The Return of the Rings
Friday, July 07, 2006
The Return of the Rings
Dont you just love weeks with Commanders' training.During these weeks,the men are the managers,the boss,the MAN,God.Okay,that's rather blasphemous,but you get what i mean.We had total control of...well,everything.The time we go to eat,whether we eat or not,what time we go to sleep,everything.It was like this sudden armageddon of the usual military camp,transformed to a holiday resort in the middle of the Caribbean.Okay,that was a little far-fetched,but you know what i mean.
Anyway,as the days went by with absolutely nothing to do,i took the week off and read The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides and Marry Me by John Updike,which were great books i highly recommend by the way.Though,i am worried that with the reading of Marry Me,the general public might have a rather negative conception of marriage.I mean,Jerry is a jerk sure,but not every men is a jerk(Though even the supposed victim "Richard" is a stuck up asshole).I guess John Updike had a rather morbid outlook on the outcome of MANkind.
Oh well,aside from the times spent in bed,hair dripping wet from the shower,soft breeze on my naked skin and the company line in absolute serenity reading my books,i spent a lot of time in the Rest Room watching television.Not because there was anything specifically fascinating on this week,save for the World Cup Semis(Germany is OUT!?),all thanks to John for the LOTR Dvds he brought in.
Guess he saw the on-coming period of "Nothing-to-Do",and decided to hold a LOTR Marathon in camp,which i thought was a fabulous idea.So the bunch of us got ourselves comfortable in the sofa,hogged the television and the Dvd players and watched the trilogy all day and night.We completed it at 1.30am,Thursday morning,and by that time everybody was worn out and exhausted,though that didnt stop the rest of us from cheering at the scene when Theoden leads the Rohirrim down the hill to Gondor's rescue,or Gandalf's charge down the slope with Eomer's men to wipe out the Uruk Hai at Helm's Deep,or the way challenged the Balrog,slamming his staff down upon the Bridge of Khazad Dum,going "You shall not PASS!"
Seriously,i forgot just how good the trilogy is.It's been awhile since i watched the movies as a whole,and i forgot some of the lines.Well,as a fan boy that is rather sad,but then again you cannot forgive me for not having the time for a twelve hour movie.After all,it IS twelve bloody hours long.And i guess i miss the feeling of watching the movies with a bunch of people,hearing the laughters and the cries,the cheers and the moments when everybody had their knees to their chests,wondering if Shelob's going to attack Frodo.Guess most of the people there knew that Frodo doesnt die from the poisonous sting,but then again it was still fun to hear people go "Ouch" or "Oh no..." when it actually happened.It reminded me of the times when i was in the cinema actually,how the people around me cheered and clapped to those goosebump inducing scenes.
I remember watching the last movie in Taiwan,with my aunt,mother and sister.There are two movies in my whole life that i actually shed a tear or two.Schindler's List,the last scene when Oskar Schindler collapses in the arms of the Jews he saved,saying that he didnt do enough to save everybody.The other,was this movie,when Sam carried Frodo up the side of Mt. Doom after saying,"I cant carry it for you,but i can carry you!" That line moved me when i read the book,and left a lasting impression i must say.But when it was said onscreen,with Sean Astin's amazing performance,i broke down right then,with the audience in tears as well.I swear,im not saying this to make myself look "normal" or whatever,but people did cry during that scene as i looked around.Really,it was beyond moving.The beauty of it all,extraordinary.
Though nobody actually cried when i had the marathon,but i guess people were still very much moved by the moments in LOTR.Or rather,the LOTR moments.I enjoyed that little episode in the rest room,when everybody crowded together and caught the movies that i love.To renact that moment in the theatres,when everybody gasped,a truly memorable army experience i must say.
The Return of the Rings indeed.
Dont you just love weeks with Commanders' training.During these weeks,the men are the managers,the boss,the MAN,God.Okay,that's rather blasphemous,but you get what i mean.We had total control of...well,everything.The time we go to eat,whether we eat or not,what time we go to sleep,everything.It was like this sudden armageddon of the usual military camp,transformed to a holiday resort in the middle of the Caribbean.Okay,that was a little far-fetched,but you know what i mean.
Anyway,as the days went by with absolutely nothing to do,i took the week off and read The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides and Marry Me by John Updike,which were great books i highly recommend by the way.Though,i am worried that with the reading of Marry Me,the general public might have a rather negative conception of marriage.I mean,Jerry is a jerk sure,but not every men is a jerk(Though even the supposed victim "Richard" is a stuck up asshole).I guess John Updike had a rather morbid outlook on the outcome of MANkind.
Oh well,aside from the times spent in bed,hair dripping wet from the shower,soft breeze on my naked skin and the company line in absolute serenity reading my books,i spent a lot of time in the Rest Room watching television.Not because there was anything specifically fascinating on this week,save for the World Cup Semis(Germany is OUT!?),all thanks to John for the LOTR Dvds he brought in.
Guess he saw the on-coming period of "Nothing-to-Do",and decided to hold a LOTR Marathon in camp,which i thought was a fabulous idea.So the bunch of us got ourselves comfortable in the sofa,hogged the television and the Dvd players and watched the trilogy all day and night.We completed it at 1.30am,Thursday morning,and by that time everybody was worn out and exhausted,though that didnt stop the rest of us from cheering at the scene when Theoden leads the Rohirrim down the hill to Gondor's rescue,or Gandalf's charge down the slope with Eomer's men to wipe out the Uruk Hai at Helm's Deep,or the way challenged the Balrog,slamming his staff down upon the Bridge of Khazad Dum,going "You shall not PASS!"
Seriously,i forgot just how good the trilogy is.It's been awhile since i watched the movies as a whole,and i forgot some of the lines.Well,as a fan boy that is rather sad,but then again you cannot forgive me for not having the time for a twelve hour movie.After all,it IS twelve bloody hours long.And i guess i miss the feeling of watching the movies with a bunch of people,hearing the laughters and the cries,the cheers and the moments when everybody had their knees to their chests,wondering if Shelob's going to attack Frodo.Guess most of the people there knew that Frodo doesnt die from the poisonous sting,but then again it was still fun to hear people go "Ouch" or "Oh no..." when it actually happened.It reminded me of the times when i was in the cinema actually,how the people around me cheered and clapped to those goosebump inducing scenes.
I remember watching the last movie in Taiwan,with my aunt,mother and sister.There are two movies in my whole life that i actually shed a tear or two.Schindler's List,the last scene when Oskar Schindler collapses in the arms of the Jews he saved,saying that he didnt do enough to save everybody.The other,was this movie,when Sam carried Frodo up the side of Mt. Doom after saying,"I cant carry it for you,but i can carry you!" That line moved me when i read the book,and left a lasting impression i must say.But when it was said onscreen,with Sean Astin's amazing performance,i broke down right then,with the audience in tears as well.I swear,im not saying this to make myself look "normal" or whatever,but people did cry during that scene as i looked around.Really,it was beyond moving.The beauty of it all,extraordinary.
Though nobody actually cried when i had the marathon,but i guess people were still very much moved by the moments in LOTR.Or rather,the LOTR moments.I enjoyed that little episode in the rest room,when everybody crowded together and caught the movies that i love.To renact that moment in the theatres,when everybody gasped,a truly memorable army experience i must say.
The Return of the Rings indeed.
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