Are Dunn and Armitage alternating with their “gifts” to the world fandom? After the Young Minds tweet selfie (typical smartphone fare, I’m afraid, not worth *ooof*ing – sorry, Rich :-P) we get a new Thorin image by Sarah Dunn – well, as I am writing this it is two weeks exactly until the world premiere of The Hobbit – The Battle of the Five Armies, so some Thorin is timely. And after Armitage messing with his fans’ heads teasing (#whatreallyhappenstoThorin), the latest image of the mighty dwarf king will keep us guessing a little bit longer. Why I think so, you will find out later in this analysis. But for the start let’s have a look at the image as such.
Crowned Thorin
Image by Sarah Dunn/Nels Israelson for
The Hobbit – The Battle of the Five Armies (2014)
Thorin sits in armour and ceremonial robe, raven crown on his head, sword by his side and shield at his feet. I like to approach a picture analysis by noting how my gaze goes over the image. You may wonder how this works and whether there is any definite guide to it. There isn’t of course, as we all have our own visual triggers and preferences. But it is fair to say that there are a few logical and typical components in any image that will guide any viewer’s gaze. My initial contact with the image is via Thorin’s head. I search for the face, and specifically the eyes in an image – because that is how humans establish rapport and connection of any kind, no matter whether in RL or within a picture. From there, it is the sharp contours of the sitter standing out against the background, lines formed by clothing or body, and especially bright or dark parts of the image that will attract and guide my gaze.
In this image, from Thorin’s right eye my gaze is guided down along the strong ridge of his right leg armour to the top of his toe-caps. Next my gaze flickers to his right forearm, guided by the vertical line of the sword. The bright reflection on the sharply angular armour of his left forearm attracts my attention next, and is neatly guided along right forearm first, then the belt, to be met with the pointing index finger and finally arriving at the brightly reflecting armour. Lastly, I follow the line of Thorin’s left leg down to the shield at his feet. For me, two sight lines matter most – the initial vertical from eye to toe, and then the horizontal from hand to elbow. If you follow the description you will find that the gaze makes the sign of the cross. Interesting. However, secondary sight lines are in the picture as well, where the fall of Thorin’s robes stands out against the background on the left and right (yellow lines). Once my brain had taken all this in, I found my gaze flickering between Thorin’s head at the top and the round-ish shape of the shield at the bottom, though, something that will inform my interpretation of the image later in my ficlet .
What I find most pleasing about the composition, however, is the tight and symmetrical arrangement of a seemingly asymmetrical pose within the frame. If you were to draw a square onto the image (white lines), all of Thorin would perfectly fit into it – and look how neatly his head meets the middle of the upper edge while his robes touch the two bottom corners of the square. However, cropping the image into square format would feel like boxing the sitter in – he needs space at the top and the bottom as balance, and to relieve the eye from the attention-demanding content within the imaginary square. Therefore a final image in portrait orientation is only logical.
As a photographer I am *always* concerned with the lighting in a studio generated portrait. And I can tell that Dunn had her work cut out here. The keylight (= main light) seems to come from the right (our perspective), indicated by the strong reflection on the armour on Thorin’s left forearm, as well as on the left side of his face, which is closest to the keylight. The keylight does not quite reach the side of his face that is most visible to us. However, it is not completely dark, either, indicating that there must have been a fill light from another direction, most likely above head, possibly slightly to the right (indicated by the shadows). This is also why some other angular parts of the armour are lit up even though the keylight cannot possibly reach there. (There may also be a back light used, although the image appears quite vignetted – usually a sign that no back light was used to light up the background – but that may be a post-produced effect.)
Dunn has managed the lighting really well because what she was given was very demanding: Thorin is dressed in a variety of garments with very different textures. There are the soft textures of the fur and the cloak as opposed to the metallic, smooth surfaces of the armour. Photographing reflective surfaces is very difficult because it can result in unsightly glare and strong reflections in the wrong places, taking away from the *really* important bits of an image. The Weta Design Dept. has not made this easy for Dunn – Thorin’s armour is extremely difficult to photograph with its many ridges and angles. No matter which way you angle the light, glaring reflections are unavoidable thanks to the cubist, multi-sided look of the dwarfish design language. In this case, you’d probably want to light the armour with some soft light from the side in order to catch some of the sharp ridges while avoiding glare and deep shadow. The textures of the soft fur and fabric on the other hand are better lit with a direct light source which makes the structure of the material stand out (due to the shadows that are created).
