Why Can't Movies Be Like Books? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Sauron the White · 10-23-2007, 11:51 AM

Folwren asks an interesting question

Quote:

I wonder if Tolkien would have liked the movies?

I personally don't believe that he would have

Based on several of his LETTERS, I think it would be safe to say that there is one very definite aspect of the Jackson films that he would have absolutely loved and would have put a big smile upon his face for some time.

Folwren · 10-23-2007, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

Based on several of his LETTERS, I think it would be safe to say that there is one very definite aspect of the Jackson films that he would have absolutely loved and would have put a big smile upon his face for some time.

What, the music?

In all seriousness, I think the music would have been his favorite aspect about the entire thing. Howard Shore's music (and P.J's choice of hiring Shore) was fantastic.

Tolkien would also probably like the scenery of everything. That was another great thing about the films. I think Jackson did a good job of taking Tolkien's landscapes and putting them on screen.

-- Folwren

Sauron the White · 10-23-2007, 06:53 PM

Folwren... yes you are right. The music was great as was the visual scenery, sets and design. That probably would have appealed to JRRT.

The obvious area I was referencing was the money it made for the Tolkien Estate. If you look at the sales of Tolkien books for the six months before the movies came out and take it five years down the road and compare it to the previous five years, they sold a ton of books. While the Estate did not share in the film receipts, they certainly did cash a whole lot of greatly increased book royalty checks during those five years. And who gets the thanks for that? Peter Jacksons films spurred that increased sales flood.

Given the written comments of JRRT and his want of money in his waning years, I am sure (had he lived) that he would have loved the increased royalties and it would have been hard to hate Jackson and his films the way some do today.

William Cloud Hicklin · 10-23-2007, 08:47 PM

Quote:

a small group of people who clung to these ancient values and had not yet realized the world had advanced beyond the years of the great plague.

You really think that the character of "Modern Man" is anything but a degenerate shadow of former greatness? Tolkien, for one, would passionately disagree; belches and dwarf-tossing gags standing as ample exemplars of 'advanced' taste. PJ was supposed to be, or at least claimed to be, adapting Tolkien not refuting him. Or else perhaps you approve of the deliberate hatchet job Verhoeven did on Starship Troopers?

Sauron the White · 10-23-2007, 09:16 PM

Could you please provide some evidence of this "former greatness". As someone who has studied and even taught some history courses, I am unaware of such Golden Ages that make them markedly different than our own times. And please give me actual evidence of the real world and not some literary platitudes found in fiction books which idealize and romanticize a life which did not exist except for a very small number of lucky people.

And I do not have the slightest idea what that has to do with JRRT, Middle-earth, the Jackson adaptions of LOTR or anything else on topic. But perhaps you could relate it all for me.

Folwren · 10-24-2007, 08:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

The obvious area I was referencing was the money it made for the Tolkien Estate. ...
Given the written comments of JRRT and his want of money in his waning years, I am sure (had he lived) that he would have loved the increased royalties and it would have been hard to hate Jackson and his films the way some do today.

I don't know. This is a troubling comment. I think Tolkien would not have liked the sacrifice that it took to get that money. I can not imagine what I would think if I sold the rights to a book of mine and then later it was turned into a huge movie that, although it made me tons of money, destroyed the inner meaning of my story. I'm pretty emotional, I admit, but I think I'd be passionately angry and I'd want to throw the check back into the movie maker people's faces.

I don't think Tolkien would have laughed. And though he might not have hated Jackson (I don't hate Jackson myself), I don't think he would have loved him, either.

Just my thoughts on the matter.

-- Folwren

Meriadoc1961 · 10-24-2007, 10:50 AM

Folwren wrote:

"In all seriousness, I think the music would have been his favorite aspect about the entire thing. Howard Shore's music (and P.J's choice of hiring Shore) was fantastic.

Tolkien would also probably like the scenery of everything. That was another great thing about the films. I think Jackson did a good job of taking Tolkien's landscapes and putting them on screen."

I agree that the movie was breathtaking visually, and that the music was fantastic. I absolutley love the Elves singing in Lorien as they mourn the fall of Mithrandir.

I also would very much like Essex's suggestion that this be done in a series form since I keep hearing that the movie can not be done as the book.

Merry

10-23-2007, 09:16 PM	#5
Sauron the White Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 903	Could you please provide some evidence of this "former greatness". As someone who has studied and even taught some history courses, I am unaware of such Golden Ages that make them markedly different than our own times. And please give me actual evidence of the real world and not some literary platitudes found in fiction books which idealize and romanticize a life which did not exist except for a very small number of lucky people. And I do not have the slightest idea what that has to do with JRRT, Middle-earth, the Jackson adaptions of LOTR or anything else on topic. But perhaps you could relate it all for me. Last edited by Sauron the White; 10-23-2007 at 09:24 PM.

10-24-2007, 10:50 AM	#7
Meriadoc1961 Wight Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 101	Folwren wrote: "In all seriousness, I think the music would have been his favorite aspect about the entire thing. Howard Shore's music (and P.J's choice of hiring Shore) was fantastic. Tolkien would also probably like the scenery of everything. That was another great thing about the films. I think Jackson did a good job of taking Tolkien's landscapes and putting them on screen." I agree that the movie was breathtaking visually, and that the music was fantastic. I absolutley love the Elves singing in Lorien as they mourn the fall of Mithrandir. I also would very much like Essex's suggestion that this be done in a series form since I keep hearing that the movie can not be done as the book. Merry __________________ "If I yawn again, I shall split at the ears!"

10-23-2007, 06:53 PM	#3
Sauron the White Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 903	Folwren... yes you are right. The music was great as was the visual scenery, sets and design. That probably would have appealed to JRRT. The obvious area I was referencing was the money it made for the Tolkien Estate. If you look at the sales of Tolkien books for the six months before the movies came out and take it five years down the road and compare it to the previous five years, they sold a ton of books. While the Estate did not share in the film receipts, they certainly did cash a whole lot of greatly increased book royalty checks during those five years. And who gets the thanks for that? Peter Jacksons films spurred that increased sales flood. Given the written comments of JRRT and his want of money in his waning years, I am sure (had he lived) that he would have loved the increased royalties and it would have been hard to hate Jackson and his films the way some do today.