[Mithadan]

<BR><br><br> I view the upcoming movie with reservations. Middle Earth resides in the imaginations of the readers, who have highly individualized conceptions of what the principal characters look, sound and act like. Further, a key element of the Lord of the Rings is the feeling that behind the scenes lurks a lengthy and seemingly real history extending back thousands of years before the tale begins. Treating the books as an isolated tale in a vacuum would cause the film to lose a great deal in the translation. <br> <br> I have generally ignored the growing furor and the rumor mill among afficianados of Tolkien's work, and have adopted a wait and see attitude. I will see the movie when it comes out and hope I will enjoy it. I fear, however, that Mr. Jackson will not be able to satisfy everyone. A movie must necessarily have mass market appeal. To reach that mass market, Mr. Jackson may have to simplify or modify the tale to such an extent that he may alienate the guarantied market of those who appreciate the books. <p>--Mithadan--<BR> "The Silmarils with living light<BR> were kindled clear, and waxing bright<BR> shone like stars that in the North<BR> above the reek of earth leap forth." </p>