AmericanPapist Comments
It's puzzling how Jackson could get so much right with his LOTR movies, but at the same time make some of the most egregious errors imagineable.
Here's hoping for better from THE HOBBIT, but a man who was quoted as saying he never liked The Scouring of the Shire and "didn't get it" (thus not filming it) cannot be trusted to now produce a film of THE HOBBIT that authentically represents Tolkien's vision. The book is also called THERE AND BACK AGAIN, but this guy totally misses the point of the "and back again."
The book is also called THERE AND BACK AGAIN, but this guy totally misses the point of the "and back again."
The central 'point' of the LOTR books was the defeat of the desire for slef-created immortality. That point remains in the films. If Peter had left the scouring in "ROTK," it would've been a 5-hour movie, and would've destroyed ANY drama the RoTK had. You and I like the books, but book are not, nor ever will be, motion pictures. Motion pictures are linear things. Books often aren't. The central points of the books were retained in the films, despite the harm Jackson caused to some personal preferences.
Please note that Jackson is NOT directing the film. He is only the executive producer:
http://tinyurl.com/27wfd8
I would be happier if he were helming the flic.
I would be happier if he were helming the flic[k].
Amen, Fr. Kimel!
So, Dave, you don't get The Scouring of the Shire either?
David B., you reminded my of Hitchcock's opinion that the length of a movie should not exceed the endurance of the human bladder.
Well, this is the latest posted at TheOneRing.net:
“MGM Chairman Harry Sloan, who was credited by all parties for bringing about the deal, said Jackson found it “impossible” to direct the films and meet proposed release dates in 2010 and 2011 due to other projects in the works.
“He can’t get it scheduled and he doesn’t want the fans to have to wait for the next two movies,” Sloan said. He said the studios might postpone the films if Jackson changed his mind.”
I'm happy about the news either way. I really thought that The Hobbit would never make it to film or someone else would try to film it and do a disastrous job. Even if Jackson is just the producer, he will still have creative control over the two films. Hopefully he'll pick a talented director who knows and loves the The Hobbit as much as Jackson and will bring the story to life just like LOTR. But I too would really prefer Jackson himself as the director.
So, Dave, you don't get The Scouring of the Shire either?
bill912,
Precisely! (At the risk of sounding like 'his dark materials' defenders) Films are entertainment. They only succeed when they can maintain your attention: an extra hour at the 'end' of the ROTK would've be completely misunderstood.
You're arguing against a point I never made. I'm aware movies can't be marathon events; that has absolutely nothing to do with what specifically is cut.
For some reason, my previous comments failed to appear.
"that has absolutely nothing to do with what specifically is cut."
Yes, it does. ROTK, if it including "the scouring of the shire," would, by necessity, be 5 hours long. The "scouring" would've required much exposition in order to be understood, and to retain its meaning. This It would've robbed both the 'ROTK' and the 'scouring' of any power.
When Tolkien critized a script for an adaption of the "LOTR," He mentioned that the "scouring" had been removed in the script. His only comments upon that fact were that Saruman should not commit suicide at orthanc, (as the script called for) but that, after his "excommunication" by Gandalf, he should be kept under the watch of the ents "until you rot."
One can't expect a literal adaptation of "LOTR". Tolkien knew this.
My first thought, and only comment is that I just really hope he READS THE BOOK! My child was 9 or 10 when he first started reading Lord of the Rings, and oddly enough, finished when the movie came out. You never saw a more excited child going into a theater - and a more aggravated child coming out - he was so annoyed about everything from Jackson missing the puff of smoke that Galdalf uses to cover Bilbo using the Ring at his Birthday Party, to later on, making the Ents "look stupid" - and these were complaints from a child! Who is utterly convinced that Jackson filmed from "totally distant memory" and decided to not re-read the books. Please Lord - let us have a director that is not just in love with the "concept" - but has read the books, loves the books, and actually understands what he's reading! At least as well as a 10 year old! :-)
I'm with you, Lisa. This is sad news indeed. PJ completely ruined the books in his adaptation, taking one major theme after another and dashing them to little bits. With the possible exception of Gandalf (and Sam, though the script tried to ruin him too) none of the Fellowship would have been recognized from the books if their names hadn't been the same. Ditto for most of the supporting cast too. Though I sympathize with the need to keep the films a manageable length, maybe if PJ hadn't added so much stuff conjured out of thin air he would have had TIME for things like the Scouring. For pete's sake...the movie the Two Towers barely covered half of the book of the same name. I've been reading Lord of the Rings since I was 8...and I will not be watching this travesty.
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