March 21, 2002

Arwen et al
Undomial

I am a little bemused by the recent ire in bumping Shelob to ROTK. It IS all one story after all - if it was feasable to have put all three films into one continuous narrative that certainly would have been the way to go (even if i would have had one sore ass at the end)

I am MUCH more irate and concerned over the continued massaging of the Arwen character - i must admit i would probably be more amiable if acceptably mature and talented actress had been chosen to play the role - Liv Tyler actually makes my gorge rise. Truly TRULY a bone-head casting call in an otherwise pretty flawlles production (by the way Bret, i too read LOTR the first time when i was 11 and picked up on the Arwen Aragorn romance immediately. In fact that was one of the most mysterious and magically illusive aspects of the book to the 11-year-old romanitc in me - with phrases such as when the company leaves Rivendell "Aragorn sat with his head bowed to his knees; only Elrond knew fully what this hour meant to him.." - or when in Lorien he says to Galadriel "Lady you know all my desire and long help in your keeping the only treasure that I seek..." i understood what he was speaking of the first time i read it.)

Maybe it is different translating this sort of subtlety to film, but i have to believe it could have been done WITHOUT sending Arwen to Helm's Deep. THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! And there used to letter after letter by equally outraged fans writing about this before the first movie came out.

Well i am STILL OUTRAGED and remember letters a couple of years ago about reports of near catfight proportions between Eowyn and Arwen at Helms Deep. Can anybody help put my mind at rest? i know, i know - what's done is done - but PJ still needs to know that it's not a total love fest out here, he still has a HUGE responsibility to fans who try our best to support the effort, and that some of us still have our eyes on this!!!! Nuff said!