May 23, 2002

Lots of Things
Danny

First off, I think it is sad that people would sign a petition like they have about the Two Towers. Yes they are being too easily offended, yes they are being ignorant, and yes it is annoying, but I think it is almost as funny to see how riled up people get about it. I don't mean to direct this next comment to anybody on this forum so please nobody take it personally. There are a lot of ignorant people out there with long toes, but hey, in a world of 5 billion, you will find diverse opinions, and misunderstandings about anything. Nothing will come of it so I don't worry about it.

About Arwyn. I frist read LOTR when I was twelve years old. I didn't remember how well I understood some details until I thought specifically about them. On my first reading, I expected Aragorn and Eowyn to get together, and was confused at Arwin, and annoyed when Eowyn married Faramir. Okay I was twelve years old, but still, I agree that developing her wasn't as harmful to the film as it could have been. I would have liked it had the scene at the Ford been more acurate to the text, but I will survive.

About the Trailer for TTT. I think that it looks like it will be a fabulous movie, when seen as a movie. I am however a bit nervous about the changes that are evident. I don't recall Aragorn and Eowyn ever crossing swords in the book, and that seems a bit strange. Any ideas what that could be about? I don't have any. The other part that is worrysom to me is Galadriel's only line in the trailer, "The Quest will claim Frodo's life" or something like that. I hope she is talking figuratively or something. The quest already has claimed his life in a figurative sense in that he will never have his innocent care-free life that he had before. Thoughts on that would make for an interesting discussion as well.

About Gandalf flying, I agree that it would have been strange. What makes Tolkien so fascinating to me is that it feels like it happened. It feels like a history. Tolkein knew how to make things fantastic without going overboard, and the incredible world he created before he wrote combined with that is what has made his stories feel so real. Gandalf flying would have been too over the top so to speak.

Gandalf never had power to levitate or fly previously. In the Hobbit, he needed an Eagle to save him just like the others, when he was about to cast himself from his tree and go out in a blaze of glory. If he could fly, why would he have needed Shadowfax, or any horse for that matter? I am confused about why the question ever came up. I understood that it came from people asking about how he couldn't fly if he could cause Gimli's axe to float out of his hands. That tells me that it was someone who had at least read TTT so I would think you could sort it out. I shouldn't complain because I have enjoyed the responses, and learned a lot about Tolkien through them.

Ok, Sorry for the long ramblings. I hope that I don't offend anybody, and that somebody finds some of my comments and questions worth discussing.