[Child of the 7th Age]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> “Frodo dragged himself to that point and failed. And another power intervened,” Boyens said. Then, referring to the end of Frodo’s life in Middle Earth, Boyen added, “He ultimately surrenders to that power at the end of this movie, which is one of the most beautiful moments in the movie.” <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>Whoa! That's an extremely interesting quote from Boyens. I would not have suspected that kind of subtlety. And while I don't feel Frodo would have expressed himself in exactly those terms, it does line up with what Tolkien said in his Letters about Frodo's continuing temptation from the Ring, his shame over what he'd done (or rather what he had been unable to do), and his latent desire to have been the hero rather than a mere instrument of Providence. None of that, of course, is alluded to directly in the film.<P>Still, Tolkien's Frodo never came quite that far towards healing. In the Letters, Tolkien says he's not sure if Frodo would find peace within the circles of this world, even within the blessed realm of the West. And that seems in keeping with the author's personality -- the way he vacillated between hope and sadness (dare I say despair?).<P>Yet, I have to admit that when I saw Frodo's smile at the end of the movie, it was the scene I found most poignant. To me it said that somehow, someway, Frodo was going to be alright. And I guess I wanted to know that. I don't think I'm the only one to feel that way. There are many fanfictions written about Frodo's time in the West, but never have I seen one where Frodo remains as broken and despairing as he did in the Shire with his periodic illnesses. <P>Despite what JRRT said in the Letters, most readers even come away from the book with the feeling that Frodo will indeed be healed. The author seems to give us a hint of reassurance when the Elven ship approaches the shores of Tol Rressea and Tolkien describes what Frodo saw --- <P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> And then it seemed to him that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtain turned all to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shores and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Whenever I read these beautiful words, I can't hope but feel that Frodo is going to be alright. Of course, in the movie, similar lines were given to Gandalf in his discussion with Pippin in Minas Tirith, so they couldn't be used at the end of the movie (as they might have done in a voiceover). So perhaps Frodo's smile is meant to reassure us in the same way that Tolkien did in his brief but poignant description of the shores of the Blessed Lands.<p>[ 1:42 PM December 20, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]