December 17, 2002

Mithril Miner
In Response to Jimeous

Though there is nothing wrong with your reasoning, Jimeous, I have to disagree.

(Deep Breath. Here we go :) )

The Lord of the Rings is a different kind of movie. You have to follow much more closely than you would have had to in Spiderman, Star Trek, Star Wars, or any of the other current movies. Sure, it may be a bit out of whack, but it makes you think. And, in essentiality, that is one of this story's purposes. You don't read a superb book (which I think we all agree that LOTR is) simply to set it down and say "oh, yeah, that was good. NEXT!" You sit down, maybe read it again, and then, ONLY THEN, can you say you understand it and its underlying themes, thus you appreciate the book or movie even more.

Now, admittedly, people don't go to the movies to try to follow it and understand its underlying themes. And I'm not saying that that is a movie's only purpose. However, you can not have the Lord of the Rings without this underlying themes. Many of my friends were lost the first time they saw the movie, because they were not prepared to follow it as closely as it requires.

One of the underlying themes in Lord of the Rings is change. First we see Bilbo, who has hardly changed at all. Next we see Gandalf, who, after much toil, has actually changed quite a bit. Next we see the tiny young hobbit Frodo, eager for a change. Then we see Bambadail, who has never and will never change. Then we follow Aragorn, from his beginning in the tale as Strider to King Elessar. We also follow Boromir, who has so many changes it is hard to keep count. Then Merry and Pippin, who grow several inches (in height and in courage). Then we follow Gimli and Legolas, whose entire outlooks for eachother change from the moment they ride together. Change is oozing from this story's soul.

As to the Scouring of the Shire...

The Scouring of the Shire shows that change in the hobbits. Merry, Pippin, and Sam leave simply to escort Frodo to Bucklebury, and see him settled. They end up galavanting over Middle Earth in a quest to destroy the most powerful evil in the land. They meet strange and wonderful people, they travel farther than many men have. They destroy the Black Riders. They defeat a powerful wizard. Then they come back to drive Sharkey from The Hole, and end up being the leaders of the hobbits. I'd have to say they changed.

And that change has to be shown. Tolkien couldn't leave us hanging like that. After all, he did write it as a history, and history doesn't come to a pivitol climax and end it there. There has to be consequences of the events have passed. On every history test given in schools there is always the question: "What were some of the results?" This is Tolkien's answer. In addition to this, The Scouring of the Shire sets us up for the Gray Havens. You could not fully understand the importance of this without their returning ot the Shire to find it desolate, their overcoming great odds, defeating Sharkey, only to have Frodo pack up and leave.

It is not similar to the scenario you proposed with the Star Wars movies in that it has connection to the Rings and the Lord of the Rings. I would have to argue that this story is not only about the defeat of Sauron, but of the entire Age of the Rings. This ends with the Gray Havens. And to skip those few years after they defeat Sauron and then the Gray Havens would not be the greatest thing to do, in my opinion.

The End of the Age of the Rings is the end of its history. Tolkien ends it there. I think that is where the movie should end, with maybe a little epilogue after to tell us how King Elessar, Merry, Pippin, Gimli, and Legolas fared. That, I think, would be the perfect ending, though that is strictly my opinion.

Thank you and good night.