[Galin]

Around the time when the film rights were being sold at last, Tolkien said:

'No film nor any 'version' in another medium could appear satisfactory to any devoted and attentive reader. On the other hand some of the greater pictorial and dramatic scenes could, with modern resources, be a moving experience. All possible precautions have been taken that the story should be presented without serious mutilation and without alteration or alterations.'

JRRT, Chronology, Hammond and Scull

Although Jackson fans will likely quibble that Tolkien would think differently upon seeing Jackson's films.


Anyway, I've always thought this answer might depend a lot upon whether or not the person posting thinks the films are faithful enough to the books. I mean, if one thinks these films are faithful 'enough', wouldn't that greatly colour if one thinks JRRT would have accepted them? and the other way round.


I think some of the 'Zimmerman commentary' could be fairly aimed at Jackson, but yet I've seen at least once person use the same letter to argue Tolkien would have approved of Jackson's films!



But thankfully Tolkien had a vision of the future or something, so that we know his opinion of Jackson's films:

'Even the Christmas vacation will be darkened by New Zealand scripts.'

JRRT, Letters of JRR Tolkien