Dunn combines the two (although I think the fur and the afghan ripples of the cloak appear a bit flat) by lighting the sitter from above (-right). The three-dimensionality of the fur is actually better captured on Thorin’s left shoulder where individual hairs stand out brightly when they are caught in the direct light from the side. (Compare the two shoulders and see what you think – which side appears more three-dimensional to you?) Interestingly she chooses to light Thorin with rather harsh light from his left. Unusual, because humans and dwarves by extension tend to look better in soft light especially women *ggg*, and metal is usually also photographed with diffused light. As a result Thorin’s face, where it is closer to the sidelight, is caught very brightly lit, if not overexposed, and the armour on his forearm produces a glaringly white reflection. Focusing on Thorin’s right eye she probably had to do that, though, in order to make the otherwise shadowed half of his face visible. Photoshop has probably helped a good bit, too, lighting up the shadows.
But these are the technicalities that photo nerds get caught up in. For the general viewer, the meaning and interest of the portrait is in its composition and the associations it is so obviously trying to evoke. Even without the crown on the sitter’s head we would know that this is a very regal scene, not just because it depicts a character which we know to be a king, but more so because of the full ceremonial get-up that Thorin is dressed in. Almost everybody is familiar with the famous paintings of the rulers of the past, and this photograph of Thorin fits right into what we identify as typical portraits of rulers and sovereigns.
But does it? My initial reaction to the image was “gorgeous, but pity about the neutral background”. And this first-contact reaction points already at an interesting contradiction to traditional sovereign portraiture. A little excursion into art history:
Portraiture of rulers and sovereigns through the history of art has always sought to do one thing: Such portraits seek to establish the position of the depicted ruler in society and in history, his function, and his right to rule. If we take the classical sculpture of the Romans as an example of early sovereign portraiture (hello Obscura!!!), it becomes clear that the psychology and/or the representation of the in my ruler as an individual is secondary – if not undesirable. (Click here for the sculpture of Emperor Augustus as an example.) Early sculpture visualizes the power, sovereignty and leadership of the ruler. To us such portraiture often appears haughty and arrogant. There are no individual characteristics, the rulers are depicted in stylized, idealized form. They are meant to appear powerful, sometimes god-like, always statesman-like. Their facial expressions reflect their superiority and intelligence (regardless of the reality, of course), not their real, individual character.
This lack of individuality is even more pronounced in medieval portraiture of sovereigns. Partly that is due to the (comparatively) regressed artistry of medieval painters. But mostly it stems from a different focus on sovereignty as a god-given right. It is not an achievement, but a gift of the bloodline. (See a picture of Richard the Lionheart as a typical example here.) It is only in the Renaissance that sovereign portraiture becomes more focused on the individual. The characteristics of the individual ruler are recorded in the paintings, even though they remain highly stylized. The portrait of Richard III is a well-known example.
Later sovereign portraiture of the absolutist period (18th century), however, has firmly imprinted on us what we think royal portraits should look like. Is there anyone who does not know the famous portrait of Louis XIV, Le Roi Soleil? There is a definite reference back to classical sculpture in terms of pose and statesman-like posturing, but at the same time an almost medieval anchoring in the symbolism that surrounds the actual representation of the king: The opulence of the full coronation regalia is meant to impress and awe. The background with classical pillars, and velvet/silk canopy puts the 18th century monarch on par with ancient rulers. The insignia, the precious materials, the pose, the visual context is all given in service of the staging of royal power.
If you have kept reading until now congratulations! you will have noticed that the visual language of Thorin’s portrait is a fairly typical portrait of a sovereign: He is depicted with what looks like coronation robes, wearing a crown, showing off his sword, in seated position, almost as if on a throne. In terms of the photographer’s angle of shooting, note that Dunn has obviously “shot from the hip” – as in, she has lowered her camera down to Thorin’s level. And not only to his eye level, but a bit further down. So we, the viewers, are effectively looking up to the king who is made to look more impressive – and taller – than he is.
