why THE SHIRE didn't fail on screen

Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring begins with a long, slow 42 minute segment all in the shire. Why isn't this super-slow pace boring to watch? What turns slow setup into engaging film? Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy is a masterful adaptation of Tolkien's work. I wanted to do a scene analysis videoessay on the shire scenes. Frodo, Bilbo, and Gandalf.
My Little Thought Tree is my channel for drawing out the deeper meaning and emotion in film, TV, and the world at large through relaxed, analytical video essays. I am a professional counsellor and often draw on my psychology and therapy background to better understand characters, themes, and emotion in fiction. I upload every Saturday and occasionally on Tuesdays, if I'm feeling productive.
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LOTR analysis playlist: • The Lord of the Rings ...
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
02:14 Contrast of Worlds
06:27 SIDENOTE TIME
10:26 Fear
17:14 The Ring
18:48 Bilbo
MUSIC (in order)
Chill Astronaut - Concerning Hobbits lofi remix
Chill Astronaut - The Fellowship's Theme lofi remix
Chill Astronaut - Evenstar lofi remix
Chill Astronaut - Isengard's Theme lofi remix
Chill Astronaut - Lothlorien lofi remix
Chill Astronaut - Minas Tirith lofi remix
Chill Astronaut - Sauron's Theme lofi remix
Chill Astronaut - One Ring To Rule Them All lofi remix
Chill Astronaut - Many Meetings lofi remix
Alan Ellis - Sea Terms
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#lotr #analysis #tolkien

[@mylittlethoughttree]

Just tea, thankyou! Patreon link: patreon.com/mylittlethoughttree Instagram link: instagram.com/little_thought_tree

[@DanielKMihalev]

It's remarkable how people took their time to emphasize on the emotion of the characters and let them explore that emotion. Now everything is so fast paced in a lot fiction films, that characters barely have time to react and everything feels so rushed and unexplored.

[@groofay]

I think the "slowness" of this movie is what makes it as good as it is. There is so much charm in the opening hour of Fellowship of the Ring that I don't want it to end. But then when it does end, it opens into something so expansive and epic that I have to be swept along. But I still yearn for the time when the most stressful thing was a birthday party. That, I think, is the genius of these films.

[@WilliamSlayer]

So much yes. 👍

[@Darilon12]

I completely agree. It's the anchor attaching the fantastic world of middle earth to reality. The beginning of fellowship hardly feels like fantasy at all but a holiday in a small village in the countryside. A place so nice and cosy we'd never want to leave. It's the light that makes all the darkness along Frodo's journey feel so much darker. It the home that's at stake, the normality we won't have for the rest of the movies.

[@hazbaska1]

Such is life!

[@boppy9617]

You sound a lot like Frodo ;)

[@isaackellogg3493]

C. S. Lewis pointed out in the foreword to That Hideous Strength that the structure of traditional fairy tales is, Joe Smith is going about his normal, boring, everyday activities when suddenly something shockingly unexpected and paranormal happens. The reason that creepypastas and fairytales seem to us to be completely different genres is because the setting and activities which start the story (woodcutters, infertile queens asking wise women for help, selling the family cow, girls set to thresh grain) seem to us as fantastical as the paranormal elements (flounders gifted with human speech, bears eating porridge, wolves impersonating grandmothers, gingerbread houses) which follow. But they were not fantastical to their original audience, many of whom had actually known evil stepmothers, too many children to feed, fathers with weird fetishes, and kings with strange regulations. Hobbiton is just such a “Joe Smith doing his normal, boring activities” setting. The hobbits are rural-growing food and consuming it comprise the bulk of their activities and their time. Nothing much happens there-the Old Took’s birthday party is so memorable it’s still talked about decades later (he had fireworks!). People just grow food, eat food, work, relax, drink ale, smoke pipe-weed, and have lots of babies. Some or all of those activities seem now as remote from us as the thirteen-month cross-country journey, haunted downs and forest, Black Riders, and Elven Council with which the story proceeds.

