The Best Adaptions

[Boromir88]

I can't agree with Sam...besides the point Eomer said, there was no need for Sean Astin to gain weight for the role. As there is no indicator that Sam was any fatter than the typical hobbit...in fact I think Merry and Pippin should have been plumper as Frodo was the 'abnormal' lean one.

Well if I may say so, Mathew has done an excellent job summing up the portrayal of Boromir in the movies...now I will attempt a defense as to why I disagree and say Boromir was portrayed very well. (With a few exceptions).

Appearance, costume, hair...etc really isn't the actors fault, so when I think of portrayal I don't consider too much about all that. I think did the actor bring out his/her character in the book? When I see Sean Bean on screen can I think of Boromir of Lord of the Rings? And I would say I can!

First off, I will say that Extended Osgiliath scene was completely wrong and it would have been better to do things differently. As mentioned, Denethor sending Boromir off as some sort of secret agent is not only contrary to the books, but as Mathew points out conflicts with what we see earlier in the film itself. So, that part of the extended scene definitely creates problems and is a bad portrayal.

However, let's look at a few more things with that extended scene in Osgiliath.

'Yet between the brothers there was great love, and had been since childhood, when Boromir was the helper and protector of Faramir. No jealousy or rivalry had arisen between them since, for their father's favour or for the praise of men.'~Appendix A: The Stewards

The extended scene definitely shows the love between the two brothers quite well I would say. It shows their brotherly bond and Boromir standing up for/defending Faramir.

Boromir was also a beloved Captain, and we also see this in the extended scene. So, as far as that part goes, I would say the movies (and Sean Bean) portray Boromir quite well.

I do not get that from PJ's adaption. Instead, we see a man with childish grudges who gets upset when he doesn't always get his way.

Well, as much as I hate to admit it book Boromir could also be quite childish...eventhough this was changed in the movies, lets not forget it was Boromir who through the stones disturbing 'The Watcher.' Also, he is a man that struggled taking orders and did indeed show a little bit of contempt when things didn't go his way.

'If my advice is heeded, it will be the western shore, and the way to Minas Tirith,' answered Boromir. 'But I am not the leader of the Company.' The others said nothing, and Aragorn looked doubtful and troubled.'~Farewell to Lorien

Perhaps, I'm reading it wrong, but I detect a note of a little jealousy. Kind of like 'I want to do this...and if only you would listen to me, but hey I'm not the leader.' Looks all to similar to Denethor's spiel about his power.

We can kind of understand Boromir here though...I mean he is used to being the one giving orders back in Gondor. He's the one with the command of the military, he's the one having things done his way. But when he joins with the Fellowship he is amongst 'greater men' now...there is this wizard dude and his future king. So, we see Boromir struggle with taking orders and definitely struggle with the fact that he doesn't have things go his way. And I think this is what Jackson was trying to show in the movies. Show this very struggle of Boromir actually having to take orders and have the Fellowship go against what he wants. And at times Boromir was very childish about it...afterall didn't he say he would not go to Lothlorien unless if all the Company was against him?

Instead, we see a man with childish grudges who gets upset when he doesn't always get his way, and from the start paranoid at the intentions of Aragorn, Frodo, and Gandalf.

At first Boromir does seem pretty unsure/unwilling of Aragorn being his King:

'I was not sent to beg any boon, but to seek only the meaning of a riddle,' answered Boromir proudly. 'Yet we are hard pressed, and the Sword of Elendil would be a help beyond hope - if such a thing could indeed return out of the shadows of the past.' He looked again at Aragorn, and doubt was in his eyes.~The Council of Elrond

Boromir does say the Sword of Elendil would be a welcome to Gondor, that is if Aragorn isn't simply caring some old relic and he knows what he's doing. So, there is a little bit of tension here between Aragorn and Boromir (at their first meeting). Boromir is doubtful, Aragorn hasn't proven himself to Boromir yet, and afterall lets not forget this was also a son who asked his dad why wasn't he the king? Now, as Frodo does point out to Faramir, I would say that Boromir (through his journey with Aragorn) does come to start accepting Aragorn's claim, but let's not forget Faramir's words either:

'I doubt it not,' said Faramir. 'If he were satisfied of Aragorn's claim, as you say, he would greatly reverence him. But the pinch had not yet come. They had not yet reached Minas Tirith or become rivals in her war.'~The Window on the West

There is no doubt in Faramir that had Aragorn proven himself to Boromir, Boromir would be the type of man to respect and revere him...but lets not get too far ahead of ourselves, what would have happened had they both reached Minas Tirith and Aragorn came to take away thrown from pops? So, definitely I would say that there is at least reluctance and paranoia (in Boromir) of Aragorn's claim to the throne of Gondor...at first that is. However, by Boromir's death it seems like Aragorn had proven himself:

'Farewell, Aragorn! Go to Minas Tirith and save my people! I have failed.'~The Departure of Boromir

The movie does a little change and has the touching 'My brother, my captain, my King,' but the same feeling is there. At first there was a little tension between the two men, but by Boromir's death he has come to see Aragorn as one of his own. I'd say this is in the books and Bean plus Jackson do a nice job showing the growth in the relationship between Boromir and Aragorn.

He was a man of grim but friendly nature.

I would disagree with the 'grim' part, at least that's not how Eomer pictured him:

'Great harm is this death to Minas Tirith, and to us all. That was a worthy man! All spoke of his praise. He came seldom to the Mark, for he was ever in the wars on the East-borders; but I have seen him. More like to the swift sons of Eorl than to the grave Men of Godnor he seemed to me,'~The Riders of Rohan

This is again opposite to PJ's extended edition Osgiliath scene where Boromir appears the let loose party guy because he won a battle.

