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Re: Children of Hurin movie discussion continues

Subject: Re: Children of Hurin movie discussion continues
by skwishmi on 2007/7/22 17:46:32

I strenuously agree with Alpingloin!

After being hideously scarred by the animated Hobbit travesty in the 70's (shown to my 5th grade class at school - I put up a fuss and was excused 20 minutes in) I swore never to see Tolkien on film again. So many people insisted that I simply MUST see Fellowship, even knowing of my objection, that when somebody bought me a ticket and told me I was going, I went (fully expecting to have to walk out in disgust). To my vast relief, I was wrong; in my view, the movies were not the book, but a beautiful cinematic work, which didn't make complete hash of the book or mar my perception of it in a significant way. Probably the exposure, multiple awards, and resulting consumer frenzy didn't hurt any. Maybe. But -

Tolkien intended these writings to be a singular experience for each reader. Specifics were purposefully left open to interpretation, to be drawn by the imagination and from the past experiences of each person. I like my own images, of Beleriand and the elves of the first age in particular. I do not believe they can be improved upon, and they might be altered beyond recovery by another interpretation. I would not want to see cinematic representations of the first or second ages, lovely or not, and I feel very strongly that it would be a terrible disservice to the next generation of readers to create complete backgrounds for them through all the ages of Middle-Earth. May they let it rest - at least for 20 years or so - and let us each keep our own little piece of Middle-earth.