-
F
O
R
U
M

Let's Just Enjoy the Movies
Brian Daly

After reading endless essays regarding the never-ending Arwen debate, I have decided to finally sit down and write out my own thoughts on the subject.

I am definitely a Tolkien 'purist', as Chris Skinner would call himself. I first read "The Hobbit" before I was ten, and I finished "The Lord of the Rings" a year later. Since then I've re-read the book more times then I can count, and I've also managed to read many of Tolkien's other writings such as "The Silmarillion" and the History of Middle Earth series.

I certianly have objections to Arwen being portrayed as the quintessential "rebellious young elf" but there's absolutely nothing I can do about it. There is too many other interests in the making of the movies, primarily that of profit, that would clash with the interest of the minority, namely, the Tolkien 'purists.'

I have never seen a movie that has come even close to being as good as the book it was modeled after. This axiom never has failed me. So my proposal is this: why not sit back, accept the fact that the movie will never be as good as the book, and yet enjoy it anyway? We have to remember that the movie is being made for profit, not to satisfy the Tolkien fans lust for visual representations of the book itself.

Whatever happens to Arwen, we'll have to put up with. Either way, I think it will make an excellent movie, perhaps the best one in a long, long time. In my not so humble opinion the absolute best thing is "greet the films with open hearts and minds" as Micheal Bell said himself.