[Essex]

of course there is symbolism in jackson's lotr.

2 examples from rotk within seconds of each other

denethor gorging on his food as faramir charges towards almost certain death

almost directly after this we gandalf sitting on the bench outside showing us the real bleakness and low point we have reached in the tale

Tie this in with Jackson's incredible skill of directing scenes and actors with a flair I can't compare (except for maybe godfather I and II) and we have a trilogy of movies that, for me, rank alongside great directors from the past (kurosawa has been mentioned on this thread, and it is not sacriligeous to mention him and jackson in the same breath)

No doubt given 20 or 30 years, most people will look back on these films and see them for the great works of art they are, for their superb production values, for their acting, but mainly for the story that they tell. We can talk about whether these films show us the true meaning of myth, or whether they stand up to tolkien's genius, but what we can tell is that the films themselves have given countless people huge enjoyment.

Isn't that one of the main reasons to make a film? To tell us a story so well that we can be tied up in it and taken away from the world's troubles for a few hours?

sorry, rant over and totally off topic.....