Appreciation post for how the Lord of the Rings movies made me see the books differently

I was rewatching the Two Towers last week with my friend who had never read the books, and she said 'why is Frodo so whiny compared to the book?' and that got me thinking. Honestly I used to be a book purist who hated the movies for cutting Tom Bombadil and the Scouring of the Shire. But then I realized the movies added so much depth to Aragorn's character, like his fear of becoming like Isildur, which barely exists in the books. The books have way more lore and details, but the movies made the story feel more personal and urgent with those added moments. Has anyone else changed their mind about a book adaptation after watching it with a fresh pair of eyes?

2 comments

2 Comments

margaretj4013d ago

Honestly same, Sam's speech in the movies hit me way harder than the books ever did.

morgan91513d ago

You said the movies added stuff that wasn't in the books, but Aragorn fearing he'd turn into Isildur is actually right there in the books too. It's more subtle because you're inside his head less, but in the Return of the King book he literally says "I am Isildur's heir, not Isildur himself" when he takes the Paths of the Dead. That whole arc about him being scared of the Ring's pull is baked into the text, just not as spelled out as Viggo's facial expressions make it. I get what you mean about the films making it feel more personal though. They just took what was already there and made it louder so you couldn't miss it.