That's Ent-ertainment

[Kath]

I didn't like the decision to make the Ents choose not to go to war just so that they could have Pippin do his little clever bit. Surely they could have thought up another way to show he does actually have a brain. It just made the Ents seem cruel, uncaring and dimwitted rather than simply slow and thoughtful, but ultimately good. While I can understand a lot of the changes that PJ and co. made, this one doesn't seem to have a great deal of point to it.

I would have preferred an interpretation closer to the books because I always liked the Ents, and the idea that the arrival of something new into their environment could cause such a change, or at least a trip down memory lane so they remember how to be powerful. The hidden power in the forest was a big thing to me when I read the books, as I found it incredible that you could hide such a force.

[Elladan and Elrohir]

I think the reason they changed this was partly to show the growth in Pippin's character, as has already been said, but also to make the point that there are times to make peace, and there are times to go to war. They really point this out in the Directors and Writers commentary. You have Treebeard going, "Well, it's not a big deal to me; plus, how are we supposed to do anything against a force like that?" But the Ents HAVE to go to war, both for the sake of the story and because it's the only moral choice to be made.

I'm not sure that I like this change. I understand pretty well why they did it, but it makes the Ents (especially Treebeard) look stupid and unlikeable. If they kept it the way it was in the books, I think it would have worked just as well -- and they still could have found a way to work in their point about the moral duty to fight Saruman.

It's interesting that this movie was released in December 2002, and the U.S. went to war in Iraq in March 2003. Not to suggest that PJ and Co. are making political statements, but the timing is nonetheless intriguing.

[Lalwendë]

A possible reason for the change to the Ents' decision to go to war may be that Jackson wanted to show the destruction of the forest and the effect that this would have on the Ents? In the books we know that Treebeard knows of this and that the Ents decide to march, while in the films they do not know, and do not decide to march. It could have been more difficult to show them as creatures which knew they were being attacked and yet had to hold a debate on whether to act; in the films they are shown to make a sudden discovery and be provoked into anger.

[Boromir88]

Interesting idea Eomer...I do agree with you on this. I really did not see a reason to change the Ents, possibly the only explanation would be Hollywood. Let's make it dramatic, the Ents say no...so it builds up tension, then they agree to help. And as usual I find a lot of Hollywood dramatization to be rather cheezy and a bit of a bore.

With that being said, and it's clear the Ents are portrayed differently, you can't take out the role Merry and Pippin play in the Ents decision to go to war. Merry and Pippin got this entmoot started and got the Ents "riled." However, that doesn't mean you have to portray the Ents as clueless and dumb. I think you could still effectively show the role Merry and Pippin had in getting the Ents awakened again, and still have the Ents know what the heck is going on around them.

Worst of all with Treebeard not knowing what's going on and having to be tricked into going to war is it created inconsistency in the film. Upon their first meeting Treebeard seems to know what's going on in his forest, going off about Orcs..."They come with fire, they come with axes, gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning...etc." But then he's totally clueless about the chopped down trees? Doesn't make any sense.

Sometimes it seems to me Jackson made the movies one scene at a time. Changing and fiddling with what he wanted for that particular scene, for good or bad, but not thinking about possible inconsistancies that he showed prior in the movies.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

But then all they had to do was have Treebeard explain that the Ents are not hasty and that it is vital to rouse them.

Nonetheless, reading these posts has given me another idea. We know how PJ loves his twists (see 'The Lembas Saga and the Return of Sam') so it could well be that he just wanted the kids in the audience to feel sad, then happy, by the Ents' decisions.

I don't like this. I think that twists are overused; and that there's nothing wrong with showing Treebeard itching to go to war from near the start of the film.

EDIT: Boromir already made that point four minutes ago, it seems.

[Morsul the Dark]

Well... Yes I agree about Treebeard strangly not knowing his forest was cut to ribbons i dont however agree on their pertrayal overall...honestly if they didnt know that the forest was getting chopped down than yes it makes since for them not to go to war... the only problem was the fact that he didnt know it also proved how much he cared for his forest honestly as soon as he saw it torn down he went psycho and showed why trolls were modelled after ents

[Kath]

But surely if Treebeard did care for the trees and was active in his role as shepherd or caretaker, he would already know about the trees that had been cut down? His words about the orcs (as Boromir said) semm to show he is aware that this is happening, so for him to be suddenly so surprised by it is odd. It's almost as though he's been backed into a corner and only now that he can't argue his way out of it does he agree to fight.

[Morsul the Dark]

Originally Posted by Eomer of the Rohirrim

Nonetheless, reading these posts has given me another idea. We know how PJ loves his twists (see 'The Lembas Saga and the Return of Sam') so it could well be that he just wanted the kids in the audience to feel sad, then happy, by the Ents' decisions.

well remember books and movies are different
If i may digress about the whole lembas saga for a second do you think a general audience member would have accepted the fact that gollum and sam hate each other and odldsly never fight until the very end?

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Well, if I understand your point correctly, my answer is yes.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Anyway...

The fact that books and films are different is a fact which I have not ignored, as indicated in the initial post. (Indeed, anyone ignoring this point obviously hasn't been paying much attention the Movies forum in recent years.) The question raised by making that point is: In which way did the unflattering (as I see it) portrayal of the Ents benefit the transition of the story from book to film?