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The Lord of the Rings: A Rambling Review and Reflection
Modern Reformation ^ | unknown | By J. Ligon Duncan

Posted on 10/7/2002, 9:12:15 PM by Biblical Calvinist

I went to see the Lord of the Rings (Part One: The Fellowship of the Ring) -the movie adaptation of the first volume of the classic epic mythic trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien (pronounced, according to the BBC Self-Pronouncing Dictionary, "tol-KEEN")- the day after it debuted. I've seen it several times since. I went with tremendous anticipation (having read the cycle from The Hobbit to The Lord of the Rings to The Silmarillion twice: my brother has read them more than a dozen times!), but also with some trepidation. I was sure that I was going to be disappointed. Alas, my fears were immediately allayed. It was a brilliant picture.

I offer something of a review and something of a reflection here. If you have never read Tolkien, you'll be completely lost by what I'm about to say (just skip to the reflections). So, let me apologize here at the outset and then suggest that you pick up The Hobbit first and then proceed to read The Lord of the Rings trilogy. It will not be wasted time. Then see the movie.

By the way, if you are wondering why there's so much excitement amongst Christians about this book and movie, it is because Tolkien played an instrumental role in C. S. Lewis' conversion to Christ, and was one of the famous "Inklings" who along with Charles Williams and Lewis had a profound effect upon several generations of Christian readers. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is not a Christian allegory, but it is shot through with redemptive metaphors, Christian virtues, veiled references to divine providence and Christ-analogies.

Review

I never thought a movie would ever do justice to Tolkien, but this one did, and that is high praise from a Tolkien fanatic. I should say, as a whole, the movie is incredibly intense (definitely not fare for younger children -- in that regard, the PG-13 rating needs to be taken seriously: there is no sexual content or foul language, but the violence, while not gratuitous, is realistic).

The Orcs were frightening (indeed far more frightening than my imagination has ever allowed-I'd always thought of them as sort of ugly, smelly, mean, bumbling idiots), the Cave Troll in Moria was the monster of the movie (IMHO), even better than the Balrog (who should have been the scariest - but in Producer Jackson's defense, he follows Tolkien's description to a tee). And the depiction of the Hobbits and The Shire was spot on. I didn't think I'd like Elijah Woods as Frodo (based simply upon my suspicions and the television ads they'd been running) - but I did. Sam, Frodo's sidekick, was perfect. Without having much by way of lines to give the feel of his character, he managed to convey the essence of the lovable, clumsy, loyal friend. Bilbo Baggins, Frodo's uncle, was very good indeed.

Filmmaker Peter Jackson did a nice job of compressing the early 5 chapters and giving us the essential feel of life in The Shire. Often people think of the scenes in The Shire at the book's beginning and end as comic relief or anti-climatic, but the Tolkien aficionado will recognize that the idyllic life, and repose, that they represent are close to the heart of what we fight for in the great struggles against evil in the world.

Gandalf, ah Gandalf, what can I say. He's simply my favorite character in all of "fantasy literature" (though I hate to besmirch Lord of the Rings with that designation). He is part-Hobbit's party entertainment, part-Grandfather, part-Sherlock Holmes, part-Wizard, part-Gunny Sergeant, part-most powerful single individual working for the defeat of Sauron in all of Middle Earth. He's fussing, warning, leading, fighting, protecting, thinking, laughing, pipe-smoking, interpreting, explaining, coming and going throughout the book/movie. If you ever have to face a Nazgul on a dark and stormy night-he's the guy you want with you! Ian McKellen did him justice, and that's saying a lot. Strider (Aragorn) was almost perfect, my brother Mel described him as "the right mix of nordic John Wayne and kingly mystery."

There are, of course, minor gripes one could make about the movie and casting (but I offer nothing but kudos to Jackson for his masterful work). Elrond, visually, didn't live up to Tolkien's description as "being as venerable as a Dwarven King of many summers" - but was pretty good. Regal and stern. Glorfindel (clearly a mighty warrior in Tolkien's book) should have been allowed to play his part, instead of the PC insertion of Arwen in the flight to the Ford.