[@NeverarGreat]

It's an interesting point that I never considered that Frodo and Bilbo don't really have a conversation before Rivendell, at least in the theatrical version of the film. It subconsciously introduces tension, as we are expecting the scene of an emotional farewell and gradually coming to realize that it won't happen, at least not yet. Holding that farewell until Rivendell is a subconscious feeling that only there can Frodo step out of his guardian's shadow and into his own adventure.

[@catejames6453]

I love these scenes. Ian Holm was a HUGE talent. Like magic level. McKellen is no slouch either. Just so good.

[@kylegonewild]

Fellowship of the Ring goes out of its way to really make The Shire a timeless place where life is simple, the grass is always green, and each new day follows the last without a real care in the world. It's home. Idyllic. Not just for Bilbo and the young Shire boys, but our home too for the story we're about to be told. Gandalf's arrival to this tranquil place is both a blessing, and an omen. A disruptive force once again entering the Shire. The transition to night and the darkness that falls over the Shire, Gandalf's increasing seriousness and Bilbo's sudden abscond, it helps set the stage and really hammer home that even the Shire, somewhat protected by a sort of nature magic itself (in the books anyway) from being thought about by the outside world, cannot avoid what is coming. When the ring's theme gradually plays in, those somber, longing, fearful notes seal the deal. Duty and adventure call to save Middle Earth, and it's the humble hobbits who must break out of their isolated, innocent home and way of life to face the world lest the world come to bear on the Shire.

[@jereXIX]

The shire opening is a huge reason why I feel FotR is the best of the trilogy (in addition to Moria.) It sets the tone that these films will take their time to let you connect with the characters and the world.

[@Darilon12]

I completely agree. It's the anchor attaching the fantastic world of middle earth to reality. The beginning of fellowship hardly feels like fantasy at all but a holiday in a small village in the countryside. A place so nice and cosy we'd never want to leave. It's the light that makes all the darkness along Frodo's journey feel so much darker. It the home that's at stake, the normality we won't have for the rest of the movies.

[@martintruman9530]

I’m sure some else has already said this but in the book Frodo was not in the dark about Bilbos plan to leave, he an Gandalf both knew he had a magic ring an planned to use it. The flash when Bilbo vanished was caused by Gandalf in the books an to prevent others from learning that Bilbo had the ring.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

In terms of directing, there are moving shots when the background has little going on, whereas if there is something moving or of interest the shots are for the most part static. This keeps a consistent feeling of progression.

[@JacktheRah]

And honestly the music of the Shire is just perfect. It not only sets the tone for what to expect but also softens the seriousness of it all a bit. But when the music of the Shire doesn't play we know something really serious is going on. Along with the Star Wars soundtrack I think that the soundtrack of The Lord of the Rings trilogy is just perfect in every way. It tells a story. It wakes emotions in us without dictating what we should think. While I have no clue about music theory I know that the Shire soundtrack especially, along with The Binary Sunset just bring forth certain emotions perfectly. They are the best pieces of music we have ever seen in film or TV in my opinion.

[@erinsmith4416]

Another beautiful analysis. Fellowship of the Ring was always my favourite, in large part because of the slow build and the Shire segments. "Like butter scraped over too much bread": a line I can't hear without seeing my mental health called out haha. And like Bilbo, well hidden under layers of activity and cheerfulness with a sometimes unseen weight.

[@stapelchips6559]

I think that introducing the Ring as a character is actually the main point of these scenes in the movie. It is a "show don't tell" kind of thing.

[@jmace2424]

I know we were all blown away by this trilogy at the time, but I feel like in hindsight we can really see just how special it was.

