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Man-of-the-Wold · 12-19-2002, 11:51 AM

Well, I must go to Movies to rant on my situation getting to see them. I must laud the film, for bringing me back to Tolkien, not that I was lost, but in the 1980s, I slowed down and stopped re-reading. I liked UT lots, but wasn't sure about HoME. But then the hype, reading it to my daughter, wasti.. (hmm..) spending time here, and plowing through HoMe.

But think of the LoTR: is it a great book? Beyond Barrow-downers and so forth, I've heard of folks who've read the book and at best found them O.K.! I know, it just doesn't seem possible.

But I imagine book reviewers and literaturists, and the like would have plenty to say that would merely put LoTR down as competent novel-writing, or premiere (sniff) fantasy, but not great literature. Yada, yada, yada. But that would all miss the point. The genius of the LoTR goes much deeper than even the written word, or being a book. It's molded peoples souls, changed their Weltanshaunung, and done much more. I know many adherents are also great lovers (if not on the same level) of other fantasy, as well as science fiction. But not really all. I for one have read some but really very little; I like Star Wars, etc. So, Tolkien, while the inspiration of the Fantasy genre, was not in his view written to be good Fantasy, but rather real myth & legend, if that oxymoron is properly understood.

Films have their own challenges, whether these works of Peter Jackson's are great in the critic's eye or will go down in time like other immortal films will have nothing to do with the books. But it may be as good an adaption of the books as possible. But it should be judged only by the measure of other films, irrespective of the source of its content.

The only adaption that might really be successful for the son of the author, or for any of us (even if we like the current films) would be forty hours of at times dull footage with the casting of real immortals to play certain parts.

You really cannot make such a successful film that could be shown for an audience, which must be assumed not to have read the books, or perhaps any books. Maybe someday technology and what not will allow something of a mere 15-20 hours to be done, for which the script is predicated on everyone having recent read the books two or three times, but don't count on it.

[ December 19, 2002: Message edited by: Man-of-the-Wold ]

12-19-2002, 11:51 AM	#7
Man-of-the-Wold Wight Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: With Tux, dread poodle of Pinnath Galin Posts: 239	Well, I must go to Movies to rant on my situation getting to see them. I must laud the film, for bringing me back to Tolkien, not that I was lost, but in the 1980s, I slowed down and stopped re-reading. I liked UT lots, but wasn't sure about HoME. But then the hype, reading it to my daughter, wasti.. (hmm..) spending time here, and plowing through HoMe. But think of the LoTR: is it a great book? Beyond Barrow-downers and so forth, I've heard of folks who've read the book and at best found them O.K.! I know, it just doesn't seem possible. But I imagine book reviewers and literaturists, and the like would have plenty to say that would merely put LoTR down as competent novel-writing, or premiere (sniff) fantasy, but not great literature. Yada, yada, yada. But that would all miss the point. The genius of the LoTR goes much deeper than even the written word, or being a book. It's molded peoples souls, changed their Weltanshaunung, and done much more. I know many adherents are also great lovers (if not on the same level) of other fantasy, as well as science fiction. But not really all. I for one have read some but really very little; I like Star Wars, etc. So, Tolkien, while the inspiration of the Fantasy genre, was not in his view written to be good Fantasy, but rather real myth & legend, if that oxymoron is properly understood. Films have their own challenges, whether these works of Peter Jackson's are great in the critic's eye or will go down in time like other immortal films will have nothing to do with the books. But it may be as good an adaption of the books as possible. But it should be judged only by the measure of other films, irrespective of the source of its content. The only adaption that might really be successful for the son of the author, or for any of us (even if we like the current films) would be forty hours of at times dull footage with the casting of real immortals to play certain parts. You really cannot make such a successful film that could be shown for an audience, which must be assumed not to have read the books, or perhaps any books. Maybe someday technology and what not will allow something of a mere 15-20 hours to be done, for which the script is predicated on everyone having recent read the books two or three times, but don't count on it. [ December 19, 2002: Message edited by: Man-of-the-Wold ] __________________ The hoes unrecked in the fields were flung, __ and fallen ladders in the long grass lay __ of the lush orchards; every tree there turned __ its tangled head and eyed them secretly, __ and the ears listened of the nodding grasses; __ though noontide glowed on land and leaf, __ their limbs were chilled.