The Lord of the Rings

Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings is a hell of a valiant try at making into a movie one of the great works of
fantasy literature (some would argue, the only great work of fantasy literature). But the sad part about the effort
is how, no matter the effort and quality thaqt go into the job, it still must fall desperately short of the scope and
power of its parent.

Movies are entertainment. They make the movement into disbelief easy and streamlined, but they can never
lend the power of literature to an issue. By cheapening the entrez to the world that is being described, they force
the viewer out of the loop of imagination, thus weakening the strength of the experience. The movie is the
director’s sole vision. The book is cooperation between the reader and the author.

But the movie is good. But it will always stand in the shadows of what the book can offer. For all of the skill
and talent that went into it’s creation, it will never be anything other than a stunted parody of the book that it
was wrenched from.