Picturing Tolkien
Essays on Peter Jackson's the Lord of the Rings Film Trilogy
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"This collection of essays offers a consensus of director Peter Jackson's successful adaptations of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Part One compares and contrasts the organizational principles of the books and films. Part Two focuses on the methods used to transform the characters and settings of Tolkien's narrative into the personalities and places visualized on screen"--Provided by publisher.
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[Read 17/11/23] Mostly very good! As with any discourse on the topic there are parts I agree with and parts I vehemently disagree with. Some essays made me look more kindly on facets I have a tendency to turn my nose up at while others made me lean towards being critical of things I previously turned a blind eye to. Nature of the beast, I suppose.
I particularly enjoyed “Into the West: Far Green Country or Shadow on the Waters” by Judy Ann Ford and Robin Anne Reid. One of the main points of contention I have with Jackson's LotR is the tonal discrepancy between those movies and the original novel. Ford and Reid managed to articulate this beautifully, drawing in large part from the portrayal of the Grey Havens scene. Whenever I reread LotR, I am always struck by the deep grief at the core of the novel, and whenever I rewatch (less commonly!) the movies how that doesn't translate. Indeed, it's fair to say they are downright optimistic. I strongly recommend this particular essay.
As always, Verlyn Flieger's work is also a highlight.
3.5/5