Speaking of which, my brother bristled at the choice of Liv Tyler as Arwen. Guess he keeps waiting for her to break out in a vigorous rendition of Aerosmith's "Walk this Way!" rather than an elvish sonnet. Once one's nerve-endings have been seared by Steve Tyler, it's kind of hard to think his offspring could ever live him down. But, she's gorgeous - and according to Tolkien, Arwen was even more beautiful than the enchanting Galadriel (who mesmerized Gimli, but whom Eomer judged not the equal of the astonishing Arwen) and Tyler clearly lives up to that billing (sorry Cate, you are definitely "second-babe" to Liv). And, hey, Liv even learned a little Elvish for the part, so give her some slack.

The Elves of Lorien seemed to be designed to appeal to the cross-dressing set, yet also came across as angry and vindictive. They should have been more elvish and nice, yet, their grimness did capture the fear of Lorien that seemed to pervade the minds of all the non-elvish characters in the book (save Aragorn and Gandalf). Galadriel was painted darkly, but I think it worked. It appropriately drew attention to the theme of "temptation to power" that Tolkien clearly develops throughout the books and which Jackson aptly highlights with his own inventions (like Gandalf refusing to touch the ring, which is not part of the Tolkien's story).

Reflection

Now, many of you may be thinking, "who cares?" - why all the fuss about Tolkien? What's the big deal about this book and movie? There are many good answers to that question, but I here offer two. First, The Lord of the Rings is great literature. Second, The Lord of the Rings is popular (adored by millions), fantasy literature, anchored in a stable moral universe derivative of a Christian worldview. Indeed, a number of things strike me about the book The Lord of the Rings and its author, in light of the movie. I could throw in a third: Tolkien's outsold everything in the book market but the Bible in the English-speaking world over the last half century! Already, there is a volume out on Tolkien by one of his successors at Oxford declaring him to be "the author of the century." Now, even if that is a bit overblown (more characteristic of American lack of restraint in praise than calm British reserve) it reminds the reader (and the movie-goer) that the author of this work is not your typical paperback writer. He was a first-rate scholar (among other accomplishments responsible for the 20th century's epic translation of Beowulf) and a linguistic genius. He actually created numerous imaginary cultures and languages in order to write the books! Tolkien's mother taught him Latin, French, and German. At school he learned Greek, Middle English, Old English (Anglo-Saxon), Old Norse, Welsh, Spanish, and Italian. He developed a working knowledge of Russian, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch and Lombardic. Beginning as early as 1914 he began creating his own languages, and many of these became the seeds for poems, ballads, stories and songs which evolved into the peoples and places of Middle earth. He developed an entire mythology which spanned four epoch ages, thousands of years of histories, and a creation and fall cosmology to boot. In The Lord of the Rings Tolkien employs the use of 14 different "original languages." Many of these languages even have modes of speech not unlike Old English, Middle, Victorian and Modern English. Don't expect that from Tom Clancy!

The literary quality of Tolkien's poetry and prose is outstanding, and his message and presuppositions are profound. Though these stories originated as tales he invented to entertain his children (!!), the lush descriptivity and indeed the pensive quality of his writing is overwhelming. A deep and abiding yearning and sorrow pervades his stories. Insight and wisdom punctuate mundane conversations. Moral exhortation fit for the most practical of people finds it way into wizard's banter in Tolkien's world.

And the moral in Tolkien is derivative of Christian insights into reality. He did not set out to write an allegory (he detested allegory!), but to entertain. However, in the course of entertaining he manages to set the table for serious moral engagement. A few unenlightened wags have suggested that Lord of the Rings is no different from Harry Potter. Well, I'd respond, 'sure, and Beowulf's the same as Batman in the DC comics.' And I don't just mean that there is a literary gulf that separates Tolkien from other popular fantasy literature. There is a moral gulf. J.K. Rowling is not bringing to bear a Christian mind in her literature (even if her goal isn't world-domination by kinder-warlocks, as some conspiracy theorists alarm). She wouldn't know a "Christian mind" if it bit her. Tolkien, on the other hand, can't escape his (for better and for worse). He thinks in medieval Christian categories and that thought-world is pervasive in his works.

