[Diamond18]

Why make a pretense? Why call him Faramir at all? Just call him Boromir's Clone.<P>I like Boromir, but Faramir is supposed to be better. He is supposed to be a ray of hope in a dark and dismal journey. He is supposed to be wise and gifted with foresight and gentle and kind! Frodo and Sam were supposed to feel safe, they were supposed to leave Henneth Anuin feeling refreshed and equiped with strengthened resolve. They were supposed to be marvelling at the grace that allowed them to encounter an unexpected friend and ally.<P>David Wenham could have made a good Faramir. In the pictures I saw of him before, he had the gentle and wise expression of the true Numenorian that he is. But gone was that expression in the movie. His motivation was that of a predictable, weak man. He wanted to please his papa and send him a gift. The real Faramir would never be so pathetic at the expense of Frodo.<P>I can forgive other things about the movie or adopt the "it's a different median" consolation, but I can't explain away Faramir.<P>The reason Sauron didn't notice Frodo and Sam was because Aragorn looked into the Palantír and drew his attention away. The whole Osgilliath scene was idiotic, except that it included one of the few actually touching parts in the movie—when Frodo almost kills Sam after Sam has saved him. PJ obviously got the whole idea from the time in the Tower of Cirith Ungol where Frodo reacts rabidly to Sam having the Ring. Whether or not it was good Frodo characterization, I actually felt a tinge of emotion (which was a rarity for me in this movie).<P>Anyway, back to Faramir. When he finally decided to let Frodo go it made no sense. "Oh, I see that the Ring is really bad because you say it drove Boromir mad, and Frodo, you aren't looking too good yourself. Go get killed and have fun."<P>Speaking of which, I really, realliy missed the part where Faramir tells them about Boromir's funeral boat. In the movie he says that Boromir is dead, but how does he know? Plus, that would have been a very emotional scene to depict; Faramir wading out into the water to find his beloved brother dead. That would have made up for all the "You're coming to Gondor" crap at least a little bit.<P>All in all, the big problem is that there is nothing good to say about this creation of PJ's. Even Arwen whom so many people hate can be defended, but I don't buy any explanation for monsterizing Faramir.