[mark12_30]

I found that the whole concept of despair and memory (referring to Barney Snow) circled back around to Frodo's despair after the war; Legolas' resting in his memories, and Frodo unable to do that, but having to go to the West to have his memories "fixed", or put into the proper light.

The whole psychological implication of "fixing memories by removing them" I find a killer. Literally. A good friend of mine went through every other therapy known to man, and finaly they tried electroshock on her; I called her a few days later, and she didn't remember who I was. "My husband tells me, that I do know you..." I went to visit her, and I got that same blank look that Barney is so good at.

I think that's why I found the movie so haunting, especially the last scene; that white shirt symbolizing the clean slate, the blank page, echoed by the pleasant but blank stare.

We have the "Barney Snow" methods; we need the "Elvenhome" methods... My friend, despite all their memory removal techniques, is dead anyway. Her third attempt was a success. She needed to go West instead.

I wonder if Tolkien's war experience told him that Frodo had to leave, that there was no healing for him in Middle-Earth. I wonder if my friend knew that too, or if she just despaired. I like to think the former but I fear the latter.

[ March 22, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]