(no subject)

[verity83]

I did something unimaginably Not Me last night. Something I *should* probably sweep under the rug and not even admit to, but eventually it is bound to rear up and haunt me, so here it is:

I watched a Lord of the Rings movie.

I was feeling so tired and grumpy last night and Dan suggested we watch a movie, and I said as long as it was something happy (translation: not Nemesis, not Finding Neverland, and not Tale of Two Cities) I would be glad to. So we flipped through the movie book and he suggested Fellowship of the Ring, so we stuck it in with the idea that if I didn't like it we could turn it off.

It was not *all* bad. In fact, the intricacy of the sets and the beautiful scenery and costumes were very impressive. The story itself was engaging enough in its way - I enjoy Adventures With Caves and Falling Rocks and Impending Waterfalls and stuff like that. Don't judge.

But to be honest, nowhere or at any time did I get any inkling of a Christian parallel. The lines are far too blurred. You have an evil lord who makes a ring, evil incarnate - okay, fine; but you have a "good guy" who's a wizard, which according to God is an abomination, so he's not really a "good guy" in the strictest sense of the word, no matter how NICE he may be. There was far too much spiritism involved, and I maintain that God can't be pleased to have a movie built on a spiritist foundation be called a great Christian allegory.

Because it really wasn't.

I can understand the appeal the movie may have and I think that's a lot of its danger. It is easy to get swept up in an adventure of epic and fantastic proportions. I know this well from personal experience. But the enjoyment factor doesn't make it a good or appropriate movie. I really believe good needs to be good and bad needs to be bad in the mind of the Christian, and if the movies we are watching don't reflect that, we need to be careful.

And, people, please know I'm not judging anyone who's a fan - you have the right to choose whatever watching material you desire. This is just my take on it, and I won't love you any less for not seeing it the same way I do.

Comments

[paularidgeway.livejournal.com]

So don't think of Lord of the Rings as a happy series. Why would you guys decide on that one?

The first one is the best though. There are happy-ish moments, but jeepers. Thinking of the thing as a whole, it's rather draining and depressing.

[butterbobbin.livejournal.com]

LOL... the most bizarre thing is at first we were going to watch a Shirley Temple movie. I have nooooo idea what happened in transit.

Just for the record, as well, Orlando with blond hair is just Not Orlando. Thank you.

[paularidgeway.livejournal.com]

ROFL. Insaaaaaaaane.

I've never heard you say that about Orlando. Ever.

[butterbobbin.livejournal.com]

I thought not. Hence, the need to clarify. And you were right, he totally had like... ten lines in the entire movie.

[paularidgeway.livejournal.com]

Ten is being generous...

[butterbobbin.livejournal.com]

I'm a generous gal, even to foppish-looking elves.

[paularidgeway.livejournal.com]

Blahahaha. I bet one could Google how many lines he has.


HAHAHAHAHA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPB_8BtVlC8

[misspennycarrol.livejournal.com]

That video wins. I only wish I had watched that instead of the movie.

Mother, The Boy and The Girl are all obsessed with it, so I have seen the movie far to many times. All of them. I want those hours of my life back...

[paularidgeway.livejournal.com]

Oh my word. I've only seen each one once. I wish I could get those hours back, so I feel for you.

The video is definitely made of win though.

[ruthette.livejournal.com]

Tolkien nowhere claimed that The Lord of the Rings was to be considered an allegory. I actually have something somewhere written back and forth between him and CS Lewis on the topic, but I need to dig it up. Remind me. :)

[butterbobbin.livejournal.com]

That could very well be true, since I don't know very much about him. It does seem like much of the Christian world regards them as such, however.

I'd be interested to read what he and CS Lewis talked about!

[miss-elisabeth.livejournal.com]

IRRC, Tolkien despised allegory from a young age and most vehemently declared that LotR ain't an allegory. Which is why it's awesome. It's just a story, that's it.