Here is part of my Lord of the Rings: Book Vs. Film. Today I focus mainly on what is possibly the most controversial change, Faramir's character, or his character was in the movie, "Jerkamir" because he was a jerk to the the Hobbits.
Faramir’s encounter with the Hobbits is one of the most significant changes made from book to movie. Not only did it redefine Faramir’s character; it vastly changed the sequence of events. In the movie Faramir is greatly tempted by the Ring and starts to take Frodo and the Ring to his father Denethor in Minis Tirith; conversely in the book he quickly decides to help Frodo and Sam on their journey. Faramir is shown to have great fortitude and character in the book However, in the movie he is an antagonist because the Ring quickly tempts him. Faramir’s character was changed for several reasons, one being: that the Ring in the movie is portrayed as being even more powerful of an evil influence than the more subtle evil of the book, which works much better in the visual medium of film. If Faramir were able to resist the influence of the Ring easily it would have undermined the power of the Ring without extensive exposition. Possibly the most important reason for the change, which was even said by Peter Jackson himself, is that Frodo and Sam needed some form of conflict in the second film, because the conflict at Shelob’s Lair was moved to the third movie (The Lord of the Rings, Blu-Ray). If there were no change, Frodo and Sam would have had a nearly uneventful journey to the pass of Cirith Ungol. Overall the change could have been handled better, but from a film making standpoint it is mostly understandable.
Despite what I have said in this series of posts, I would never want any second of The Lord of the Rings films to be changed in the slightest. While I there were parts in the film that could have been adapted more accurately, every change from book has a purpose, regardless of whether "purists" like or not. Peter Jackson created three perfect films that have few if any equals in the 21st Century.
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I've not finished re-reading LOTR yet, but I do remember a large amount of comments about Faramir, and his character being changed. Will be interesting to read. :)
ReplyDeleteBest,
Alexandra~
Interesting article- it's been a while since I read the books so I don't remember the character change all that much, but I agree, the changes made sense in the context of the movie, so I'm okay with them. :)
ReplyDeleteTotally agree! I think many people complain about the change of Faramir's character, and I think the points you pointed out were really good. I wouldn't have changed Faramir's character in the movie because Peter Jackson did it for a really good reason. Awesome post! :)
ReplyDeleteSince I've seen or read nothing yet I can't comment on this; I just wanted to let you know I finally finished my Dark Knight Rises post!
ReplyDelete~Jamie
@Alexandra Lanc: Definitely one of the more noticeable changes from the book to film. :)
ReplyDeleteShena Tokala: Thanks. :) Good to see someone that agrees with the changes!
@Helen: Thank you! :)
@Jamie: Read, commented and loved it!
-James
I totally agree with this! And really enjoyed it.
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