One of the best book-to-film adaptations of a poignant line is the scene in Return of the King when Pippin and Gandalf are in Minas Tirith. They're in the midst of battle and and Pippin--brave, optimistic, endearing Pippin--has begun to lose hope. If you would like to watch the scene, click here. I've added the text below.
"PIPPIN: I didn't think it would end this way.
GANDALF: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.
PIPPIN: What? Gandalf? See what?
GANDALF: White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.
PIPPIN: Well, that isn't so bad.
GANDALF: No. No, it isn't.”
It's beautiful, isn't it? This conversation was adapted from the end of Return of The King, when Frodo is sailing to the Grey Havens.
“And the ship went out into the High Sea and passed into the West, until at last on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.” (Return of The King, J.R.R. Tolkien)
I watched Return of The King today and as it usually does, this conversation stuck out. This time, however, the reasons were entirely different.
January 3rd, was Tolkien's birthday. The late professor would have been 124. I had wanted to post this then, but putting my feelings about Tolkien into words that don't wax poetic is tricky because I have such an attachment to Tolkien and his writing.
While watching that scene, I had this image in my head of Tolkien as Gandalf. The wizened, older teacher imparting the brilliance of a gifted hope to the seemingly hopeless. The knowing little smile and the watery eyes are suddenly those of the late professor, reminding his beloved students that death is not the end, and he has gone on to a far green country.
"PIPPIN: I didn't think it would end this way.
GANDALF: End? No, the journey doesn't end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it.
PIPPIN: What? Gandalf? See what?
GANDALF: White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.
PIPPIN: Well, that isn't so bad.
GANDALF: No. No, it isn't.”
It's beautiful, isn't it? This conversation was adapted from the end of Return of The King, when Frodo is sailing to the Grey Havens.
“And the ship went out into the High Sea and passed into the West, until at last on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance on the air and heard the sound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.” (Return of The King, J.R.R. Tolkien)
I watched Return of The King today and as it usually does, this conversation stuck out. This time, however, the reasons were entirely different.
January 3rd, was Tolkien's birthday. The late professor would have been 124. I had wanted to post this then, but putting my feelings about Tolkien into words that don't wax poetic is tricky because I have such an attachment to Tolkien and his writing.
While watching that scene, I had this image in my head of Tolkien as Gandalf. The wizened, older teacher imparting the brilliance of a gifted hope to the seemingly hopeless. The knowing little smile and the watery eyes are suddenly those of the late professor, reminding his beloved students that death is not the end, and he has gone on to a far green country.