[Sauron the White]

from Bethberry

Still, my point is that an aesthetic which requires viewers/readers to "care about and like" a character is not an aesthetic which Tolkien adheres to. Even moving Boromir's death to the end of FotR, rather than making it the start of TTT, is giving the character too much dramatic attention.

You are right about this and I cannot disagree one iota............. as long as we are talking about the book and what was right for JRRT in writing that book. Tolkien had every right to construct charactes to his own sensibilities, his own style and his own liking. And he produced the book he wanted to. That is great.

The movie is a different medium entirely and as such requires different treatment.
What works in a book may not work in a film. Boromir is one example. JRRT himself said the book was probably unfimlable - and maybe some of his character construction was one reason he felt this. Who knows for sure? Perhaps he recognized himself that a character such as book Boromir would never work as film Boromir.

The death of a major character is a big deal in films. As such, it is a hook to get the audience to buy in to the film. It is necessary to use the full vocalulary available to screenwriters and a director to make this happen.

In the end, the only true test is "did it work on screen". Or another way to put it is "did the audience buy into it?"

I think the success of the film showed that it did. Of course, each individual viewer has to make their own decision for themselves and the overall success of the film then means nothing to them. And that is as it should be.