'Lord of the Rings' a fairy tale but can teach lessons of life

SLC Tribune ^ | December 28, 2003 | Ed Firmage Jr.

[Chi-townChief]

The final installment of Peter Jackson's magisterial adaptation of The Lord of the Rings has sparked a lot of discussion about the meaning of J.R.R. Tolkien's story.

Incredulous that an Oxford don would devote the better part of his life to thinking and writing about an imaginary world filled with elves, dragons, sorcerers and the like, many readers suppose that in the guise of a fairy story, Tolkien is talking allegorically about something more "serious," something such as World War II (where Sauron is Hitler), nuclear weapons (where the ring is the atom bomb), or the like.

Tolkien, never an admirer of allegory, even in the writing of friends such as C.S. Lewis, flatly rejected any allegorical interpretation.

The value of a fairy story, in Tolkien's view, lies in the fact that it helps us to create and then participate in the life of an alternative world. We become creators, as well as heroic participants. In a good story, and The Lord of the Rings is about as good as fairy stories get, the sense of being part of that other world is complete.

And yet, paradoxically, the more complete the illusion of that world -- the more real it feels to people of this world -- the more the story speaks to us as part of this world. That's the essential power of myth. That is also why allegorical (mis)interpretations sometimes seem plausible.

As an imaginative (as opposed to didactic or allegorical) exercise, a good fairy story has no point, no moral. It is not reducible to a sermon. (When was the last time, for example, you were inclined to sit through a 3 1/2-hour sermon?)

In this respect, too, it seems real, for that's how life is. Life is more complicated and more interesting than any of the platitudes to which moralists and theologians are inclined to reduce it. This does not mean that one cannot derive lessons from a fairy story. One can, and they may even be good lessons.

Our present administration might do well to heed Gandalf's caution that there is no way to defeat evil militarily. Good lesson. What makes that lesson meaningful, however, in Tolkien as in life is coming to such a realization not through preachment but through experience, even if the latter is only vicarious in the case of stories.

Hopefully, we emerge from our experience in fairy land not armed with ready sermonettes, but, like the hobbits on their return to the Shire, wiser for having had an adventure and returning to tell about it.

Ed Firmage Jr. is a fine-art photographer based in Salt Lake City.

[chicagolady]

Theres only 2 things I got from the movie that I took personally.

1) the comment: of becoming all God created you to be.

2) the comment: the only thing that is important is what you do with the time that's been given you.

[Snuffington]

First of all, the author of this article would do well to realize that Tolkien did not write LOTR as a "fairy tale," but as a mythology for England.

For a modern press writer to find value in a "fairy tale" is surprising enough. Expecting one to recognize the difference between fairy tale and myth, and find value in both, is pushing it. Tolkein had trouble himself in this within his own department of philology at Oxford.

[conservcalgal]

Long movie, 3hrs & 20 min, no intermission

I really don't understand why there can't be an intermission. When we saw a movie in Amsterdam, they took an intermission half way through a regular 1.5 hour movie so we can get our espressos, beer, etc.

I loved this movie, but the ending a bit too long.

[Mr Rogers]

My 6 year old daughter watched all 3:20 on the edge of her seat. Two other little girls sitting near by also watched intensely for the entire film (one cried halfway because she needed to go potty & they couldn't 'pause' the film! - sure she would agree with you about an intermission). I thought the ending a bit slow - would have prefered a vocal summation at the end to tell what happened to each of the characters. But overall, liked it better than #2.

[Paul Atreides]

The movie industry has become too political. In decades past, a movie could win for being a good movie. Now, the only things that seem to win are obscure movies with political messages. It has eased up, to a certain extent. However, rarely does anything in the scifi/fantasy genre win anything other than technical awards. I say that RotK will be nominated for Best Picture, but will not win, which is okay, given that it would be passed over by an organization that gave an award to Michael Moore.

[conservcalgal]

There were many young children at our showing and they too were mesmerized - that was wonderful to see.

I agree with you on a vocal summation. I definitely liked #3 the best!

[Saundra Duffy]

Saw the movie last night. Probably the best movie I have ever seen in my life! I thought it had many spiritual themes.

[baseballfanjm]

My #1 favorite is Princess Mononoke.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"Stand your ground, sons of Gondor, of Rohan, my brothers. I see in you eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me, a day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship but it is not this day. An hour of wolfs and shatterd shields when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day, this day WE FIGHT!!! And for all that is dear to you in this world, stand your ground men of the West and FIGHT!!!"

I got chills right there.

[baseballfanjm]

BTW, for some reason I doubt most Freepers would enjoy Princess Mononoke. Just an assumption.

[Luis Gonzalez]

I am not ashamed to tell you that the charge of the Rohirrim brought tears to my eyes. Not only was that one of the best filmed scenes I have ever seen, but it was the most emotionally front loaded scene in the movie.

Big lump in the throat...and I did something I've never done in a movie theater before, I cheered.

Then again, so did about half the people in there with me.

[little jeremiah]

The writer of this article is, as far as I am concerned (AFAIAC?), an idiot. Here is proof:

"As an imaginative (as opposed to didactic or allegorical) exercise, a good fairy story has no point, no moral."

I grew up on fairy stories, read more than practically any other kids my age, read Tolkien's books numerous times starting in the early 60's (even learned runes). He is wrong. Tolkien's stories, as well as many others of that type, do have morals or values to be learned. How about these: loyalty, determination, selfless love and service, having faith even when things look hopeless, having faith there is a meaning and purpose behind events, charity and mercy, using authority and power with justice and honor, etc etc. I could go on and on.

Note that the author is a "fine art photographer".

[PurVirgo]

yeah me too. I thought that was the most poignant moment in the entire trilogy =)

*sigh* I just wish there were more adventures of Middle Earth to be explored

[little jeremiah]

What eventual 10+hour mini-series form? Do you mean the extended cut versions? Or is there something else in the works?

(I wouldn't mind if there was a 100 or more hour LOTR, with every part of the book filmed.)

[baseballfanjm]

I mean when the third extended version comes out, then I can watch all three together, as one story. And add up the times of the director's cuts, the run time will no doubt be about 10-15 hours.

And I'm sure they'll get around to releasing one massive DVD set with the entire trilogy.

[little jeremiah]

I just ordered the first two extended DVD's for the spouse, can't wait to watch TTT extended. The FOTR was much better in extended. I don't even see how people who haven't read the books can follow the story in the regular theater versions.

[saradippity]

I loved this movie,but the ending a bit too long.

I loved the movie too. However,I thought the ending was just what Tolkien wanted to convey.To me,it seemed that each person has his own part in the drama of life,and life itself goes on even though the individuals come and go. We each have our own little story,a story within the story.

I thought the ending illustrated the point in time when some were leaving the big story forever,others experiencing a significant event in their own story which might have an impact on the big story,while yet others were bringing new life to the story.I thought the slow,deliberate ending captured the story of man,micro and macro.

[hasegawasama]

No I love Princess Mononoke and all Miyazaki/Ghibli movies. Grave of the Fireflies was so powerful.

[ThinkDifferent]

I just wish there were more adventures of Middle Earth to be explored

Supposedly Peter Jackson will be making The Hobbit.

[saradippity]

Great comments. I would only substitute the word virtues where you used values.

One of my favorite lines occured when Sam said to Froto:"I can't carry your burden but I can carry you." I also liked the scene where Gandolf explains that life here is not the end.