[@bushbaby4421]

The LOTR nostalgia is real with this one. And what a great video again! I love this opener even more for how it underpins WHY hobbits are so historically important when considering the ring and its power, its sets this clear dichotomy to the idea of Home, and the innocent enjoyment of life, against the darkness within the ring. Men and elves and dwarfs already know of darkness, and the ring eats upon it. A hobbit, hidden from such things, can survive longer against it as a result (at least that's my interpretation!). Just picking up on that little rant moment, I have another viewpoint from the literature side again (sorry). I did a whole module about adaptations at uni which COMPLETELY changed what I thought about them. We were shown how so much of the world's writing is just cut and changed, tracing Shakespeare even back to Ovid tales. Ultimately how we were told to think about adaptations is to consider them as it's own piece of art. A film is not more or less valuable then its inspiring book (for example), its just in a different form which follows different conventions and limitations. They should not be judged on their preciseness to one another, but individually judged for what they SAY as an art piece, and as a performance piece. Comparison is still useful, but it all starts on a blank slate. Granted, most often films DO make bad changes from misunderstanding and poorly copying books, but it is also quite common for them to improve upon them, particularly on the functional and entertainment elements, whilst maintaining the meaning and artistic value. Just another perspective, would love to hear your thoughts on it!

[@divxxx]

The first movie of the trilogy is my favourite, in particular the first part. It shows you what the point of the adventure is all about: protecting the beauty of life in the Shire.

[@wafflingmean4477]

I love the angle of the camera when Gandalf stands over the ring. It's as if the ring is looking up at him, but having such a vertical shot depicts Gandalf as extremely powerful. And it's juxtaposed by how oversized Gandalf is in Bag End. It was only after delving more deeply into Tolkien's lore as an adult that I understood what Gandalf meant by "Through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine." Gandalf is a Maiar, a being that at full strength has a power that rivals gods. If he were to take the ring, he could have become as dangerous as Sauron himself, possibly worse. And no one would have known. Not for a long time. On a seemingly unremarkable night, with Hobbits merrily drinking down the road, a Maiar sat in a room with the One Ring lying just a few metres away. There they sat, for one very, very long moment. It may not have looked like much, but I think that was one of the most pivotal battles in Middle Earth's history.

[@nadjajohansson8569]

The Shire sequence is superb, it shows the stakes of the story, what is at peril, i.e. "all that is good and green on this earth...". Thank you for the video, it was beautiful.

[@farrex0]

Reminds me of La Vita e Bella. One of the best movies ever made, despite maybe not being the best technically speaking, it breaks so many rules about screenwriting. But it is all the better for it. The movie also takes almost a whole movie for it to start. But because the movie takes so long is the reason we care for it. Enough time is given to show us what their life was like and who they were before the darkness came, for us to mourn what they lost. It is like every movie now, where you have someone dying at the very start, but no one cares. Why because you barely got to know the person. But if that person dies in the end, if the character was likeable most people would mourn it. It is all about giving it proper time to develop, for us to become accustomed and attached to the Shire, the characters, so we can feel it more deeply when the darkness comes.

[@nomad9584]

Great analysis, Thought Tree. The shire opening of FoTR really is the perfect setup for the epicness that is the rest of the trilogy. The buildup is absolutely masterful.

[@GR0ND]

That little scene with the children chasing after Gandalf's wagon is mentioned so briefly in the book I never thought a film adaption (reading before of course) would ever be captured. It's small, but upon reading it I was flooded with nostalgia because us kids did exactly the same thing when the ice cream truck (or mosquito truck) could be heard coming down the street in our small, very rural community. I felt the children's excitement when they realize Gandalf is in the neighborhood. I was apprehensive about a film adaption of the book, but seeing this scene in the theater I realized the director/writers had read the book with attention and intent.

[@munchcat]

The ending from the book, with the Shire enslaved, feels so much more powerful with this beginning. I understand why they didn't include it, but at the same time I wish they had included it because the whole point is war leaves no one untouched.

[@theadventuresofraeandem]

Absolutely love your content and how intriguing yet calm you present your material. Thank you so much for posting

[@seanbardwell2067]

Thank you so much for uploading this. Please more lotr content. I could listen to you talk about the trilogy for hours. Keep up the good work.

