Inching closer to The Hobbit film

[Sauron the White]

I can certainly appreciate and respect that you cannot betray a confidence. I do find it most interesting that many on this very site cling to the fiction that CT and the Estate have adopted a neutral stance on the films and neither praise or criticize them preferring to stay above the fray. At the same time there are statements like yours which seem to disprove that convenient fiction.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

StW, surely you can distinguish between the official public position of the Tolkien Estate, and Christopher Tolkien's private opinion, can you not? Like any human being CRT is bound to have some opinion of the movies, good or bad. He has indeed 'stayed above the fray' by not making that opinion public.

Please note also the distinction between the charge of 'opposing' the films sight unseen before they were ever made, and being critical of the finished product.

[Groin Redbeard]

The Hobbit WILL BE a two part film - but here is the new information - the second film will be influenced by the foundation of "The Silmarillion" and "The History of Middle-earth Series" (which is a 12 part series of books where JRR's son, Christopher Tolkien analyses JRR's old manuscripts; the manuscripts that ultimately led to become "The Silmarillion", "Lord of the Rings" and "Númenor" which is sort of like Atlantis).

I'm not so surre I like the idea of having the Hobbit as a two part film. I'd like it better if PJ just stuck to the book.

[Sauron the White]

William - I see it as contradictory and two-faced that they can maintain the false illusion of two differing positions. One for public consumption which seemingly attempts to take the high road of indifference while the other is far more honest and critical.

[davem]

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

William - I see it as contradictory and two-faced that they can maintain the false illusion of two differing positions. One for public consumption which seemingly attempts to take the high road of indifference while the other is far more honest and critical.

I honestly don't see why you have to put such a spin on it. The position of the Estate, & of CT himself, is that they have no official comment to make re the movies. At the same time its obvious that if CT, Adam, Priscilla, or any other member of the Family/Estate have seen the movies they will have formed a personal opinion on them. I don't see this as either being two faced, hypocritical or anything else.

What you seem to miss is that the Tolkien Estate is a very different thing to Christopher Tolkien, & a STATEMENT by the Estate criticising or praising the movies is not going to be forthcoming, as that is not their job. Bottom line is the Estate have nothing at all to do with the movies & have chosen to keep their distance from them. If CT, having seen the movies, decides the whole thing was a wasted opportunity & made a pig's ear out of a silk purse then he's entitled to his personal opinion.

I wasn't aware until Mr Hicklin's comments that CT had even seen the movies, or what his opinion of them was. All I can say is, I'm really not surprised he doesn't like them ...I would be interested to know his opinion of the BBC radio adaptation.

[Nazgûl-king]

It's cool that Peter Jackson's back, even if he is producing it. I wonder what they mean by two films, there is only one book. I don’t know how they are going to get enough material for two films, though if they do have two films they should certainly be able to get just about everything from the book in plus a little extra.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

So the Tolkiens have a negative opinion, and choose not to broadcast it. Is that not their right? 'Two-faced and contradictory' would be an applicable charge if the Estate were to have publicly praised or endorsed the films, while privately loathing them: but this they have not done.

"No comment" doesn't contradict anything.

[Sauron the White]

WCH - "No comment" indeed contradicts nothing. Unless of course there are other pronouncements, statements or actions which say otherwise. Which goes back to my original question as to what supports your statement that the last people in the world CT would work with would be Jackson and New Line. And you seemed to indicate this is much more than a mere suspicion or deduction that you hold true.

davem - everyone, including CT and his family and Estate partners, have a right to their opinion. That is fine. I do think it is less than honest for someone to take one position on an issue where they maintain the high road due to their official capacity in an organization and then take a far different position and claim it is only the feelings of a single individual and means nothing. Lets face it and be frank about this. Is there any single person alive who is more the face and power behindThe Tolkien Estate than Christopher Tolkien?

[William Cloud Hicklin]

"No comment" indeed contradicts nothing. Unless of course there is other pronouncements, statements or actions which say otherwise.

"No comment" contradicts nothing, including other comments. It's just a way of saying "whatever I may think, I'm not telling you." As a lawyer, my telling a reporter "no comment' doesn't mean I have no opinion about the case!

If your spouse/significant other puts on what you deem to be an absolutely hideous outfit, it's not 'contradictory or two-faced' to keep your mouth shut and avoid a night on the sofa.


"No comment" certainly isn't some sort of declaration along the lines of "I promise not to form a personal opinion about the movies when they come out."

I do think it is less than honest for someone to take one position on an issue where they maintain the high road due to their official capacity in an organization and then take a far different position and claim it is only the feelings of a single individual and means nothing.

Your argument would have force only if the Estate/Tolkien family had done some such thing. In fact, their personal and private opinions have remained private. Moreover, you again assert that there are 'far different' positions involved here: which is, in your phrase, comparing apples to cinderblocks when one 'position' is mere silence. Nothing in CRT's public statements declares or implies "I'm completely indifferent." Just "I'm not talking."