Why Lord Of The Rings Feels Like Tolkien (Even When It Doesn’t)

There are as many ways to adapting a book as there are books to be adapted. But something about the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings trilogy makes it stand out.

Lord of the Rings: Only the Lines From the Book

Tolkien Reads the Ride of the Rohirrim (and others)

00:00 Using Tolkien's Words
3:36 Common Complaints
6:11 Aragorn
9:30 Faramir & Eowyn
12:50 Closing Thoughts

[jintym]

One of the most touching additions to the dialogue was when Bernard Hill as King Theoden "No parent should have to bury their child". It's so simple, and it devastates me every time

[DarthNoshitam]

Changing the line from "golden shower" to "silver shower" was the right call 😂

[brownline]

One other change that Jackson made was at the very end, when the four hobbits are sitting in the local tavern in Hobbiton. The usual hubbub is going on all around them; and the four just look at each other: the know that the other hobbits could not possibly understand what they'd been through. My son who saw combat in Iraq told me that that is his favorite scene in the film, because it perfectly describes how veterans feel after they return home, knowing that the people they know and love cannot possibly understand what they've gone through. Brief as it is, it's a powerful scene that brings enormous depth to the movie.

[cainanneedham]

“…and they sang as they slew for the joy of battle was on them…” is devastatingly metal.

[gameragodzilla]

One thing I noticed from Peter Jackson making the LOTR movies as well as Denis Villeneuve making Dune was they always deferred to the authors. They thought themselves as people adapting Tolkien or Herbert’s work the big screen, not them trying to put “their mark” or “their spin” on the story. So even when changes were made, they remained true to the spirit of the source material.

[melkhiordarkfell]

I think Grima's lines to Eowyn really work because it shows the level of manipulation he is capable of, he looks the way he does but can still get Eowyn almost giving in because he knows her and what is really going on with her and can worm his way in.

[robertochiang]

Your idea of the voice of Tolkien himself reading about the Rohirrim's charge, while we see the charge scenes from the movie, is the best moment of this video.

[Ruylopez]

Another benchmark of the SW prequels and LOTR trilogy, was the effort taken to document the entire process, showing how much care went into them (despite claims to the contrary from some). It's not only a great resource for fans that is relatively quick and easy for the filmmakers to make, but also for creatives studying the craft. A more civilized time.

[princecharon]

I feel like the adding of reluctance to Aragorn's character arc probably reflects the difference between the modern attitude towards what makes a 'perfect' king, compared to the ideals Tolkien grew up with, or studied in history.

[mechamedeamigo]

This movie is packed with emotion, we see this everytime, when Frodo speaks to his friends, the way Aragorn treats frodo with care and respect, the way Gandalf talks to the hobits as a parent trying to give his kids a lesson.

[worldscoolestperson]

Must’ve been hella awkward in Helms Deep after Aragorn screamed “i shall die as one of them” with zero context outside Elvish

[MrKage-fbwy]

“We live in an era where every hero is torn down.” That line stings man.

Great video btw. You earned a sub.

[bronyhub]

"We had no interest whatsoever of putting our junk... our baggage into these movies."
-Peter Jackson

If only all other producers/directors/creatives thought this way about long standing stories instead of using them as an excuse to force feed us their fanfics.

[chrisvickers]

In the book, Gandalf was pained rejecting the ring when Frodo offered it to him but did reject it. Galadriel also was able to reject it but with more obvious temptation than in the books. Boromir failed in the face of temptation in both the movies and the books and whereas Aragorn succeeded in both. Then in the books Faramir casually rejected it. It made everyone else's temptation a greater weakness. I liked that Faramir had to fight it to and made his victory all the greater. Remember in both the movies and the books Frodo ultimately failed.

[nicosmind]

"Nowadays people see old stories need to be fixed" probably mentioned 100 tims already but thats so true!! People not understanding what made a story or character special and thinking their "modern" sign of the times take is better than a story that's transcended multiple cultures

[racernatorde]

Oh boy, Pirates of the Carribean next? In the past few years more and more people have realized how incredible that trilogy actually was. Very few movies have this many characters, that all have their own motives and act on their own!

[AragornGhost]

I also think that Faramir was changed because of a themes of the Two Towers. It's the movie that clearly asks if there is any hope left for the World of Men. Either for their Kings, their peasants (that's why they are called to War), and their Heroes. It's the movie where Aragorn embraces the World of Men, and that shows him that men aren't weak as he thougth. Faramir resisting the ring *in the end* after the battle of Hornburg makes sense as a conclusion. We showed you: men Can resist the evil or Saruman, but to the Ring too in the end. Hope lives. That's why I am ok with Faramir's character in the movies

[fantasymusicinmiddleearth]

That scene with Tolkien’s words with the visual adaptation was pure art, eager to see your next video man!

[rockyseverino]

Whoa, a So Uncivilized video?

A surprise to be sure. But a welcome one!

[JHAD]

So telling how they did the opposite for The Hobbit trilogy, and how much the films suffered for the alterations. We don't need an elf/dwarf love triangle, we don't need a cross dressing side character, we don't need a giant CGI setpiece battle every 20 minutes.