That Thorin is something else, isn”t he? He may be a dwarf, but he stands very tall in my estimate. It’s true we’ve only seen snippets of Richard’s performance–his appearance in the film trailer, and then brief glimpses of him here and there in the video blogs–but I truly like what I see (and hear. Oh, that voice!).
I ask myself if I would be as impressed with what we’ve seen of Thorin thus far if I weren’t so fond of RA and so thrilled to see anything new with him in it. Admittedly, I am prejudiced in RA’s favor.
Still, I think anyone, not just a besotted RA fan like me,would watch Richard in action–running, brandishing Orcrist, riding his horse, bellowing in that barrel, singing a solemn tune–and say that fellow looks like the warrior dwarf and king that he’s playing. Just as he inhabited characters such as Thornton, Porter and Gisborne, so it appears he is giving us a fully-fleshed out Thorin, one that will very likely be more complex than in The Hobbit (which, after all, was written as a children’s book).
Some still wish for more RA in the video blogs. Mind you, I wouldn’t object to seeing and hearing more from RA, but it does strike me that we aren’t seeing a great deal of even Sir Ian and Martin in these videos. I think it is safe to say Bilbo, Gandalf and Thorin are the three lead characters in the film. And I suspect the leads are so busy filming there isn’t a lot of downtime for trailer tours and cutting up.
The focus of the vlogs seems to have been on the secondary characters and of course, all those wonderful behind-the-scenes moments where we get to meet all the people who help make this amazing movie magic and how they accomplish that magic. The vlogs have truly been not only entertaining, but a learning experience. Thank you, Sir Peter!
It’s all just enough to make you want more, much, much more. Especially more of that regal, handsome, courageous dwarf.
I think Richard Armitage‘s “rightness” for the role of Thorin was first most evident to the world at last year’s press conference. He didn’t push himself forward. He listened quietly, attentively to more loquacious panel members. And when it was his turn, he responded with wit, intelligence and his customary thoughtfulness. He dominated the event. Call it mystique, allure, the “IT” Factor. Whatever it is, RA has it in spades. He may not be an aristocrat, but he has the regal bearing and natural elegance of one, that is for certain.
And it didn’t hurt, of course, that he looked and sounded so damned–MANLY. *thud*
Thorin needs to be a strong, alpha male type, with charisma and leadership abilities–flawed, but still nonetheless a genuine hero.
I think there are going to be a lot of audience members who will be very impressed by Richard’s portrayal. He will look like, sound like and BE the King Under the Mountain. We will believe.
And so what if his beard isn’t as long as it is in the novel? Scarlett O’Hara as written by Margaret Mitchell had at least one husband and a couple of kids that didn’t appear in the movie. She was also not supposed to be beautiful. And that film still turned out to be a classic. You can remain faithful to the spirit of a written work without following it word for word when translating it to the screen.
And I, for one, can hardly wait to see the magnificence of Thorin on the big screen in December.
