purist

[incandescens]

What was I going to say? Oh, yes. When comparing two works, one of which is a book and the other is the film made from the book, always watch the film first.

A couple of days ago, I was watching the first part of Fellowship of the Ring (expanded version) and was prompted to get down my copy of the book, and went through it at the usual pace, and am now halfway through Two Towers. I watched the second part of the Fellowship movie today, and couldn't stop muttering at the screen. No, no, and no. He didn't say that. That didn't happen. Ginji is not just comic relief. Where are my beloved and dearly remembered lines and moments?

I know. All my fault. I'm a purist. Should have watched the movie first, and then reread the books; at least that way I wouldn't have all those points fresh in my mind to be contradicted.

Ah well.

---

From the porch upon the top of the high terrace they could see beyond the stream the green fields of Rohan fading into distant grey. Curtains of wind-blown rain were slanting down. The sky above and to the west was still dark with thunder, and lightning far away flickered among the tops of hidden hills. But the wind had shifted to the north, and already the storm that had come out of the East was receding, rolling away southward to the sea. Suddenly through a rent in the clouds behind them a shaft of sun stabbed down. The falling showers gleamed like silver, and far away the river glittered like a shimmering glass.

-- The Two Towers, JRR Tolkien

Comments

[gisho.livejournal.com]

Ginji is not just comic relief.

... I will presume you mean Gimli, given the context, although the above is certianly accurate.

The movies were very visually impressive but I wasn't too impressed with the plot. That seems to apply to a lot of movies.

[archangelbeth]

"Ban, Ginji... Get back that Ring."

[incandescens]

(groans)

[incandescens]

Gah. You're absolutely right.

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

S'okay. I read after a long day and tied me into knots mentally over Ban, Ginji, Renji, and Gin. Much googling was required to straighten out who is who.

[incandescens]

They've changed the goblets. The pellet with the poison's in the chalice from the palace; the vessel with the pestle holds the brew that is true.

[flemmings.livejournal.com]

No! The pellet with the poison's in the flagon with the *dragon*! The vessel with the pestle holds the brew that is true.

(Man, when you get obscure you get obscure. Thank you, google. Somehow I'd thought that one was Jerry Lewis.)

[incandescens]

Blame my father. He had a copy of Halliwell's Hundred on the bookshelf that I used to love reading; the film critic Halliwell ranting about his favourite movies. As I got older I found more and more that I didn't necessarily agree with him, but it has given me background on a lot of movies I might not otherwise have seen.

[boymonster.livejournal.com]

I was lucky. A) they were made in my homeland and B) I didn't have nearly the emotional attachment to the books, so the end result was that I loved the movies to pieces. :)

[incandescens]

The movies are lovely. It's my own fault for being such a purist and, as you say, so emotionally attached to the books. :)

[liralen.livejournal.com]

Yeah... I had the same reaction when I first *saw* the movies, as I reread the books right before going to the theater... and had pretty much the same muttering. *grin*

Beautiful movies, but I like the original story and characters better...

[incandescens]

Precisely. ;)

[bravecows.livejournal.com]

*nodnod* So true. You shouldn't reread the books before you watch the movies unless you want to bitch. 'Cos it's unfair, really -- how could any movie even come close to this: The falling showers gleamed like silver, and far away the river glittered like a shimmering glass?

[incandescens]

Very true.