[Aratlithiel]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>I know many people don't like this, but the book is down the list.<BR> <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>And that is hugely unfortunate since the director made such a point of telling all Tolkien fans that these movies were made for them and that he was staying faithful to Tolkien. What we seem to have ended up with is Peter Jackson's personal fan fiction set to screen.<P>Don't jump on me - I liked the movies. Well, I liked some parts of the movies. But I would have liked them a whole lot better if they followed Tolkien's storyline and if the actors were more faithful to their literary counterparts. <P>H.C., you know I love ya, but I must agree here with Lalaith. If you are to be starring in a film based upon a well-loved piece of literature and the director is spouting to anyone who will listen about how faithful to the literature his film will be, I think it's your <I>responsibility</I> to read the book. I think it's conceited, selfish and unfair to bend any of these characters to your own interpretation because you think you're "honing your craft." In my opinion, any other approach is ignorant and deliberately uneducated.