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Rgirvan44 -> RE: The Hobbit : An Unexpected Journey (21/12/2011 12:56:45 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: jrewing1000
quote:
ORIGINAL: Rgirvan44
quote:
ORIGINAL: jrewing1000
LOTR has certainly aged badly, action set pieces aside. Never really considered Jackson a great director, I feel his real strength lies in directing visual effects and that's about it. Everything else just feels so bland and safe. There doesn't seem to be any real vision to this, just a regurgitation of the book. It's all so clean.
Care to expand on this?
Sure.
While the LOTR trilogy and probably The Hobbit series will be exciting event movies, I feel Jackson's style lacks auteurship, in that his Tolkien movies seem to follow the rails of the books, and his task seems to be simply joining the dots.
I'm not for one moment dismissing the huge amount of care and attention he lavishes these films, the amount of work put into making them is clearly enormous. But I can't help but feel it's all a bit too clear and lacks depth. Most locations feel the same, whether it's an Elvish city, a Dwarf mine or a Hobbit village.
Comparing his directing style to Spielberg, Fincher, Mann and other directors who's films have a very distinct look and feel, I just think Jackson's strength lies in production and visual effects, not in helming the entire film.
Don't misunderstand me, I think there are some astonishing moments in the LOTR trilogy, but they are mostly set pieces. I think most of the appeal of these films lies, like Potter, in people's enjoyment of seeing the beloved book being brought to life on screen. But does that make a great film in its own right? I don't think it necessarily does.
I would disagree with this - for one thing the films do take liberties with the books - indeed for the better in many cases. And Jackson does have a visual style - if you watch the films leading up to the LOTR there is a constant mix of steady cam moves, trackign shots and handheld, often thrown in at the same time.
I think with regard to the locations, some will be similar - and Elf forest city is going to be similar to and Elf castle in many ways. But you look at Gondor and Rohan and there is a distinct visual difference.
The visual effects sequences - huge parts of FOTR barely have action - it isn't an action heavy movie, esp in comparison to the later two films.
I think it is a little unfair to suggest that Jacksons directing is weak, these films were a huge undertaking - far bigger than anything the three directors you have mentioned, have ever tried to do.
Is Jackson an auteur? Well only if you believe that theory. I don't - and to be honest, from looking at the extras, neither does he really. Each of the films has a different editor for instance, and that creates a distinct feel for each film. That was a choice employed by Jackson - which in turn can make people feel that his directing isn't consistent - but it is the editing which is what changes.
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