done.

Book Legolas every time, even though Orlando was wonderful in the movies. Legolas is the only elf in all of Tolkien's writings that we learn details from, such as walking over the top of snow, 'dreaming' while still awake and sleeping with his eyes open - something which was given to Gandalf in the movies. Thank you for the wonderful character study of my all time favourite character 😊

Your videos are so well presented and thorough. And your voice voice is so calming and tranquil.

Your singing is absolutely beautiful. Gave me goosebumps just as it did in your "Gollum's Song" cover.

I absolutely love your ideas in the books vs movies videos... This one is no different Thanks for the great content 😊

Good video, you have to remember that Elves play a pivotal role within Tolkien lore, spite the movie and the book of LoTR they might look like their role fulfills a secondary background, the Elves are the primary beings at the Silmarillion, there the first age the battles against Morgoth, etc... then after reading the Silmarillion we get a pretty close understanding of what the Elves really are, they had access to the undying lands, they were invited by the Valars to Aman, they were transport by Ulmo through Belegaer etc.., they fought against the evilest creature and god like Valar, Morgoth, ... they passed throught Helcaraxë and many died the coolest frozen region of E just to make it to Middle-earth, etc.... They were fierce fighters, but also they were stubborn as you mentioned for the case of for example Fëanor the and Noldor house, they even turned evil, killing their own kindred when leaving Aman, etc... then seeing the dwellings of the Elves at the first age, changes the mindset about what they really are... The Elves along the men and Dwarfs face Balrogs, Dragons and evil creatures.... etc .... All of this happens at the Silmarillion and a lot more.... Saludos desde Costa Rica. xD

I feel like Peter Jackson was trying to create a more noticeable contrast between Elves and Men by making them seem more stoic, thus less "man like" than the books...make sense?

You actually sang Legolas's song. You took a big risk, and it could have ended in disaster. However, you have a lovely singing voice, and I like your interpretation of the melody. Well done, Jess. Another standout video by Jess of the Shire.

I never get tired of your singing and I'm curious about what your range and register is. Despite being 23 myself I've always been a bit of an old man myself, so I more or less take my bones being dust as a given haha. Personally I do get why they made changes to his dialogue and I don't blame them, but they still could've come up with dialogue that captures what Tolkien was going for with the character without sounding hokey like they were afraid it sounding. If LoTR ever got adapted again it could work as a 2D animated series that takes the time to flesh out all the characters. PS the following comes from Kieron Gillen's TV Tropes page (I haven't verified the accuracy of this info) but I am curious about your perspective on it as someone who has clearly done her research on Tolkien's Elves: While Gillen is critical of many traditional fantasy tropes, Elves are practically a Berserk Button to him and has said "Don't start me on Elves. My perennial bugbear. Elves are basically 'What If Aryans were right about there being a master race?' Fucking Elves."

@Jess_of_the_Shire

6 ай бұрын

I've been trained as a soprano, but I enjoy singing in my lower register haha. And I'm not sure it's fair to say that elves are a perfect Master Race at all. This would probably be a topic for another video, but they have a lot of weaknesses. Despite being strong, and long living, they're also permeated by constant longing and nostalgia. They may be the first born of Iluvatar, but it was men that God loved most, and they end up having to take a very heavy back seat in the fourth age going forward. I could see how one might misinterpret them like that at a first glance, but if we look deeper into the nuance of Tolkien's races, it's clear that elves are far from the perfect race. It's definitely something to think more about...

@tarmaque

6 ай бұрын

@@Jess_of_the_Shire I actually look at Elves being Tolkien's allegory for Jews in universe. Iluvatar's first and special people, promised the earth but ultimately doomed to be persecuted until they are forced to return. Although the alternative viewpoint can be argued that it is the Dwarven race that is more representative of Jews, being stereotypically seen as hard working and artisinal, but ultimately more concerned with wealth than is good for them. Ultimately it may be the Númenóreans who are Tolkien's perfect race, combining the best traits of Elves and Men.

