[Skunk]

Originally posted by Sir Taliesin: The men of Carn Dum, were descended from Numenor. At some point the Northern Kingdom was divided in to three smaller Kingdoms. Carn Dum was one of them. Also I must point out that the men of Westerness were descended from the Men of the First Age that aided the Elves in their fight with Morgoth. The First Ruler of Numenor was in fact Elrond's brother. Not quite sure where you got that they were of a Mediterrean origin, because I'd tend to think they were more of a Northern European origin. Especially, since Tolkien was attempting to write a fictional ancient history for Britian.

The descriptions are from the book (I have it right in front of me). It's not me making up this stuff: it was Tolkien. If they are darker skinned (Tolkien's words) than the men of the North (and of Bree) p.165, lighter than the men of Harad who are described as swarthy p687 - then they must be something inbetween. The colour of a mediterranean race then, is a more adequate description than simple 'white' for the line of Kings.

Not sure where you get the idea that Tolkien was attemtping to write a fictional ancient history of Britain, since he himself denied any allegory in the foreword of later editions:
But I cordially disklike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence.

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: Skunk, I think P.J. did a better job remaining true to a text than about any movie I have ever personnally seen -- quite hard considering the epic nature of the undertaking. I think your rant is silly considering how wonderful these movies are. I think you create standards you yourself could not live up to, nor could anyone. It's real easy to hate everything, ain't it?

I have never tried to take a Van Gogh painting and retouched it in an attempt to 'improve' it - I have yet to hear of anyone else doing the same and receiving critical acclaim for his 'achievements'.

Some things are beyond improvement and can not be translated into other media without loss. I have read Jean-Nicholas-Arthur Rimbaud poems in their original french and have yet to read an english translation that can do them any justice at all.

I have read all of Shakespeare's works in english and have never seen a french translation that did them justice. I have seen many performances of the same Shakespearean play - some good and many, many bad. I have never seen a modern adaptation of any worth (and believe me, I have have seen a fair number).

Certainly I create standards that I can not live up to. I am not an artist, I could never paint a rembrandt, and it would be foolish to try. Jackson is not a literary genius and it was foolish of him to re-interpret the work of one.

We live in a time when printed works are fast becoming a dirty word and a second citizen to digital imagry. In this way, people are learning to live in the imaginations of others, without learning to gain one for themselves. It's the easier path - but not neccessarily the better one.

Jackson's movies are the TV dinner's of the literary world. No-one with developed taste buds would go near one.


[ 01-07-2004, 12:56 PM: Message edited by: Skunk ]