The Hobbit: A Movie Review
Far over the misty mountains cold,
To dungeons deep and caverns old,
We must away, ere bre'ak of day,
To find our long forgotten gold.
To dungeons deep and caverns old,
We must away, ere bre'ak of day,
To find our long forgotten gold.
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| Image Courtesy: Google |
Peter
Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected
Journey is an introvert’s break through into the adventure of some
extroverts. Bilbo Baggins trades the coziness and comfort of his hobbit hole
for an adventure of a lifetime with the wandering wizard, Gandalf the Grey and thirteen
dwarfs. In fact, this deal is more of trickery of Gandalf’s than a choice by
Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit.
In
the peaceful village of Bad End, the calm and cozy dwelling of Bilbo seems nothing
short of an introvert’s haven. When Gandalf makes a sudden appearance one
morning in front of Bilbo Baggins, he protests and shuns his visitor, trying to
concentrate away from any form of adventure.
However,
the fate of The Hobbit, the novel
written by J. R. R. Tolkien, released in 1937 would have been entirely different,
and for that matter that of The Lord of
the Rings, had Bilbo, the introvert, did not take the chance to explore the
world of terror and unrest, adventure and glory.
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| Image Courtesy: Google |
In her
phenomenal book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, Susan Cain suggests that
even introverts, occasionally wish for an outgoing company. So is it with
extroverts. They tend to prefer calmer situations occasionally, and enjoy and
make use of their quiet friends. Suggesting the same, here is a scene from the
movie, The Hobbit.
Galadriel: “Why the Halfling?”
Gandalf: “Saruman believes it is only great
power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found
it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at
bay... small acts of kindness and love. Why Bilbo Baggins? That's because I am
afraid and he gives me courage.”
Introverts
are especially gifted with presence of mindedness in dangerous and tumultuous
situations. “We should actively seek out symbolic introvert-extrovert
relationships, in which leadership and other tasks are divided according to
people’s natural strengths and temperaments.” (Cain 93) And this is what
Gandalf does in this scene, by relying upon Bilbo Baggins for courage.
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| Image Courtesy: Google |
Martin
Freeman performs as Bilbo Baggins, and does a great job. Ian McKellen is
Gandalf, as in Lord of the Rings and is the same and more in his charms as an
actor. Richard Armitage plays the role of Thorin Oakenshield, the Dwarf king.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected
Journey is
not just a hardcore special effect packaging. It has a spirit that comes from
the book itself. Along with the great performances from the wonderful actors, The Hobbit becomes one of the classics
of modern cinema. The Hobbit seems
pleasanter than Lord of the Rings.
The pines were roaring on the height,
The winds were moaning in the night,
The fire was red, it flaming spread,
The trees like torches blazed with light.
The winds were moaning in the night,
The fire was red, it flaming spread,
The trees like torches blazed with light.
(Lyrics
Courtesy: J.R. R. Tolkien)
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