@sebastianevangelista4921

6 ай бұрын

@@Jess_of_the_Shire This nicely sums it all up, thank you! A video addressing misconceptions regarding Tolkien's races would be greatly appreciated. I love Gillen but I personally feel that his take is a bit reactionary and lacking in nuance. I've noticed that a lot of writers who fall into the "Take That, Tolkien!" category often aren't as good of writers as they think they are. My go-to example of this being how Michael Moorcock wrote two essays called Epic Pooh and Starship Stormtroopers that attacked Tolkien, but when I finally got around to reading his Elric saga I found it overwrought and lacking direction. PS your lower register is definitely a lot of fun!

The hard work obviously put into this video is belied by the seemingly effortless grace with which you delivered the goods. I could listen to this stuff for hours on end. It is enriching my enjoyment of Tolkien some 49 years after I first read some of his works. Thank you for what you do.

i have long known i will grow up to be a robert plant - in the sense that i will pen many songs about/interpolating tolkien’s world. i had always assumed my first one would be about the hobbits or the scouring of the shire in specific. but no, the very first song i wrote in reference to the trilogy was about sea-longing, specifically legolas’ cry of ‘alas! for the gulls’ he may be mischievous and proud, but he is also incredibly sympathetic. instead of choosing to return home, he chooses friendship

Legolas is the elven age equivalent of a teenager. It shows. Still wish we could've seen my twins Elrahir and Eledan.

Legolas throughout the novels does have this air of being an extremely skilled powerful warrior...on Caradaras while the fellowship is waist deep in snow he glides on top, he sees and hears things before anyone else(though Aragorn is a better tracker) he never misses his target when shooting arrows, whenever they arrive in a location Legolas has like a 6th sense about the surroundings, he seems to not need sleep, etc...

Wonderful! Always find your presentations compelling, and your interpretation of the sea-song was appropriately wrenching. I'd say it goes without saying, but I just said it; so there you go, and remember: "Wherever you go, there you are." ;) I found Legolas most compelling in the books (favorite member of the fellowship, actually), and they managed to salvage enough residue of that in the movies to at least refer back to that for those of us who had read them. (The movies had time for little more than easter-eggs to much of the text.) Legolas has both norse and shamanic elements, which makes him feel familiar both ways. As to Legolas' age, consider this: He immediately recognized a Balrog on sight, even though Gandalf didn't even know that "Durin's Bane" was one of them. That means Legolas was in Baleriand in the first age to fight the armies of Morgoth, before he and his father Thingol went back east and set up a kingdom in Greenwood the Great. Legolas was only 2-4 generations descended from one of the first 3 elf kings (Ingwe?) among the reluctants who delayed the invitation of Orome to go to the West. He also framed his age by saying that if he should meet Fangorn/Treebeard himself, [approx] "After walking with you children... then I should indeed feel young again." From these clues in the published texts, that puts him around the same age as Galadriel, and even she treated him as an equivalent/cousin among the numbers of their kind. As for comparing/analyzing the translations of books to movies, I think it is a worthy endeavor in an age where such efforts can and must be made. Of course, if we want a page-by-page fully fleshed out LotR movie series, all we need is an audience of billions to allow/ pay for it and six or seven 3+hour movies to record it instead of simple trilogy, as well as no need for regard to standard movie formatting or video storytelling ethics. It would literally take a 25+ hour documentary, or 3 seasons of an hour-format modern streaming TV show. "That day may come, but it is not today." :) Thank you so much for being you, and for bringing us all you do!

There's a lot that's done well with Legolas in the films, but it's true that I miss how it dimished his sense of humor, and especially how the book was able to touch on how he could look on eternity with anticipation and joy rather than with a sense of dread or monotony.

Book Legolas and Gimli for sure. Of course, I have a much longer aquaintance with the book characters having read the books the first time in 1968. Movie Legolas is certainly beautiful but none of the movie elves were as ethereal as my imgination. What the movies missed most agregiously, is that Legolas, Gimly, Boramir, and Aragorn are all sons of Kings/rulers, essentially equals at the start of the Fellowship. And all the last of their kind. For even though Aragorn's line continues, none of his offspring eclipsed him. The Hobbit was written for children but, the trillogy was written for the survivors of the world wars.

