On Arwen and Aragorn

Rating: Null/10 (2 February 2002)

Many people seem to criticized the relationship between Arwen and Aragorn in the film, The Lord of the Rings. Although it is correct that Arwen did not save Frodo after he had been stabbed by the Lord of The Nazgul, the King of Angmar, the love story is indeed part of Tolkien's book. It is discussed in brief in Appendix A p1032 and completes a symmetry in the tales of middle earth.
There were three marriages between elf and man. Beren and Luthien, Idril and Tuor and finally Aragorn and Arwen. Idril and Tuor gave rise to the line that includes Elrond but also his brother Elros who chose to live as man unlike Elrond although part human chose to live his life as an elf. Elros gave rise to the Kings of the Edain and Aragorn is descended directly from Elros. As such Aragorn is in fact related to Arwen although many generations of men and women lie between them. The marriage thus re-unites the blood of human and elven kind, restoring the Kings of Men.
Love stories form an important part of the Silmarillion, a book written by J.R.R Tolkien but published after his death by his son Christopher, perhaps the most important being that of Beren and Luthien. As such it seems to me that the inclusion of the love story is in keeping with Tolkien's image of middle earth. Jackson has intelligently not copied the book but instead (and with great success) has projected Tolkien's tale recast in cinematographic form.
In including the love story (left mainly to the appendix in the book) and promoting her role Jackson has perhaps told a tale better set in the history of middle earth, ironically, than the book.