Denethor

[Anor]

Considering the already released images of the Return of the King movie, what do you think of Denethor?

http://www.starswelove.com/scriptsphp/showimg.php?imageid=15966

Does he seem too young to fit the character? Or does he have just the right look for it? Or something in the middle, maybe?

P.S. - Pretend Faramir is not in the picture: they didn't even got the hair colour right...:mad:

[BlackCaptain]

Yeah... He looks way to young. Denethor seemed on the verge of death in the book. Just as Theoden was too young in the movie. They should have had the guy who played Dumbledore play Denethor

[lotrobsession4]

I don't know if you knew (or just meant if he hadn't died) but the man who played Dumbledore, Richard Harris, died shortly before Chamber of Secrets was released sadly. :(

[Mithlond]

Yes but Return of the King was filmed nearly 4 years ago, he was very much alive then.

[Gandalf White]

Originally posted by BlackCaptain
Yeah... He looks way to young. Denethor seemed on the verge of death in the book. Just as Theoden was too young in the movie. They should have had the guy who played Dumbledore play Denethor I don't remember this, could I have a quote or something. (I'm listening to the Flyer game and am too lazy to get off my behind.) ;)

I personally like his look. More later, once I get a quote.

[Niniel]

This is a description of Denethor in the book:
Then the old man looked up. Pippin saw his face with its proud bones and skin like ivory, and the long curved nose between the dark deep eyes. So he is called an old man, and maybe in the film he does look too young. But the description is rather vague, so everything's possible.

[Ol'gaffer]

Originally posted by Mithlond
Yes but Return of the King was filmed nearly 4 years ago, he was very much alive then.

No, Return of the king was in pre production along with the entire project. They finished filming FOTR about two years ago, TTT about a year ago and ROTK last autumn.

[Phee]

Originally posted by Ol'gaffer
and ROTK last autumn.

And now they're going back to film pickups for RotK too, so filming hasn't actually finished yet.

Judging by the one Denethor pic we've seen so far I can't complain about how he looks. He seems old and worn to me and that's the main image that stuck in my head when I read about him. I won't make a final judgment until I actually see the movie of course. :)

[lotrobsession4]

I agree with GandalftheWhite- I like the look. I didn't think he was too young, perhaps he might have looked better a little older, but I don't dislike this look. I think someone really old, like Richard Harris, would've been a little too old on the other hand. I'll hafta see more of how he's portrayed in the movie. :)

[Ledreanne313]

I think he looks perfect. He looks like a madman- Denethor was a madman(becasue of the palantir)!!

Anne

[EL GALLO]

You are forgetting that he looked older than he was because he had used the palantir. He was 90 years old at the time of the War of the Ring.

[Anor]

Exactly El Gallo! Denethor was a worn out man which looked much older than he really was.

[HobbitFeet]

Meh, I like the look. He looks like he's got the whole Denether attitude going on. I'm thankful for that at least. So if he's a bit young? He'll seem older when he's acting on the big screen.

[Mithlond]

Originally posted by Ol'gaffer
No, Return of the king was in pre production along with the entire project. They finished filming FOTR about two years ago, TTT about a year ago and ROTK last autumn.

ROTK filming ended last autumn, where did you get this idea?!
Okay, maybe i stretched it a little saying 4 years, i miscalculated, but the onering.net tells us filming for the ENTIRE trilogy wrapped in December of 2000.

Quote from the One Ring.Net
Filming began on October 11, 1999, and continued for an astounding 14 months, eventually wrapping up on December 22, 2000
Sure they are doing pickup shots for ROTK over the next few months (dunno where you got last autumn from), but they are just that, pickup shots.

Anyway, the main point i was trying to get across in my initial post was that Richard Harris could possibly have played Denethor as he was alive and well back in 1999/2000.

[ladyoflorien]

denethor looks exactly as i had pictured him. i think he is closest to my image of the character than any of the others!

[33Peregrin]

I think he does a pretty good job of showing Denethor, perhaps not old and weary enough. The only thing that would really bother me would be the absence of a beard, but that is just a part of my image for him.

[Rangerdave]

I always pictured Denethor as thinner.

Roger Daltrey would fit my mental picture fairly well.



RD

[Gandalf White]

Originally posted by 33Peregrin
I think he does a pretty good job of showing Denethor, perhaps not old and weary enough. The only thing that would really bother me would be the absence of a beard, but that is just a part of my image for him. Fortunately for me I never imagined him with a beard, so I'm fine on that point. What I really like about his pictures is his expression and mood, very good.

[Mrs. Maggott]

Denethor and Aragorn were not too far apart in age and Pippin notes that the Steward reminds him greatly of Aragorn. This is not surprising since, according to Gandalf, "the blood of Numenor ran almost true in him" and in Faramir, but not Boromir. I would have preferred a little more bone and a little less flesh on his face. Denethor was supposed to be one of those very "fleshless" men, almost "spider-like" and not at all heavy as this fellow is. Someone like Christopher Lee's old partner in horror Peter Cushing would have done well although I don't know if he is still alive.

Also John Neville would also have done very well (he played the English member of the alien plot in X-files both on television and the film). He has the sort of narrow, gaunt appearance that Denethor should have had. Even the fellow they picked for Elrond - aged up a bit, certainly - would have made a capital Denethor; he has the sour expression for it.

Richard Harris on the other hand was entirely too gentle even had he lived long enough to consider the role. There is also Jeremy Irons and even Alan Rickman, both of whom would have to be made to appear older, but both of whom have the requisite steel will and none too amiable disposition.

[Flammifer]

I think Denethor looks kinda evil in the movie. That shot of him looking up from his goblet is just creepy - he doesn't look insane, just weird.

I always pictured Denethor with a beard. This is mainly because there is a picture of him in my version of RotK and he has a long beard - the drawing is done by Alan Lee, who aided the PJ and his colleagues in the images that were to be used in the movie, so I respect his opinion of how Denthor would have looked.

[ladyoflorien]

denenthor was kind of a crazy guy at the end of the book. i don't think he looks too insane.

[Mrs. Maggott]

Before his death, Denethor's mind is overthrown by a number of circumstances: having looked into the palantir, he has seen the might of his Enemy and believed the lies that the Ring has been retaken and that all is lost. He had also sent his younger son into great danger unblessed and unthanked and now sees him slowly dying. Worn down by years of strain and toil and thrown into despondancy, it is not surprising that Denethor loses the battle against despair and decides to take his own life and that of Faramir before they can be slain and despoiled by the forces of Sauron.

Admittedly, Denethor isn't a "nice" person, but neither is he "crazy" or a traitor like Saruman or a pawn of the Dark Lord like so many others. The Steward of Gondor had many less than admirable traits, but he was still a noble man who by virtue of his efforts kept Gondor free, holding out against Sauron until the end. Aside from Aragorn, I can think of no other man who could have accomplished so great a feat.