Hey dol! Merry dol! Get lost Tom!!! - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

alatar · 11-07-2008, 12:50 PM

In my latest reread of FotR, I now find myself agreeing even more with PJ et al's decision to leave Tom in the books (if I had a different opinion before, well, please disregard that one).

Tom saves the Hobbits from Old Man Willow. He is Master of tree and root and wight. The Ring, that oh-so-scary silent actor in the films, has no effect on ole' Bombadil. The Riders never search the Old Forest.

PJ would have to have shown some or all of this. And, after exalting Tom for a few minutes (or hours) in the film, he would disappear. So why bother? Other not-so-well-read viewers would wonder why Tom wasn't at the council, or why he didn't continually show up to assist the Hobbits.

(alatar suddenly imagines a tag-team wrestling match pitting Saruman and Ugluk against Tom and Treebeard...)

As much as some of us would have liked to see him and Goldberry, Tom would have just detracted from the flow of the story.

11-07-2008, 12:50 PM	#10
alatar Doubting Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Heaven's basement Posts: 2,466	In my latest reread of FotR, I now find myself agreeing even more with PJ et al's decision to leave Tom in the books (if I had a different opinion before, well, please disregard that one). Tom saves the Hobbits from Old Man Willow. He is Master of tree and root and wight. The Ring, that oh-so-scary silent actor in the films, has no effect on ole' Bombadil. The Riders never search the Old Forest. PJ would have to have shown some or all of this. And, after exalting Tom for a few minutes (or hours) in the film, he would disappear. So why bother? Other not-so-well-read viewers would wonder why Tom wasn't at the council, or why he didn't continually show up to assist the Hobbits. (alatar suddenly imagines a tag-team wrestling match pitting Saruman and Ugluk against Tom and Treebeard...) As much as some of us would have liked to see him and Goldberry, Tom would have just detracted from the flow of the story. __________________ There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it. Last edited by alatar; 11-13-2008 at 02:34 PM.