Quote:
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Originally Posted by Son of Númenor
Peter Jackson didn't 'get' one of the major themes of the books.
Cate Blanchett (narrating): "The Ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy evil forever."
He blows it. Cut ahead a few thousand years, to when
...Frodo destroys the Ring. Evil is destroyed forever! Everyone lives happily ever after.
Never mind this insignificant little passage or the silly concept of the 'Long Defeat'.
(Unnecessary sarcasm, I know).
At worst, PJ missed this important - some would say defining - part of Tolkien's works altogether. At best, he didn't convey it adequately in Blanchett's aforementioned narration and, more importantly, in the tone of Return of the King's ending.
Your thoughts?
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If you have ever taken a course or looked into sciology or theology of any western culture, you can see why PJ might have done this. Some of us know about the "silly concept of the 'Long Defeat'" and why you could get away with something like this is in our society today. "Evil is destroyed forever" is engraved into society as a motto of expansion and development, to make people, sometimes refered to as "sheep" to feel that the more civilized, the more advanced you are, the less evil there is. Unfortunately, I hate to break everyone's fantasy but, this is not true. This issue also seems to compare with the Utopian belief that expanded duing the 60's and 70's. I'm not saying that this is bad, but it is not close to the real factors at play. One of the most important things forgotten by our globalized society today is that there is no such thing as "perfection". I see your statment as clearly pointing this out, and the message that Tolkien, along with many others of both his and our times are trying to tell us.
Bottom line is, major society believes that in 'perfection' only can come true 'happiness'... a.k.a (No 'evil' , everyone's happy, hurayy!) True thing is, this is not a good, if even true message to be telling ourselves. much of society today is built on 'fantasy' of a bigger, better tomorrow, and that if you are willing to follow this, you will become better too. Tolkien reminds us, that you cannot be perfect, no one can, all you can do is to try your best. I think this what he was trying to show through some of his characters, especially journeys that of Gandalf, Frodo and Aragorn. Did everything go 'perfect' for Frodo on his journey? No! After the ring was destroyed, did everyone suddenly become 'perfect'? No, they did not. All I can say is, the bottom line to the whole belief of "evil gone forever" is that as long as there is a 'good' there will be a 'evil'. All we can do is try. Tolkien's story is like the 101 textbook on this, as long as you know what you are looking for. When it comes to that, Tolkien is a Master...
i hope i haven't lost anyone... if i have, sorry. I do not mean to.
~Explainitory Ka~