That was truly the most smooth and pertinent sponsor segue in the history of KZitem. Bravo.
@noahmagana137
13 сағат бұрын
Christopher Lee was one of those actors that never gave a bad performance even in bad movies
@jimluebke3869
6 сағат бұрын
Yeah, "The Man with the Golden Gun" wasn't one of Bond's best.
@benjamincarrillo6328
Сағат бұрын
Did you watch 'My syster is a Werewoulf?'
@krikorajemian8524
14 сағат бұрын
My favorite Christopher Lee anecdote involves the filming of Saruman's death scene. PJ was trying to tell him what sound to make when he got stabbed in the back, and CL corrected him, saying he knows how a man reacts when stabbed in the back. Everyone on set suddenly remembered CL was in the SAS during the war, and had likely played out that scene for real.
@annikinstarkiller600
12 сағат бұрын
They don't scream when it happens in real life
@Jess_of_the_Shire
11 сағат бұрын
Yes, this is such a good story!
@sebastianevangelista4921
11 сағат бұрын
@@Jess_of_the_Shire Lee was a badass all around! The dude put out metal albums in his 80s and the music videos for some of his songs were gloriously cheesy.
@sebastianstroud-klein5332
7 сағат бұрын
This story is becoming the new “did you know Viggo actually broke his foot!!”…
@jimluebke3869
6 сағат бұрын
@@sebastianevangelista4921 Dude was a Bond villain, for crying out loud.
@Steelwolf171
14 сағат бұрын
My favourite Christopher Lee story was from the set of "The Man With the Golden Gun". There's a scene where Lee is leading Roger Moore through a cave in Thailand that has a colony of large bats. During one take they disturbed the bats who flew into the shot and Lee (having played Dracula) in many films was reported to have said "Not now, boys".
@ethanannen2608
13 сағат бұрын
I am not even remotely surprised. He was reported to have a good sense humor
@crtune
6 сағат бұрын
That's funny. The bats are his fellow actors here. LOL. The Dracula story is a bit like the LOTR, in the sense that the book is far deeper and more subtle than any of the movies, regardless of whether they were the better crafted ones. Chris Lee probably fully read the Bram Stoker "Dracula". He seems to be a literate person more than willing to read up on entire long works given a job at hand. He and I share a willingness to re-read Tolkien as often as opportunity provides (I'm at around thirty LOTR reads now).
@FarrisG
13 сағат бұрын
Saruman being known for using the power of his voice was a perfect character for Christopher Lee to portray. Especially because Christopher Lee had a badass deep and commanding voice. Honestly genius casting 🥰
@crtune
6 сағат бұрын
The high quality of Jackson's production group in casting is to be commended. Every actor was a great choice, imo. Looking at the ancillary videos in the Director's Cut box set, we see a group of people truly working well together on a really extensive production. The choices of people turned out remarkable in their having gelled to create a theatrical company among the best ever assembled.
@persuasivebarrier2419
15 сағат бұрын
Christopher Lee stole the show with his voice and presence. Killed it.
@ravenmad9225
13 сағат бұрын
He's a class act.
@crtune
6 сағат бұрын
I would have loved to have met this man. Really most of this cast are people who would be wonderful to meet and get to know. You can see their devotion to craft and their willingness to work hard for a long term goal. This is what we see in the best society has to offer, like the space program, post war remediation, or efforts to defeat rogue regimes in extended battle. Great voice. Hard worker, supportive of his fellow actors. Lover of Tolkien. What more to ask?
@martinmould2598
14 сағат бұрын
I agree with you about Christopher Lee. I really like the scouring of the Shire, Saruman's industrialization and spoiling of the Shire is nearly a piece of cake to remedy for the four battle-hardened hobbits. My favorite part of the scouring is the sudden bravery, the surprise redemption, of Lobelia Sackvile-Baggins.
@missanne2908
10 сағат бұрын
I also like that there is a mention of Fatty Bolger. By the third book I had forgotten his contribution to getting the hobbits safely out of the Shire, and was glad to get that reminder.
@SirBoggins
14 сағат бұрын
As Treebeard once wisely said, "A WIZARD SHOULD KNOW BETTER!"
@williampalmer8052
14 сағат бұрын
I can definitely understand why Jackson decided to use Saruman to personify the more abstract threats the Fellowship faced in their quest, but at the same time I think he overdid it, and undermined some of the books' themes. In the end, though, I think Lee's performance did the character justice despite Jackson's alterations. As for the Scouring of the Shire, I would have really liked to see it presented as a short film of its own using all of the actors and resources of the trilogy. Maybe Sam is sitting by the fire with Elanor, and she wants to hear the "real" story of his return to the Shire. "Oh, I'm not sure if you're old enough to hear all that..." "I am so!" "Well, alright, then..." And congrats on 150K! It makes me happy to see your continuing success.
@itsgorani9133
15 сағат бұрын
Congratulations to 150k subscribers Jess 🎉
@Jess_of_the_Shire
14 сағат бұрын
Thanks so much!
