There is this bit from Letters:
Quote:
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Why does Z put beaks and feathers on Orcs!? (Orcs is not a form of Auks.) The Orcs are definitely stated to be corruptions of the 'human' form seen in Elves and Men. They are (or were) squat, broad, flat-nosed, sallow-skinned, with wide mouths and slant eyes: in fact degraded and repulsive versions of the (to Europeans) least lovely Mongol-types.
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Although this might not be racism in the technical sense, it does show Tolkien's own tastes. By this description, the orcs in the movie were off in appearance.