My brother put it this way: "Tolkien is (probably) the greatest myth maker in the 20th century, his works are more thorough and complex than almost any other author in that span. And remarkably the point of almost all of his stories is the celebration of moral beings that overcome because of (divine) providence, and personal character and determination." Exhibit A is Tolkien's remarkable "Hobbits," human-like, genealogy-loving, trivia-fixated, pipe-smoking, overly-loquacious, homebody, halflings who occupy "the Shire" (Tolkien's Middle Earth version of the Cotswolds!).

How are Hobbits exhibit A of Tolkien's moral universe? Because their character not their stature or strength mattered in the end. The qualities of love and loyalty and justice and mercy enable Frodo Baggins the Hobbit to undertake the most difficult quest in the history of the Third Age of Middle Earth (a task which the most powerful good beings of that era could never have managed - not Aragorn, not Gandalf, not Elrond, nor Galadriel). Because the greatest power of evil was not the external evil of Sauron, but the internal evil that could be unleashed by the use (even for ostensibly good ends) of the one Ring.

But even Frodo would have failed without five other factors: the wisdom of Gandalf (whose sagacity not his "magic" was his greatest power), the aid of a loyal company (the Fellowship of the Ring, the original "band of brothers"), the undying love of a slow-witted, but great-hearted best friend (Sam Gamgee, the lovable assistant who would have slain a dragon for Frodo, if he didn't trip over his own feet trying), the self-absorbed malice of a petty-enemy (Gollum, who turns out to be Judas - the son of perdition deployed by divine providence to do a ghastly deed for the ultimate good), and above and behind them all, a pervasive, unnamed divine providence working all things for good (in Middle Earth parlance, this would have been denominated "the will of Eru" or "Illuvatar"). Sending Gandalf back from death, putting Gollum at the right place at the right time at Mt. Doom, leading the ring to be found by Bilbo Baggins in the first place ("the strangest event in the whole history of the ring"), all of this can be traced, said Tolkien in his letters, to Illuvatar.

In the end, the temptation is too much, even for Frodo, and only mercy spares him. Bilbo's original mercy to Gollum, Gandalf's counsel about mercy to Frodo, Frodo's mercy to Gollum, leave Gollum alive to be the one who, at last, destroys the ring (without intending to!). But behind these human acts of mercy and malice is the pervading, Esther-like, idea of divine providence in Tolkien. In the final analysis, Middle Earth is saved from Sauron by grace. None of the characters could have done it. It took divine intervention. This is sheer and unabashed Augustinianism.

A friend leaned over to my brother as the movie began and said: "Do you think any of these people know Hobbits are Calvinists?"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III is Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. He is a graduate of Furman University and Covenant Theological Seminary. He recently completed doctoral studies at the University of Edinburgh and is currently serving as co-editor of The Westminster Confession into the 21st Century, a multi-volume set of essays in remembrance of the 350th anniversary of the publication of the confession.


TOPICS: Books/Literature; The Hobbit Hole
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For all Tolkien fans; A wonderful article discussing Tolkien from a thoughtful theological perspective..hope ya'll will find it as interesting as I did. Enjoy !
1 posted on 10/7/2002, 9:12:15 PM by Biblical Calvinist
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To: ksen; Corin Stormhands; HairOfTheDog; JenB; Bear_in_RoseBear; g'nad; RosieCotton; SuziQ; ...
(((((((((PING!!!)))))))))
2 posted on 10/7/2002, 9:15:36 PM by rightwingreligiousfanatic
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To: Sam Cree; ecurbh; GretchenEE; Penny1; Lucius Cornelius Sulla
Pinging an interesting article....
3 posted on 10/7/2002, 9:20:37 PM by rightwingreligiousfanatic
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To: Biblical Calvinist
I really enjoyed this well written article, thanks for posting it. I'm not too convinced that hobbits are Calvinists, though. Aren't Calvinists protestants?
4 posted on 10/7/2002, 9:37:49 PM by Sam Cree
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To: Biblical Calvinist; Overtaxed; Corin Stormhands; ksen; g'nad
The Elves of Lorien seemed to be designed to appeal to the cross-dressing set, yet also came across as angry and vindictive

Ruthlessly snooty is how I like to refer to it. Ruthlessly snooty and awfully haughty....... And cross-dressers for sure!

