Actors' politics pollute 'Ring'

USA Today ^ | 1/11/2004 | Michael Medved

[trajanus_red]

"If you want to send a message, call Western Union," said Hollywood pioneer Samuel Goldwyn to filmmakers and stars who sought to use their movie projects to advance some political agenda. Although the telegraph is a largely irrelevant alternative in this Internet age, the thinking behind Goldwyn's advice remains sane and solid: Political preachments, on or off camera, only interfere with the entertainment value of creative work by major Hollywood stars. Recent comments by some of the prime participants in the triumphal box-office hit The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King illustrate the uncomfortable implications of trying to impose timely messages on timeless fantasy.

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Usually, one must peruse the scribblings in a high school yearbook to read poetry of such a caliber.

Thanks! It was absolutely everything I expected it to be.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Problem is that some of the actors in this movie do support the war and US foreign policy. If you "punish" Viggio you also punish them. Not that he will give a rat's ass anyway since his money has already been made.

[rintense]

I think his political views make him less credible as Aragon. He lacked heart in the movies to me. I swear I wanted to slap him in The Fellowship.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Michael the Socialist Workers Party is not "Stalinist" but rather Trotskyist. Always has been.

[warchild9]

I might disagree with you slightly. Tolkien's message wasn't about right and wrong, which is subjective. His message concerned the more objectivist good and evil.

[Mamzelle]

It takes some doing to ignore the silliness of a cast of actors and appreciate the storytelling that they do manage to do very well.

Luckily, there's makeup and wardrobe.

VMort is particularly rattling between the difference of what he is and what he portrays. If you've ever seen him in natural interview, he simpers , speaks in a hushed girly voice and flaps his wrists around. I know he's married, and Euro men seem to have a lot of these swishy affectations...goes to show that however silly the twerp is, he can act.

It's really best to ignore actors completely--although the media seems bent on pushing their private lives and hairbrained opinions on us.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

Viggo Mortensen, who plays the title character in The Return of the King, has used the publicity platform provided by his role to trumpet his anti-war and anti-Bush views.

I liked him so I'm sorry to hear this. He's in the new "Alamo" movie.

[Dan from Michigan]

Damn. She even LOOKS like a leftist.

[JohnnyZ]

His message concerned the more objectivist good and evil.

That too.

[trajanus_red]

nope. he isn't in Alamo. He is in Hidalgo..or is hit Hildago. Either way, I am not going to see it....the guy makes me wretch.

[StoneColdGOP]

Come off it, Medved.

It's a MOVIE. The actors' PERSONAL beliefs had NO impact on my enjoyment of the films, they were spectacular.

I didn't care that Mortensen doesn't like Bush (I don't either).

I didn't care that Ian McKellen is gay (what does that have to do with anything?).

It didn't matter to me that Rhys-Davies holds Western Civ. in such high esteem against the Islamofascist threat (although it's great to know he thinks that way).

To be so obsessed with what an actor happens to think that it diminishes the whole work of the films is just sad.

[retrokitten]

LOL!!!!!!!!!!

That sounds like something someone would right for thier 8th grade girlfriend. Then she would tell all her friends how he's so deep and thoughtful.

[trajanus_red]

He likes to pretend that he is humble. He is so over the top humble that it is clear is an egocentric self-aggrandizing snob who thinks he is Jesus' secular equivalent. In any case, he is NOT married. He has a son from his first (now ex) wife who was lead singer for that horrendous 80s punk band, X.

[trajanus_red]

I agree..I thought that his war speech in ROTK was horrendous. His voice was screechy and whiney, not the voice of a king.

[trajanus_red]

That isn't even the worst of it. I have one of his books because i was curious...and I did hear the speech he made at ANSWER. Medved was not exaggerating. It was staggeringly awful

[Xenalyte]

Hell, JRD was great in Raiders of the Lost Ark! "I am the monarch of the seas . . ."

[Xenalyte]

Hell, JRD was great in Raiders of the Lost Ark! "I am the monarch of the seas . . ."

[I still care]

Yes, but some will also be going into Rhys-Davis pocket, who is obviously on the smarter side of the argument.

Besides, the basic message of LOTR is that there is a war between good and evil in the world, and we must all fight that fight, both great and small.

See, you can rationalize anything. :)

World magazine had a very interesting article with interviews of LOTR director Jackson, in which he stated he wasn't certain of the "good vs. evil" message, because he didn't really believe in absolute good or evil. But he stated it was very important to him to be true to the nature of Tolkien's vision - so kudos to him for that.

[Xenalyte]

Hey now, no bad-mouthing X - "Blue Spark" really rocks. and Exene Cervenka (the ex-wife) has a great voice!

[BushisTheMan]

Isn't this the same idiot that went to the movie premiers in a UN flag shirt? I believe it is.

Haven't seen these movies and won't ever because of this freakshow. My personal message to him: STFU