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I do feel that this is the type of discussion which flourished a few years ago, ran its course and proved to be a rather dry riverbed. It really makes no difference how any of us feel about things like a "faithful adaption" or if the changes were good or for bad. Why?
In the end it is rather simple. The book is one thing. The films are quite another. Yes, the 3 films are based on the book. Yes, the films are an adaption of the book. But these discussion always come down to exactly the same thing over and over again. That being - somebodys opinion if they liked it or not. I really do not think so high and mighty of my own opinion as to place it in exalted place to hold dominion over all others. One can stand on the shores where the ocean meets the land and plant their two legs firmly in the sand and attempt to hold back the incoming waves...... but with what success? You can not hold back the tides.
In the end the film is judged as to the quality it possesses as a film. Consider the following that does not depend on my individual opinion or the individual opinion of anyone else no matter how learned, well read or knowledgable.
A film is often judged on its financial success. The three LOTR films all broke into the All Time Worldwide Box Office Top Ten. TTT reached number four and ROTK is still at number two. In fact, ROTK became only the second film in history to reachthe $1 billion dollar gross figure (US dollars). Including other rights, the three films took in over $4 billion dollars. From an initial investment of about $400 million, that is success in spades.
But there are many films which are of low quality but take in money and are profitable. Some people prefer to judge a film by the educated collective opinion of the community of critics that are paid to judge the cinematic quality of such things. All three films were very well reviewed with ROTK being one of the best reviewed films ever. Several internet sites will report on this if you want to look at them. Again, wild success by this measurement.
But some say that the opinion of film critics, even that of several hundred trained film critics does not mean much. What about the opinion of the film industry itself? The various 3 films won many awards of excellence from various countries and branches of the film industry. This was climaxed by the Academy Awards given the film including the eleven won by ROTK including Best Film of the Year.
The combination of all three of these categories - box office returns from the masses, collective praise from the professional critics, and industry awards has never occured before in history in three films made by the same filmmaker.
Again, I do not exalt my lone opinion upon the altar of the world to think that I know more than it does. But it seems that these type of discussions - or better yet, this ongoing six year plus discussion, always come down to somebody thinking that they are blessed to be some sort of TRUE BELIEVER who has been blessed with a special knowledge that elevates their opinion in both quality and substance over that of the rest of the world.
In the end it always comes down to "yes, but you do not know about it as much as I do". And in the end, what you think you know did not make a damn bit of difference in the film. It was irrelevant.
This is why I say that anyones opinion about the "faithfulness" of the films to the books is irrelevant. It does not matter. Attempting to throw a loaded term like "faithfulness" into the discussion merely is a distraction or attempting to set up a strawman which only serves your opinion. I can measure financial success by box office returns. I can measure critical success by the collective opinions of the community of professional critics. I can measure success by the level of awards given out withing the film community. All three say something by themselves. Together they are the tide of world opinion on these films.
Now plant your feet firmly on the shore and scream about "faithfullness" into the oncoming tide.
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