"Do You Hate Women?"

[William Cloud Hicklin]

I'm really rather amused by the notion- a childish one, really - that tossing in a grrrl-power female action hero somehow makes a story "feminist" or gives it "feminine energy" or renders it less toxically "patriarchal" or some darn thing.

Let's be real: Tauriel is less a "female" character than a male one with boobs: Legolass. She really introduces nothing "feminine;" nor does her character have a role a male neolovir wouldn't have filled equally well (or poorly), provided Kili were gay. Galadriel (Tolkien's, not Jackson's) is an infinitely more feminist character.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

BTW, Morth, the system won't let me give you any more 'reputation' but I have to congratulate you on your marvelous facility with alkaline polemic when it comes to PBJ; you spin it with the admirable and effortless invention of a Mozart spinning counterpoint.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

BTW, Morth, the system won't let me give you any more 'reputation' but I have to congratulate you on your marvelous facility with alkaline polemic when it comes to PBJ; you spin it with the admirable and effortless invention of a Mozart spinning counterpoint.

Thanks, WCH, but hoisting PJ on his own petard is as easy as shooting dwarves in a barrel (if I may mix metaphors).

From my standpoint, if one wishes to deviate from a classic book, and in particular add a main character extraneous from the original plot, the changes must a) be required to advance the story from a visual rather than literary medium, b) be plausible within the context of the story, and c) offer the actor a memorable role and script with which to work.

I think PJ/Boyens failed on all 3 counts, and in baseball parlance that is a strike-out.

[Kuruharan]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

as easy as shooting dwarves in a barrel (if I may mix metaphors).

Hey!

You may not mix your metaphors, sir!

[Mithadan]

In your case, Morthoron may, if he wishes.

Through the lens of willing suspension of disbelief (and pretending that I have never read the books) I do not dislike Tauriel. From the perspective of a "purist", I find Tauriel slightly less annoying and offensive than the portrayal of Radagast. The two are followed by my distaste for the "White Orc" whose inclusion seems only necessary to provide action and expand the material to stretch it into three movies.

Regarding Ms. Lily's comments in the interview, if she wanted to discuss substance, she should have been more familiar with the author and his work. I wasn't too thrilled about the "why are all the kings underground" query either.

[Boromir88]

Originally Posted by Mithadan

Through the lens of willing suspension of disbelief (and pretending that I have never read the books) I do not dislike Tauriel. From the perspective of a "purist", I find Tauriel slightly less annoying and offensive than the portrayal of Radagast. The two are followed by my distaste for the "White Orc" whose inclusion seems only necessary to provide action and expand the material to stretch it into three movies.

I will say, I don't dislike Tauriel's inclusion anymore than I dislike Alfrid's. Even though that's not saying much, both are useless and unnecessary.

[Zigûr]

In one of the critical works I used in my thesis, the author discussed the traditional dichotomy associating the masculine with the mental, rational and artificial and the feminine with the physical, emotional and the natural. I touched upon how, in Professor Tolkien's work, he does not necessarily support such a dichotomy by portraying emotionality and nature across gender.

I wonder if a more sophisticated production which was less interested in fulfilling Hollywood quotas could have explored gender in the narrative by doing something more interesting than inserting a female love interest for one of the Dwarves, perhaps by going further in contrasting Bilbo's appreciation of nature to Thorin's increasing obsession with the man made and non-living and working with the different masculinities presented.

The nature-artifice divide was actually touched upon in the third film but only to a very limited extent. I think there were definitely more interesting ways of handling the exclusively male nature of the original text. I like the idea of some of the Dwarves being female, but again they would require more of a role and characterisation than they received.