Mount Sunday, S Island, New Zealand (AKA Edoras, capital of Rohan)
New Zealanders are on the streets rejoicing that the film version of Tolkien's Hobbit will be made in New Zealand after Warner Bros. played "hardball" with, i.e. screwed, Kiwi PM John Key.
Only a visit to the land of 50 million sheep, four million of whom think they are human beings, can make a non-Kiwi appreciate just how important all things Tolkien (who was born in South Africa, incidentally) are to the natives. Not only did the Lord of the Rings trilogy put the country on the map, it also gave them something to talk about besides the All Blacks and all the reasons why their national rugby union team has failed to win the World Cup since its inaugural edition in 1987, viz. referees, linesmen, food-poisoning, the French. And they call Brits whingers.
Actually, as anyone investing in a road map of New Zealand will find out, LOTR sites are dotted throughout the country, from "Hobbiton" in the North Island to "Lothlorien" in the South. One of the more interesting ones is to be found at Twizel, a remote outpost 80 miles south of Mount Cook, where we spent a couple of days two years ago.
As we walked across the tussocky plain where Théoden had led the Rohirrim to the aid of Gondor at the Battle of Pelennor Fields, our guide filled us in with a few details that make me unsurprised that a row has been brewing over union representation for actors involved in the Hobbit film project.
Bernard Hill, who played King Théoden in the films, is a fine horseman himself and was able to do all his own stunts. A consummate professional and very popular with cast and crew alike, Hill came up with the idea of following up hisfamous rousing speech by riding in front of the serried ranks of horsemen and knocking his sword against their spears. This suggestion turned out to be something of a rod for his own back, due to the fact that he is left-handed and the topography and light would allow him to be filmed riding in one direction only.
The sword Hill was carrying, being real and heavy, meant that he became very tired, very quickly wielding the weapon in his weaker hand. They tried doing the scene with him using a lighter, wooden sword, only for it to shatter and splinter at the first contact with the spears. So, in the end, Hill had to do the scene with the original sword, holding on for grim death as he approached the end of the line.
Other interesting tidbits concerned the horse and their riders. The 150 plus animals were recruited from farms and riding schools in the South Island together with their regular riders, 80% of whom were women. So, Théoden’s warrior niece Éowyn was not the only female who had sneaked into the final showdown with the evil forces of Sauron.
Only a visit to the land of 50 million sheep, four million of whom think they are human beings, can make a non-Kiwi appreciate just how important all things Tolkien (who was born in South Africa, incidentally) are to the natives. Not only did the Lord of the Rings trilogy put the country on the map, it also gave them something to talk about besides the All Blacks and all the reasons why their national rugby union team has failed to win the World Cup since its inaugural edition in 1987, viz. referees, linesmen, food-poisoning, the French. And they call Brits whingers.
Actually, as anyone investing in a road map of New Zealand will find out, LOTR sites are dotted throughout the country, from "Hobbiton" in the North Island to "Lothlorien" in the South. One of the more interesting ones is to be found at Twizel, a remote outpost 80 miles south of Mount Cook, where we spent a couple of days two years ago.
As we walked across the tussocky plain where Théoden had led the Rohirrim to the aid of Gondor at the Battle of Pelennor Fields, our guide filled us in with a few details that make me unsurprised that a row has been brewing over union representation for actors involved in the Hobbit film project.
Bernard Hill, who played King Théoden in the films, is a fine horseman himself and was able to do all his own stunts. A consummate professional and very popular with cast and crew alike, Hill came up with the idea of following up his
The sword Hill was carrying, being real and heavy, meant that he became very tired, very quickly wielding the weapon in his weaker hand. They tried doing the scene with him using a lighter, wooden sword, only for it to shatter and splinter at the first contact with the spears. So, in the end, Hill had to do the scene with the original sword, holding on for grim death as he approached the end of the line.
Other interesting tidbits concerned the horse and their riders. The 150 plus animals were recruited from farms and riding schools in the South Island together with their regular riders, 80% of whom were women. So, Théoden’s warrior niece Éowyn was not the only female who had sneaked into the final showdown with the evil forces of Sauron.
Éowyn Does For the Witch-king of Angmar
Further hold-ups to the assembling-for-battle scene were caused by the fact that when you put 150 horses into a straight line, they are bred to take that as a signal to start racing, which they did on numerous occasions before order could be restored.
Then there are the Orcs into whom Bernard Hill led the charge. These were extras who had been in costume and make-up for many hours before they were finally pitched into the fray, and they were getting crotchety. Added to that, pay was nothing to write home about and the insurance cover they had signed up to minimal. (While the injured horses were whisked away for the best treatment, the injured humans were just patched up on the spot and sent home. No wonder they stick up a caption saying "No animals were injured in the making of this film", but none saying the same of human beings.)
What this all meant was that when the time came for the two sides to lock arms on that lonely field outside Twizel, there were a bunch of irritable extras who were only too willing to behave like Orcs and take out any Hollywood film star that might be coming their way. Hence, the realism of the battle scenes and, presumably, the determination of the thespians to make sure that next time round they receive better protection.
Then there are the Orcs into whom Bernard Hill led the charge. These were extras who had been in costume and make-up for many hours before they were finally pitched into the fray, and they were getting crotchety. Added to that, pay was nothing to write home about and the insurance cover they had signed up to minimal. (While the injured horses were whisked away for the best treatment, the injured humans were just patched up on the spot and sent home. No wonder they stick up a caption saying "No animals were injured in the making of this film", but none saying the same of human beings.)
What this all meant was that when the time came for the two sides to lock arms on that lonely field outside Twizel, there were a bunch of irritable extras who were only too willing to behave like Orcs and take out any Hollywood film star that might be coming their way. Hence, the realism of the battle scenes and, presumably, the determination of the thespians to make sure that next time round they receive better protection.
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