Jerodmac's Thoughts on Stuff

The Debate Rages On

Do you like the book the Lord of the Rings or do you like to movie? Are you one who feels a twinge of anger when the movies do not follow the book word for word, or are you on who has never read the book, will never read the book, and think that anyone who could read the entire book needs to get a life?

I have been planning this large blog detailing the variances between the book and the movie scripts, but I have thought that I couldn't do this topic as much justice as some before me have already done. Check out this site. It makes for some great reading if you are a Tolkien enthusiast.

Apparently, over the years many people have loved the book. I am one of them, not only of the LOTR but of anything Tolkien. I read the books as a young man and then have reread them over the years. But who could have imagined the wide cultural impact Tolkien's stories have had throughout the movies' releases over the past 3 years. Simply tallying up the first weekends numbers from the release of the Return of the King is staggering. Tolkien's stories are no longer for the fantasy obsessed dreamers, they are mainstreamed and marketed. As a Tolkien fan, I have somewhat resented this. I remember sitting in theaters during the first two movies of the trilogy and while people cheered and laughed, thinking, "Yeah, that's cute, but it isn't in the book!"

But recently I have been thinking better of my pious purist attitude. I sat through The Return of the King, and completely enjoyed it as a movie, not as a minutely flawed adaptation. I traded my "they're changing the story" quips in for an appreciation of just how large and sweeping the movies are. The truth is the book is not changed at all, it still sits on the shelf in all of its detail and nuance. In fact, many new people are reading the LOTR for the first time all to the credit of the success of the movies.

So I have begun to treat the movies as a complete separate work of art from the book. I think by doing this, you can come to enjoy both more. And I really did enjoy the movie this weekend. The locations, design and costuming are unbelievable, and the computer aided special effects are visually stunning. I think that even through the fancy effects and action movie wise cracks at moments you still are able to feel the horror and yet necessity of war that Tolkien so subtly conveys. One of my favorite quotes from the book that the movie brings to life with great clarity, is the moment when Theoden answers Aragorns statement "Gondor calls for aid." with the brave yet, resigning, "And Rohan will answer!"

Long story short. I love the books and yes, I love the movies as well.