Views Letter

The 

Fellowship

of the

Ring

      My interest was recently stirred to read the Tolkien books again as the release of the Fellowship of The Ring movie was approaching. A most entertaining set of books. The limitless expanse of my own imagination could hardly be matched by any production team no matter how much money they spent. With this in mind I went to see the FOTR film upon its release.

     To my surprise I found that l loved the film. The film stands on its own as a great action adventure film with wonderful, seemingly real places like Hobbiton, Rivendell, Moria, and Lothlorien. I liked it so well that I won't here admit how many times I did go to see it. (every 7 days)? 

     The movie makers have created a story that parallels Tolkien's work in many ways. It is far from a direct representation of the books as can be seen by the many differences from the books text  to what we see on the screen. Some changes occur because of scene deletions and the necessity to reinsert things important to the story. I would have preferred more of the original story on the screen.   Bilbo sees the ring when Frodo is leaving Rivendell not at his arrival and alone with Frodo not in the the Great Hall of Fire. I would like to see some one do the movie with the Great Hall of Fire scene in it. The screen writers swap dialog between characters a lot as they see fit. Consequently Aragorn is not the one leading them up Caradhras, Gandalf does. Aragorn is not the one unwilling to go to Moria, Gandalf is , Gimli suggests it instead of Gandalf. The group is surrounded by spider crawling orcs in a scene not in the book. Frodo's rescue of the drowning of Sam Gamgee at the lake after the orc attack is another scene not in the book. This scene does have a nice Sistine Chapel look with God touching Adam and Frodo grabbing Sam parallel. Also added and creatively done is a battle of the two wizards at Isengard, another scene not in the book.

     Anyone looking for a same story to screen production will have to wait years for the remake that will include 

• 17 years from the time of Bilbo's party to the time of Frodo leaving the Shire  
• The contesting of Bilbo's will by the Sackville-Bagginses and the selling of  Bag-End to them around 17 years latter.  
• The story of the Shadow told by Gandalf in the Shire to Frodo at Bag-End  
• The Fellowship of the Ring in the Shire of the five hobbits, Frodo and his friends, three that are to go as travelers with and one to stay and mind the new house and pose as Frodo for a time.  
• The entire chapter "A Conspiracy Unmasked", The courage of friends willing to walk several hundred miles even to their own death rather than to let their friend face what would certainly kill him if he were alone.  
• A rescue by the appearance of a band of elves from the Black Riders and Sam's promise to the elves not to leave Mr. Frodo to go it alone.  
• The fine meal at farmer Maggot's,  his friendship to the travelers,  his gift of prize mushrooms.  
• The entire Tom Bombadil and Goldberry section and the Barrow Downs including Frodo's attacking the Barrow-wight and cutting off its hand to save his friends.  
• The same two hobbits who are trapped in Old Man Willow are also later saved by the Ents Treebeard and Quickbeam.
• The weapons of old, the hobbits take with them from the Barrow, most importantly the blade that breaks the spell of the Nazgul king in the battle plain at Minas Tirith that allows him to be slain by Eowyn.  
• The friendly village of Bree with a bunch of nice hobbits out for a drink at the inn when the travelers arrive.  
• The discovery of the theft of the ponies the next day.  
• The battle of the Nazgul and Gandalf at weather top.
• Frodo bravely stabbing at the Nazgul crying "O Elbereth ! Gilthoniel! " as he is stabbed in the dell below Weathertop, in the movie he drops his sword and falls on his back. It looks cowardly,  not part of the book character at all. The movie places the attack on Weathertop not in the dell below.
• Glorfindel, He tells Frodo that his friends would not likely be in peril if they were not with him and the ring.  
• Frodo's ride of the last mile to the Ford of Bruinen and his defiance of the nine Nazgul on the bank of the river. An act of brave self defense absent from the film character completely.  
• Bilbo's fireside song after the banquet, the eve of the council of Elrond.  
• The Warg attack that Gandalf abates after the mountain has turned them to Moria.
• Frodo bravely stabs the foot of the troll in the chamber of Mazarbul and cries " The Shire" 
• Legolas killing one of the Nazgul's winged steeds on the river side after leaving Lothlorien  
• Frodo and Sam starting off for Mordor unaware of the orc attack  
• Aragorn,  Legolas, and Gimli not knowing if Frodo and Sam reached the other side of the lake or not, except by the circumstance of the missing canoe and back packs. Then choosing to follow Pippin and Merry  
• I will end here for now, but I could go on......