A Little Bit of Home

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=140 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="008dba33.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" ><A HREF="http://www,frodolivesin.us" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www,frodolivesin.us"><U><IMG SRC="00791330.jpg" border=0 width="145" height="51" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>     |  </FONT>  <A HREF="http://www.frodolivesin.us" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.frodolivesin.us"><U> </U></A><A HREF="http://www.frodolivesin.us" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.frodolivesin.us"><U>home</U></A> |   | back to  <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Two Towers"><U><B>The Two Towers</B></U></A> </div> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Just a Dream"><U>"Just a Dream"</U></A><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Symbol" >   ·   </FONT><B>A Little Bit of Home</B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#000000" 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TITLE="Osgiliath: Leaving"><U>Osgiliath: Leaving</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=340 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" background="0556b7b3.gif"> <bR> <div> <I><B>A Little Bit of Home</B></I></div> <bR> <div> It's the part of this scene immediately before these pics that usually gets most of the attention:  for "smile analysis" and because of Frodo's "My dear Sam," which can make the scene feel as if it's directly from the book rather than invented for the movie.  In the first pic below, Frodo's still smiling about Sam's hopes for roast chicken on this journey.   </div> <bR> <div> But Sam's statement about his box of salt being "special" because it's "the best in the Shire,"  changes Frodo's mood immediately.  Pictures <A HREF="#bit_of_home_2" TITLE="A Little Bit of Home"><U>2-5</U></A> provide a little study in the effect of eyebrow acting, thanks to the wind.  In 2 and 4, Frodo's hair is covering his forehead (and eyebrows) and he just looks pensive.  But in 3 and 5, the wind has blown his hair out of the way and we see the emotion is more serious than a simple case of homesickness.   Especially in 3 (because that's where we see the most of his face), there's a mix of pain, concern and confusion, along with an obviously difficult thought process.   </div> <bR> <div> In <A HREF="#bit_of_home_6" TITLE="A Little Bit of Home"><U>6</U></A>, Frodo's beginning to look up, and by 7 he's focused on Sam.  His expression in 7 is intriguing.  It looks to me almost as if he's <I>suspecting </I>Sam of something, but it's more likely that he's seeing something new in Sam and has to think about it a moment.  By 10, we see only affection, although there's still some thought behind it.  In 11 and 12, he looks down and begins handing the box back to Sam.  His expression in 12 is painful.</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="#bit_of_home_13" TITLE="A Little Bit of Home"><U>13-16</U></A> are during the line, "It's a little bit of home."  It's been said (long before the movies existed) that one of the ways Sam supports Frodo is just by being there, as a reminder of why they're doing this.  Because Sam is such a clear representation of what's good about the Shire, his presence reminds Frodo of what it is he's trying to save, giving him the strength to take the next step forward.  In the movie, I think this little box of salt makes that visible, although here the reminder is obviously painful.   </div> <bR> <div> In <A HREF="#bit_of_home_17" TITLE="A Little Bit of Home"><U>17</U></A>, Frodo begins moving past Sam.  He doesn't turn 180 or 90 degrees and walk away from Sam, but the movement has the same effect of hiding his face.  Is Frodo hiding his feelings from Sam?  Watch his facial expression change from 17 to 21, as he moves out of Sam's field of vision.  (There's a <A HREF="#bit_of_home_18b" TITLE="A Little Bit of Home"><U>repeat of 18-21</U></A> at the end, tweaked to make Frodo's eyes more visible.  But in just about every cap on this page, you can get a glimpse of the make-up under and around his eyes that gives a sunken, weary appearance--if you really look for it.) </div> <bR> <div> From the moment he leaves Bag End, book-Frodo expects never to see it--or the Shire--again.  But movie-Frodo has to come to that awareness gradually.  I think this scene shows an important moment in that realization, which is solidified much later in <I>TTT </I>by Galadriel telling Elrond that Frodo is beginning to realize "the quest will claim his life."   So that, at the beginning of the <I>RotK</I> movie, we can see that Frodo expects there to be no return journey.  But even then, he can't bring himself to tell Sam.  It's a big jump from hoping to eat roast chicken to knowing you're on a one-way trip <I>away </I>from home--which Sam does, finally, later in that movie </div> <div>  <A NAME="bit_of_home_top"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B>1</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="03bca330.jpg" border=0 width="714" height="307" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="bit_of_home_2"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></div> <div> <B>2</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="03ccc2f0.jpg" border=0 width="716" height="303" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>3</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="03dc92f0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="303" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>4</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="03ec82c0.jpg" border=0 width="712" height="300" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>5</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="03fc52c0.jpg" border=0 width="709" height="300" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="bit_of_home_6"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></div> <div> <B>6</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="040c5300.jpg" border=0 width="709" height="304" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>7</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="041c62f0.jpg" border=0 width="710" height="303" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>8</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="042c5300.jpg" border=0 width="709" height="304" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>9</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="043c62f0.jpg" border=0 width="710" height="303" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>10</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="044c62f0.jpg" border=0 width="710" height="303" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>11</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="045c52f0.jpg" border=0 width="709" height="303" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>12</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="046c52e0.jpg" border=0 width="709" height="302" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="bit_of_home_13"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></div> <div> <B>13</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="047c72d0.jpg" border=0 width="711" height="301" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>14</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="048c72f0.jpg" border=0 width="711" height="303" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>15</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="049c62d0.jpg" border=0 width="710" height="301" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>16</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="04ac92f0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="303" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B> <A NAME="bit_of_home_17"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></B></div> <div> <B>17</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="04bc92f0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="303" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>18</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="04cc92f0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="303" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>19</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="04dc82d0.jpg" border=0 width="712" height="301" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>20</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="04ece330.jpg" border=0 width="718" height="307" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>21</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="04fcb310.jpg" border=0 width="715" height="305" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> In "hiding" from Sam, Frodo also has the advantage in this scene of his hair and its shadow shielding his face somewhat.  But with the wonders of modern technology, and for purposes of research, here are those last four frames "tweaked" to take away some of his disguise.  This isn't done to make the pics look better--because they don't!  But they give us a better look at where Frodo's actually focusing.  His eyes shift from Sam to past Sam.   In 21, Frodo seems to be close to tears; no wonder he doesn't want Sam to see that.</div> <div>  <A NAME="bit_of_home_18b"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <B>18b</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="050c92f0.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="303" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>19b</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="051c82d0.jpg" border=0 width="712" height="301" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>20b</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="053ce330.jpg" border=0 width="718" height="307" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>21b</B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="054cb310.jpg" border=0 width="715" height="305" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <div> And, finally, an in-between tweak of that last frame, just because I like it--it looks natural, yet the weary, close-to-tears expression is fairly visible.  </div> <bR> <div> <B>21c  </B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="052cb310.jpg" border=0 width="715" height="305" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> 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