I've just returned home from a matinee of The Return of the King with my parents. It was my first time and I was very impressed, very moved. It's not often when I can get into a movie like this and it's always hard to pull myself away afterward. Just as when I read the books last year I was sad when I came to the end because I didn't want it to be over. Like Sam, my journey home afterwords was quiet and solemn, but I must move on, for there are other duties to fulfill. However, once I let myself in I had to pause. I took down my copies of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy and silently paged through them. I reread the last few pages of the final book and felt the farewells all over again. Before putting them back in their place on my bookshelf, I bid Mr Tolkien a quiet "thank you."
By chance or design, I don't see a lot of stories that move me this much. Whether it be an unconscious effort on my part or average quality of the entertainment industry I haven't determined yet. I hope someday to be able to touch others as have I during these few yet significant tales of the imagination. Peter Jackson gets a lot of credit for the movies, but it could never be without the cast and crew of hundreds involved. I'm glad that in this modern throw-away society there are still those with the spirit to throw themselves into a worthy project and the energy to carry it through.
Naturally, in a case such as this I hold the film to the book(s) from which it was drawn. I feel the interpretation should stay as close to the author's vision as possible. I've heard some say that this film is the best of the trilogy; I can't decide that, but I have noticed that it strays the furthest from the original works. I realized this at the end of The Two Towers which omitted the last couple chapters and added a scene that never happened. There are already those who could point out every difference between the two trilogies and many others who might complain, but It's clearly quite impossible to translate 1,200 pages of story into a film, or even into three films, without making significant changes to its structure and details. I was going to point out a few of them, but having consulted Encyclopedia Arda, I feel that they've done it best, and encourage you to visit and check their Moviegoers Guide to the trilogy.
Allright, I confess: I've spent the last ten minutes browsing the encyclopedia. Since I probably won't get much else done now, I'll just leave you with this.
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