Perhaps Boromir wasn't a 'partay animal' but as you said he definitely did rejoice in his victories...and as Faramir points out not only did he seek a restoration of the 'Glory of Gondor' but he wanted his own glory with it.

In the books, Boromir only started his lust for the Ring after Lothlórien, after the Lady of the Wood had tested him.

I disagree, right from the get go Boromir wants the Ring...just in the books he seemed to do a better job suppressing his desire for the Ring (until after meeting with Galadriel)...but that desire began right from the start:

'Saruman is a traitor, but did he not have a glimpse of wisdom? Why do you speak ever of hiding and destroying? Why should we not think that the Great Ring has come into our hands to serve us in the very hour of need? Wielding it the Free Lords of the Free may surely defeat the Enemy. That is what he most fears, I deem.'~The Council of Elrond

So, Boromir's desire for the Ring starts right there in Rivendell...and his championing for Gondor begins:

'The Men of Gondor are vialiant, and they will never submit; but they may be beaten down. Valour needs first strength, and then a weapon. Let the Ring be your weapon, if it has such power as you say. Take it and go forth to victory!'~ibid

There's the key word...'weapon.' Right from the get go Boromir sees the Ring as a weapon and wants to use it (just as the movie portrays).

Now, what Jackson does do is show the Ring 'effecting' him a little sooner than the books. Boromir (in the books) was able to suppress his desires for the Ring until after Lothlorien (thats when he starts acting nervous, giving 'hard' stares at Frodo...etc), Jackson just decides to show the Ring growing on Boromir's mind a bit sooner. But this doesn't mean it's an inaccurate portrayal, the bottomline is the desire for using the Ring as a weapon was in Boromir right when he first sees it, in the movies and in the books.

None of Boromir's shining moments in The Fellowship are present in the films.

I disagree, many of those moments listed Jackson chose not to show...most likely because he didn't have time to show it all. But when we do see Boromir I don't think we can say he was as you put here:

We see hardly any of this in the films. Instead, we see a man who takes Merry and Pippin into his arms and yells like a little girl when jumping from one broken stairway to the next. He even appears cowardly a lot of the time. It seems that in the films Boromir cared wholly for taking the Ring with little else on his mind.

Lets not forget in the movies (as well as the books) it was Boromir with the suggestion to get off Caradhras because the Hobbits would freeze to death. Yep Jackson added that part in.

Also, I would say his warrioresqueness showed in Moria when he was the one who went charging into the fray first, while the others stood back and shot or just waited. In the books Boromir is the one up front holding the door...they don't show it this way in the movies, but Jackson does do something similar with Boromir being the one charging into the Orcs.

And Boromir true gleaming moment in the spotlight which shows his absolute bravery is his defense of Merry and Pippin. Which the movie portrays absolutely stunningly...

As already stated in this thread, in the books Boromir was shot with numerous arrows before falling. In the movies he was shot with only three and fell.

We can sit here and discuss all we want about how different the Boromir's last stand was in the books and the movies, but being different doesnt mean it is an inaccurate portrayal of Boromir...just a different one. The scene was done differently than from the books, but the portrayal (of Boromir) remains accurate. The portrayal of the scene itself was wrong, but lets seperate the scene from the character.

When we watch the scene in the movie do we get the feeling of Boromir's first off amazing warrior qualities, and secondly this man who's trying to make up for an evil he just committed and for something he knows he did wrong? For me, it's a resounding yes...it is different from the books, but it still does the job, and does it quite well.

It's only 'three' arrows...bah big deal, he was still fighting and defending the hobbits after being shot twice in the chest, that's pretty darn heroic if you ask me. Then the look on Beans face (accompanied with the music) when Merry and Pippin are captured was just stunning...it was the only moment in all the films which watered my eyes. The feeling of sadness in the death of such a great warrior, yet gladness in his redemption and acknowledgement that what he tried to do was 'wrong,' still remains in the film eventhough if it is different from the books. That to me still makes it an accurate and darn good portrayal.

Boromir's character was not developed even half fully in the films.

I disagree here too...Now grant it there is an issue with time where I don't think you can really show everything. But I absolutely love what Bean and Jackson do with Boromir's character (excluding that scene with pops in the EE). I just want to touch on this...

'and Pippin gazing at him saw how closely he resembled his brother Boromir - whom Pippin had liked from teh first, admiring the great man's lordly but kindly manner.~The Siege of Gondor

I really love what Jackson is, because he takes this (which is why Pippin 'admired' Boromir), and shows it to us on screen...what I mean is in the scene where Boromir is sword-fighting with Merry and Pippin. In the books we are told Pippin liked Boromir for his 'kindly manner,' and we are shown this in the movies by Boromir's interaction with Merry and Pippin...a nice touch if I may say so.

So, in a nutshell, I would say Boromir was played and portrayed very well...if not the best. Sure Jackson changed around some scenes and showed things a little differently, but at the heart of it, what still remains is when watching Sean Bean on screen I got the feeling that he was Boromir, he was his part in the books...and that Sean Bean understood his character. Which is really no surprise, as Bean has loved (and read LOTR) since he was a teen. He has always been a man who admires literature as a whole. Also from various interviews when he's talking about Boromir there is no doubt in my mind he understood his character. He certainly doesn't look like the Boromir I visioned in the books, and I can sit here and nit pick out the various scenes that were done differently, but what remains is still an accurate portrayal of Boromir in the films. We see his kind manner, we see his love for his brother and his people, we see his generalship, his warrior attitude, his vibrant youth, as well as his not so great traits...his childish-like behavior, his skepticism of Aragorn, and his desire for the Ring. We also see a developement in his relationship with Aragorn, when it first starts out a little rocky but grows and strengthens...all of which I think are present in the books and which are shown in the movies.