@sebastianevangelista4921
14 сағат бұрын
@@Jess_of_the_Shire May you reach a million within the foreseeable future!
@crtune
6 сағат бұрын
@@Jess_of_the_Shire I personally think you deserve MILLIONS of subs. You do a wonderful job of presenting and delving into the questions around this material. It's quite clear you are devoted to the material and to the theater arts and crafts related to good art. We are with you.
@apollyonorange2531
15 сағат бұрын
Saruman is perhaps a great example of a right hand man to the "big bad evil guy." In the book Saruman is supreme and yet as the story unfolds we see just how powerless he is to Sauron. 4:52 Sir Christopher Lee does an excellent job at portraying the madness and the greed of possessing knowledge and power. 5:55 The direction taken here in the movie does a lot with the small screen time. 6:59 The all color metaphor is intense and almost absurd. Just as Saruman who is all powerful and all knowing, would rather break his own morality. He made himself weaker in the long run. He thought to overthrow his alliances, whilst unknowingly making them stronger. 21:08 It is also a surprisingly cold scene, specially with Grima also dying quite unceremoniously. Not onl is Saruman's plans and power gone, but everything that he held and corrupted is almost pitable. The book convayes a similar message. It takes a common hobbit to undo all Saruman ever did. Saruman used everything in his power to death, and his own product killed him. After him nothing lasted.
@tarmaque
14 сағат бұрын
I see Saruman is to Sauron as Sauron is to Morgoth. Each a shadow of the power of their master, yet each a bane to their own era.
@desertmammoth3159
12 сағат бұрын
Yeah but he made sick looking orcs. 10/10 would lead an army of fighting Uruk-Hai to battle.
@crtune
6 сағат бұрын
@@desertmammoth3159 I think almost every body builder in New Zealand was enlisted to provide convincing Uruk-Hai actors (these being thrust into the front of camera roles). There cannot be many who have developed their physique to that extent in New Zealand (it is really not easy to create epic body build). But the great production of LOTR was probably known to most people in this nation. I'm pretty certain the gyms had much conversation about joining up into this production to make truly convincing and scary orcs and to put NZ on the map as a logical place to make movies.
@TwistedChungus
2 сағат бұрын
@@crtune IIRC, body-builders, rugby players, and our actual armed forces were all prime Orc and Uruk-Hai recruitment sources.
@JXEditor
11 сағат бұрын
“Where is the Ring, Gandalf?! Would you rather the Dark Lord have it? Or SARUMAN OF MANY COLORS?!?” 🌈🪄
@genghisgalahad8465
3 сағат бұрын
You...or I! (Points upward)....or Saruman of Manycullaaaas!!! (Is handed a giant glowing Cheez Curl) Later, Gandalf: Garuman!!! Sarumang!! GARUMANG!!
@the_devils_jester
13 сағат бұрын
I think Saruman terrorising the shire and his end show us how small and bitter personal evil really is. All Saruman cared about was power but in the end, when defeated, he resorted to oppressing the hobbits for no real gain. He would never have gained real power like this. The only thing he has left is spite and kicking those who are still weaker than him.
@Jess_of_the_Shire
11 сағат бұрын
"Bitter" is an excellent way to describe him
@sebastianevangelista4921
11 сағат бұрын
@@Jess_of_the_Shire Yep
@allanorme2093
Сағат бұрын
Amazing how in just 6 months Saruman went from being the advisor of Kings and living in Isendgard, leading the Wizard council... To being beaten by Halflings who smoke weed more then they fight
@frankkutzler2758
Сағат бұрын
I really love your stuff. It's like I'm in high school again, when I could never really understand a story, and the literature people in the class would gently (more or less) point out to me all the things I missed. I'm really glad I found your channel.
@rinmathews9337
15 сағат бұрын
Rest in peace to a legend.
@williamblack6912
15 сағат бұрын
My dream was to get an audiobook Version of LotR narrated by Christopher Lee.
@ianosburn9562
15 сағат бұрын
I mean we at least got children of hurin
@namelesswarrior1187
15 сағат бұрын
@@ianosburn9562 I came here to say this. Not many people know about it though
@williamblack6912
15 сағат бұрын
@@ianosburn9562 That made it even worse.
@Jess_of_the_Shire
14 сағат бұрын
That would be sublime
@jaksonandray
11 сағат бұрын
Maybe with AI
@rickkarrer8370
12 сағат бұрын
Christopher Lee was a whole extra-magical addition to the movies.I'm sl glad he got to be in a good adaptation, and I'm glad we got to have him.
@sebastianstroud-klein5332
6 сағат бұрын
But it wasn’t “a slight breeze” that blew Saruman’s spirit away! The wind came from the west: that was the Valar denying him a return to Valinor!
@allanorme2093
Сағат бұрын
"Ahh come on, you gave Gandalf a second chance!! AND A PROMOTION!!!"
@stevenreckling203
14 сағат бұрын
Lol, that sponsor transition is gold.
