Trilogy a masterwork; however wishes from a Tolkien perspective

Rating: 9/10 (3 December 2005)

The Lord of the Rings trilogy of films by Peter Jackson were a ambitious and memorable stroke of master craftsmanship. I am awed by his ability to weave these complex tales into a coherent, entertaining and moving narrative. Several portrayals exceeded any expectation a Tolkien fan could have had. Viggo Mortensen is Aragorn in spirit and in bearing. John Rhys-Davies personifies both the character of Gimli and dwarf-kind with precision and Ian McKellen brings to life the essence and person of Gandalf with perfection.
However, there are certain liberties Mr. Jackson took with the tales that unfortunately detract from the storyline. Understandably, it would be impossible to recreate each vignette from a 1200 page work, and Mr. Jackson's editorial choices were mostly benign. There were several characterizations, however, that vastly skew impressions from the original work.
First, the character Faramir was far more noble than Mr. Jackson's portrayal. The film version of Faramir casts him as a weaker brother to the brave Boramir and film watchers must have been bewildered as to why Faramir would have released Frodo, et. al. when he did. Tolkien's Faramir was the alter-ego of Boramir; whereas Boramir was strong and brash, Faramir was thoughtful and mystical.
Second, Elrond was portrayed by Mr. Jackson as a controlling parent who begrudgingly allows Arwen her mortality. Tolkien's Elrond would never have been so base. He was a high-elf beyond reproach or petty emotions. And most of all he would have understood the choices that half-elven made for themselves personally. He and his brother were half-elvenkind and his brother chose the path of mortality and Elrond chose to elvish immortality. Neither path was preferred.
Third, Theoden was cast as a coward in the Two Towers where Tolkien's Theoden was a declining monarch who had yet to reveal his heroism and sought to be worthy of his forebears. Also, the enmity portrayed between Rohan and Gondor in Mr. Jackson's version added unnecessary intrigue that muddles the coming together of forces in Return of the King.
Notwithstanding these criticisms, the films are extraordinary works in their own right. But I would implore fans of the films to read the original works in the following order. The Hobbit, although it is written for a younger audience it is a captivating tale and is required reading for background. Then the trilogy; despite their length and occasional complexity they read fluidly and all too quickly. But don't stop there. The capstone of the Tolkien work is the collection called The Silmarillion which begins at the beginning of his world and provides the stage for the remainder of his works. The Simarillion is much more challenging to read since it recounts innumerable tales but any fan of the trilogy will be well rewarded for his efforts.