However, if you look a bit longer at the picture, you will notice that it clashes in a couple of respects with our expectations of an adequate royal portrait of Thorin. The fantasy world of Middle-earth seems to be closely similar to the medieval era. Based on that – and on our usual expectation of a royal portrait to be ornate and lavish – we would assume a royal portrait of Thorin to give a context. This is what we saw in medieval and absolutist portraiture, and it anchored the monarch in their time, alluded to their aspirations or achievements, and gave more opportunity for lavish decoration of the portrait. But the portrait of Thorin is shot in front of a neutral grey background. On first sight this may come across as a deplorable failure – or on a more practical and easier way to make the image photoshopable via an 18 percent grey background. But before you judge unfairly, there is a distinct advantage that the lack of background lends to the portrait: It emphasises our focus on the emotional effects of the portrait. There are no distractions. We can focus on the character of Thorin alone. So the choice to stage Thorin here without an opulent background is deliberate and not guided by technical concerns but by the rules of visual language. Less background – more focus on the sitter.
But then there is the pose. It is, unfortunately, not fit for a king. And this is where the portrait of Thorin deviates from what we have seen in the portraits of rulers of the past. While the pose itself – seated, arm leaning on the status-denoting sword – is not weak in itself, it is the other details that make it contradictory to what we would expect in the portrait of a monarch. Instead of a god-like, confident, intelligent, powerful statesman, ruler or sovereign, we are given an introspective, weary king who is bowing his head down. This looks more than a momentous snapshot than a portrait to send a message that will last for centuries. There may be a hint of defiance in that slightly tilted head, but Thorin does not dare look us in the eye. He is tired, concerned, absent-minded. And the fact that his shield lies discarded at his feet may even mean that he is defeated. If he had something to defend, surely he would arm himself with it. But he has let the shield fall, and stares at it contemplatively…
Would a monarch pose and have himself portrayed at the hour of defeat? It does not make any sense to do so if sovereign portraiture seeks to establish power and to depict wealth. Is this a snapshot of Thorin then, and not a deliberate portrait? No – the visual language of this portrait is in the tradition of conventional royal portraiture. It is more or less a contradiction in itself – the picture of a defeated king, but painted with the brush stroke of triumph. Unless you imagine a background story to this particular scene and the longer you think about the portrait, the less it makes sense.
Or does it? Hold on. We are fangirls. We follow all the news closely, and we can interpret anything Armitagean hermeneutically, that is, in the context of what we know about Thorin from the book, the films – and from his interpreter, Richard Armitage. Do you see what I am getting at? We could be fooled to think that RA’s teaser tweet hash-tagged #whatreallyhappenstoThorin, reflecting wishful fangirl-thinking all over the fandom, may be an indication that [SPOILER] Thorin doesn’t die but is in fact re-instated as the King under the Mountain… Well, we have indeed been misled. By ourselves. Haven’t we always assumed that Thorin never became king because he died after the Battle of the Five Armies? The Durin genealogy sees this differently. According to Wikipedia “[h]e was never crowned King, but claimed the title King under the Mountain (and did in fact have right to it after refounding Erebor)”. *gasp* There we have it. The picture makes sense. This is Thorin, considering himself as King under the Mountain, dressed in regal splendour. He may have regained Erebor, but a sour triumph it is because his enemies do not recognise him as king, and his coronation was never an official celebration, witnessed by those who ought to swear him fealty. He’s pissed off. He’s thrown his toys shield out of the pram.
But dreams never die… I prefer this AU. [WARNING – excruciatingly soppy tear-jerker ahead!]
The big day had come. He had led his people to and from exile, he had searched for his father, the rightful king, he had gone on a journey of redemption and revenge, he had defeated his enemies – and he was crowned the King under the Mountain. The line of Durin was re-instated. For the coronation of Thorin II., son of Thrain, son of Thror, Balin had arranged for the pomp and circumstance that was custom among royals of any race. When the raven crown was placed on Thorin’s head in the cathedral darkness of the Erebor halls, his people had cheered, and many a dwarven eye had sparkled with the give-away twinkle of joyful tears. And his royal peers had accepted him as an equal among the monarchs and rulers of Middle-earth.