@IsaacKuo
14 сағат бұрын
"Damnit Gandalf, YOU could amass an army of your own also, if you'd just get rid of your spurious subscriptions!" Later, with like a zillion trees: "Saruman, it turns out that canceling all my magazine and newspaper subscriptions was a popular move in some quarters."
@johnwalters1341
13 сағат бұрын
Another excellent video! It is interesting to compare Saruman's end with Sauron's: "Then rising swiftly up, high above the mountains, a vast soaring darkness sprang into the sky, flickering with fire...black against the pall of cloud, there rose a huge shape of shadow, impenetrable, lightning-crowned, filling all the sky. Enormous it reared above the world, and stretched out towards them a vast threatening hand, terrible but impotent: for even as it leaned over them, a great wind took it, and it was all blown away, and passed; and then a hush fell." Saruman's "pale shrouded figure" is also blown away, an insignificant image of his former master. Christopher Lee had wanted for many years to play Gandalf in a LOTR film, but by the time Peter Jackson & Co. were able to realize the project, Lee was simply too old for the physically-demanding role of Gandalf the Grey. As Saruman, he had mostly to sit on his throne and act malevolent. After watching the Making Of videos that accompanied the DVD releases of the movies, it is clear to me that Christopher Lee understood Tolkien's vision better than anyone else in the production, including the screen-writers.
@crtune
6 сағат бұрын
The "winds" are quite interesting in Tolkien legendarium. This is Manwe's domain (he is the most powerful of the Valar and considered their leader; he does not deeply relate to ordinary people in M.E, but he leads and works with other Valar in matters of importance). He is portrayed as being the "angel" or "god" of winds and of eagles. He seems to express himself and his master Eru Iluvitar via the airs and winds of the earth. Middle earth. It seems somehow fitting that our very atmosphere is an actor in the great dramas of the world. This is much like our real world where man has learned to fly like the birds, but is still subject to the whims of winds.
@alankarst86
14 сағат бұрын
I can’t listen to these videos when driving anymore. Your voice is so captivating I forget to focus on, you know, driving.
@RABartlett
5 сағат бұрын
Lee's Hammer Horror days were Masterpiece Theater compared to some stretches in his career. In the 90's it included a Police Academy sequel, being outsmarted by Tom Arnold in *The Stupids*, a few "Hey, it's public domain" knockoffs to whatever Disney was doing, and a recurring role in a very cheap Robin Hood show that was made in the wake of *Hecules: The Legendary Journeys*. He was clearly enjoying the most his renaissance and it's really cool one of his last roles was a part in Martin Scorsese tribute to fantasy filmmaking.
@crtune
6 сағат бұрын
I admire Mr. Lee because he is likely a person who had read the LOTR Trilogy even more often than myself (me-I've read them nearly thirty times). That is devotion. His having met the author and his obvious devotion to this story are everywhere evident. Also, Chris Lee was not merely another actor, regardless of the fact he was a GOOD Actor. This Hammer thing was an industry phenomenon filling a public desire for color horror movies, with the budgets not really being super high. Their studio did have good production people, but was covering a genre, and doing it on a narrow spend. He had served in intelligence operating work during WW II. This means he had been extensively trained and had deployed into areas controlled by enemy forces-that is the extent we know of Mr. Lee's time in intel work-he has been confirmed as working in the area, but he does not enumerate the details, given government secrets policies. There was a lot of this kind of work during this war and later there was much more. Lee undoubtedly learned and participated in some amazing things. So, no wonder he was such a high effort individual.
@guilhermefaleiros4892
6 сағат бұрын
I'll read LOTR in english for the first time at 28 years old (I've read it in portuguese once, but it's badly translated). Seeing theses videos is like having a glimpse at the books that didnt arrived yet. I'm very excited for that :D
@PhoenixBlade
14 сағат бұрын
This is one of my favorite scenes in the books. He is written so well.
@annikinstarkiller600
15 сағат бұрын
The Istari in LotR are so well-written it blows me away every time I read
@johnwalters1341
13 сағат бұрын
"Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger." I've always regretted that this line never made it into the movies.
@Jess_of_the_Shire
11 сағат бұрын
They're perhaps the best example of Tolkien's sheer writing talent
@crtune
6 сағат бұрын
@@Jess_of_the_Shire His way with words has kept me coming back. Merely hearing the words is quite enough for me. The fact that he created such an extensive mythos, and world is just more justification to come back and read the entire work again and again. I think your videos are like this. I probably will come back again and again and hear what you have to say in commentary around the works.
@ronaldmccomb8301
14 сағат бұрын
I couldn’t pick between the two either. Great job as always, Miss Jess. Have a hobbits week during the season when the hobbit home feels the comfiest.
@justins21482
12 сағат бұрын
HELL YEAH jess, 150k subscribers almost solely on LOTR is a fantastic accomplishment. "High Five!" in my best Borat voice impresssion! 🤣 in hindsight this sounds incredibly sarcastic but I promise I'm being sincere
@Jess_of_the_Shire
11 сағат бұрын
Thank you so much! High five accepted!
