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Arwen's Role: Why Change It?
Salva Tomas

I've just read Mr Bell's opinion about Arwen's affair in the upcoming movies. I would like to add just a couple of points to his and, as long as peolple will read this, general consideration regarding Arwen's role in the trilogy.

First of all, I completely agree when he said that everyone makes a different and personal interpretation on what is reading, and Peter Jackson will be not different. But let's see what happens if he introduces Arwen as active warrior: Not just the plot of the book is drastically changed, but the complete spirit in what Arwen means is changed. I know that it looks like a contradiction in what I said above, and it is because it is my own interpretation.

Lets just remember this: Arwen is suposed to be a kind of Luthien reborn. Which was Luthien's power? Was she a "warrior"? Did she ever wield a sword? She was amazingly powerful, but not in this sense. And the same can be applied for any Elf woman that appears in Tolkien's histories: whenever they are powerful and strong, it is not because they have battle skills. Now, you can say that this looks like a rather "machoist" point of view (and this comment is related with the point I discuss below), but just remember that Tolkien is describing a history that is based on Nordic and British myths.

The other point I'd like to discuss here is the reason that can lead Peter Jackson to make such a modification. And I am affraid that it could be not other but "political corretness" with the aim to make the films more commercial. And that is crazy. To be commercially succesfull a film has to accomplish many things, foremost a well made and good plot. The plot of Tolkien's books may be improved, perhaps, but I dont think most of us are qualified to do so. The best thing to do it commercial would be then to be as close to the original as possible. And in addition, this kind of modification is the kind of thing that Tolkien would hate (Just remember his hate to Disney and all what it means).

So I am affraid that The Lord of the Rings will suffer a "Hollywood" reconversion. And I think that is a shame. Peter Jackson has the option to make the best films ever. And it looks like that he is just going to do a entertaining movie.