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In the eyes of respected Australian actor John Noble, the character of Denethor verges on Shakespearean. "He's King Lear," says the veteran of West End theater, British television and film. "He's incredibly tragic."
Indeed, Denethor makes for some of Tolkein's richest dramatic territory. Here, Noble discusses his preparations for the taxing role, the wonders of working on the Minas Tirith set and taking a fall-literally-for The Return of the King.
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The main thing about Denethor is that he's a father, which is something I can relate to very strongly. The approach I took was he's a powerful father, a good man, but he's inexorably drawn to his own destruction because of his grief.
Can you amplify on that?
He's lost his son Boromir, and he almost lost his other son, Faramir. He's lost his wife. He wasn't the king of Gondor, only the steward…a caretaker. His city is under siege, his people are being slaughtered and he's powerless to do anything about it. It's an amazing character really, a great film character.
How desperate is the situation for Gondor?
By the time we get to the third film, it's probably the most important moment in their history. They're all but gone. The armies of Sauron will come back. They will defeat civilization, and Denethor can't see any way of stopping it. He can't cope.
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Gondor is the crowning glory of Middle-earth. The people are tall and their accent is the most cultured of all. They're the elite of Middle-earth.
What can you reveal about Minas Tirith?
It's astonishing, just beautiful. It's like traveling down the Rhine and looking at all those fabulous castles. Every set we went onto we were awestruck. I did a number of scenes in the burial chamber, and every detail--stuff that would never be seen by the camera--was perfect. The sculpture and the engraving was absolutely accurate to Tolkien.
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Boromir was Denethor's favorite son. He was a mirror of Denethor, a big, strong warrior. With the loss of Boromir, it was like Denethor had been killed himself.
Does he love Faramir?
Of course, but Faramir's more similar to Denethor's late wife, and I think he resents the fact she's not there anymore, and that reflects on his relationship with that son.
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They probably could have been the best of friends, and at one time they were. But because Denethor is affected by the evil curse, he has a falling out with Gandalf. I still play it that there's enormous respect, but it's a very strong love-hate relationship. They go at each other [laughs].
How was it working with Peter Jackson?
He's very demanding, but in a complimentary way. I had one scene in the third film, and it called for every skill an actor can have. Emotional and physical, a big close-up on me. I did the first take, and he came out and said, "That was fantastic, let's do it again." And he said that 17 more times. I've never been so exhausted. I had to do a fall [in the scene], and I had a terrible big bruise all down my back. "That's great," he'd say, "let's do it again." [laughs] But I admire him for it. He's just looking for that option.
The dramatic elements really seem to carry the day in the final film of the trilogy.
Totally. I mean, it's magnificent characters. Certainly by setting it in Middle-earth, it gives you some liberty. But it's a universal story of great tragedy and great triumph. And you know, what? It's a story of hope, and that's what I love about it. The fact that people fight incredible adversity. And the gorgeous story of Frodo, the smallest and the weakest of all, carrying the flame and then doing what he has to do. It's just powerful stuff.
