[Lalaith]

I am quite prepared to accept that Tolkien intended Arwen as a shadowy romantic figure,but he also states that she was Luthien reborn, and Luthien was the most powerful elf that ever lived, the one Frodo calls upon at the Ford, along with Elbereth, to save him from the Nazgul.<BR>But even if PJ's treatment of Arwen is different to what Tolkien intended, she is just one quite small element in a long list of alterations PJ made, and I would argue that many of the other changes were more fundamental and serious.<BR>Take Theoden/Rohan. One of the defining traits of Rohan as a nation and culture was its absolute and unquestioning loyalty to Gondor. That was changed in the films, where was the outcry and campaigning from fans?<BR>I do NOT think Arwen should have been at Helms Deep. But I do think that the answer to why there was such a huge fuss about her, lies less in the works of Tolkien and more in the attitudes and priorities of the fans themselves.