@tomhoornstra1954
13 сағат бұрын
I'd say that the chief difference between movie and book Saruman lies in the way madness is portrayed. The unnerving gleam in his eyes (Christopher Lee at his chilling best) as he states "We must join with him, Gandalf .. it would be wise, my friend", in contrast to the insidious line of argument he employs in the book: the ends basically justify the means. Morally questionable or outright deplorable devices can somehow be made to serve good and noble ends. Madness wrapped in a cloak of reason. That this has become all-too-common in our day, doesn't make it any less mad. Just less-obviously mad ... until you see what it ultimately leads to. I'd take a mad gleam in the eye of a wizard over a politician's speech any day.
@st.anselmsfire3547
8 сағат бұрын
Raising an army of Uruk-Hai has been one of my financial goals, so thank you for telling me about Rocket Money. Orcs are really expensive.
@jasonknight8581
14 сағат бұрын
Saruman also makes a cute yet evil sock puppet, iykyk.
@Jess_of_the_Shire
11 сағат бұрын
Now that's a throwback
@sebastianevangelista4921
11 сағат бұрын
@@Jess_of_the_Shire I rewatched it a week or two ago and it's still a lot of fun! I kind of miss your goofier content ngl and I think your Veggie Tales video might still be my favorite of yours.
@st.anselmsfire3547
8 сағат бұрын
I was kind of surprised when the extended editions came out that they didn't include the Scouring of The Shire. That was a fun chapter. But... the movie already had severe ending fatigue. So I see why Jackson dropped it. Still, would've been cool for a special feature on the DVD.
@semihmasat
9 сағат бұрын
Please don’t stop doing these videos. I cannot express how much I enjoy them. I was fascinated with the book Saruman when I was first reading the book. And while reading it hoped that he would redeem himself before the end. That’s why’s the scouring of the shire and his death shocked me a lot. I remembers saying “let it go old man, just learn your lesson and be ok” when he was yelling at grima before getting shanked. So it was ok for me to not see his final demise on the movies :) And Christoper Lee converted this character to something bit different but also great. I also cannot choose between them.
@crtune
6 сағат бұрын
When I went out and bought the directors cut of the movies, it was Saruman who was front of my mind on this. I knew there were likely very good scenes of Saruman and his fall which had not made the theater release of the movies. I was not disappointed. There is an epic scene of Saruman confronting the forces of Rohan, Aragorn, and Gandalf at the site of Orthanc. This is adaptation, of course, since Saruman in the book lasts until he is defeated in the Scouring of the Shire. It is quite good work nonetheless. We fans are more than willing to accommodate sincere adaptation, but not subversion, of the original materials.
@semihmasat
Сағат бұрын
@@crtune yeah, was also excited about the extended edition. Did not get disappointed at all. Loose adaptation but somehow keeps the magic
@phantompain3888
10 сағат бұрын
Great video as usual, but I gotta say, the teeth at 28:41 scared the bejesus out of me, I thought I was hallucinating for a second there
@cinematograph25
11 сағат бұрын
Saruman is impaled like Dracula in Dracula 1972, which starred Saruman actor Christopher Lee. That's the reference.
@Ennahdee
14 сағат бұрын
Christopher Lee was a powerhouse
@williamjubi
9 сағат бұрын
"These clothes are a menace." - Sir Christopher Lee from The Fellowship blooper reel.
@tarmaque
13 сағат бұрын
Christopher Lee wanted so desperately to play Gandalf that I would have forgone his sublime performance as Saruman just to see it. That would have been epic. And yet, who to play Saruman opposite such a performance? Aye, that's the rub. Perhaps he could have played both roles? An interesting thought!
@Bobbyholland901
13 сағат бұрын
Alas, when I watch your videos, I feel like Gimli in the presence of Galadriel.
@Frank_D
12 сағат бұрын
Christopher Lee is one of those actors I'm always delighted to see when he shows up on screen. An absolute legend, a descendant or Charlemagne, the inspiration for James Bond (Ian Fleming was his cousin), and a heavy metal singer. NECA recently released an action figure of him as Dracula, and I'm eagerly awaiting its arrival. I frequently borrowed the Horror of Dracula from my local library when I was younger.
@RoboSteave
3 сағат бұрын
Time spent with you is always time well spent! How do you speak so eloquently for so long without a hitch? Note cards, a teleprompter, great memory or ability to just go with it? Ooh, are there Jess outtakes we might see some day? Anyway, thanks. You are a treasure.
@veritanuda
12 сағат бұрын
FWIW Christopher Lee, gained stature because of his roles playing monsters that were human. Lord Summer Isle comes to mind. But he was also a very good hero as well in Dennis Wheatley's The Devil Rides Out. He also did a very good job in the Avengers as well. All in all, I am not sure who else could have played Saruman, and I am glad he did.
