We are meant to imagine a world upon which global warming and a general ecological crisis have had a devastating impact, causing the deaths of millions of human beings. Since the film does not refer to them, presumably these events had no far-reaching political consequences. Masses of people passively went to their graves apparently sharing the viewpoint of the filmmakers that such a catastrophe was a “natural” and inevitable phenomenon given a society addicted to over-consumption.

Tolkien’s mythologised past also gives Jackson a historical licence to create battle scenes in such a way to encourage mindless stereotypes about war and its social causes. This approach, whether intentional or not, dovetails with the contemporary media barrage of evil terrorists and a disinfected version of imperialist war.
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When measured against Tolkien’s artistry, Jackson’s efforts are rather pale conformist works, which denigrate the restless and complex artistry of the author’s original work.

# posted by Gerry Canavan @ 7:08 PM  |