England may sound nice, but every country has it's problems. I've never even been to England, but it's on this Earth, so I won't try to over-romanticize it in my mind. Americans over-romantcize America, and that is what seems to be disappointing a lot of the people posting here. We're not perfect and we never will be, but that doesn't necessarily make other places infinitly better. You'll just be disappointed by those people and places, too, if you sigh and say, "I wish I lived there instead of here, and I'm ashamed of myself because I live here."
Middle-earth is a highly romantic landscape, which makes it totally different from America, England, Austraila, New Zealand, or any other real-world place.
Though parallels can be drawn if you want to, I think it detracts from the enjoyment of the experience. If you go into the movie theatre or open the book with a preconceived notion of what you want to see, you'll miss the art or entertainment of either endeavor.
Doug, I don't think you should take Pippin's comment so hard. They made these movies back in 1999, before a lot of this current war posturing began. So unless you were going through a lot of isolationist unrest down there back in 99, I doubt it's aimed at you. Your comments sound like you were watching the movie with a big chip on your shoulder, and that's the big mistake that people are making who think that LotR is a propaganda machine.
Pippin's comment was just a typical movie simplification and summary of the general Hobbit attitude, which is right there in the books. After all, whenever any of the four Hobbits draws his sword he shouts, "The Shire!", and I believe one of the hobbits says, "What in the Shire" instead of "What in the world" at one point.
It also fit with the movie's theme, summarized in Sam's speech at the end, about the heroes in the old tales always having the chance to turn back. So unless you were going into the theatre expecting to be slapped, I don't think you would have interpreted it that way.
But I didn't really like the line anyway. I didn't seem like Pippin, and it was just a setup for Merry's line. Merry gets all the glory. Harumph. But it was just for Middle-earth, I thought.
Quote:
|
I would also say that perhaps, just perhaps, people are drawn to the War of the Ring because it is justified: on one side its motives are noble, its cause is just, and its armies are led in person by those who made the decision to fight. Perhaps a lot of people find this a welcome alternative to the modern political climate rather than a justification for it.
|
Well put, Squatter.
[ January 12, 2003: Message edited by: Diamond18 ]