March 2, 2003

Various Things
E. Blair

In response to various postings:

I know the book and the movie are different. But as to constantly and ruthlessly comparing the two:

Perhaps it would be best to compare The Lord of the Rings to William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar for a moment. Now, in the play a period of about six months is crammed into a few days, and Shakespeare (working off Plutarch's version) portrayed Caesar as a tyrant. However, it was an excellent play and is taught in middle schools and high schools everywhere. People who haven't researched Gaius Julius Caesar or ancient Rome are sometimes indignant at the fact that changes were made to the story, howecer they still acknowledge it as a brilliant play. Now, I know it has been five houndred years since Shakespeare's time, and we have had time to have it out over who's right, but I think the concept applies.

Tolkien treated The Lord of the Rings as merely another account of history. As with Julius Caesar, if you start comparing all the things that "should be exactly as they were" you will of course find all sorts of things wrong with the way PJ construed the Lord of the Rings. However, if you step back and take a look at the big picture, INCLUDING THE DETAILS (which the crew for these movies did an excellentt job on, couldn't have done it better myself!)which is a paradox, I know, you will see that this movies is an awesome work of cinematography and storytelling. The main point, as has been said before, is that PJ captured the FEEL of Tolkien, along with most of the story.

As to the soundtrack and those complaining about it:

I would just like to say that if you would like to go create an alternate soundtrack for the Lord of the Rigs, more power to you. However, I would also like to say that the Two Towers soundtrack is an excellent work of art, and should be acknowledged as such. Personally, I thought it blended excellently with the film, as well as stood out just enough to make an impression on the viewer.

Too many times we sit back and let an old argument grow increasingly older until it has lost all its appealment that it ever had in the first place. We have seen several of these in this forum, and I beg you to recognize this once again. Please let this debate on the movie vs. the book. All I see now is essay after essay of complaints and repetition of subjects already expressed. I beg you, even if you do agree, don't submit into this already slow system essay after essay after essay after essay of agreements or "here, here"'s.

I'm sorry about the length of this essay. But these things, I believe, needed to be said.

Eagerly awaiting your essays,

E. Blair