I love it too!
Posted on 01/13/2003 11:58:14 AM PST by Enemy Of The State
My favorite non-PC moment was when Aragorn compliments Eowyn on her skill with a sword, and she explains, "The women of Rohan long ago learned that those who do not carry swords can still die upon them."
Take that, Sarah Brady...
Nietzsche thought Wagner's Parzifal set those values against Wagner's more heroic and apocalyptic Ring.
Right! There were several times during the movies when I thought, "they sure could use a fuel-air bomb here, or a full stack from a B-52."
The uncultured swine made "Just Married" the #1 movie this past weekend.
I beg to disagree. The message of the movie is that "an angel still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm." We can choose to align our lives with this influence in the world, or we can beat our heads against a wall. The choice is ours.
It would be expected that Tolkien would feel this way being that LOTR was released shortly after WW2 and the horror of Nazism and anti-semitism was still fresh in everybody's minds. If Tolkien is this familiar with Wagner's work (Wagner died in 1883 so Tolkien could not have known him personally), it is likely that he was a fan of Wagner's work.
That is not to cast any aspersions upon Tolkien. I have no doubt that Tolkien despised the man himself and what he stood for. Wagner was a rabid anti-semite and his works were supposedly embraced by Adolph Hitler and the Nazi party - though the extent to which that association is valid is a matter of debate. Frankly, I don't think Hitler and his Brownshirts spent a lot of time going to opera. It could simply be that Hitler admired Wagner for his beliefs and his music was secondary.
The author of this article points out a whole slew of similarities between Tolkien's LOTR and Wagner's Ring Cycle (an opera that takes three very long nights to perform). Though familiar with both, I had never before realized how similar the two works were (I mainly listen to the music and don't pay much attention to the librettos of Wagner's operas).
Orcs of the world: Take note and beware.
Right on! An excellent post. Thank you.
Orcs=Nazi troops, Battle of Helms Deep=Bombardment of London
Plato uses the story to make the case that man is tempted to do evil when consequences are absent and nothing is to stop them from doing so. The ring of Gyges functions in this manner as a device of temptation to do wrong. In short, it facilitates and encourages evil by its bearer.
In the same manner, Tolkien's ring constantly tempts its bearer toward evil. This functions well with Tolkien's overall philosophy in the book, which is strong in Augustinian platonism. Sauron essentially represents sin, evil, and a devil-like figure whose presence corrupts the world by alienating it from the good (evil for this purpose is defined as the absence of good or removal from the good). In contrast, various positive figures such as Aragorn, Gandalf, and the elves represent elements of the City of God - that which is good. The rest represent the worldly existence in between, with various degrees of alienation from the City of God and continual temptation from evil. They include the City of Man, which is tempted toward evil. Some within this realm have succumbed to the temptation of power toward that which is evil, such as Saruman and his armies. Others are tempted to the ring by their weaknesses, though they are disposed on the side of the good in the overriding conflict of the books. Many of the humans in Gondor exhibit this tendency. As for the ring, it tempts its bearer, no matter how strong, toward evil just as the ring of Gyges incited its bearer to comit acts of evil.
I love it too!
Yes! I agree entirely. Excalibur deserves multiple watchings.
As far as Wagner goes, this writer gives me a bunion whining on about what a Nazi Wagner was (even though Nazis came decades after his death.) Wagner's music is *fantastic* - he is the father of modern motion picture soundtrack music, even if he didn't intend it.
No. Pay close attention to the character of Sam - not literally, but what he symbolizes. Frodo's situation is often intertwined with concepts of destiny and the tasks thrust upon him. Sam's situation is different though. Pay close attention to the element of choice within it and you will see what I am talking about.
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