Legola's dialog in the TTT

[Morgothian]

In the TTT Legolas hardly says anything I was looking at the TTT script and this is all he says in the whole movie Come on Gimli!
They may yet be alive
Come Gimli! We are gaining on them
The Uruks turn Northeast. They are taking the hobbits to Isengard!
They run as if the very whips of their masters were behind them.
A red sun rises. Blood has been spilled this night.
You would die before your stroke fell!
Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath.
[Translation: "May they find peace after death."]
This forest is old. Very old. Full of memories...and anger. The trees are speaking to each other
Aragorn, nad no ennas!
[Translation: "Something is out there!"]
The White Wizard approaches
That is one of the Mearas, unless my eyes are cheated by some spell.
Aragorn?
Where is he? Speak up!
You lie!
Le ab-dollen. [Translation: "You’re late."]
You look terrible.
Or too few. Look at them. They’re frightened. I can see it in their eyes.
Boe a hyn: neled herain dan caer menig.
[Translation: "And they should be. 300 against 10 000."]
Aragorn, nedin dagor hen ú-'erir otheri. Natha daged dhaer.
[Translation: "They cannot win this fight. They are all going to die!"]
We have trusted you this far and you have not led us astray. Forgive me. I was wrong to despair
That is no Orc horn!
Your friends are with you, Aragorn
Shall I describe it to you? Or would you like me to find you a box?

Faeg i-varv dîn na lanc a nu ranc!
[Translation: "Their armour is weak at the neck and under the arms."
I’m on seventeen!
Nineteen!
Aragorn! Thats not much for a 3 hour movie.

[Lasgalen]

He doesn't have a lot of lines in the book either. I found that disappointing as he is my favorite character.

-Lasgalen

[Miruvor]

Nice - Easy to memorize!

But you have to admit, they are all memorable lines!
:naughty:

[Mirkgirl]

He doesn't have to speak he has to walk around looking good ;) That's his function in the movie. The lines are there just not to leave the wrong impression that elves can't speak... and to serve as a reason to turn the camera to him.

Now seriously, look at the plot - he doesn't have anything important to say. And enough things had to be cut already to cut more just to add a chatting elf.

[TheRingBearer]

most of his lines are sometimes boardering on the line of cheesy so i think its best he only speak when he has to. but i suppose he isn't really a main character so there you go

[Tar-Minyatur]

that's a pretty cynical view, mirkgirl. What do you have against Orlando?
I think Lasgalen is onto something. Legolas didn't have many lines in the books either and his function in the Fellowship and after the Breaking is more as a highly skilled and powerful warrior who helps in the fight whenever he can. He certainly isn't restrained only to firing arrows and stabbing people with cool, graceful elf moves, but the 2 main plots of the Lord of the Rings are the Return of the King(Aragorn) and the Quest of Mount Doom(Frodo). Everyone other than those two is supporting them in their endevours.

[Mirkgirl]

What do I have against Orlando? I thought we were discussing the guy he plays in the movie, Legolas. Should my opinion be just what I think of OB - if I drool after him Im sad, if I don't like him Im happy?

Anyway, on the topic. Legolas in the movie really was there to attract the masses of fangirls. His lines were just what was already stated - they were almost cheesy, easy to remember and an exuse to turn the camera to him. However this role is maybe more than he gets in the book - in the book he's just the member of the fellowship who represents the elves, haven't you ever questioned yourselves why we know nothing about Legolas as an individual?

[Windwater Elf]

Although Legolas is not the main character, still, his lines are suitable in a supporting role to Aragorn. He is an important member of the The Three Hunters after all.

[Lasgalen]

I agree that we should be discussing Legolas and not Orlando. Orlando is just a pretty face, whereas Legolas is an integral part of the fellowship. I must disagree with you, however, on the "we know nothing part. We do know that he is the son of King Thranduil. We also know that he eventually sails to Aman.

-Lasgalen

-Lasgalen

[Mirkgirl]

He's important as a background character, so he doesn't get many lines. End of question.

We don't even know whether he's the firstborn child of Thranduil - Tolkien just picked up a familiar name from the Hobbit to link lotr to it. As to sailing to Aman... that's what pretty much all elves do, so that's not really great info. We don't know one detail about Legolas, he was just all the elves in one character. We get to know what moves Gimli what are his feelings or thoughts, but never a word about Legolas.

[Windwater Elf]

Indeed, we know very little about Legolas. First and foremost, we do not know how old he is. Of course, some mathematical genius can still work it out but of course nothing is for sure. There is certainly an air of mystery surrounding this Legolas character.

[Rumil]

Originally posted by Mirkgirl
We don't know one detail about Legolas, he was just all the elves in one character. We get to know what moves Gimli what are his feelings or thoughts, but never a word about Legolas.

