PJ needs more credit - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

**lindil** · 01-13-2003, 04:23 AM

just wish to politely disagree.PJ is getting kudo's from allover the world.The Barrow Downs is however a forum dedicated to the work of JRR Tolkien.So of course the criticisms will be frequent, biting and prominent. That is as long as he strays from the path of the story.Hopefever posted: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> I started reading the books after I saw FOTR. Some of the changes he made might be questionable, but there are some things that PJ improves on the book. In my opinion Tolkien was weak in describing some of the actually details of battles and events. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>This is the very thing I feared [ and posted about] before the movies came out. That some souls would somehow see the movies as normative or better than the original creation. I hope you are still here Hopefever after you have read the books a dozen or so times, because i would be very interested in seeing if you still feel the same way then.as regards the battle scenes, of course showing a battle will be be more graphic than reading about it, but please believe me when I say that the battles are really not the heart of the story, and would of course be the easiest thing to make come alive.Now all that being said, i do think it is possible for a movie to be better than the books!How is that some may ask?By doing 3 things: <UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>following the dialog and characterizations of the book<LI>reproducing the atmosphere and 'spirit' of the books<LI>adding details [ such as clothing, music, weapons] that are left to the imagination and doing it in such away that one feels tha books have come to life.</UL>Now in all fairness PJ does well on points 2 and 3 most of the time. Occasionally hitting a bullseye [ Rivendell for instance, and much of Moria].But he often fails on #1. I still enjoy the movies, but they are for me very good [ a B] instead of absolutely awesome [ and A+] because PJ thought he could do better by changing some of the things that JRRT had so carefully crafted over 12 [!!!] years.Sorry, PJ's farmair is no improvement.Nor is his Aragorn character changes [ refusing to seek the throne, etc].Etc. For those who have seen the Movie first and then have come to the books, I hope you drink deeply and are able to see through the images etched so deeply into your psyche.

01-13-2003, 04:23 AM	#7
lindil Seeker of the Straight Path Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: a hidden fastness in Big Valley nor cal Posts: 1,680	just wish to politely disagree.<P>PJ is getting kudo's from allover the world.<P>The Barrow Downs is however a forum dedicated to the work of JRR Tolkien.<P>So of course the criticisms will be frequent, biting and prominent. That is as long as he strays from the path of the story.<P>Hopefever posted: <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> I started reading the books after I saw FOTR. Some of the changes he made might be questionable, but there are some things that PJ improves on the book. In my opinion Tolkien was weak in describing some of the actually details of battles and events. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>This is the very thing I feared [ and posted about] before the movies came out. That some souls would somehow see the movies as normative or better than the original creation. I hope you are still here Hopefever after you have read the books a dozen or so times, because i would be very interested in seeing if you still feel the same way then.<P>as regards the battle scenes, of course showing a battle will be be more graphic than reading about it, but please believe me when I say that the battles are really not the heart of the story, and would of course be the easiest thing to make come alive.<P>Now all that being said, i do think it is possible for a movie to be better than the books!<P>How is that some may ask?<P>By doing 3 things:<BR> <UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>following the dialog and characterizations of the book<LI>reproducing the atmosphere and 'spirit' of the books<LI>adding details [ such as clothing, music, weapons] that are left to the imagination and doing it in such away that one feels tha books have come to life.</UL><P>Now in all fairness PJ does well on points 2 and 3 most of the time. Occasionally hitting a bullseye [ Rivendell for instance, and much of Moria].<P>But he often fails on #1. <P>I still enjoy the movies, but they are for me very good [ a B] instead of absolutely awesome [ and A+] because PJ thought he could do better by changing some of the things that JRRT had so carefully crafted over 12 [!!!] years.<P>Sorry, PJ's farmair is no improvement.<P>Nor is his Aragorn character changes [ refusing to seek the throne, etc].<P>Etc. <P>For those who have seen the Movie first and then have come to the books, I hope you drink deeply and are able to see through the images etched so deeply into your psyche. __________________ The dwindling Men of the West would often sit up late into the night exchanging lore & wisdom such as they still possessed that they should not fall back into the mean estate of those who never knew or indeed rebelled against the Light.