He himself had not even nearly been overcome by the moment. All his adult life he had worked for this. It was the culmination of his hopes and yet also the fulfilment of his destiny. The line of Durin was safe. He was due the crown, and he accepted it with the almost-arrogant haughtiness that he was known for. Rituals had to be celebrated, an age-old choreography of symbolic gestures and moves in acceptance of the homage that was paid to him, followed by a celebratory dinner with his guests of honour, among them the wise wizard Gandalf the Grey without whom he would never have attempted the journey that led him back to his kingdom.
Once the guests were sated after dinner, and the celebrations moved from the official to the informal, Thorin was swept away to the throne room where a portraitist was to take his likeness to mark this momentous day. Dressed in his coronation robes, in heavy armour under a luxuriously fur-lined and ornamented ceremonial robe, Thorin had ascended the throne of his ancestors. His right arm authoritatively placed on his sword in a gesture of confidence, the magnificent ornamental shield balanced on his left knee, he had stared directly at the portraitist, laying all the determination and power of the Durin dynasty into his piercing, assertive gaze. There was no defiance in Thorin, no regret, not even undue pride. He *was* the King under the Mountain, and nothing could take away from that.
As it finally dawned on him that his journey was at and end, that he had reached his destiny, and his future was now that of the ruler he was born to be, he became aware of sudden wisps of sadness that touched his heart, like gusts of an ice-cold breeze on a golden winter day. His heart froze as he realized that there was one glaring omission in this fulfilment of his destiny. The place to his left was empty. She who was to share the glory of his reign was absent. Grief took hold of him as he remembered his betrothed – a princess of a distinguished line, but also the love of his life, fair and beautiful, determined and yet compromising, wiser than her years and still joyously innocent like a child. Where he was hot temper, she was cool reason. She was soft- to his hardness, forgiveness to his vengeful fury. She was his measure, and his balance. And their love for each other had been perfectly matched. She had not survived the devastation of the dragon’s attack, and not a journey to the end of Middle-earth would bring her back.
Pangs of sorrow clawed at his heart. A tell-tale sparkle entered his eyes. He lowered his head and looked away from the painter scratching his likeness. No one could replace his Queen. The shield slipped from his hand with a clang and came to a rest by his foot. He would forever be defenseless against the grief for his beloved. She would be the rightful Queen under the Mountain for as long as he lived.
Guylty Pleasure 
You slay me, you know that? SImply slay me!
And I love this picture of Thorin.
PS. You have mail.
LikeLike
Sorry for incapacitating you 😉
It’s a magnificent picture of Thorin alright – although I would prefer him less introspective and more grand.
Mail will be answered soon 🙂
LikeLike
Lots of great detail as always in your analyses and good choice to put this in the context of royal portraiture. But I didn’t get a feeling that Thorin is tired or absentminded from this at all. I got — tons of tension in the body, particularly in the right arm, very conscious of his mien and position (hence the display of all the armor and arms and clothing), about to tilt his chin up haughtily. That said, I think (agree?) it’s kind of a failure as a Herrscherportrait, esp because of the background. I also question whether the bottom half of the body is Armitage’s — or at least my mind/eyes can’t make the physical proportions of the seated portion of the photo work (something else it might have in common with some Renaissance portraiture).
LikeLike
You could be right about the absent-minded and tired thing. Maybe I read that into it because *I* was tired when I wrote it last night. It almost looks as if he has been captured as he is blinking. But if that were so, surely they would not choose this photo as a representative image for Thorin?
I had to laugh that you used the word “Herrscherportrait” in your comment. That was exactly the term that I was using in my mind while writing about this. Unfortunately there is no English equivalent.
As to the bottom half of his body – I know what you mean. The thighs, particularly the upper ones, seem to be too short for Armitage. Could be the heavy armour or maybe a certain flatness of the image, particularly on the left hand side of the image. Or Israelson’s involvement – he seems to be the digital wizard in this???
LikeLiked by 1 person
Awww, love the Dunn photograph (a lot!) and your analysis (also a lot!). And I think RA would smile about the ficlet and the fate of his Princess (Popcorn Taxi interview!!). Very nice indeed!
