Thoughts on the artistic values in the films

[Lomadia]

I've noticed that the production designers seem to have chosen a specific reference culture from the real world for each of the imaginary cultures in the Lord of the Rings films. Here's a list of what I think the corresponding cultures might have been:

Hobbits - 19th C. English folk
Rivendell Elves - Medieval Asian
Lorien Elves - Art Nouveau (not so much a culture as an artistic movement, given)
Gondor - pre-Renaissance Italy (and Minas Tirith - Florence)
Rohan - Anglo-Saxon
Haradrim - North African, perhaps?

Do you agree with my assessment? Are these the reference cultures you would have chosen? How closely did each of the cultures match your idea of them from the books?

[[Aeria-Gloris]]

Good topic Lomadia!

I'd recognise the Shire more as a turn of the century rural community but wouldn't pin it down to England as much as open it up to the whole United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. My bet is that Tolkein had pre-war Lancashire in mind when creating the environment, especially when I take long walks in the countryside and stumble upon ruins and relics of the industrial revolution. It always reminds me of the Numenorians.

I also think that the artistic team tried their best to create an entirely original environment for Rivendell but it continues to remind me of old Shinto shrines I've visited in Japan.

More generally, Gondor reminds me of the crusades in reverse. European armies defending their iconic walled city from a foreign enemy.

I also think that Tolkein wrote the Rohirim as land-vikings but I actually loved the Anglo-Saxon path the films took with them, saving the viking lord look for the dwarves.