Frodo's change from book to film

[Lotrelf]

Originally Posted by FerniesApple

I seriously question whether most movie fans hate him. Maybe most people on this forum hate him, but mostly I think people agree Wood did a sterling job. As do I.
He perfectly embodied the slightly effete officer, Sam as faithful capable batman that Tolkien probably based their relationship on. Frodo depends entirely on Sams sturdy good Hobbit sense, in a film of 3 or so hours they dont have the luxury of many book layers. It has to be a somewhat simplified portrayal and they decided to have Frodo be vulnerable and full of inner pain and torment. It worked out brilliantly.

Last year, after finishing the books, I liked lots of Facebook pages and was suprised to see the hatred/dislike he recieved from the fans. There wasn't a single post that was had the comments like "Frodo is a wimp" or "Frodo whines a lot". I realized it was because of the movies that most fans thought so. I couldn't believe someone could hate any LOTR character. It was suprising to me. Since then, it's only Frodo who's hated with passion and being a "Frodo-fan" is considered a sort of insult. Maybe it's kinda exaggeration but I don't think it's appropriate to hate any character from the movies or books. It's just stupid. As for Elijah, I agree his was an exceptional performance, but it's the script that ruined MANY THINGS.

[Zigûr]

Originally Posted by Lotrelf

Last year, after finishing the books, I liked lots of Facebook pages and was suprised to see the hatred/dislike he recieved from the fans. There wasn't a single post that was had the comments like "Frodo is a wimp" or "Frodo whines a lot".

I don't wish to be facetiously reductive as such, but I think the kind of people who blurt out derogatory remarks (even about fictional characters) in comments on Facebook are probably not the kind of people who can appreciate the nuances of a character like Frodo.

At the risk of making a further generalisation, in my opinion a lot of online "fan communities" on social media are rife with ill-thought-out and simplistic views on texts. I think there are different kinds of "fans" who appreciate things on different levels and for different reasons. This is why I stick to the Downs.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Zigûr

At the risk of making a further generalisation, in my opinion a lot of online "fan communities" on social media are rife with ill-thought-out and simplistic views on texts. I think there are different kinds of "fans" who appreciate things on different levels and for different reasons. This is why I stick to the Downs.

Not being a FaceBooker, I'm not privy to specific comments on social media, and my sole online interaction with those who have seen the movies is accomplished here.

My personal experience though with friends and relations who have viewed the films has revealed that even those who have read the books don't esteem them the way I do. They have difficulty separating the two media, and view the books through the same lens as the movies. I like to think of the films as a loose adaptation, with the 'real' story being in the books.