Quote:
Originally Posted by BST
With regards to your question, Mary, if memory serves, the 'gray scenes' were primarily those involving Frodo, Sam, and/or Smeagol. I'm not sure about this - only conjecture - but, the graying may have been done to illustrate the effect of Frodo's burden -- bearing the Ring.
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Oh, I think you're absolutely correct.
What is first an attempt to replicate the feel of Alan Lee's beautiful watercolor rendering style in three dimensions by "watering down" the colors, is eventually shifted to an actual "blanching" of the color especially in the Sam/Frodo/Gollum scenes to drive home the emptiness and emotional drain being visited on Frodo (and to a certain degree Sam and Smeagol) by the Ring. It knows they're trying to get it to Mt. Doom to destroy it, and it isn't going to make the journey easy.
But overall, there certainly was a "watery" feel to all the color palettes of the film. And I am dead certain that it was the film-maker's attempt at replicating the rendering style of the art department's pre-pro art. It was a style decision that didn't find it's audience in you.
If you're not into watercolors (and I'm not.. I like bold graphic stuff), the effect may just seem underwhelming. Luckily I have a wife who is a rabid fan of Alan Lee who made sure I saw all of the preproduction art long before the film ever rolled.
-Gordon