Are the movies a good or bad thing? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

***Mister Underhill*** · 02-06-2001, 12:44 AM

Re: Are the movies a good or bad thing? Aha! Look at these remarks in Letters from Tolkien regarding his reactions to a synopsis for a proposed (animated) film adaptation of LotR. It seems the prof wasn't quite as fetishistic as some of his present day fans are about preserving every little detail of his books:<blockquote>Quote:<hr> You will receive on Monday the copy of the 'Story Line' or synopsis of the proposed film version of The Lord of the Rings. I could not get it off yesterday. .... An abridgement by selection with some good picture-work would be pleasant, & perhaps worth a good deal in publicity; but the present script is rather a compression with resultant over-crowding and confusion, blurring of climaxes, and general degradation: a pull-back towards more conventional 'fairy-stories'. People gallop about on Eagles at the least provocation; Lórien becomes a fairy-castle with 'delicate minarets', and all that sort of thing. But I am quite prepared to play ball, if they are open to advice – and if you decide that the thing is genuine, and worthwhile.<hr></blockquote>These abominations (people galloping about on Eagles! Lórien a fairy-castle?!) make even Arwen swinging a sword around seem like small beans in comparison, yet the professor was willing to "play ball" and was obviously open to the idea of adapting his work into other mediums.

02-06-2001, 12:44 AM	#27
*Mister Underhill* Dread Horseman Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Behind you! Posts: 2,744	<BR> Re: Are the movies a good or bad thing?</b><br><br> Aha! Look at these remarks in Letters from Tolkien regarding his reactions to a synopsis for a proposed (animated) film adaptation of LotR. It seems the prof wasn't quite as fetishistic as some of his present day fans are about preserving every little detail of his books:<blockquote><i>Quote:</i></b><hr> You will receive on Monday the copy of the 'Story Line' or synopsis of the proposed film version of The Lord of the Rings. I could not get it off yesterday. ....<br> An abridgement by selection with some good picture-work would be pleasant, & perhaps worth a good deal in publicity; but the present script is rather a compression with resultant over-crowding and confusion, blurring of climaxes, and general degradation: a pull-back towards more conventional 'fairy-stories'. People gallop about on Eagles at the least provocation; Lórien becomes a fairy-castle with 'delicate minarets', and all that sort of thing.<br> But I am quite prepared to play ball, if they are open to advice – and if you decide that the thing is genuine, and worthwhile.<hr></blockquote>These abominations (people galloping about on Eagles! Lórien a fairy-castle?!) make even Arwen swinging a sword around seem like small beans in comparison, yet the professor was willing to "play ball" and was obviously open to the idea of adapting his work into other mediums.<br> <p></p>