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Elves, Weathertop, Bombadil, and Arwen
Jonathan D.

This is collage of miscellaneous thoughts.

First: the weathertop scene: very well done. The ruins are necessary to highlight the once great Dunadan kingdoms that have fallen into oblivion. The four hobbits are back to back, as per the wording of LOTR. Aragorn does not appear, which also is according to Lotr. When the Nazgul attacks, it says that Pippin and Merry threw themselves on the ground, Sam looked at Frodo, and Frodo felt afraid. Nothing about Aragorn. Then, later, Frodo remembers seeing Aragorn leaping out of the darkness with a flaming brand in either hand, which is exactly what we saw in the movie. So, top marks for this one.

Next: Boromir holding the ring, apparently on Caradhras. Again, very well done. Boromir, if is hair were BLACK, would look exactly as I imagined him. I have no trouble with him actually holding the ring, early on. This is early on, and it is able to highlight the struggle he is undergoing. It is certainly plausible that in a landslide or something Frodo lost the ring and Boromir picks it up and gazes at it before returning it to him. However, why the blond hair, and not black? A little trifle like this could surely have been amended.it seems to speak a bit poorly of PJ if he's not willing to go by the book for this one. However, he does seem to be paying meticulous attention to other details.just hope he hasn't mixed up the hair of the Rohirrim with the hair of the Gondorians.

Next: Legolas hair. Forgive me if I have something wrong here, but I have always imagined Legolas with blond hair. I was under the impression that the Noldor were predominatntly dark haired, while the other elves had blond or golden hair. Galadriel seems to have been a notable exception. I think if Legolas had dark hair he would be mistaken for a Noldorian prince, instead of a Silvan wood elf, I think is the correct term. So that's OK.

Next: Bombadil. First, I would put him into the movie if I could. Second, I would shorten the long trek of Sam and Frodo to Mordor a bit, but it wouldn't really help, as this is in the THIRD movie. ;0

Alright: although the barrow-wight, old forest, bombadil scene is a very good one, it would be hard to portray it in a movie without making bombadil look like a nut, running around and singing of yellow boots. In a book, he comes across fine: an ancient being who does not fall under the sway of the ring. In a movie, it would be very hard to bring all that out, and still fit in everything else into the time frame.

And hey, it's another reason for people to read the books. Let's face it, do we want an expanded role for Goldberry or for Arwen?

Next: I fail to understand what John. R. means by saying that Arwen is a 'commercialized' version of Luthien. First of all the term 'commercialized' is a bit odd. I assume he means it's more well known and documented, but if that is what he means, then Luthien would actually be the commercial version of Arwen, since there's loads more about her than Arwen. In my opinion, NONE of LOTR is 'commerical' if it means somehow able to be dummed down and twisted out of context.

Thingol and Elrond were MILES apart in their views towards Beren and Aragorn. Thingol wanted Beren DEAD. Luthien knew this, and knew his quest was hopeless. Elrond loved Aragorn, and wanted him very much to regain his kingdom.  He didn't set that as an impossible task that would get Aragorn out of the way of his daughter, but so that Aragorn would be worthy of marrying Arwen. Frankly, if she's into the hack and slash the orcs, any old soldier who could weild sword would be worthy of her. Detracts majorly, IMHO.

Thingol was clearly against Beren, Elrond was for him, and thus Arwen 'running away to join Aragorn' would be really stupid.

BTW, most of those possibilities you (John. R) mentioned for Expanding Arwen's role, while not 100% Tolkien, are an acceptable blend of movie success material and tolkien material. Apparently, however, PJ and co decided that Arwen would be the perfect person to blow the horn of helms deep. Pah. I maintain that an elf-maiden wouldn't even be ABLE to do that. Most elves and men couldn't for that matter. It took an exceptionally strong man, not a slender elf-maiden. Ah well.