LikeLike
You got me. I had Armitage’s Popcorn Taxi interview in mind when I wrote it 🙂
LikeLike
I liked the background the first time I saw it….because it really focused on Thorin and the emotion Thorin was projecting (which to me was defeat). He fought as King but he did not win….therefore, the blank background, the closed eyes and tilted head which to me signified maybe regret and loss. That was what I got from it. But we shall see….we shall soon see. I was tearing up already reading your analysis of the photo when you wrote about the fallen shield.
LikeLike
My initial reaction to the picture was “gorgeous photo, pity about the background”. For a stately portrait it is incongruous at least. But yes, it works to focus the emphasis, and it is part of a series of TH promo imagery that used neutral grey background.
LikeLike
Terrific ‘ooof’ Guylty, thanks!
LikeLike
You’re welcome 🙂 Glad you liked it, Austoz!
LikeLike
Can’t decide which I enjoyed more. Your analysis of the photo or your story. Thanks for both. The costume seems to be as weighty as whatever is on his mind. He does not look comfortable inside his kingly garb, IMO. He seems to be avoiding looking the viewer in the eye out of anger or shame. His eyes are closed or he is gazing downward because he doesn’t want to look at the viewer. He cannot “face” us, even if he is a king. I think you bring out so many complexities into what at my first glance, seems like a photo to show off his kickass outfit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A Durin Fashion-shoot 😉 ? That would make sense. The latest in armour. Must have kit for *real* men. Eh. Dwarves.
Yeah, he doesn’t really look like himself. It’ll be interesting to see how he moves with the armour on. He looks a bit like an armadillo in those heavily ridged arm and leg armours. Or should that be arm-i-dillo 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
I need another pin. Richard Armidillo.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Uh oh, I what rhymes wtih Armidillo? (Sorry but it popped in my fevered brain).
LikeLike
I wish I had an Armadillo,
resting with me on my pillow.
(But what I’d really rather catch
is the original Armitage.)
LikeLiked by 3 people
That occurred to me, too… The fun never ends 😀
LikeLike
Armi.. whot?! 😀
LikeLike
Was für ein Brocken zum Frühstück! Da kaut man ja noch Stunden später…..
Insgesamt finde ich ja, seine Royal Hotness ein wenig overdressed 🙂 Schmarrn! Natürlich alles vorhanden, was zu seinem Amt gehört. Bin wieder mit Begeisterung an deinen Blickachsen entlangeschliddert. Da kann ich nämlich problemlos folgen 😉 Mein Blick wird irgendwie magisch von diesen eingerüsteten Beinkleidern angezogen. Wie Servetus finde ich hier die Proportionen auch ein wenig verzerrt, also die Beine deutlich zu massiv. Aber Gott, man nimmt, was man kriegen kann 🙂 Und ganz aus dem Häusschen bin ich über diesen Hüftschlips. Da weiss ich mal wieder überhaupt nicht, was ich denken soll….. Nein, sag’ jetzt bloss nichts 😀
LikeLike
*kicher* Sorry, ja, das war mal einer der etwas ausführlicheren Sabberbeiträge. Dabei habe ich mich kurz gehalten und das ganze Stück über die verschiedenen Design-Sprachen von Elben, Zwergen und Hobbits rausgelassen :-D. Knappheit ist nicht meine Stärke…
Hüftschlips *gröhl* – was soll ich sagen, der hat mich auch fasziniert. Irgendwie auch so undezent, dieser Teil der Rüstung, so wie ein Hinweisschild – for maximum effect, hit here.
Übrigens erinnert mich die Architektur des Schauspielergesichts unter Helm und Haar an die Version des erschöpften RA, der während einer Drehpause in Holzfällerhemd und Lederjacke auf der Couch lümmelt und in seinem iPad rumsurft.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Das genau, der erschöpfte Waldschrat 😉
Und stimmt, der Schlips ist eigentlich ein “Zeiger “
LikeLike
Ähem. Du hast aber schon gelesen, was Guylty da noch schrieb? Autsch …
LikeLike
Womit wir wieder bei Otto wären…
LikeLike
… zeigt zum Boden, nicht zum Hoden, genau.
