Normally, I would not post the same book two days in a row, but I really don't think I could pick anything else. I think I said in an earlier post that this trilogy is the only time in which I have preferred the movies to the books.
Pretty much every time I see a movie adaptation of a book, I end up disappointed, sometimes even angry. I almost think of myself as a Book Hitler; I am a tyrannical purist. Even if a tiny detail, such as a character's eye color, is different in the movie, I get a feeling of "THE DIRECTOR MUST DIE."
But I didn't feel that at all with the Lord of the Rings movies. I know that a lot of purists did not like the movies, and I can respect that feeling, but for once I do not agree.
I am actually glad that the movies did not show the Tom Bombadil scene. As much as I love Tolkien's trilogy, I still find plenty of flaws in it. One thing is the Tom Bombadil scene. Call me crazy, but I do not understand the point of that chapter. There isn't any significant plot or character development from that chapter, and Bombadil doesn't appear afterwards.
I am also glad that the movies did not have the Scouring of the Shire scene. While I understand why Tolkien included that chapter, from a plot perspective it is unnecessary. I don't think it's fair that the Hobbits have to save their home after going through so many trials to save the world. They've already been through so much; why make them go through even more?
I also think that the pacing in the movies is much better than the pacing in the books. While I respect and generally enjoy Tolkien's attention to so much detail, in many cases it really makes the reading tedious. The chapter "Flight to the Ford" in particular bothers me. It feels like Aragorn & Company take their sweet time getting to Rivendell. It's like they're all going for a casual stroll. There is almost no sense of urgency to get Frodo the treatment he needs. The thing about that chapter that bothers me more than anything else is ... wait for it ... Frodo talks. And it's very casual dialogue. The whole time I read the chapter I think, "No! This isn't right! You're supposed to be in utter agony and gravely ill!" Ugh. It just bothers me.
Now that my rant's over, I'll praise the pacing of the movies. Things generally happen more quickly, and there was substantial improvement for "The Council of Elrond" and "Flight to the Ford." In the edition I have of the books, "The Council of Elrond" is nearly forty pages long. Peter Jackson managed to condense those pages into a scene that was under ten minutes long. (Well done, Jackson. Well done.) And "Flight to the Ford" might be the most-improved pacing in the trilogy. Aragorn & Company are practically sprinting to Rivendell. Urgency is practically the only mood of the whole scene. Arwen finds them within two or three days, and the best part is ... wait for it again ... Frodo is actually suffering. He does not speak. You can really feel his pitiful state. He is clearly in agony and clearly feverish. Now that's more like it!
So the trilogy is definitely my best book to be adapted into a good movie. My all-time favorite books have become my all-time favorite movies. Life is good.
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