I know Bakshi’s version has A LOT of issues, but I grew up watching it again and again and I have very fond memories of it. I’m aware I am in the minority.
One of the scenes I love is Boromir’s death (video link)… if you can ignore the “not-enough-budget” Uruk-hai. I like the roughness and lack of music once Boromir’s is hit with the first arrow.
Source of the image: The Lord of the Rings (1978) – Mutant Reviewers
I’ve never seen this before. It felt like I was watching a Joel Haver cartoon without the surreal comedy. I’ll have to watch this thing in its entirety.
I didn’t know Joel Haver… but I see what you mean xD XD.
I’ll have to watch this thing in its entirety.
If you’re going to watch the whole movie, here it is some advice:
- Don’t expect the full story. I’m not sure what the plans were, but they run out of money in the middle of the Battle of Helm’s Deep. Most people find this a good thing.
- Don’t look Legolas in the face. Seriously, DON’T LOOK AT HIM!
- Take into account that we are talking about the 70s, “special effects” tend to be very psychedelic.
Details you may appreciate:
- Magic is more subtle / abstract (maybe too abstract at some points) than in Peter Jackon’s. No breakdance-battle-stuff.
- Not everyone is a pretty face. You can distinguish Aragorn from Boromir at a distance!
- Gimli has not been Mushu-fied.
- Aragon does not try to stop Frodo from saving Gandalf when he falls at Minas Tirith.
I wish they had the tech Joel uses to make his. It’s still tedious, but a lot easier to fix mistake (like tripping over a sword). Huzzah.
Wow that death scene hit hard with Aragorn looking helplessly at Legolas and Gimli. Both companions drop their weapons at the sight of Boromir simply too far gone to save.
It’s actually way more emotional than the scene in Fellowship.
IMHO the old one is much more faithful to the “spirit of the book”, but I’m highly biased. And I totally understand that all the problems with Bankshi’s version are enough to ruin the film for a lot of people, specially if you watch it for the first time 45 years later.
The best example (to me) is Aragorn’s reaction to Gandalf’s “death”: in Peter Jackson’s Aragorn stops Frodo from trying to do something, but in Bakshi’s, Aragorn makes a dramatic jump trying to save him which to me makes much more sense.
Not to mention everything related to Gimli.
Well it’s just a surprise. I’m sooooo used the Jackson version. Love it to death. But it generated a lot of fantasy tropes that Hollywood is finding difficulty to depart from.
For example Legolas in this (while butt-fucking ugly) shows concern and genuine shock whereas elves in the Jackson films are generally stoic. Like “that’s disappointing, one less sword to swing st our side. Well tallyho chaps we have work to do.”
I just find the dichotomy interesting, I do revere Jackson’s work as masterpieces of cinema.
It’s a matter of taste, so no one is wrong here.
For example Legolas in this (while butt-fucking ugly) shows concern and genuine shock whereas elves in the Jackson films are generally stoic.
That’s a hard one. I don’t have a strong opinion about each take. Legolas is not one of the best characters on Bakshi’s film, and I don’t remember enough about the book to say which one is more faithfull (if that’s something you appreciate).
I just find the dichotomy interesting, I do revere Jackson’s work as masterpieces of cinema.
Just to be clear: I think Jackson’s films are incomparably better product than Bakshi’s, they are not on the same league. 1978 version is not even finished! The only way you could compare them is by factoring their bugdets. But I don’t know how to “divide my opinions by a number”, hehe.
I like having both so people can choose, or watch both.
I completely agree with you on the spirit of the book thing. I watched it when it first came out and I was blown away by it. I didn’t care about the inaccuracies because the studio did such a good job of capturing the magic of the story.
Oddly enough, the Jackson version had just enough changes in order to make it cinematic that I didn’t really like it the first time through. I’ve come around on that one and can now enjoy it, but for a while it was like the uncanny valley they talk about in robotics.
It has been ages since I watched that. I don’t think I appreciated it as much when I was younger since I was more familiar with The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Rankin Bass cartoons. But, this just looks so unique and interesting that I should really re-watch it as an adult to see what it’s like. The great thing about Tolkien’s work is the wide variety of artistic interpretations. I love them all.
Thanks for posting!