Jetzt müsste nur noch jemand analysieren, was das eigentlich bei Zwergen bedeutet, die ja bekanntlich unterirdisch leben.
LikeLike
Die haben aber dennoch immer noch einen Boden unter den Füßen… passt also auch dort universell (es sei denn sie haben keine Hoden? Wie pflanzen die sich eigentlich fort?)
LikeLike
Fortpflanzung bei Zwergen! TodWICHTiges Thema. So wie die allgemein aussehen , will ich das garnicht sooo genau wissen 🙂
LikeLike
Rein wissenschaftliches Interesse…
LikeLike
Klar Frau Dr. Guylty! Wissenschaftlich verbrämt kommt das gleich vieeeeel besser 🙂
LikeLike
Deckmantel, ganz klar. Aber selbst das eigene Gewissen ist so reiner…
LikeLike
Keine Phantasie am frühen Morgen? Tststs. 😉
Lass mich mal nachdenken … Hmmm … Ja, genau!
Also: Zwerge sind immer vom Boden umgeben, also zeigt der Hüftschlips immer überall hin, und wenn er überall hinzeigt, dann bedeutet das, dass das – schamhaft ungenannte – Körperteil prinzipiell immer und überall im Mittelpunkt steht.
In anderen Worten: Kerle sind Kerle, auch wenn sie Zwerge sind.
😛
LikeLiked by 2 people
So kann man es auch sehen 😀
LikeLike
Hüftschlips!!!!! ROFLOL!!!!
LikeLike
Paßt doch wie die Faust aufs Gemächt 😎
LikeLike
Brutales Weibsbild …
LikeLike
Ach was. Für einen derben Witz riskiert man schonmal ein drastisches Bild 😉
Ist ja bestens geschützt, der kleine König 🙂 Hilfeeeee, drifte ab……,,
LikeLike
Ich glaube, dir ist nicht mehr zu helfen. 😛
LikeLike
Da kann ich dir nur beiflichten! Das ist gerade meine einzige Möglichkeit, den angestauten (beruflichen) Dampf abzulassen 😦
LikeLike
Oje! So blöd alles? *mal schnell umarm und Schokolade reich*
LikeLike
Lieben Dank! Mit Euch im Kreuz und RA vor Augen ist es leichter zu ertragen ❤
LikeLike
Gern geschehen.
Job kann so ätzend frustig sein … Hoffentlich gibt sich das bald, und du hast wieder Spaß an der Arbeit. ❤
LikeLike
Bestimmt. Saß jetzt eine Weile allein im Sturm. Aber ab morgen naht Verstärkung. Solange rette ich mich in RA-Fluchten 🙂
LikeLike
Na dann … 🙂
LikeLike
Danke, Guylty, fürs *Ooof*en.
Interessant, dass du es erwähnenswert findest, dass die Linien, denen dein Blick folgt, ein Kreuz bilden.
Interessant deshalb, weil 1. eine halbwegs vertikale und eine halbwegs horizontale Linie, die ein rechteckiges Bild einigermaßen zentriert durchziehen, immer einigermaßen kreuzförmig verlaufen, und weil 2. meine erste spontane Assoziation von Thorins Kopfhaltung und Gesichtsausdruck Jesus war. Nicht gerade typisch für mich – und auch nicht gerade eine gedankliche Verbindung, die für mich positiv besetzt wäre.
Die Kopfhaltung sorgt übrigens auch dafür, dass mein Blick einen anderen Weg nimmt als deiner, nämlich erst mal an Thorins Seite entlang, runter zum Schild, dann rüber zum Fuß und wieder aufwärts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Das mit den sich rechtwinklig berschreitenden Linien ist natürlich richtig – aber nicht jedes Kreuz ergibt dabei ein 1:2 Kreuz, daher die Erwähnung. Im Übrigens ist klar, dass meine Ausführungen keinerlei Anspruch auf Allgemeingültigkeit erheben. Disclaimer war bereits im Text enthalten :-D. Natürlich kann dein Blick ganz anders verlaufen – weil du andere Prioritäten hast als ich. Ich schrieb ja schon – die Sichtlinienverfolgung ist meiner erster Schritt bei einer Annäherung an ein Bild, einfach weil ich dabei bewusst feststelle, welche Bildteile bei mir offenbar besonders hervorgehoben ankommen. Danach kann ich dann erst nachschauen, warum das so ist, und inwiefern das die Bildaussage und -interpretation beeinflusst.
