The Hobbit: the Desolation of Smaug. Book Versus Movie Comparison

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

The movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is based off of the middle section of the novel The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. However, there are quite a few differences between the movie and the book. The director, Peter Jackson, made many changes and also added to the plot and characters. The changes that he made while directing both positively and negatively affected how the viewers analyzed The Desolation of Smaug. Smaller details of the book were turned into important subplots of the movie, drastically changing the storyline. After Thorin and Company enter in Mirkwood and encounter the wood elves, many changes take place consecutively. How the dwarves and Bilbo enter into Lake Town and who they encounter when they get to the Town are both different from the book. Furthermore, the Arkenstone is glorified to an extreme in the movie whereas in the book is a minor reason to take back the mountain. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has many changes from The Hobbit novel that negatively and positively influences the storyline.

Thorin and Company are captured by wood elves while walking through Mirkwood, and are taken prisoner in the wood elves residence. Bilbo creates an escape plan, which involves being sealed into a giant barrel and riding the river to the nearest town. In the book, the company climbs into the barrels are fully sealed by Bilbo. The elves release the barrels, not knowing what was inside. After riding the river, they safely enter Lake Town. However, the barrel scene is drastically different in the movie. After Bilbo helps the dwarves into the barrels, they are immediately rolled into the river before being sealed. This is because Bilbo releases them, which varies from the book. Bilbo then jumps in after them, and they go down the river with their heads poking out the top. Also, they are being followed and shot at by orcs, which are nonexistent in the book. They do not enter into Lake Town without overcoming various obstacles, therefore the barrel scene in the movie and the book are completely different. This positively affects the movie because the viewers are able to see the reactions of the dwarves, adding comedy to the plotline. However, there are negative affects because it is an unnecessary change that was added to the story. This scene was only different in order to add length to the movie. After the dwarves and Bilbo enter into Laketown, the plot begins to shift even more.

Laketown plays a major role in housing the dwarves and Bilbo before they take on the task of killing the dragon. However, the Laketown scenes are significantly different when comparing the novel and movie. In the book, Thorin and Company enter into Laketown, and after telling the men who they are and why they are there, a celebration begins due to feat that the dwarves are about to take part in. Then, for many days, the company is treated like royalty and given supplies to help them with their journey. On the other hand, the movie alters this scene severely. First off, Bard the bowman catches the dwarves before they enter into the gates of Laketown. This alone is very different because in the book, Bard is not mentioned until the chapter that he kills the dragon. To carry on with the Laketown scene, the dwarves are snuck into the gates by Bard, and then have to live in secret for some time. After complications and fights with Bard and the people of Laketown, the dwarves begin the journey to the Lonely Mountain. However, due to Fili being sick, him and his brother stay behind which does not happen in the book. The Laketown scenes in the movie and book have nothing similar about them. Although different, this scene positively adds to the story. It allows depth in the movie, and expands the personalities of each character. The only negative effect is that it does not allow Fili and Kili to complete their journey, which takes away from Thorin and Company. Once the dwarves, specifically Thorin, reach Laketown, their true desire becomes clear.

The Arkenstone is the also known as the Heart of the Mountain and is described by Thorin as “A globe with a thousand facets; it shone like silver in the firelight, like water in the sun, like snow under the stars, like rain upon the Moon!” In the book, the Arkenstone is a motivating factor to reach the mountain, but not the most important aspect. In the book, this specific stone was the most prized by Thorin, so much that he was willing to give up 1/4th of the treasure for it. Adding on from the definition in the book, the movie portrays the Arkenstone as the object that can bring the kingdoms of dwarves together, and a great source of power. This is not mentioned in the book, and therefore adds a definition to the stone. The major change from the book is the way Thorin reacts to the Arkenstone. Once he gets closer to the Mountain, it becomes the only thing Thorin is worried about. He becomes lustful over this stone, and is willing to risk the life of Bilbo so that he can grab hold of the Arkenstone. This negatively affects the movie, because it points out the inhumanity of Thorin, and shows the greedy side of the dwarves. Although some people believe the changes to be negative, there are positive changes because it adds a more definite reason to go to the mountain. The significance of the Arkenstone adds a motivator in the story of Thorin and Company.

J.R.R Tolkien and Peter Jackson teamed up to create two pieces of literary excellence that had the same story, but contained many changes that negatively and positively affected the story. The story of the 12 dwarves and Bilbo are told first by Tolkien in The Hobbit, which was the book that changed the way literature was viewed. Peter Jackson turned this book into a movie to show the true fantasy of The Hobbit. However, Jackson made several changes to the movie that differed from the true script of the book. He made changes to the plot and characters and also added subplots. The movie had many differences in the barrel scene and the story of Laketown. Furthermore, he changed the significance and power of the Arkenstone. These changes both positively and negatively affected the storyline. In the long run, the movie is able to successfully fulfill the expectations that the novel left behind.