Book vs. Movie characters

[Faenaduial]

Okay, I’m re-reading the books right now in anticipation of the RotK movie (I read them every year anyway). I love the movies if I forget everything I ever read from Tolkien because when I compare the characters I get a little crazy.

Let me say first that this has nothing to do with the actor’s performances. I think the performances have been amazing. It is the material they have been given that I have a problem with.

These are the changes that make me nuts:

Frodo – Tolkien repeatedly indicated through other characters that Frodo was thought to be the best Hobbit. In the book although he is scared, he still shows great courage and although the ring is trying to corrupt him he struggles to resist it until the very end. In the movie Frodo is scared but shows almost no courage. Where is his stand against the Nazgul both at Weathertop and at the Ford. All he does is whine. Also they are showing him be corrupted much to quickly. They could have shown the interior struggle through more physical changes without making him seem weak willed.

Sam – In the book Sam appears on the surface to be a little backward and shy, however he shows many times how sensible and resourceful he can be when tested. In the book Sam is Frodo’s loyal companion until close to the end when he must become even more. In the movie he comes across a bit of a bully and there is a tension between him and Frodo, and the choices Frodo is making, that you rarely felt in the book.

Theoden (and most of Rohan) – They have taken a kindly king of a powerful realm and made him a pompous, ineffectual ruler of a small, backward people.

Aragorn – In the book Aragorn may be torn between going with Frodo to Mordor or going to Gondor but he knows exactly who he is and has never turned from his true path. In actuality he has shown great fortitude in waiting for his time to claim his kingship. They portray Aragorn in the movie as turning from and not wanting to claim the thrown. Also in the book there is no relationship between Aragorn and Eowyn. Eowyn is enamored of Aragorn and wishes to love him as he is a king and is a way out of what she considers a lowly existence. He never turns from loving Arwen. The movie is playing up this relationship between two characters who hardly knew each other in the book.

Gollum – A great work of technology. However I never felt sorry for Gollum in the book. I did in the movie. I had to keep reminding myself that all he really wanted was the ring.

Faramir – He is never tempted by the ring in the book. What were they thinking of in the movie? They totally changed the essential make-up of his personality and character.

Although the movie takes liberties with other characters and makes many changes in what we have read, it is the changes to these characters which I object to the most strongly. I don’t think the changes were for the better.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 6:48 PM December 11, 2003: Message edited by: Faenaduial ]