“I like it, but...” - Episode #4

The Lord of the Rings - Part 4: Not if it lay by the highway...

This is the fourth instalment of what I hope will become a semi-regular entry on my blog, “I like it, but...”, where I will discuss films, books, games, and other such things that I really do like, but there are still a few things I'd like to complain about. This is Part 4, the final part of my discussion of the film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings.

The final thing I would like to complain about is the mis-characterisation of Faramir in The Two Towers. In the book, there is some suspense surrounding the character when he first appears. We do not know at first if he will aid or hinder Frodo and Sam, but it gradually becomes apparent that he is a friend and he wishes to help them, though they are hesitant to let him know of the Ring. After all, this is Boromir's brother, and they dare not risk him having a similar reaction to the seductive power of the Ring by telling him about it, not to mention they are bound by an errand of secrecy and were commanded by Elrond not to reveal the Ring to anyone outside the Fellowship. Faramir knows of Isildur's Bane (the dream that Boromir had that led him to Rivendell first came to Faramir, after all), but not what it is and Frodo will only tell him that it is hidden for now. As they journey to Henneth Annûn, Faramir speaks with Frodo about Boromir and how they parted at Rauros, suspecting that it was not friendly and that Isildur's Bane was the reason for contention in the Fellowship, and he reassures Frodo that he has no love or desire for this thing Isildur took from Sauron--he would not take it if it lay by the highway. However, his words are tested once they reach Henneth Annûn. After Sam has imbibed a considerable amount of wine at Faramir's table, he lets slip that Boromir wanted the enemy's Ring. For a moment, Faramir is tempted by the prospect of having the One Ring, thought to have perished from the world, and the power it could bring him, to save Gondor and utterly destroy Sauron forever. But the moment passes and he remembers his brother, realising that his desire for the Ring is what led him to his death, and he chooses not to go down the same dangerous path. He takes his earlier words, that he would not take Isildur's Bane if it lay by the highway, as a vow and chooses to be held by them, promising to help Frodo and Sam in whatever way he can.

In the film, this was changed. Faramir was more of an antagonist when he first appeared, taking Frodo and Sam prisoner and holding them at Henneth Annûn for questioning. When he learns about the Ring (through interrogating Gollum), he ignores Sam's warning that Boromir died because he tried to take the Ring from Frodo, and decides that the Ring will go to Gondor. Only after witnessing the terrible power of the Ring and how it is affecting Frodo does Faramir realise that this is a mistake and allow the Hobbits to continue their journey (after a pretty huge detour to the ruined city of Osgiliath, which The Return of the King portrays as being within a few minutes gallop of Minas Tirith). Now, I will be honest, the portrayal of Faramir's temptation in the films is done very well. It is made clear that he feels he is living in his brother's shadow and needs to do something truly great to impress his father, Denethor, the Steward of Gondor, who has always loved Boromir far more. The extended edition of The Two Towers expands on this, showing us a scene of the three of them, Denethor and his two sons, Boromir and Faramir, together, showing us the kind of relationship these characters had with each other, how Denethor adulated his eldest son, while berating his youngest. So, as far as the films go, it makes sense for Faramir to act as he does, despite diverging from his character in the book. By the time of The Return of the King, Faramir's character is much more in line with the book and, his temptation by the Ring having given him some important character development.

Nevertheless, while the film's approach worked perfectly well, and Faramir comes out of it the kind of character he ought to be, I do wish his portrayal in film version of The Two Towers had been a bit more faithful to his character in the book. Unlike some other character changes in the films, the screenwriters, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, go to some length to defend this change to Faramir in interviews available in the special features discs of The Two Towers extended edition boxset. They argue that if a Man were seen to successfully resist the lure of the Ring, it would undermine the danger that it is supposed to pose; in other words, all Men but the very greatest (i.e. Aragorn) need to be seduced by the Ring, at least initially. But the fact of the matter is, Faramir is tempted in the book, however briefly; for a moment, it is not at all clear if he will succumb to the Ring's temptation, or if he will stay true to his word. Obviously, the thought of what he could do with the Ring does sway him, but he learns from the lesson that Boromir learnt too late and refuses the temptation, even though he knows his father will disapprove. He demonstrates a rare strength of will and this is something I like about Faramir in the book. He is an exception to the perceived rule; he is wise enough to know that there are some perils from which a man must flee. Changing him for dramatic purposes in the film didn't ruin the trilogy for me and, for some at least, I'm sure it improved it; but I wish they had kept this exception, because it shows that, while many Men would be easily seduced by the Ring's power, not all of them would be, just as I personally do not believe that all people are necessarily corrupted by power. Many are, obviously, but I do not think that that can be true of all people, and I think Tolkien wanted to show us that he did not believe that all Men were easily corrupted either.

Well, that's all I have to say about the things that annoyed or irritated me in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Despite all these complaints, it remains my favourite film series to date. Clearly this was a labour of love for the folks working on these films and they made a tremendous effort to faithfully portray the world and the story that Tolkien envisioned in his book on the big screen. They did an excellent job. Everything from the grand locations, like the city of Minas Tirith, the fortress of the Hornburg, Isengard, Barad-dûr, Rivendell, Moria, Edoras, and even quaint little villages like Hobbiton, to the tiniest little details on the architecture, costumes, and props, little things the audience may not even notice until they watch the special features, all of these things show just how much love and effort went into bringing Tolkien's fantasy world to life. Even if you don't like The Lord of the Rings, how can you not at least respect the level of effort that went into making these films, one man's imagination brought to life by the tireless labours of thousands of men and women? Believe it or not, the end credits for The Return of the King are twenty minutes long, much of them consisting only of long lists of names in very small text. If I could personally thank every one of those people for their part in this film trilogy, I would. Is it how I would have done it? In some ways, yes, in others, no. But I imagine I'd be too concerned with faithfully retelling Tolkien's story, as he told it, to do as good a job as the folks who really did work on these films. As much as I may have preferred certain elements to remain unchanged, and as much as I may nitpick over little mistakes, I sincerely doubt I could have done half as good a job adapting The Lord of the Rings to the big screen as Peter Jackson and the team he put together to do it.

I eagerly anticipate seeing his adaptation of The Hobbit next year.