Hmmm ... although i can see the point behind what you are saying i am not sure that you don't go a little too far. I think that there is a difference between movie legolas and film legolas and i have a feeling that the difference is largely down to OB. Where it is true that Tolkien tends to use Leggy to typify 'all the elves' as you say I still think we get to know a little more from leggy about how the elven mind actually ticks. Legolas is kind of aloof from the fellowship in a way that all elves seem to be from mortals. Yet we still get sme insights, think about:

His love and fascination with the trees of Fangorn
His original prejudice against Gimli ( and how he looses his temper when his eyes are bound in Lothlorien)
His sadness as he sings of Nimrodel
How he jokes amid the snows of Caradhras
How he may spend the night standing by himself singing softly as his mortal companions sleep
How 500 years seem a short time to him

etc etc Clearly leggy does not have the role of Aragorn, Frodo or Gandalf but in the books I think he is a little more than 'token elf' and occassional archer. The problem with the film is that although Orlando does a pretty good job (and is visually perfect for the part - which is very key to the role) he is nowhere near the acting calibre of the likes of McKellen, Viggo, Bernard Hill (Theoden) and John-Rhys Davies, I would even go so far as to say as Elijah and Sean. I am not dissing Orlie (i think he did a good job - but he IS the least experienced actor of the principal characters) - for this reason i think he doesn't shine in the way that Gimli really stands out. Not because Tolkien's character is essentially much weaker but because he is up against some real heavy weight actors!!

[Celebrían]

I would agree with you, Rumil. :thumbs:

[Mirkgirl]

I usually go too far... doesn't mean Im not usually right tho ;)
Originally posted by Rumil
Legolas is kind of aloof from the fellowship in a way that all elves seem to be from mortals.
So is Gandalf, but we can hardly say he represents a race the Istari or the Maiar. There aren't two alike characters in the Fellowship, Tolkien didn't go the way most writers do - one main character, two to help him and six others just to make them 9 and it's almost impossible to tell them apart... that's something else I hated in PJ's adaptation - one cannot tell the two young hobbits apart.
Yet we still get sme insights, think about:
His love and fascination with the trees of Fangorn

Agreed, but it is used just to contrast Gimli's fascination with the caves, i.e. to show the differences between Eru's own children and the one Aule brought to him
His original prejudice against Gimli ( and how he looses his temper when his eyes are bound in Lothlorien)
His sadness as he sings of Nimrodel
How he jokes amid the snows of Caradhras
How 500 years seem a short time to him
Elf prejudiced against a dwarf... how peculiar ;)
Yeah his temper is not quite the typical elven... remember when he looses it when they meet Eomer as well...but as most of the elves just sing songs waiting for their ship to go, it takes to be a bit wilder than the average elf to join the quest. Also it makes me wonder whether although 500 years might are short time to him (as they are to every elf), probably he didn't see many 500 year periods.... His jokes in Caadhas are another proof about this... also we get the idea that Thranduil's elves are very amusing from the Hobbit. ;)
How he may spend the night standing by himself singing softly as his mortal companions sleep
"Legolas already lay motionless, his fair hands folded upon his breast, his eyes unclosed, blending living night and deep dream, as is the way with Elves.

He's wilder and probably younger than the average elf, but his main function is to be the token elf... there's nothing bad in it tho

Part of the reason why Legolas doesn't have many lines of course is because he's not a very experienced actor. But the reason why he was casted is 1) they needed someone to stay there and look good... ok ok they needed a beautiful elf.
2) his character doesn't need many lines anyway

[Celebrían]

That makes sense, Mirkgirl. Good analysis!

[ImDaMom]

Here's another theory- this movie has at least 19 (count em) 19 major characters, (8 fellowship, gollum, theoden, eomer, eowyn, saruman, grima, treebeard, arwen, galadriel, elrond, faramir,)and at least as many background actors who have at least 1 line of dialogue. The movie is only 179 minutes long. NOBODY gets lots and lots of lines, and only the 2 or 3 MAJOR people get extra (frodo, aragorn, gandalf). Legolas had enough to get across exactly what was needed when it was needed. Extraeneous dialogue would just have slowed things down. Also, in the books, he isnt much more articulate, so PJ was keeping in touch with JRR.

[Celebrían]

Good way of looking at it, imdamom! :thumbs:

[Moses]

I always thought of Elves as the strong silent type. Only speaking unless it is important to say. I wouldn't want to see Legolas having a conversation with Gimli or Aragorm

[Elbereth]

Legolas is very different to the rest of the Fellowship.
Apart from Gandalf he is the only immortal and that will of necesity (sp?) give him a very different view of the world, even Gandalf is different because he is old and Legolas is young.
Legolas is mature, silent, a warrior, he says little but thinks more - ever heard of the expression 'still waters run deep'? But he is also immature compared to the others. For one thing he has no concept of death and may never really have seen death before. He is also alone without his kin and there will be a divide between him and the rest of the fellowship. How many times before will he have been away from the company of elves for so long. The reason I think for his absence in Lothlorien.
Legolas does not need vast quantities of speach. His role has far more to do with sight and hearing.

[ImDaMom]

Elbereth, good points. I only disagree that Gimli too is away from kin, probably for the first time (being young in dwarf years). But I like to think of elves as strong silent types. Somehow it fits them.

[Celebrían]

I like both of your points, and agree! :thumbs:

[Lasgalen]

The strong silent type. I never thought of them like that, but I like it!

[Lady Ashley]

I think I agree with everyone...But I only disagree that legolas knows nothing about death. Of course he knows about death: elves ARE killed. Some of his people are killed when Gollum escapes the Mirkwood elves. Doubtless Legolas would have fought at the Battle of Five Armies had he existed during The Hobbit (I don't think he and Gimli got added to LOTR until a second draft or something). He's seen death...not rotting-dying or illness, but killed.

He's cool in both books and movies (except for those cheesy lines).

Drat, I had a really good link about him...at suite101.com a guy had written an essay about him but I'll be darned if I can't get the link to it to work!!