Fantastic interpretation

Rating: 10/10 (18 December 2002)

What people who come to this film need to realize is that what Peter Jackson has done (and honestly, what any director could have done) is create an interpretation of the written works. Arguing points like lack of songs, the fact that elves joined the men in battle, the exaggeration of scenes and characters says absolutely nothing about the film as a piece of art. All it does is say that aspects that you liked about the books weren't present. When something is adapted to film, be it book, play, or a previous movie you have to expect things to be different...time must be accounted for, flow of narrative, and above all the difference in how a film entertains versus how a novel of hundreds of pages entertains. When a stage director goes to show a Shakespearean play on stage, lines are cut, scenes are changed, and nuances are done according to the director. This is how it is, and how it has to be... What Peter Jackson has done is adapt a remarkable written work, into a remarkable filmed work. Yes, the two are different, but they are completely different media.What matters is that the essence of the story remains...what makes the film so wonderful is that the world of Middle Earth, the characters in it, and the basic story has been brought to the screen. Enjoy the film as a separate piece of art that stands on its own, and enjoy the novel the same way.