SCORE: The Hobbit Trilogy

[Chen G. 3,944]

7 hours ago, blondheim said:

He is guilty of doing it

 

Basing your monsterous villains on the monsterous, villainous hordes of Genghis Khan is NOT racist!

[blondheim 1,157]

Haha, I didn't say it was. I explain above my point on this. That was my only point and position. More of a throwaway comment really that has turned into an unexpected albeit interesting conversation. Though I never have a problem explaining myself, if asked.

[Kühni 485]

On 8/11/2020 at 10:59 PM, blondheim said:

I would say The Fellowship of the Ring is the best film overall

 

 Still a good egg, from the look of things. 

[blondheim 1,157]

I love John Williams as much as anyone really can I think, but we should all be able to agree that the 6 Middle-earth films of Shore's are the scoring achievement of our lifetimes. Every time I pull any of them out, I am reminded of this fact. It just really smacks you in the face sometimes how good they really are.

 

Oh, I was listening to Riddles in the Dark and then watching the scene. Sorry, context. The History theme gets some incredible variations there.

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

I'd say the Hobbit scores are quite below the LotR scores in quality.

[blondheim 1,157]

I wouldn't say equal, but I wouldn't say quite below.

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

FotR >> TTT & RotK >>>> the Hobbit scores.

[blondheim 1,157]

These are all five-star scores so it is damn near impossible to rank them. There are moments in each one I do not wish to be without.

 

If forced at gunpoint to pick one, it would be Towers. If I got another, Return. And then Desolation, gods willing. But those are incredibly difficult decisions for me to make. I don't like it.

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

I find it very easy to judge that FotR is miles above all the others, and the hobbit scores just sound less inspired than the LotR scores.

[blondheim 1,157]

1 minute ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I find it very easy to judge that FotR is miles above all the others, and the hobbit scores just sound less inspired than the LotR scores.

 

It is difficult not to choose Fellowship, perhaps it is my familiarity with it that puts it fourth. But I am more interested in the amazing individual moments in these three landscapes, and they have such high highs. Fellowship is incredibly consistent in quality, which is its strongest feature. Besides, being the first and being such a massive musical foundation to build on is both a benefit to it and also works slightly against it as well. The variations Shore builds as time goes on are just absolutely effing ridiculous. At least for me. But I respect your choice.

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

5 minutes ago, blondheim said:

The variations Shore builds as time goes on are just absolutely effing ridiculous.

 

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by this.

[blondheim 1,157]

The themes established in Fellowship are developed really well in the sequels.

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

Ah, sure.

[KK 3,307]

They're fine companion scores, with some career highlight moments (especially in DoS). But no, they're no LOTR. There's much to admire in the Hobbit scores, but ultimately they just pale in comparison to the craftsmanship and ingenuity of its predecessors.

 

And I don't think that's a bad thing really. It's just how these things kind of go. Given how much a mess the Hobbit films and production process ended up being, it's a miracle we got what we did.

[Chen G. 3,944]

5 hours ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I find it very easy to judge that FotR is miles above all the others.

 

How so?

[Jurassic Shark 12,033]

Better themes, better action pieces, better solemn moments.

[gkgyver 1,645]

I want to believe FotR is the best, but I have no ground to judge this on because FotR isn't available in the form both TTT and RotK are. 

Fellowship's first act is riddled with tracking and edits that we never heard the original intentions of. 

And because the first acts of both TTT and RotK are amazing and complete, I can't put Fellowship on top. 

 

[Chen G. 3,944]

I think in general its a sad statement to say of any work of narrative art that it starts better than it ends. Of course its often true, but here I don't think that's the case at all.

 

I think The Fellowship of the Ring's novelty is working in its favour here - it being the first of the three films and scores that people saw/heard. It has nothing on the operatic-cum-biblical grandeur of The Return of the King.