Elf Bash Material!

5 posted on 10/7/2002, 9:56:05 PM by rightwingreligiousfanatic
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To: rightwingreligiousfanatic
I like the elves pretty well, but those elves in Lorien are spooky, I wasn't even sure what sex they were.
6 posted on 10/7/2002, 10:11:00 PM by Sam Cree
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To: Sam Cree
Sam, yes, all Calvinists are Protestant, however..I'm sure that Dr. Duncan was refering to the possibility that Tolkien was espousing an AUGUSTINIAN world view..

While Augustine is generally considered to be one of the chief architects of Western Civilization..he is also embraced by the Protestant Reformers as well as the Catholics as one of the greatest Theologians of the Church. (for instance, Luther was an Augustinian Monk.)

Dr. Duncan was probably refering to the fact that Calvinists are Predestinarian; as Augustine was also Predestinarian in his theology. (The Protestant Reformation was essentially an Augustinian Revival.)

And, since the World of Middle Earth appears to depend; at least on a very subtle level on a Providential Diety...I think that this is possibly why Dr. Duncan's brother's friend made the "tongue in cheek" statement that Hobbits are Calvinists.
7 posted on 10/7/2002, 10:14:56 PM by Biblical Calvinist
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To: Sam Cree
Most of us are: however Augustine and several other early church fathers had definitely Calvinist tendencies, and I do know some Calvinists who still attend Catholic churches...

And yeah, there's a lot of stuff in LotR that makes sense from a Calvinist viewpoint... but I doubt Tolkien put them in that way!

8 posted on 10/7/2002, 11:00:58 PM by JenB
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To: rightwingreligiousfanatic; Biblical Calvinist
Thanks for the post and the ping! It was a very interesting article. I didn't care for the slaps at fantasy novels and comic books, though. ;)
9 posted on 10/8/2002, 1:13:14 AM by Bear_in_RoseBear
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To: Biblical Calvinist; JenB
Thanks, guys...'course now I'm going to have to look up Augustine, predestinarian and Calvinism.
10 posted on 10/8/2002, 2:28:17 AM by Sam Cree
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To: Sam Cree; Biblical Calvinist; JenB
Thanks, guys...'course now I'm going to have to look up Augustine, predestinarian and Calvinism.

Whatever you do, don't look them up on FreeRepublic!!!

As for Hobbits being Calvinists, well, as the resident Arminian (at least the admitted one) of The Hobbit Hole, I'll give as much to say that Tolkien's works are so universal in nature that one could, yes, infer that from the works. But I bet Tolkien would disagree...

11 posted on 10/8/2002, 2:36:30 AM by Corin Stormhands
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To: Sam Cree
Sam, you really don't have too far to look; for there were many threads on this very subject over the last two years; primarily on Predestination, Augustine, and Calvinism...posted by Orthodox Presbyterian( formerly known as Uriel1975). Here is a link to the first thread that OP posted in January of 2000.

http://www.freerepublic.com/forum/a393faef2392f.htm

Please keep in mind that there are over 200 threads in this series..but if you thoughtfully read through the first 2-3 threads.. you'll get a good understanding of the Augustinian, or Calvinist Predestinarian position. You'll also get an earful from various people who fail to understand the underlying foundation..that God IS Sovereign. But..I think that you'll find that Uriel1975 (now Orthodox Presbyterian) eloquently presents the case for the Orthodox Biblical doctrine of Predestination.

