September 30, 2002

Quirk Seems Bitter, Somehow!
Swynwr

Well, Quirk, I don't quite know what to say. When someone vomits so much acrid bile over a subject, trying to get them to perhaps consider another angle is hardly worth the effort, is it? What I will say though is this: So passionate is your hatred towards the work of PJ and company as displayed in the first film that it strikes me that you never intended to enjoy it. Perhaps you're one of those Tolkien fanatics who were instantly insulted upon hearing of a director who dared to challenge Tolkien's dismissal of a film ever coming near to capturing the world he created. I think that whoever has read my previous articles would by now have ascertained that I love the film, and am quick to defend it, but this is not only due to my appreciation for the group of artists who have brought this saga to the screen, but also due to my love of an inspiring, enthralling and mesmerising film which has in my eyes, AT THE VERY LEAST, captured the essence of Tolkien's myth and its many themes, whilst fleshing out many aspects of the original material and changing some aspects for the benefit of cinematic portrayal, having done all with fresh, colourful, creative flair. Thankfully you, with your merciless opinion, represent a minority which is often, quite rightly, dismissed after being heard, though you are entitled to your say. Perhaps you resent the notion that, via these films, Tolkien's work is being opened up to a broader world beyond the legions of devotees of this great novel, some of whom, it has to be said, are so unhealthily obsessed with the material that they take it personally when a film director's vision fails to meet their own. Well, Tolkien was a rational man, I believe, and said "Some people are involved in these stories in a way I'm not!" He was able to distance himself from what was essentially only a creation of his imagination. One would think by the tone of your article that you were accusing Peter Jackson of violating the truth of an actual historical event. It's perfectly understandable to be passionate, but you're clearly way too serious about the whole thing. On the basis of your rant, Tolkien's words describe you aptly!