June 30, 2003

Elves in the Movies
G

I understand the point that a lot of you lads and lasses are making regarding the lack of joy surrounding the Elves in the films but I think that you're being a little harsh.

While the merriment of the Elves didn't come over as well as it might have, particularly in The Two Towers (which they shouldn't be in anyway, but that's another debate completely), this is not because it has been removed from their scenes, but rather that the scenes of merrimewnt have been left out of the movie, presumably for reasons of pace, and we are left to imagine it from the beauty of the elves and of Rivendell and Lothlorien, and the music that surrounds them.What little we do see of the Elves in these locations is simply there to move the plot alongt as quickly as possible and therefore these moments are always very serious, as they were in the book.

Finally, I ask you to consider The Silmarillion. The Elves here are for the most part obsessed with their own selfish desires, be it the recovery of the Silmarils (the Sons of Feanor) or the taking of their chosen brides (Eol, Maeglin) and are not particularly nice people. The real heroes of this book are the Men, particularly Beren and Turin, while most of the elves at some point do something particularly nasty to their own kin. The one Elf in the whole story who has a relatively major part to play (Galadriel and Celeborn do next to nothing sdo lets ignore them) strikes me as one who looks for peace and merriment is Turgon, but (correct me if I'm wrong here) I get the feeling he was involved in the Kinslaying, which wouldn't really make him such a good guy.

G.

P.S. Sorry, I forgot Earendil, he was OK, as was the rest ofd his family, but they were only half-elven.