[@autumnsah3282]

This movie is so relaxing! Melts my anxiety away. Love the journey :)

[@storycoaster2]

This is a really great analysis with many insights I've never considered! I've been seeing some video essays where it's a lot of filler/generalizations, but this was really well analyzed about a specific topic broken down into different aspects, which ironically made it very well paced like the movie haha. I'll definitely think about your insights while writing my own stories :)

[@RoninDave]

The film did a great job of capturing the spirit of the Shire from the books. There's something charming that an epic quest involving wraiths, demons, elves, wizards, and dark lords starts with a birthday party. Both book and film are slow burns but those slow burns do a lot in the background with foreshadowing, character developing, and world building.

[@TheAwesomoe]

Something that adds to the world building is that Gandalf has to double check whether this magical item is the one ring. The world would feel smaller if he could instantly say for certain that this magical artifact is the one most central to the story.

[@marybethwelchcollins6673]

Great video and analysis! 💙

[@iyedjlassi479]

i see that sea train intro and i think "this guy IS a psychologist" because it hit me i my soul

[@bluedingo1186]

The entire Shire segments of Fellowship and Unexpected Journey are what led to my husband and I deciding that we would try to live like Hobbits as much as we can. Our future home is going to be a hobbit hole, we celebrated Hobbit Day with a feast that would leave even Bombur satisfied, and I have even started to wear my hair in its natural waves and curls as a hobbit would. Tolkien laid the blueprint of the most idilic environment and Peter Jackson brought it absolutely to life.

[@kentcampbell122]

Keep making more lotr analysis videos. It’s my birthday and I wants it, precious.

[@missalex2718]

What a charming channel intro!!

[@T0XiCPeaches]

Love this video ❤

[@geekexmachina]

Indeed it is very important interesting the 1970s version also puts emphasis on the Shire too. The other contrast is Gandalfs look, if you compare him to his surroundings he represents the outside physically, he is more haggard the costume choices and colours are the same as outside contrasting to the lomographic colours of the shire. the other importance of the shire is giving a backdrop to the world building and exposition as you alluded to. when we later compare to loflorien it is more vital than the elves home which is "diminishing". and the deserted areas of the world. It also adds a lot of for shadowing and shows good use of checovs gun , we see the ring in the fire, we see the hand dropping the ring, we see bilbo burning his fingers on the kettle, we see gandalf in a shadowy form following frodo. but when you look at bilbo and frodo you get a before and after we see bilbo at the end of his quest and this is frodos fate i think the seperation of the characters accentuates this. I think its a great shame that the sacking of the Shire was not made and suspect that Jackson had intended to make it which would explain the care taken for the shire sequences.

[@lifeinjersey9846]

I think the reason it works is you see the quiet but happy social life of the Hobbits, some humor, life seems so simple and I think all of us yearn for a quieter, happier simple life, we spend so much time in it, we get used to it and love it like Frodo does. So when we realize Frodo must go on a journey to save his home, we miss it like he does. The world is big, expansive, scary and dangerous but also wonderful and in a way we yearn for life when it was simpler which the shire represents

[@samsmom1491]

Hubby and I are watching The Hobbit trilogy again. Such a visually stunning set of movies to watch; a real feast for the eyes. We'll be watching the FotR next. Some of the best movies ever created!

[@Invirulent]

I think you could make a big draw out of analyzing every member of the fellowship in their own separate videos. 🥰

[@RJ_Ehlert]

Very good video.

[@akshaytrayner1960]

Great review

[@mylittlethoughttree]

Thanks!

[@InfernalPasquale]

Well said sir

[@pyramidus]

As if I needed more reasons to love these movies even more. Well let me think yes yes and yes. 👍

[@PoopaChallupa]

One question I've always had is why Bilbo doesn't see the eye of Sauron, but Frodo does. I know in the book many years have past between Bilbo and Frodo using it. But as far as the movie is concerned, it doesn't answer that very well. Right after Bilbo used it, then dropped it, Gandalf saw the eye when he attempted to pick it up.

