[Lord of Angmar]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>Basically, Matrix and LotR have the same themes: a Christ figure saving their people, self sacrifice, etc.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>I do not see any Christ figures in the <I>Lord of the Rings</I>, except maybe Gandalf. Frodo, the ultimate Savior of Middle-earth (in a sense), does not resemble in any way the Catholic idea of Christ, since he succumbs ultimately to temptation. While Gandalf may be imbued with Christ-like qualities, I see no real allegory, consciously or otherwise, between the two, other than their basic roles. I can not speak to the ultimate role of Neo since I have not seen <I>Matrix: Revolutions</I>, but certainly his role as savior is, for the most part, bereft of any Christ-like qualities other than his role as savior of the people.<P> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR>I just think that the values promoted throughtout the movies are quite universal. Most religions promote goodness and the self-sacrifice for the greater good.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Agreed. To say that the movies are a conscious reflection solely of Christian ideology is at best a minor misinterpretation and at worst a statement of ignorance. Tolkien went to pains to remove any potential Catholic allegory, and thus the basic morals of the story (and, ergo, the movies) are reflections of the general morality taught and adhered to in modern First World society.