@bobsteele9581
13 сағат бұрын
Another brilliant video Jess. Excellent analysis of the character of Saruman and as a big fan of Christopher Lee myslef, your discussion of him near the end of the video was much appreciated. Loved the little flash of fangs when you said "Dracula" 🤣👍
@Yandarval
12 сағат бұрын
Well done on the fangs, Jess. Speaking naturally with them in. Sir Christopher would be proud. The Hammer films are the UK's equivalent of US B movies of the 50s to 70s..
@maxrates
14 сағат бұрын
Saruman made a Christopher Lee fan out of me (R.I.P.)
@The4ToedStatue
Сағат бұрын
When I re-read the books as an adult, I was most intrigued by the fact that Saruman isn't really on Sauron's side. He pays him lipservice at best, all the while lying to the Nazgul, searching for Isildur's body (and thereby the ring), and even forging his own ring. Had the Host of the West been defeated but Sauron not yet gained the ring, I fully believe there would be war between Orthanc and Barad-dur.
@Operator-i7
4 сағат бұрын
I like your clear and descriptive format! great video!
@marknovak6498
10 сағат бұрын
I kept on thinking the final scenes with the level wizard in the book illustrated that Majic was receding in the world with the One ring's demise.
@bertanderson2548
6 сағат бұрын
Saruman wanted the Ring for himself. The movie dumbed him down to a sniveling minion of Sauron.
@manyifnotmost
10 сағат бұрын
The Voice scene…man, he really is every politician isn’t he. I think Douglas Adams does a similar thing about sophisticated arguments you can’t remember the sense of in the cold light of day.
@paulpasche7853
11 сағат бұрын
Imho, the breeze that dispersed Saruman's mist-spirit, came from the west because it was Manwe, lord of the air, denying Saruman returning to Valinor
@Jess_of_the_Shire
11 сағат бұрын
Great catch!
@sebastianevangelista4921
11 сағат бұрын
No stone went unturned under Tolkien's watch.
@squamish4244
Сағат бұрын
Yeah, I feel the same way about the wizard invisible slapfight. It just looks dumb. I think all that needed to happen for the visual medium was for Saruman to hurl Gandalf back against the wall as in the first part of the scene. That would have been enough to show Gandalf's powerlessness against him. I even told a friend who hadn't read the books what happens there, and he said, "Yeah, that makes sense". ROTK frankly has a lot of fat on it, as Jackson had started to get sloppy since TT with the editing of unnecessary or overlong scenes ever since the massive success of the first film. (IMO we did not need a warg attack in a theatrical cut that was already packed with action - the #1 complaint I heard was "too much fighting") It has about half an hour that could be cut. That's plenty of time to include Saruman's death scene.
@marshillmike
14 сағат бұрын
Nice discussion, really nice cup.
@isaacchillman11
15 сағат бұрын
Congrats on 150
@MarkStorey-dc4tm
14 сағат бұрын
I always loved the Saruman from the radio 4 series especially for how they handled the Voice of Saruman scene. (Christopher Lee was great too though.)
@kevinsullivan3448
15 сағат бұрын
I think that Peter Jackson saved him. If the Cleansing of the Shire had been left in we would have seen the worst of Saruman.
@Yandarval
13 сағат бұрын
Adding Saruman's antics in the Shire would have made the film a lot longer, to do it justice. The trilogy was already pushing back the boundries, on the length of a film. Adding another 10-20 minutes to cover what happened, may have broken too many boundries, including cost.
@horsethi3f
Сағат бұрын
My favourite moment of Christopher Lee's Saruman is during one of the Hobbit movies, he's talking in the background grumbling about how Gandalf was not paying attention.
@peterratter6603
12 сағат бұрын
Sorry I can't provide sources (getting late (couple of bottles of wine) into a Friday evening), but I'm sure I've read/heard/seen sources that said Sir Christopher originally wanted to audition for Gandalf; apparently PJ thought that while CL *could* have played Gandalf, nobody else could have played Saruman. Backtracking, autobiographical: Like many of my generation, I grew up watching movies I was too young to be watching. Though tame by today's standards, the Hammer Horrors were things to be caught by chance on a Friday or Saturday night if you happened to be up/awake when they were shown on one of the three channels available. As a result, Christopher Lee became, along with Peter Cushing, one of my favourite actors. Along with Vincent Price, they formed what some fans have called the 'Unholy Trinity'. All three were brilliant actors. All three gave it their all, whatever they were in; take for example, 1979's 'Arabian Adventure': Lee is an evil wizard, Cushing is the reflection of a spirit, trapped in a mirror. Is it a good film? Hell, no. Is it a brilliant story? Hell, yes! Lee, Sir Christopher, whether he was in a pot-boiler or a block-buster, gave every role the same energy and focus. His Saruman was no more book Saruman than his Dracula was the book Dracula. Yet as surely as his Dracula will stand as a defining rendition of the character, so will his Saruman.
@fuferito
10 сағат бұрын
Sarumam does, indeed, end up the victim of a relentless inevitability; "The Ents justify the means."