[@solustalechoy7698]

I think the key is how "in the know" you are, and how useful the ring thinks you would be. Bilbo's use was entirely innocent, he had no idea what he had, and the ring was almost certainly getting bored of him. I interpreted Gandalf seeing the eye as the ring suddenly "perking up" so to speak, and momentarily breaking cover as a perfectly harmless lesser ring, because hey look, there's a powerful being who might be swayed into claiming it. Frodo doesn't see the eye until he's already put on the ring, but by that point he knows exactly what he has, and Sauron also knows that he has it.

[@makike9291]

Great video! I wonder if you’ve ever seen breaking bad and if so, would you ever do an analysis on the characters cause i think that’d be crazy fun

[@stepek91]

My favourite film

[@TrinityCodex]

Thats what the orcs said when frodo got back from his adventure

[@Thehijosh]

good vid 😃

[@couchpotato3197]

Please go more in depth or do more. I love the Shire and your videos are interesting.

[@johnmcavinue9125]

I wonder if on some level the shire life (with the leisure time to sit under a tree and read a book, and then share a meal or a pint with family and friends) seems more fantastical than powerful men bent on domination.

[@Zarith7480]

I must admit I was rather confused for a minute, I haven't seen the non extended version in so long I didn't recognize that dialogue coming from Frodo and Gandalf in the very beginning. IIRC that story information was repurposed and told via Bilbo's narration.

[@SexiestPenguin]

The shire scenes remind me of Iyashikei animation

[@mjelves]

1:18 Did you just say "could of" out loud??

[@patrickbliss9264]

Imagine if the directors of the harry potter films made the lord of the rings, they would be atrocious.

[@eprohoda]

how are things?~ My. how awseome view~

[@Callumtrain]

"Could of"? It's pronounced 'could have' or 'could've'.

[@mylittlethoughttree]

This is why I've always been better at writing than speaking 😂

[@Callumtrain]

@@mylittlethoughttree Yeah sorry buddy. It's a petty pet hate of mine and I was in a bit of a funk when I made that comment. I actually remember rather enjoying your analysis. Thanks for your good humoured reply and good luck with your channel.

[@mylittlethoughttree]

@@Callumtrain well, someone else made the same comment, so it's not just you 😆 it sometimes happens when I keep the scripts loose and talk a bit more freely. Sometimes, when I listen back to the audio to cut it down, I find whole sentences where I've got words in a weird order. Often I leave them in on grounds of "being sincere and not perfect" but sometimes it's so bad, I can't not redo a line. I don't mind though, often it's an amusing surprise. And you are quite right, could of isn't great. My own pet peeve is the classic "generally" instead of "genuinely"

[@ewhite2028]

The audio mixing on this video is frustrating. Turning up to hear your commentary, then get blasted by your intro and the video clips. Might want to check on that.

[@HavanaSyndrome69]

After seeing the first too episodes of the new Amazon show its made me go back see just how deeply I appreciate the three jackson films. Its an impossible standard to meet for the people that were hired to handle it. I think its just that simple. I think they overcompensated for being out of their depth by appealing to the culture of a very small group of people that are important in media, Hollywood, and the film making community in general for good reviews and a lot of people pushing for it to succeed. I think a lot of fans would like to have seen jackson hired to oversee it but there was some kind of business and personal reasons not to

[@Darilon12]

It's not impossible but not a feat that can be pulled off by board of directors throwing money at a more or less randomly selected group of artists. It takes time and dedication. To things that are expensive but at the same time, can't be bought. The "culture" isn't the problem. Amazone and company's like them are simply not capable of creating art.

[@georgiosz.9493]

jackson did mess up the hobbit movies quite a bit, so i really don't think it's that much of a loss that he isn't involved this time around. He made an incredible trilogy and he deserves all the credit for it. However, I do think it's time we let some other people work on something new.

[@Darilon12]

@@georgiosz.9493 Blaming Jackson for the Hobbit is like blaming the tow truck for your car's engine failure.

[@richerDiLefto]

@@georgiosz.9493 To be fair, The Hobbit wasn’t really *his* trilogy. He took over after someone else and didn’t have much time make it good pre-production-wise.