When I first read the books in August-September, i decided to listen along some of the poems in the story Nimrodel (performed by Vuctor Gondra) is one of my favorites, if not my favorite, and To The Sea captures his character so well! I realized how Legolas was embodied with the sea, which I really got off guard of, and I really love how lively he is while on a hunt along with "Long live the Halflings! Praise them with great praise!" and Eomer and Faramir's ceremonies, and Theoden's funereal I'd wish we could have witnessed them as well

I strongly agree with your points about how Orlando saying book!Legolas' lines would have been weird (though I would have liked to hear him say "I go to find the Sun!"), and I don't know if Orlando has any musical talent but sorry not sorry I'm kinda glad we didn't have to sit through all of the songs that were in the books, because Legolas says that the song of Nimrodel that he recited wasn't even the entire thing. The film trilogy isn't a musical and maybe I'm just being too logical here but I don't think breaking into song at random moments when you're supposed to be on a mission of secrecy is very smart? Especially when there are Orcs and birds tracking you? Also, given how unknown Orlando was at the time (Fellowship being his second film, the previous being Wilde in which he had one line), maybe giving him all the lines that the character said in the book wouldn't have been the best idea; and if they had wanted to stick closer to the book character, we probably would have seen a different (more experienced) actor in the role. As far as the Fellowship, I'm a Boromir girl, and I never had a Legolas crush phase. I'm actually indifferent to both versions of Legolas when he's by himself, but I enjoyed his friendship with Gimli in the movies. One thing that would've made the drinking game better was if the audience knew that Legolas was just acting oblivious and a subtle reference was made to Thranduil's love of Dorwinion wine. It's been a long time since I read the trilogy, but the shift from enemies to friends is more memorable and visual in the movies, whereas the book just basically says "And they became fast friends" (after they left Lothlorien). Okay, so are we going to hear about how that came about? No? Seems legit. And the fact that he has few lines in the movies actually makes him more interesting. The quiet ones are more compelling than the ones who never stop talking.

Wow your performance of Legolas’ sea song was gorgeous!! Well done!!!

I'm not annoyed by it as such but, six films would have been better than three... Glorfindel, Tom Bombadil, the Barrow Wights, Fatty Bolger, Beorn, Quickbeam, and most of all the Scouring of the Shire could have made an appearance... Book Legolas and book Gimli could have then been filmed in a fairer way too. I know it would be maybe a bit boring though, especially if there was a better sense of the time-scale of say, Gandalf meeting Frodo at the party, and 17 *years* later when he comes back. There is also a lot of drama around Anduril - but I am pretty sure that Aragorn sets out with the sword that has been reforged right from the start? There is one thing I am extra thankful for though - Disney are not doing a LOTR 2 remake-style thing - that would be hideous beyond imagination!

@destinypirate

6 ай бұрын

Did someone say the name "Bombadil" . . . Smiling :)

@vexaris1890

6 ай бұрын

Yes, Aragorn has Anduril with him from the start in the books.

Really loved this - so full of fascinating insights. There is one element of Jackson's interpretation of Tolkien's elves you didn't mention here: their uniformity. Jackson brutally strips out any sense of individuality for all but the most prominent elvish characters. Compare this to the motley variety of the orcs - even in the CGI-generated battle scenes - and it's hard not to conclude that the director had more of a thing for orcs than elves. Would be great to hear your thoughts on this.

Lovely singing. Great choice of melody

Thank you for posting such good content, I love watching your videos! :D

@Jess_of_the_Shire

6 ай бұрын

Thanks so much!

I was conversing with some friends about the LOTR movie elves, and one of my friends blurted out, "Those weren't elves; those were Romulans!"

Having read many books that were made into movies across different genres with a book one is able to go much deeper not that movies are bad just very time limited keep up the good work

Another great analytical video Jess! And I had no idea you had such a lovely singing voice! Good thing Tolkien has dozens and dozens of songs for you to improv for us 😋

I prefer book Legolas. One of the main reasons is that I abhor that they felt the need to add him into The Hobbit Films. I felt like they really caved into the whole meme about Legolas only saying three words to Frodo in the LOTR series. It was unnecessary and served no purpose in the story. The whole love triangle aspect was trite and didn't deserve being added. I also see a lot of comments about him being a stereotype of an elf, both book and film version. It's reminds me of an interview with Ian McKellan back when Fellowship was coming out. He spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to play Gandalf without coming across like 'the stereotypical wizard.' Then he realized that all of the stereotypes come from Tolkien and LOTR. We have all spent a majority of our lives seeing books, movies and TV shows portray their version of elves and wizards and dwarves, all based in someway off of Tolkien's works. These stories are where the modern stereotypes originated.

