Why The Hobbit Made Me Cry

When I first watched The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, I was again impressed by the amazing visual effects and cinematography but I felt that there was something lackluster compared to Peter Jackson's work on The Lord of the Rings. To be frank, I thought that the progression of the plot was good and the development of the characters had a finesse to it, that we get to see different sides to them and that they transform as the story moves along.

Just as with The Lord of the Rings, most of the tension in The Hobbit is internal and we see how these are resolved in the end. It was not bereft of the stunning fight scenes and the thrill of holding our breaths as we wait to find out whether good or evil prevails in the end. But something that I did notice was the ending. Personally, I thought that there would be some glimmer of hope for Thorin, Kili, and Fili -- that perhaps they were wearing mithril underneath their armor just like Frodo so that they would not be fatally wounded but alas, that was not the case.

The inner turmoil that each had to face swept us up emotionally and quite possibly, psychologically but that was only the build up for the end. I never got emotional when I watched The Hobbit the first time around but after a few more viewings, I had understood the subtleties that this story brings. I never really took notice of the friendship that Bilbo and Thorin had before because I did not understand the gravity and the depth of their relationship. They grew to respect each other in the end even though they both despised the other initially or at the very least, they were hostile. But what took hold of me in the end was that they grew fond of each other but their friendship would be cut short. It was a thrilling and reasonable ending for sure but in my latter viewings, it brought a wave of emotions crashing down on me. I sobbed during the last time Bilbo and Thorin spoke with each other.

I know that Thorin was depicted differently in the books and I laud the film for humanizing Thorin in such a way that I could grow to be fond of their friendship. I would have wanted Thorin to have survived the battle and I would have wanted Kili and Tauriel to be together with Fili surviving as well. But the story had already propped us up for that ending and it would be senseless to back out. So I was moved by the friendship that Bilbo and Thorin had and by the short-lived romance between Kili and Tauriel. Not only that, I was touched by Thranduil's act of kindness to Tauriel as well when he sympathized with her, showing that he actually cared for others and that he loved them.

This movie is definitely wrought with a lot of emotional subtleties and I enjoyed watching it. It was great for its cinematic effects and the picturesque landscapes that Peter Jackson takes us to but I loved it for the sincere depiction of humanity and reality as seen through the relationships that the characters had with one another. I can't say that it's the best movie out there but it is one worth watching.