Movie eucatastrophe: tears of joy - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

mark12_30 · 07-23-2002, 02:18 PM

Hi, I posted this in Books but I thought the Movie crowd might want to discuss it too. Here's the question:<P>From letter 89 by Tolkien: <BR>"... I coined the word 'eucatastrophe': the sudden happy turn in a story which pierces you with a joy that brings tears (which I argued it is the highest function of fairy stories to produce). And I was there led to the view that it produces its peculiar effect because it is a sudden glimpse of truth... ...joy which produces tears because it is qualitatively so like sorrow, because it comes from those places where Joy and Sorrow are at one, reconciled, as selfishness and altruism are lost in Love..."<P>The question is, where do you see those things happening in Tolkien's work (and in this case, the movie? Where do you see Joy and Sorrow at one; where do you see Altriuism and Selfishness lost in love; and where do you experience tears of joy because of a sudden perception of truth?

07-23-2002, 02:18 PM	#1
mark12_30 Stormdancer of Doom Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars Posts: 4,367	Movie eucatastrophe: tears of joy Hi, I posted this in Books but I thought the Movie crowd might want to discuss it too. Here's the question:<P>From letter 89 by Tolkien: <BR>"... I coined the word 'eucatastrophe': the sudden happy turn in a story which pierces you with a joy that brings tears (which I argued it is the highest function of fairy stories to produce). And I was there led to the view that it produces its peculiar effect because it is a sudden glimpse of truth... ...joy which produces tears because it is qualitatively so like sorrow, because it comes from those places where Joy and Sorrow are at one, reconciled, as selfishness and altruism are lost in Love..."<P>The question is, where do you see those things happening in Tolkien's work (and in this case, the movie? Where do you see Joy and Sorrow at one; where do you see Altriuism and Selfishness lost in love; and where do you experience tears of joy because of a sudden perception of truth? __________________ ...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.