Why Can't Movies Be Like Books?

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Why in the world would I want a second hand source to interpret something for me when I can go to the primary source to see how things worked? As far as I know. Mr. Shippey, for all his intelligence and insight, is still a person who has only read Tolkiens works. Is that correct? He did not help write them or formulate them, only giving his opinion about the situation.

To which rather arrogant assertion I can only reply with part of the Oath of the Jefferson Society: "...holding it to be true that opinions arising from solitary Observation and Reflexion are seldom in the first Instance, correct."

It happens that Shippey, one of the last old-school philologists, and who in fact held Tolkien's old Chair at Leeds, might know a few things relevant to textual exegesis (especially linguistic) that you (or I) may not. Christopher Tolkien has read Shippey and considered his observations- perhaps you think your understanding is superior to CT's?

I find it rather interesting that you hold the work of Tolkien scholars to be useless, on the principle that they are just people with opinions, in no way superior to, or even capable of informing, your own; but you expect us to accept as Authorities the "professional fim critics" who loved the movies.

*****

On to Faramir- at least to PJ, simply being in the same room with the Ring is enough to trip Faramir over the edge; and indeed Filmamir does "touch" it with his sword. In the book of course he never sees it.

But touching it is not a factor. Boromir never did; nor did Saruman, nor Denethor. Sam by contrast actually wore it, yet was able to hand it over. It's all about the desire.

But PJ explicitly never understood any of this: by *his own admission* the entire Osgiliation arose from this false idea that any person (or at least Man) who came near the thing would be powerless not to try and grab it. This notion is already present in the Prologue, which claims, incorrectly, that Men "above all desire Power." A little knowledge is dangerous. PJ just didn't get it, but thought he did: he reminds me of the sort of rube who thinks he can fix his own car, and winds up leaving crucial parts on the driveway, and forcing others to 'fit' with a hammer.

PJ should have read Shippey.