Do you know where Legolas got his name? As a child, his father, Tharndruil, made his grow up too quickly, and would not allow the young elf princeling to play with building blocks. He was Lego-less!

Quite few elves stayed behind in the Middle Earth. Even after "the final boat" has set sail, elves made boats on their own and sailed West. They knew how to make boats. Legolas does this. Those that stayed behind started to decay and became spirits...some even forgetting their part of their past or even all of it. Some became whispers but the vast majority left, even if they did so later. You can't do the same things in a movie as you can in a novel. Still, they could have done a slightly better job.

Ai! It's a good morning when Jess uploads! I love listening to you while I do my morning routines, it really sets a good tone for the day.❤

I always imagined Legolas's Ai! was a scream, something like the Wilhelm Scream, and not saying a long "I" sound. Frodo in his bed in the Houses of the Healing also mouths the names of all the characters as they enter the room except Legolas, which really accentuates his backgroundness in the movies. (There's only music playing during this scene.) I much prefer book Legolas, but accept that Orlando Bloom was never really given the chance to be as rounded as the book character but did a fantastic job in the role as envisioned by Jackson.

@lotrsavvy

6 ай бұрын

Ai actually is a Sandarin word meaning "ah" or "alas", so "Ah/Alas! A Balrog!"

Woah I loved your singing!! It was so beautiful!! It feels so fitting of the song too

Can relate. My favorite was Legolas partly because my older brother had already claimed Aragorn. I miss those PS2 games

Jackson didn't get the Elves IMHO, only Galadriel was well carved

They gave those elf motifs to Arwen and Elrond

You have a beautiful voice. I really enjoyed your interpretation of the elven song. It always seemed a shame to me that I'd never get to hear the beautiful lyrics of Tolkien's songs actually put to music. I so appreciated the bit of it I got to experience from the movies and also appreciate it here. So, thank you.

I like them both ... in different ways. I could say that about all the characters. The book explains intent and interior, the movies show personality and appearance. (I will never read the books again without imaginating them as the actors portray them.

Oh my! Your singing is a delight!

The outside light is hitting the curtain in such a way it looks like it has a belt buckle. It's neat, I like it

movie Legolas as he was my introduction to the character & the one that I fell in love with as an 11 year old but reading the books I also fell in love with Leoglas of the books & now as an adult I am rereading the books finally (in audio form) since now I think I can appreciate them better & the depth of the characters & Tolkein's world.

I love Tolkien's poetry but I also love Jackson's action. And fairies are gods of the vegetable world in Shakespeare. They are fun but not a joke in A Midsummer Nights Dream as John Tolkien knew well.

My friend Carrie was in love with book Legolas

Everything about this video was delightful. Well done!

Your singing voice is wonderful, what a pleasant surprise

Wow, you have a beautiful singing voice (as well as being beautiful in general)! I love your channel

Sadly, the Vidal Sassoon commercial detracted from the films. Not only were the (film) elves divorced from Middle Earth, they were divorced from expressing of the traits (greater attunement, lithe-arboreal movement - like dancers, higher degrees of stewardship, mercurial ambivalence, Elvin frivolity) which make them both beyond yet almost accessible to humans.

It just dawned on me that I have had the playback speed set to x1.0 in the videos of yours that I've watched so far, an extreme rarity, and a subscription earned.

@Jess_of_the_Shire

6 ай бұрын

Oh that's lovely! I'm so glad you enjoy my videos

Amazing singing voice. Caught me off guard.

@Jess_of_the_Shire

6 ай бұрын

I'm glad you enjoyed!

The highlight in the book is he sings a song of the lady nimrodel as they enter the elven land. In the film he kills two orcs with one arrow, it's awesome

Thank you, Jess. Sing any time! You are so talented. 💙💙

Very insightful, Jess! And what a beautiful song. 😊

Your singing voice is GORGEOUS!

Legolas is on a level far above even "normal elves" to even be able to walk and fight in his sleep!