@daftymcnumpty8198
14 сағат бұрын
As much as I love Sir Ian as Gandalf I still think Sir Christopher should have been Gandalf
@timelordvictorious
12 сағат бұрын
I think it’s a shame they did not have the scouring of the shire it symbolises Tolkien’s hatred of the countryside being industrialised by Saruman. Also I would argue the horror of Frankenstein is written well compared to lot of the hammer films offerings.
@animistchannel
5 сағат бұрын
I have to agree with you on pretty much every point. Particularly, the Scouring of the Shire was necessary to complete the Faerie journey of the adventurers, to face down the manifestation of those challenges in their own home lives. However, in terms of moviemaking, it would have been simply unsustainable and redundant, and it would have dragged out and discounted the hero's journey of Aragorn that had culminated in that beautiful wedding-day/coronation scene with everyone honoring the hobbits in Minas Tirith. I love that you comprehend the differences among what can be done in the various media. On a personal note, I throw my lot in with those who think that Peter Jackson should have honored Tolkien's wish that Christopher play Gandalf in a movie. I think his looming charisma and glaring eye-socket-level intimidation would have been outrageously effective. Ian MacKellen, on the other hand, would have made a quite effective Saruman, with his ability to project that seething, patient, duplicitous resentment and scheming that he brought to Magneto in the X-Men movie. Obviously, both were masterful actors who could do either side well enough, but I think if they had reversed roles for LotR movies it would have been even more effective, both ways. Christopher definitely suffered from both typecasting and the fact that he was like 6'6" (which annoys directors of photography), but with proper camera placement that could have been used to great effect to show the various levels (literally) of Gandalf's humility versus austure dignity or rage. The very real facts of Lee's real life experience (like being an actual SAS operator ffs) gave him a natural access to the cold objectiveness and determination of one who has been much-traveled and seen a lot of brutal circumstances, much in line with Gandalf's own career. Thank you so much for being you and continuing your work!
@dthdancer
11 сағат бұрын
Christopher Lee was was my favorite actor and narrator. I would have loved a whole movie centered around his version of Saruman for no other reason then to just get more of him in the role!
@Jp421JP
11 сағат бұрын
I can’t even remember the theatrical cut. The full movie is the only thing I know.
@JamesAllen-zt2cu
14 сағат бұрын
Great analysis!
@Valdagast
11 сағат бұрын
One of the Hammer Dracula movies had dialogue so bad that Lee refused to say it. So he's silent for the whole movie, which gives the Count a feral, animalistic feel. But of course, you never got to hear his fantastic voice. I would _love_ for you to review the first _Wicker Man_ movie, the good one, the one with Christopher Lee and not the atrocity starring Nic Cage. (Although Cage is never boring to watch).
@Jess_of_the_Shire
11 сағат бұрын
That's an incredibly neat fact, and it makes a lot of sense. I haven't gotten around to seeing the Wicker Man yet, but it's on my list!
@sebastianevangelista4921
11 сағат бұрын
@@Jess_of_the_Shire Ryan Hollinger has an excellent video titled 'Why Was THE WICKER MAN Considered "Scary"?' that I would highly recommend checking out.
@sebastianevangelista4921
11 сағат бұрын
NOT THE BEES!!! AAAGGGHHH!!!
@CurseShot
7 сағат бұрын
Well in the Peter Jackson's Return of the King, Treebeard hints that Saruman is alive in the theatrical release. He said, "There is a wizard left to manage" (or something like that) and gestures back to the stairs of Orthanc. As a child, I took this to mean he was just a prisoner in his own tower. Though once watching the extended edition, it shows what happens to him. Though if we go off only the theatrical release, he's a prisoner in his own tower.
@bradcraig6676
5 сағат бұрын
Lee absolutely brought Saruman believably to life, not an easy thing. The casting throughout Jackson's trilogy was near-perfect, but he still stands out. Apparently, Lee was greatly saddened when they cut his final scenes from the theatrical release. Fortunately we have the extended versions. Overall, the choices made by the writers about what should be excluded from the films were sound. But I would have liked to have seen the proper "Scouring" ending; it is one of my favorite parts of the book.
@JordanCiron-yz2xv
Сағат бұрын
I love Christopher Lee’s performance. No one else could’ve played him better I love the movie vision I wood love to have seen the many colors that would’ve been cool costume . Rest in peace Christoper Lee
@MrCounselor17
9 сағат бұрын
Jess, I think you have truly identified what has gone wrong with the culture of the West in recent years. As we have turned away from our Judeo-Christian roots and embraced post-modern thought, or as you say "ripped the truth into its many facets", we have become culturally confused and have forgotten ourselves. We are all like Sauruman in this way.
@snakeburrito2512
9 сағат бұрын
For me Saruman's corruption is that there is no purpose, (resistance to Sauron is futile), only the means are left (power and order are kinda meaningless in themselves). And in our world a cristian rhetoric may well be used as a tool of some power, as it is in Russia now (привет). It's used to give the dull and the dumb a feeling of self-righteousness. Like Christ died not for everybody but for them specifically.
