[Gryphon Hall]

<B>Disclaimer:</B> I've read the first half of the posts and skimmed through the rest, so I may have missed a few issues that were discussed beyond those originally posted by Littlemanpoet. Furthermore, my time is limited, yet I want terribly to respond, for this issue comes close to my heart as well.<P>I find myself agreeing with most of you, especially those that agree with Littlemanpoet's brother, so I will not repeat your excellent observations. PJ did sell out, probably not what he wanted, maybe because he did not have the skill to make an accurate (I don't say literal, for reasons I shall discuss shortly) rendition of LotR, or because this movie based on the best book of the 20th Century (it should be unanimous, right?) must somehow appeal to the people who may not get the story, who for years have not gotten the story, and scorned and detested those who have gotten the story as geeks, nerds and wierdos. Maybe, it cannot be avoided; how many idealists have been dashed down and made to sell out, or appear to sell out because the mob outnumbers them.<P>However, with my humblest apologies to those who differ, I will most strongly react against the idea that the LotR cannot be put on the screen as it actually appears on print. Notwithstanding the choice of directors (I most heartily agree with Littlemanpoet's bro about Ridley Scott, though I really like Peter Jackson and still believe that he could have done a 'Scott') makes for different interpretations, the only reason I believe that there is still contention over this is because by and large people still see the LotR as just fiction. Just fiction! And therefore can be rewritten, re-'adapted', re-done, re-made. Notwithstanding that a lot of people feel for the characters in the entire mythos of Middle Earth as if they really existed (gosh, how nerdy!) since the LotR is, after all JUST and will always be JUST fiction.<P>Of course, fiction or not, I have always believed and held as the only honest and most artistic recourse to stick to accuracy.<P>But we need to make the 'cool' people see that the LotR is great. We have to make them see the Tolkien was not just some Brit wierdo with escapist fantasies. We need to make them see what we see! And some do see, some do see the point, and get the story. Thanks to the movies. They do see it.<P>But the only ones, at least in my experience, who continue to see it, those whose vision does not fade with the nth time the movie is watched, are those who go <I>back to the books</I>. Back to the books! Those of you on the barrowdowns, particularly those who have read through all these long, lengthly posts actually, well, read. Most don't. They see the point, for a while, until the next installment of Harry Potter comes along, or Star Wars. Then they just remember Frodo as a wimp, they will remember Aragorn as one who didn't wish with all his heart to be king, braved dangers for decades alone just so he can finally be with Arwen, or the subtle nobility of Theoden, Faramir and Eomer. They won't, those who see no need to actually read through Tolkien's 'boring' texts (I knew someone who was thankful that PJ made LotR interesting enough to warrant his attention).<P>I have intimated that somehow the LotR can be put on the screen which is accurate to that put on print. I do not mean, of course, that it will be economically viable to record every scene and every word, though this, too, I believe is possible if money is not a concern. But if it is a concern, still we can come up with something that we do not have to 'cook' up. Not just Ridley Scott, but Kurosawa would have done wonderfully. Perhaps Ang Lee as well. Anyone who watched Kurosawa's <I>Kagemusha</I> would not have known that they were watching very accurate history. A lot of the intervening years were, of course, cut out and not shown, but the characters, historical characters at that, were never changed to become more acceptable to those 'who would not have gotten it'. Probably did not do well at the box office, but it remains a gem, a treasure, like a Silmaril, never to be remade. Not so this version of the LotR.<P>I have already mentioned that maybe because the LotR is merely fiction to those who we may want to please. Fiction, fictional history, but history nonetheless. I have seen how Hollywood and Disney (which, I deem, to be the more serious transgressor) change history, nay, show another alternate universe when creating something 'historical' just to make it cute for the kids or those who may not 'get it'. All in the hopes that they may later want to see 'what really happened'.<P>But what's wrong with getting people to appreciate Tolkien? These movies have made people readers, haven't they? Well, how many of you, having watched the movie first then read the book, complained about Tolkien's treatment, criticized him for not having made it like they saw in the movie? How many of you were more disappointed with the book rather than the movie? I am not talking here about the Star Wars or other movie adaptations, mind you. Yet what is wrong with making a movie adaptation for those who would not have gotten it otherwise?<P>For one thing, it would be dishonest. Another, it compromises artistry. It is dishonest because, in our effort to give Tolkien who 'would not have gotten it' we don't, we give Peter Jackson, et al. So those who try to read get discouraged by the long, slow early chapters of the Fellowship of the Ring on print, then stop reading. Like those who would rather have the watered-down <I>Magnificent Seven</I> over the original Kurosawa's <I>Seven Samurai</I> because they couldn't sit through an hour of development with no action. Yet in the end, those with the courage and the smarts to sit through benefit more, and get the treasure. The same is true for those who not only read through the LotR, but explores the Silmarillion and the other books. To test this, try imagining The Battle of Gettysburg made as an action movie. Give it more explosions, give it more hand-to-hand fights, make it more like Braveheart, but ultimately value is lost. Truth is lost.<P>It compromises artistry because, inspite of the beautiful and lush sets (which I still love), it could have been more beautiful. Not understandable to most, to be sure, but more beautiful, on more than just the visual level. I was amazed, as were most of you, to be sure, by the accuracy of Helm's Deep and Isengard in the movie. Well and good. But what about Dunharrow? What about Aglarond? What about Mirrormere? Too many beautiful things were left out.<P>Yet, when all is said and done, I must agree with reality. To portray a made-up world to look real needs resources. Resources no one was willing to provide at first because they thought that the LotR-as-movie would conk out like most fantasy-related movies to date (there was no Harry Potter yet, so there was no precedent). So even though I know that storywise, scriptwise, and screenplay-wise LotR could have been done justice, the sets would not have. One avenue is left open, the avenue that was tried once before but is reviled because it failed: animation. Not Disneyfied, Hollywood, cutesy animation, but Anime. Not the Sailormoon/Pokemon anime, but anime like that of the <I>Record of Lodoss War</I> or the <I>Hakkenden</I>. And a series can take as long as it must.<P>Well, so much for what should have been a short post; it is past midnight here where I write. I apologize for my long-windedness, but as I said, it touches my heart and I had been writing from the top of my head and straight from the heart. I may edit this post later to clean it up.<P><B>Littlemanpoet:</B> I'm sorry for not replying yet to your PM. I didn't intend this to be very long to begin with, either.<P><B>P.S.</B> It is interesting to note that even the watered-down version of the TTT was still too deep for some of my friends and I have had to explain the <I>real</I> story ultimately, which made more sense to them and gave them more respect for all the characters. Those others amongst them who were not interested in the <I>real story</I> saw TTT as just the latest cool movie: a fad.<P>To we really want to cater to them?<P>Again, I apologize for anyone I may have been offended.<P><I>Pax</I><p>[ January 20, 2003: Message edited by: Gryphon Hall ]