Das mit dem Kreuz war eben im Kontext mit Thorins Schicksal interessant – als Symbol für Tod, aber auch als eine Interpretation für Opferung.
LikeLike
Ja, deinen Disclaimer hatte ich zur Kenntnis genommen. Meine Äußerung sollte auch kein “Ja, ABER …” sein, sondern einfach nur eine Feststellung, wie mein Blick wandert.
Und das mit dem Kreuz war halt für mich auch interessant, weil meine Assoziation schon da war.
Beides war nicht als Kritik oder Relativierung deiner Eindrücke gemeint, nur als Darstellung, welche Wirkung es auf – eben – mich hat.
LikeLike
Great analysis, Guylty! What got my attention immediately was the contrast between costume and background. For me, the obvious studio environment brought forward the relationship between actor and character. Are we looking at Richard Armitage in his Thorin costume, or are we looking at Thorin? The background says the former, but the pose says the latter.
Was this picture intended to have the background digitally filled in later????
LikeLike
Hach was sieht er tragisch königlich aus! WAS FÜR EIN FOTO! Da ist wirklich alles drin was mit reingehört und wie man liest hat “frau” auch schon fast alles entdeckt………..
Danke für die ausführliche Analyse, Dinge auf die ich sonst nie geachtet hätte 😉
LikeLike
Wonderful “ooof” for a wonderful picture. I love your analisis. But I prefer there is nothing in the background because I think that with all this heavy armour and furs etc. to have something around Thorin would have been too much. We have to concentrate only on the subject and the subject is this King. For me his sadness is not because of the death of his princess (sorry for my lack of romantism Guylty) but because he has choosen (alone) to do this war and he is not sure to win it and to protect his people and specially his nephews for whom he cares a lot and this huge task in front of him is scaring him therefore he doubts and he is not so sure if he has made the right choice. OMG always sorry for my english. I apologise.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think your interpretation of the picture is closer to the truth than mine, Katia. Thorin has no time for romance… Except when I play with him 😉
LikeLike
I just realized what this reminds me of. At the Abbey we saw many portraits of actors hanging in the hallways. In quite a few of them, the subject was shown in character and in period costume. It created the same effect!
LikeLike
Good point. This is very reminiscent of those large theatre stills that many theatres display in their foyers. RA as King Thorin certainly would sit well (sic) beside King Lear, or Hamlet, or MacBeth…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Agree! It is a dramatic, even “theatrical” pose.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry for tardiness, been spending my time reading my way through the back-catalogue 😉
Love you did an ‘oof’ on this! It’s an interesting one, I think obviously from the same shoot as the one that appears in the poster extract:
http://imageserver.moviepilot.com/uk_thorin_erebor_hbfa-peter-jackson-and-the-hobbits-prepare-for-battle-with-new-posters.jpeg?width=1715&height=2500
I wonder what the real colour of the armour is since the poster version is heavily tinged golden-green while this photo tends towards the grey. The image above feels natural though given his skin colour and the colour of the fur so this is probably what it looks like, which makes it much more copper/metallic, actual battle gear than just golden splendour 🙂 Curious how the angles of the shin bits of armour make his legs looks slim again, in contrast to his usual dwarf boots. Maybe I’m projecting (certainly! 😉 ) but he spells tall and big in this not small and bulky 😉 I think they got the image about bottom lower part being considerably heavier not so right with the armour. The belt is riding pretty high (unlike the other Thorin garb one) and even seated puts him back to his natural proportions with really long legs. Probably even more so as his hunched position and fur bulk on the shoulders reduce the upper body and hide his long neck. To me just physically it is more Armitage as Thorin as ‘just Thorin’.
I wonder if it was actually shot against green screen? In order to add all the detail in for the poster, or would any plain background do and you can photoshop anything against it? Probably latter is true, isn’t it?