@infinitestare
14 сағат бұрын
can't remember much about book Saruman, except for an impression that he was much more cunning and yet more IDK grounded I guess. More wise and substantiated, felt more humanly reasonable. Movie guy is more of a hollywood villain, exagerrated behavior. Count Dooku-esque
@SunsetKidnies
10 сағат бұрын
That ad segway was diabolical 😂
@tomklock568
7 сағат бұрын
Thank you Jess.
@claveworks
12 сағат бұрын
Still would have like 6 films no matter how difficult that would be. Scouring of the Shire, Tom Bombadil's house, and Glorfindel etc. Also Beorn? or was that in the Hobbit? I will re-read LOTR again because it is great, but I'm currently re-reading the Wheel of Time - which is 14 books long and a pretty hard-core slog lol.
@kaguya6900
2 сағат бұрын
Nothing against Christopher Lee who is a legend, but I love the book Saruman because his motivations and attitudes are so understandable and consistent. He is playing is own game in the book (as opposed to the movie where he is a living representation of Sauron), trying to pretend to side with Sauron but in reality trying to get the ring in order to defeat Sauron and set himself up as ruler of the world. Even in the end when he is reduced to acting like a beggar, he is still self-aggrandizing while in the midst of self-pity. He thought he did everything necessary to obtain the ring. His plot was perfectly logical. But it was never, ever even close to getting within his grasp. He had lost the war the moment Frodo passed across the lake on the boat with Sam, but he never realized it. The scene with Saruman I would most have liked to see, both in the book and the movie, is a few days after the fall of Eisengard, a nazgul visits Saruman. I would have liked to have seen that scene. Saruman putting everything he has into his voice, trying to convince that he never had a chance against Rohan and the Ents and that the hobbit that Sauron saw in the Palantir was never really in Saruman's possession in the first place. I think a scene of Saruman desperately trying to convince a doubtful nazgul that he (Saruman) did nothing wrong would be glorious.
@MosBaked
11 сағат бұрын
Great video, this makes me want to read the books more, just to see the the Many coloured version of him at work
@ericforman1483
8 сағат бұрын
Beautiful, elegant, expressive hands.
@303cisco303
15 сағат бұрын
Thank you for expanding my knowledge and making it so entertaining
@Jess_of_the_Shire
14 сағат бұрын
My pleasure!
@VenomCinematic
13 сағат бұрын
28:48 nice I like what you did there 😏🤌
@sebastianevangelista4921
14 сағат бұрын
1. Have you by any chance seen Eddie Izzard's LoTR bit from her most recent special Wunderbar? There's a great part centered around Saruman and Sauron having similar sounding names. 2. As someone who wholeheartedly subscribes to the idea of show don't tell, I really am glad that the films decided to depict the events chronologically and actually show them to us because in the book it was very much a case of Tolkien *telling* us what happened, which in my opinion hurt the pacing. 3. Neat vial necklace there! What's in it? 4. I still can't figure out how Saruman gets to the top of his tower. There are no stairs or hatch doors and it really bothers me! 5. I really hope that the next Book vs. Movie episode will be on Sauron. 6. As someone who's only ever seen the extended cuts, it truly did and continues to baffle me that Saruman's death was cut out of the theatrical cut. One of my favorite bits of trivia from these films only applies to the extended cuts (courtesy of IMDB): While filming Saruman's death scene, Peter Jackson tried to tell Sir Christopher Lee how to react and breathe after he was stabbed in the back. Lee, a World War II veteran with British Special Forces, assured Jackson that he knew what a man sounded like when stabbed in the back. 7. A video on Peter Jackson's early filmography could be pretty cool. 8. Regarding Saruman's view of the world as a resource to be exploited, isn't it a part of the Abrahamic faiths that man supposedly has dominion over this Earth? This brings to mind how other cultures and faiths show more reverence towards the Earth (e.g a solid chunk of Hayao Miyazaki's filmography). 9. I can't help but notice your copies of Dracula and Interview With The Vampire on your shelf there, Jess. Maven of The Eventide and Dominic Noble have both made some really wonderful videos on them if you're at all interested. 10. JESS IS A VAMPIRE 🧛♀🥳🎉!!! Those teeth are a good look for you. 11. Lee is my favorite version because the man brought a level of gravitas and text alone could never provide. That booming voice just immediately commands authority.
@raybod1775
9 сағат бұрын
Jess does give a bit of a vampire vide, even without the teeth.
@veritanuda
12 сағат бұрын
Heya Jess, Another great video, and if I were to add one thing further, if you want to see Suruman of Many Colours, they do actually do that scene in Ralph Bakshi's animated version which although sadly truncated, was still a good movie in the spirit of the books. Outside of the scope of this video but worth noting all the same. Thanks for sharing.
@missanne2908
10 сағат бұрын
Saruman was one of Middle Earth's baddies who was associated with Aulë. Although this wasn't mentioned in LOTR, anyone who has read Tolkien's other works, such as _The Silmarillion,_ know that both Sauron and Saruman were pupils of Aulë, as was Fëanor.
