March 25, 2002

Director's Cut
Shelton

Dear friends. Lately I've found myself feeling somewhat protective of Cate Blanchette and her portrayal as Galadriel. I agree with many of you in that the Galadriel in the book reads as a much gentler, more sympathetic character. However, I didn't feel that Ms. Blanchette was at all at fault for the manner in which we've experienced her performance. Peter Jackson has described Galadriel as a "frightening oracle" rather than a loving, gentle, and wise being. I feel that Ms. Blanchette delivered EXACTLY what Mr. Jackson was wanting for that character. If you do see the movie again, and I've no doubt that many of us will this Friday, I would encourage you to look upon Galadriel with the knowledge that Mr. Jackson wanted her to be something quite different than perhaps we wanted her to be. Cuio Mae!