I know that the concept of Predestination is a "toughie" to grasp; but it IS well worth anyone's time to examine.
12 posted on 10/8/2002, 3:36:35 AM by Biblical Calvinist
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To: Corin Stormhands
Tolkien's works are so universal in nature

I like this phrase.

13 posted on 10/8/2002, 3:55:35 AM by Sam Cree
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To: Biblical Calvinist
my take on the women of LOTR:

Arwen - very fetching but empty-headed (the extended DVD sures brings this out) Much more attractive than Galadriel, but her vacuous mind sure is a turn-off.

Galadriel - I thought she was supposed to be so beautiful as to bewitch a dwarf? Whoever plays her should learn the first secret to beauty: SMILE! The most descriptively beautiful woman in the book is a rather dowdy, plain woman in the movie. Am I the only one who sees it this way?

Eowyn - Very pretty, and strong (from the trailers). I think she is the most attractive woman in the movie so far.

Rosie Cotton - gorgeous to a fault. The only reason I would leave the Shire os to rescue the world ... for her.

OK, a shallow review to be sure.
14 posted on 10/8/2002, 5:35:00 AM by fnord
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To: fnord
There were rumors that Kate Winslet would play Galadriel. I'm not sure she would have been right for the part, but she would have been great to see anywhere in the movie.

I think Liv Tyler has the looks to play Arwen, but I was personally put off by the breathless delivery of her lines.

Cate Blanchett's Galadriel I liked better, but found the Ring-temptation scene a bit over the top for my taste. Positively Wagnerian at one point!

Fortunatley, we have two more films and added footage from all three films to round out their characters to look forward to.
15 posted on 10/8/2002, 6:10:16 AM by BradyLS
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To: Biblical Calvinist
Great article! Thanks for posting it.
It's October and were moving swiftly into that pre-release period ahead of The Two Towers. Anticipation is building, and I for one, cannot wait!

The Two Towers promises to be one of the most astonishing motion pictures we've ever seen.

16 posted on 10/8/2002, 8:30:35 AM by maquiladora
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To: Biblical Calvinist; Sam Cree; HairOfTheDog; JenB; ksen
Here is a link to the first thread that OP posted in January of 2000.

Don't do it Sam! There be orcs and trolls over there!

BC, Sam's a friend of mine from The Hobbit Hole. I offer this warning as one who was chewed up and spit out in the Religion forum (yeah, I did a bit of my own as well). From my view, FR's Religion Forum is not the place for any serious study. If Sam really wants to understand Augustine and Calvin (and I believe he does), the religion forum is the last place I'd send him.

17 posted on 10/8/2002, 11:14:56 AM by Corin Stormhands
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To: Biblical Calvinist
A friend leaned over to my brother as the movie began and said: "Do you think any of these people know Hobbits are Calvinists?"

No, they like beer and parties, like the good Roman Catholic that invented them. :-)

18 posted on 10/8/2002, 12:09:25 PM by LadyDoc
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To: LadyDoc
Arwen is not empty headed in Tolkien's writings.
Its Ms. Tyler who is empty headed and can even
do a good job of pretending to have mind.
The one bad mistake by Jackson.
He should have cast Ashley Laurence as Arwen.
19 posted on 10/8/2002, 8:35:43 PM by Princeliberty
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To: Biblical Calvinist
Last February, I visited New Zealand, and was priveleged to tour the site where the opening portion of the film was made; a sheep ranch near Matamata was the location for "Hobbiton". It was even more beautiful and bucolic than it appears in the film, although most of the set had been removed. The entrances to the hobbit-holes were still in the hillside, and the apple trees were still there, although the limbs had been browsed down to stubs by the sheep. Normally, the owners of the ranch wouldn't allow such visits, but a friend of a friend knew them, and arranged our excursion.
Here's a funny site related to the topic of LOTR, for those of you who haven't seen it: http://home.nyu.edu/~amw243/diaries/
(Calvinist, you are more prescient than you know, about suspecting the elves of appealing to "the cross-dressing set".........)
20 posted on 10/8/2002, 11:39:35 PM by Renfield
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