@JR-ld2xx
11 сағат бұрын
Christopher Lee is my favourite. Your voice sounded beautifully. Not like a cheese grater. I really enjoy bias, opinion and research on the subjects, you talk about. If I have a question, can leave it in the comments section? Thank you.
@missanne2908
10 сағат бұрын
If you talk about memorable Christopher Lee roles, you can't leave out his portrayal of Lord Summerisle in the original 1973 version of _The Wicker Man._ Lee said _The Wicker Man_ was his favorite film (although he said footage had been lost and it would have been even better had the film been longer), that it was one of the best written characters that he ever played, and he was so eager to work on this film that he worked without pay. If all you have seen is the execrable 2006 remake, please don't let that deter you and go see the original!
@robdgaming
13 сағат бұрын
This shows some of the many changes Peter Jackson made to create a great film out of a great book. Yet Saruman's character remains very close to the book throughout, thanks to CL.
@420GameTimeColorado
Сағат бұрын
I also love his metal album from the 80s
@grokeffer6226
3 сағат бұрын
Christopher Lee gave a brilliant performance, but I was a tad miffed, sitting in the theater, about some of the choices made by the movie makers. Admittedly, it would have taken a whole other movie after the destruction of The Ring to squeeze in the Battle of Bywater, but that was a much better ending for Saruman, in my opinion. It would have taken at least four 3-hour movies to tell the story the way that I'd have liked to, with the first movie ending with the Fellowship paddling away from Lothlorien, each member worrying about their home as they proceeded without Gandalf. Still, Mr. Jackson and Co. did an excellent job, all in all, on a very difficult project.
@annapajak5116
11 сағат бұрын
Everyone should read up on Christopher Lee's life.. not only did he meet Tolkien.. he killed Nazis in the war.. he saw the last public execution by guillotine in France.. he was also in Star wars and also in James Bond . he is related to Charlemagne.. he has travelled the world.. he made death metal albums when he turned 90.. he made Dracula sexy....etc etc.. I'm trying to remember everything.. but I watched an episode of Weird history KZitem channel about Christopher Lee and his bad ass life.. 😊 it was fascinating..❤
@robincowley5823
4 сағат бұрын
The Scouring of the Shire would certainly benefit from its own deep dive. It's understandable that Jackson didn't include it - timewise it was impossible. However.... the Scouring of the Shire is central to the whole story. It demonstrates how the hobbits have grown: they would never have been able to deal with Saruman before the Fellowship, the journey, the war. It also shows how even the Shire cannot escape the effects of the outside world. It is not an island, just as Tolkien could look around and see that his romanticised England could also not escape progress, or the effects of events far away (which, to be fair, Britain was deeply involved in, imperially). It also showed how fascism (Saruman is certainly a fascist - look how he regards those he believes are 'lower') needs to be utterly defeated - if not, it will also rear its ugly head again, even in the pettiest way.
@neilbiggs1353
Сағат бұрын
I don't know if it's impossible timewise - From the Two Towers you could happily eliminate a lot of Jackson additions like the Warg attack, the taking of the Hobbits to Osgilliath etc, and it feels like you could get enough time to do it reasonably by shifting some of RotK in to TT. My big worry would be the tonal shift in that it's hard to take the 'ruffians' seriously as a threat, that would be hard to drop in to a film as a guess
@jennbeammakes
49 минут бұрын
It's key to the story. Frodo slipping into the background and the others showing their growth as leaders (and becoming Thain, Master and Mayor) plus the Real death of Sharkey
@fuzzyincome
6 сағат бұрын
Characters such as Saruman, glorfindel, prince imrahil etc would have greatly benefited from 6 movies corresponding to the original format of the lotr books.
@sourisvoleur4854
11 сағат бұрын
I think the Scouring could have been done as a one-reel epilogue, on a separate disc. This only works in home video and streaming; it wouldn't work in theaters.
@caleschley
4 сағат бұрын
I heard that PJ decided to stake Christopher Lee in the LOTR as a tribute to his work as Dracula.
@penultimateh766
6 сағат бұрын
"What is the house of Eorl but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek, and their brats roll on the floor among their dogs?"
@5up3rj
5 сағат бұрын
That segue - You never know when the devil will order you to build an army >
@germainelowpt7206
Сағат бұрын
Quite a good video, as usual!
@brokenwolf67
15 сағат бұрын
Didn't like them leaving out the scouring of the shire from the movies
@fortyofforty5257
15 сағат бұрын
Exactly. That one episode showed that the "normal, quiet Hobbits" have an abiding fighting spirit under the surface, ready to rise up and overthrow a tyrant.
@maxrates
14 сағат бұрын
It wouldn't have fit the pacing of the movie. The big crescendo had already happened.
@brokenwolf67
13 сағат бұрын
@maxrates yes I understand why they left it out but it would have been nice to have it
@simonmeadows7961
3 сағат бұрын
One of the big differences, as is clear from your video, is the change in name. In the books, he is called Saruman ('Sa-ru-man') but the film changed the pronunciation to Sarrowman. Similarly, Isengard (which sounds a bit like Isambard) was changed to Eisenguard.
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