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Originally Posted by STW
But people here see absolutely nothing wrong with castigating the films and the man who made them because they are not something else.
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You seem to have nothing wrong with castigating parts of the original LotR and the man who wrote them! (See your above post about Bombadil.)
I don't believe Bombadil was the worst visually. He certainly wouldn't have been Jackson's most ridiculous or worst visual character. Nothing could be worse than his atrociously butchered Mouth of Sauron.
But if you consider, the part that Jackson cut out was not only Bombadil, who may be somewhat ridiculous in appearance, but also Goldberry who, if we say Bombadil was the worst "visual" character, is probably one of the best characters, visually speaking. I personally think Eowyn was the prettiest woman on the set, but Goldberry, if correctly done, would have been more beautiful than her.
As for Bombadil himself - his costume was the sort that any costume designer would have loved to have made! Anyway,
I would have loved to have made it.
(Fond memory here...My brother once drew a picture of Bombadil and put color to it...it was a very lighthearted, rather beautiful drawing. It was before I knew the books myself. I had never heard of Bombadil in my life. The picture depicted him smiling like the sun, one leg lifted in a merry leap, one hand holding a stick, and the other balancing his lilly leaves. In the corner of the picture, wide eyed and open mouthed, crouched Frodo and Sam, staring in wonder.)
Back on topic. Bombadil is childish. But he's not stupid or dumb. There's nothing
wrong with being childish. Hobbits themselves are suppoesd to be childish. That was one huge mistake Jackons made - he made Frodo and Sam not childish enough.
As for his songs. (Another grin at a fond memory.) My brother (same one who drew the picture) once got two CDs from a friend for a birthday present. They were a collection of many of Tolkiens poems put to music. It was a wonderful collection. And track 3 of the first CD had all of Bombadil's song in it. My sister and I still sing them. Don't tell me it's not possible. Don't tell me it's not enchanting.
"Hop along my, merry friends, up the Withy-Windle
Tom's goin' on ahead, candles for to kindle!
Down west sinks the sun, soon you will be groping.
When the night shadows fall, then the door will open!
Out of the window pane, light will twinkle yellow.
Fear no alder black, heed no hoary willow!
Fear neither root nor bow, Tom goes on before you.
Hey now! Merry dol! We'll be waiting for you!"
And I wrote that out of memory just now, and I haven't heard the song for over three years.
Oh, yes. The songs are quite possible to do convincingly enough to make people love them for years and years.
As for his power over the Ring...deepens his character. Makes the reader more intriqued. Heck, it's a darn sight better than Faramir being twisted and perverted enough to take it and Frodo and Sam to Osgiliath with the intention of taking them all the way to Minas Tirith! The Ring was NOT as powerful and luring as Jackson made it to be!
I found my tongue, in case you didn't notice.
-- Folwren