Many posts back there was discussion about FotR being more 'magical'. I do think that it is; but I think there is a good reason. FOTR is about Frodo's flight from Ringwraiths, rescued by elves, taken to the home of elves, traveling thence through Moria to another Home of Elves, Lorien. It's a very elvish movie, I think the most elvish of the three. As lmp would say, it's good fairy-tale. (Well, okay, not genuine, REAL Faerie, but... *cough* to continue.)
Despite the appearance of Haldir & Co at Helm's deep, TTT is very much about men; men, and orcs. Ents too, but they evoke (in the movie) less Magic than the elves do. They are Neat and Cool, but not magical. Aragorn talks about "The world of Men." Gandalf does too. Saruman does too. The elves are already half forgotten; bah, they're leaving anyway, right? Gandalf and Saruman don't provide the atmosphere of enchantment like the elves do; and besides, they are both obsessing about men, as they must. A few hobbits and wizards can't turn TTT into a non-mannish film. Meanwhile, Frodo travels through Ithilien: more dealings with Men.
RotK isn't about magic or enchantment anymore; it's not even just about Men; it's about guts and glory, loyalty, duty, perseverance and, well, perseverance. And isn't the whole point of the ending of RotK, the departing of the eold enchantment?
I guess that's one reason why most of my daydreaming took place either pre-war or early war. Who wants to go there when the elves are gone?
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