In terms of sentiment however it is Thorin aaaall the way. It feels almost like he went from the pose in this image to the completely broken one in the poster.. sniiiffff. I love the ficlet and it gives me a much more soothing version of the reason for his grief & loneliness. I only know so far what the trailers have told me (not read book, not know the details of how the conclusion comes about) and that is a much more heartbreaking version. I prefer in a way the image above to the poster in terms of story, in this there is still some anger, some determination, even if lonely he’s not defeated yet. I like the way he grips the sword and it’s where my eye goes after seeing head to toe/shield 😉 The orderly part of me wants to bicker ‘careful how you grab the sword you are piercing through the cape!) But I like how the sword pulls at the cape folds as it indicates the strength in the arm that holds it. It’s that tension in the arm and the way his right foot is firmly planted that tells me his loneliness and sadness is still backed by some level of arrogance/conviction (‘I have the only right’ – even if nobody else thinks I should). The overriding feeling for me here is the loneliness, the isolation in his convictions.
Whereas in the poster he’s reached defeat … buaaaaaaaaa
Thanks for making me think of all the shadows and lights and things (love the furry fluff on his right of the image and loved to go ahaaaa when you said light from above and soft shadows below, it’s like puzzle solving ‘ggg’) . And sorry for messing this up with the poster but it just allowed me to gush again about how he can say so much even being still and how he tells such a story. Thorin is so going to break our hearts! (thanks Rich! :-p)
LikeLike
Not quite sure which photo you were referring to in your comment now – the one I *ooof*ed or the one that you linked in? Taken out of context with other races, warf Thorin’s height is difficult to define imo, so he looks impressive in both these images. If anything, it’s possibily the proportions of his body that mark him as a dwarf, although that is achieved better by the golden poster than the *ooof*.
Anyway, as for green screen and photoshopping – given the fact that there were plenty of green screen backgrounds available on the TH set I would’ve thought that the photographer would have used that as a background if the intention had been from the beginning to produce a photo that would definitely be photoshopped with a digital backdrop afterwards. So I think it was intentional to leave the image with the neutral background. Mind you – it’s still possible to photoshop a background in. It’s just more complicated than a green screen and involves manual cutting of the unwanted parts of the image…
Yes, understanding an image (in a photographic sort of way) is like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. I enjoy doing that, checking where the light comes from, how many lights, how the composition and framing may carry meaning etc.
And yes, it’s amazing how a static pose is so laden with meaning.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I meant the oofed one, the other i just remembered looking at this and thought of it only as the ‘next step’ in the shoot… as said only drool-inducing comparison, like look at Rich acting even when he stands still :-p
I am pretty sure though the green/gold one is in the same sitting as would look just like this except they used that for the poster and photoshopped much more in it. It probably started out like the oof-ed one.
And you are probably right on the body proportions, i’m sure i’m not objective looking at it as in my mind i can’t really shrink RA..
LikeLike
Ah, that makes sense now – yes, the other one could be the next movement. He’s taken off his crown, and now he is properly defeated, the sword slipping from his hand, the head on his chest…
LikeLike
Awww, thanks Guylty 🙂 Love your analisys and the ficlet. My first thought was : My King looks dispirited.
LikeLike
Very dispirited, I agree. Well, the poor dwarf is really spiralling downwards…
LikeLike
Reblogged this on nellindreams and commented:
Weil ich es nie so beschreiben könnte… Das Wort geht an Guylty!
LikeLike
Reblogged this on mimicruzc and commented:
Nice, trying make me cry after a long day at work. Well written girl. Hugs, Mimi
LikeLike
can you post another photo like that from hobbit, like legolas, tauriel, and thranduil. i browe so many times, but i can’t find photo of that 3 characters with grey black braground and full body..
LikeLike
Not sure what you mean, jet? Have you checked Google Image Search? There’s a few of those pics there: http://goo.gl/MaKzMe
LikeLike
i mean, i can’t find portrait of hobbit characters with full body like that. i just find thorin, is sarah duun take photo another hobbit character? where i can find it?
LikeLike
Sarah Dunn did not take any pictures of the actors in character afaik. The stills photographer who took the images with the grey background is Grant Maiden. The photoshopped promo posters are by James Fisher. Mark Pokorny and Todd Eyre took the films stills. Maybe if you search for their names, combined with the characters’ names, you could find some images?
LikeLike
ok, thanks
LikeLike