[Estelyn Telcontar]

And of course, that favourite topic, the role of women in LotR, especially Arwen's expanded role in the movie:<P><B>Kalessin</B>:<BR>Couldn't it be argued that in the trilogy, aside from Galadriel and Eowyn, the female characters tend to occupy pretty much "medieval" territory in all respects. Duty, obedience, grace and beauty are the prime virtues. There is also arguably at least an inference that Eowyn's ultimately heroic part in the narrative is motivated partly at least by 'feminine' desires - her feelings for Aragorn - and pride. Galadriel herself has an element of pride that she overcomes in resisting the One Ring, and in many ways meets the archetype of feminine sorceress - the ability to read the hearts and minds of men - and of traditional "femininity", as a giver of fertility (the seeds to Sam). In all cases, the beauty (or appearance) of the female characters is of critical importance (Gimli and Eomer quibbling about Galadriel and Arwen, etc.), whilst the male characters seem judged by their deeds, or by a kind of invisible 'air of regality' or similar quality. <P><B>Kalla</B>:<BR>I have refined my feelings of Arwen to this: I do not care if she has more screenplay than in the book and I no longer care...ok, I care less, and how clumsy as someone said she was introduced. What I disliked was at the Ford, she "saves" Frodo rather than him standing up to the wraiths. That was, I felt, an important point in the book that when Gandalf later remarks that Hobbits are quite remarkable folk (forgive me I don't have the book to look it up in at the moment)that he is remarking upon Frodo's strength of will and heart at such a vuneralbe moment, as well as other things. I dunno, I just felt that was a bad character development move...I waited for that scene and then it was like WHOOSH Frodo is now saved. I was going...huh?! It just seemed after reading the book that that was OUT of character for Frodo...if that makes sense. It wouldn't matter who saved him at the ford...if it was Legolas or Aragorn or Sam, etc...I'd still feel the same way about them. You can empower or modernize characters, although I actually felt the women had a strong role in the book, just more subtle, without detracting from other characters. <P><B>Lush</B>:<BR>Oh, pish posh. As long as she's not wielding an axe and wearing a fur bikini, I'm down with the changes. <P><B>Bill Ferny</B>:<BR>I can see it now. Liv Tyler leading the terrorized Gimli and Legolas down the Paths of the Dead, while Aragorn, still whinning and doubting himself, decides to stay with the women and children of Rohan and sew up a flag for Arwen. Of course, not only does Eowyn fall in love with Aragorn, but she manages to seduce him (because he's at a fragile moment in his life, of course) and they get a steamy love scene, just to spice things up, and make the movie more appealing to the Fatal Attraction crowd. Of course, Arwen blows a gasket when she gets word of this, but wise Legolas councils her to turn her anger to better use by taming the undead of Dunharrow, and, of course, it is she who saves the day on the Pelennor Fields. <BR>When all is said and done, Aragorn realizes that his little trist with Eowyn was due to his doubt and weakness, marries Arwen and becomes king of Gondor. Of course, having a king is just alittle too chauvenistic for the modern movie goer, so Aragorn hands over the kingdom to Arwen and runs off with his gay lover, Glorfindel (hey, we finally found a role for Glorfindel!). <BR>Ah, what the heck, lets wrap up the whole movie. Leg and Gim go to Fangorn and start up a dwarf/elf brothel. Eowyn stops stalking Aragorn, and she and Faramir establish the Henneth Annun health resort and self help center in Ithilien. Pip becomes the first bartender of a liberated Osgiliath. His first customer is Mer, who suffering from post-tramatic stress syndrome becomes an alchoholic. That's OK, because Mer pulls it together and later becomes a guru of fringe fundamentalist cult. Oh, yeah, and Frodo. Well, Frodo finally grows some... well, you know.