There is nothing in Tolkien’s setting that requires the races of good to be caucasian. Or were they covered in Orc make up? I see the Orcs as terrorists. Now, another question, why were all the middle earth creatures caucasians? Again, is it due to the times that Tolkien wrote and the fact that Oxford had no people of other races? I’m kind of surprised Jackson didn’t at least cast a few Asians or maoris since they are rather plentiful in NZ, I hear. And you’re right about CS Lewis in the US, he’s the absolute darling of youngish conservatives right now, especially those who struggle with W’s born-agin-ess and the idea that modern GOP political organization implies working with lots and lots of people more odious than even Jerry Falwell. ROTK is going to have to be in my top 5 or so to get it there).Īnyway, thanks for your post, it’s very, very interesting. Peter Jackson’s trilogy does not show up on my list of top movies (based on the first two, anyway. I have always thought that the trilogy would stand the test of time, but to my distress I found myself snickering more than once during each of the first 2 movies. No pimples, though, while watching the movies. I liked the first 2 movies, too, but I think my affection was ambered by some real adolescent nostalgia over where I was when I read it (on a school bus, constantly once on vacation in Rocky Mountain Natl Park on both 40+C and -10C days and nights). I absolutely loved Tolkien when I was a teenager. I’ve read that damn thing maybe 5 times, but not once in the past twenty years. However, I read The Hobbit when I was like 12, then found the trilogy immediately after. I understand that LOTR is a kind of allegory about human (male) greed, too, and that the ring could easily symbolize gold or any other object of human material obsession, but still.Īnd I should admit that I have not seen ROTK, but I have seen the first 2. Umberto D, La Dolce Vita, L’Avventura, A Tale of (pick your season–Eric Rohmer’s films), Belle du Jour, Broken Blossoms, Last Year at Marienbad, Raise the Red Lantern… this is a long damn list and LOTR is better than all of these? To me The Treasure of the Sierra Madre tells a story of human greed that surpasses Tolkien if only because it rings so true: it’s about humans who are not saved by post-war English optimism in the face of a growing threat from Mordor…er, the USSR in the East (not that there’s anything wrong with hobbit love). ĭid you just see ROTK? If so, do you think your opinion is a candidate for revision?

The trilogy together make the greatest single film made to date. both groups taking him up as a banner bearer for their causes. Lewis is very interesting as he is very popular among both homosexual Christians and conservative evangelical Christian types. gay or straight, they are great characters and the film is very very engaging. personally, I think they are but believe the question isn’t really important to enjoying the story. Of course, while the homoerotic elements seem pretty obvious when you see an adaptation of the novel (the cartoons also have the feel), there is still enough evidence that maybe the characters aren’t gay. I guess hobbit sensibilities are different from those of contemporary man. there is a kissing scene for the two hobbits when Sam cradles Frodo all night and rocks him to sleep with gentle hugs and kisses. Legolas and Gimli become so close that they forsake the company of others and sail off together (can we say Twink and Bear?).Īnd. of course, it is a war story and soldiers spend a lot of time together. Note that there are very few women in the story and that the important relationships are all male. like Sam, Tolkien marries and has children albeit his “great bond of friendship” was with Lewis as Sam idolized Frodo. Tolkien and Lewis were very close and like Sam, Tolkien ends up having his friend leave him (Lewis became distant from Tolkien when he began “mentoring” a much younger man - Lewis did marry very very late in his life to a friend who was dying of ovarian cancer who needed to marry in order to stay in the country, it is very unlikely that Lewis ever had sex with a woman his entire life) just as Sam is left by Frodo. The character of Samwise is loosely based upon Tolkien while his best friend CS Lewis is the inspiration for Frodo. there’s a whole lot of homosocial/homoerotic stuff in the novels. despite the objections of Tolkien’s family and admirers. the homoeroticism is probably there for a very good reason. While a ton of folks who are fans of the novels will scream bloody murder when you mention it. BUT, homo-eroticism crossed my mind more than once watching the hobbits kissing and hugging and jumping on the bed together and the dwarf-elf love, well, you know… In fact, homoeroticism aside, it’s the best of the three, IMO.

Sam and frodo gay movie cut