[Bill Ferny]

I thought Jackson did a great job with both Boromir and Galadriel.<P>Tolkien, himself, was a bit uncertain about the character of Galadriel. At one point (probably before he wrote LotR) Tolkien portrayed her as an ambitious elf who wanted to forge for herself a realm in Middle Earth. She rebelled against the Valar because of this desire (though she did not join with Feanor), and she was banned from returning to the west. This seems to be the notion that Tolkien had in mind when he wrote the LotR, and the test of the ring is what finally redeemed her in the eyes of the Valar. Elsewhere, though, Tolkien is more kind to Galadriel, especially in writings he jotted down after he wrote LotR. To be sure her character is a sticking point.<P>Jackson, however, was inclined toward Tolkien’s notion of an ambitious elf in exile, seeking redemption, and being tempted otherwise. Kate Blanchet brilliantly portrayed an aloof, fallen and world weary character walking a thin line between the darkness of Middle Earth’s doom and the bliss of Valinor.<P>Jackson also portrayed, in my mind, an excellent Boromir. Boromir was torn between the wisdom of this world, and the wisdom of God, to put it in a biblical way. He was a good man, inclined to “goof off” with the hobbits, but also tempted beyond measure by a seemingly unlimited source of power that he thought could save his troubled people. He was convincing as a good man tempted to justify the means by the end.