Faramir Departure: Why Peter Jackson's Most Controversial Change in 'The Lord of the Rings' Was Also the Best (2023)

Before Peter Jackson released his stage adaptations of J.R.R. TolkienLord of the RingsTrilogy in 4K Ultra HD At the end of last year did not resistplays with his beloved blockbuster trioFirst. We're not talking about drasticStar Wars: Special Edition-Level changes here; All of the original visual effects remain the same, and Jackson has not added any new scenes. Instead, Jackson just focused on remastering the color sync and surround sound.The Fellowship of the Ring,the two towers, jThe return of the kingto make them more consistent, with each other and with the youngerhobbitPrequela-Trilogy.

This is welcome news for the legions of fans of Jackson's Oscar-winning Middle-earth films who wouldn't have accepted the changes made to them... well,fastevery change. You see, a sizable segment of Tolkien's supporters would support adopting Jackson.a godfather, coda approachedit againthe two towersif it meant changing the way supporting player Faramir is characterized.

However, they are completely wrong. Because Faramir's interpretation inthe two towers— while arguably a major departure from the book — is actually a misunderstood feat of storytelling brilliance, without which the film (and the entire trilogy) wouldn't work.

How is Faramir different fromtwo towersThe movie versus the book?

So why all the fuss about how Faramir will be portrayed on screen? Is he really that different from the portrayal of the young captain of Gondor in Tolkien's novels? In a word: yes.

The original prose versions of boththe two towersjThe return of the kingpresent Faramir as a kind and caring soul. He is a reluctant (but capable) warrior who fights for the greater good, not his own personal gratification or sense of adventure. Tolkien's Faramir issimilara guy standing gleefully rejects the One Ring. He's so good that he even claims he wouldn't take the ring for himself if he found it on the side of the road (seriously!).

In contrast, Faramir, written by Jackson and co-writers Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, played by actor David Wenham, in the 2002 adaptationthe two towershe is a decidedly less virtuous soul.

Admittedly, he's still a decent man: he can see his mistakes before the credits roll and the home release of the film's extended edition and its sequel,The return of the king,portray it in a more flattering light. There, Faramir's kind and introspective nature comes to the fore, as does his strained relationship with his father, Denethor, who somewhat rationalizes his behavior.the two towers.

But finally Faramir, theLord of the RingsMovies is still someone who captures Frodo and Sam, backs off as his men brutally beat Gollum, and thwarts almost the entire quest to destroy the One Ring, all because of his father issues and his inferiority complex.

Why do fans hate the movie version of Faramir so much?

Jacksons Version von Faramir inthe two towersobviously very different from Tolkien's, but why are fans so opposed to him?

Well, for starters, Faramir in the 2002 adaptation is far less likeable than his literary counterpart. Positioned as a secondary antagonist, he makes life difficult for Frodo and Sam, in part due to the corrupting influence of the One Ring, but also in part due to his deep desire to prove himself equal to his brother Boromir.

to be fairLord of the RingsReaders, Faramir's toughest temper intwo towersThe movie is really harrowing, especially since it's essentially a stand-in writer. Tolkien shaped Faramir's personality single-handedly, instilling in Faramir his own aversion to violence and predilection for literature and music over more "manly" pursuits, making Jackson's adaptations all the more irritating.

But for most Tolkien fans, the real stumbling block is that Faramir notwo towersThe adaptation isn't much better than Boromir, which is crucial to Faramir's characterization in the book.

In the novel, Boromir's visible courage is contrasted with Faramir's inner virtue, with Faramir's quiet moral conviction revealing him as the more worthy of the two brothers. Of course, Boromir is fearless on the battlefield, but he is too weak to resist the temptation of the One Ring; he even tries to take it away from Frodo! To be blunt, this big, tough hero faces the greatest test of his life and fails (though he'll pay for it later).

However, Faramir passes with flying colors; He's smart and humble enough to realize almost immediately that taking the One Ring for himself would be one thing (if only for the right reasons).In factbad idea. Everyone (including his own father) might underestimate him, but Faramir's strength of character ensures he has the power to do what few people in Middle-earth have been able to do, including Boromir.

In Jackson's version things are not so clearthe two towers, Although. Here Faramir comes dangerously close to claiming the Ring to use on behalf of Gondor before relenting, mirroring Boromir's own moment of weakness.The Fellowship of the Ring. It makes the differences between them less pronounced, poking fans in the nose.

goodLord of the RingsFans receive incorrect version of Faramir movie

So why did Jackson, Walsh and Boyens mess with a mistress?Lord of the RingsCharacter like Faramir inthe two towers? Because theytiveFor. It's no exaggeration either: if Faramir had been portrayed on screen exactly as in Tolkien's book, it would have been a disaster.

First, Faramir's painless response to The One Ring would have seriously undermined the dramatic tension that underpins the entire trilogy. As Jackson, Walsh and Boyens explained in interviews, if Faramir had shown that he had given up the ring without batting an eyelid, it would have undone all his hard work to establish its preternaturally attractive and corrupt nature.ring community.

When Faramir gets to the ring and just shrugs and goes about his life, casual spectators will think it's not that bad. The side effect of this would be to diminish Frodo's own struggles with the ring.the two towersjThe return of the king– and of course this is not ideal.

Faramir's unfailingly pure disposition in the books also left Jackson and his writing team (not to mention Wenham) with the same problem they faced with would-be king Aragorn: he lacked a character arc. Faramir is in the source materialThenincorruptible, his honor so unshakable that it never grows: he is exactly the same character when we leave him as when we first meet him.

From a dramatic perspective, that just wouldn't work on film. The Tolkien-obsessed can resist, but it is emotionally more satisfying to see Faramir grapple with his inner demons: his all-too-human desire to please his indifferent father and be seen by the people of Gondor as the equal of his beloved older brother, if only because of his inner decency. to win once he is confronted with the true destructive nature of the ring.

Overcoming these two Faramir-centric narrative hurdles allowed Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens to clearly resolve the biggest narrative hurdle they faced.two towersAdaptation: the lack of obstacles for Frodo and Sam.

After that, the confrontation of the two hobbits with Shelob came to an end.the two towersamongThe return of the king— both to reflect the universal chronology of Tolkien's novels and to avoid overlapping with the Battle of Helm's Deep — Jackson and company had to fill in the void left by this massive spider. With their version of Faramir now vulnerable to the One Ring's seductive allure, it's no surprise that Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens quickly decided it was a good fit for this wolf-shaped hole, and it worked.

Of course, these are all pretty drastic departures from that.Lord of the RingsGorge. But together, this recalibration of Faramir's emotional arc and role in the story resolves three potential pitfalls for adaptation, and makes the most controversial twist in Jackson's trilogy also the most brilliant!

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