February 17, 2003

Comments and Explanations
Derek Bessette

Melkor, aka Morgoth (a parallel to Lucifer/Satan) did not create Sauron--he corrupted him...Sauron is, like Morgoth, a 'fallen angel'...Morgoth is a fallen Valar, Sauron afallen greater maiar, the balrogs fallen lesser maiar.

Saruman, at best, hoped to find the Ring first and make himself the Lord of the Rings.

Prettylil, I agree with you on how long I waited for LotR to be made into a movie. We should be thankful it was made at all in any semblance of the books in this day and age of Hollywoodism.

The very fact that Peter Jackson produced a sample film so good it convinced New Line Cinema to make 3 films instead of 2 was alone worth the thanks of every Tolkien fan who has craved a LotR movie... I mean, honestly, did any of us really ever expect there to be a movie for each book? Likewise, PJ, as director and co-scriptwriter, had the duty to transform a mid-20th century novel written in plodding (but brilliant) classic-epic style into a 21st century trilogy of movies--and 10 hours of movie at that. I had always, in my mind, wished that Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator) would be the director to film LotR, but despite the changes in plot and character, I think what PJ has made would be better than 90% of what other directors would have made (Ron Howard? Remember Willow? Martin Scorsese? It would have been lucky to get an R rating!)

And lest we forget, LotR is one novel in three parts, not a book and two sequels--thus it is called a trilogy, a book in three parts. We should refrain from final judgement of PJ's work until The Return of the King has been viewed...and for my part, I will reserve judgement until I have watched all three extended versions of the films in a row--what a day that will be!