#justice for Faramir

[e-louise-bates]

Recently I've been mulling over the way Faramir and Boromir are presented in the LOTR movies, and why I find even their brotherly relationship unconvincing (I'm sorry, Boromir fans, but I do). I feel that everything about Faramir in the movies is presented in narrative as though he is a lesser version of Boromir, and the big issue for him is that he's always trying to live up to his brother's ideal, and his father is always criticizing him and Boromir is always trying to build Faramir up. It isn't just that Denethor thinks of Faramir as a lesser Boromir, it's that he genuinely is, and he needs to come to terms with who he is (and I guess he sorta does that when he rejects the ring? but then fails when his father tells him to go retake Osgiliath? and then there's never really a satisfactory conclusion to his arc because he just gets healed and falls in love with Eowyn and decides there's hope for the future after all and everything's ok?).

Whereas in the books Tolkien tells us outright--Boromir is a lesser version of Aragorn, but Faramir is a lesser version of Gandalf. Faramir has the wisdom that his brother and father lack, and Denethor resents him for it, but Boromir respects him for it. Tolkien tells us that Faramir is certain that in all of Gondor there is no one like Boromir, and Boromir thinks the same (which I am pretty sure Tolkien means as Boromir thinks Faramir is the best of the best, but could also be interpreted as Boromir agreeing with Faramir that he, Boromir, is the best, which is kinda hilarious to imagine). Boromir is not always trying to build up his little brother, who is desperately trying to win their father's approval. Boromir recognizes the ways in which Faramir is superior to himself, the same way that Faramir recognizes Boromir's strengths.

Faramir in the books is a strong and capable leader of men (all of whom love him and are wholly loyal to him) as well as a mighty warrior, but his true strength lies in his wisdom. When he obeys his father's order to go attempt to retake Osgiliath, it is not a desperate attempt to win approval, but an acknowledgement that Denethor is still in command and he, Faramir, is bound by oath and virtue to obey his orders, even when they wrong. The quiet plea for his father to think better of him when he returns is a glimpse into the pain he feels at his father's constant rejection, but that pain does not control him, nor is it his driving motivation. Faramir's goal, in all things, is to be a man of virtue, even as Boromir's goal is to be a man of honor. Boromir finds that under the ring's temptation, honor breaks, and though he is redeemed it takes his death. When Faramir is confronted with the same temptation--a stronger one, even, as he has not spent weeks and months with Frodo as a companion and therefore has not built a relationship of trust and loyalty, and he has not heard with his own ears the strong warnings against using the ring!--virtue holds fast. Boromir redeems his own honor by his death, but by his life Faramir redeems the line of the stewards of Gondor, which is why he is able to receive the task of redeeming Ithilien once Aragorn is crowned king (and why he is actually a better husband for Eowyn than Aragorn would have been, but that's a whole other post).

All of this was lost in presenting Boromir as the superior-in-every-way elder brother, with Faramir as his shadow-self, who failed the same test with the ring but in a weaker way (and then passed at the last minute because ... Sam gave a moving speech about good in the world being worth fighting for and not giving up, and he decided that was a good reason to let them go destroy the ring after all?), and whose entire character was defined by desperately striving for his father's approval and never getting it, and then somehow just being ok at the end.

[sarcasmgal-blog]

Stealing this from Facebook (what are the odds it was here first lololol)

[lordnotqueennotprincess]

watching lotr, can't wait until my man faramir shows up!

[headcannonballs]

LOOKING FOR A DISCORD

Where we can all discuss on the various ways PJ had messed up Tolkien without needing to defend ourselves from movie fans.

I personally love the movies as great fantasy-action-adventure movies but the only part I consider Tolkien at all is the soundtrack. I want somewhere where I can vent with like-minded people on how absolutely and completely PJ messed up the themes, characters and plot, but without having to worry that I will be bombarded by tons on "you obviously don't understand the difference in medium".

I do, in fact, understand changes needed to be made from book-to-script. I just happen to not agree with 99% of the changes made. I don't deny the original trilogy is made by fans of the book from a place of love, but I do deny PJ & Co.'s headcannons that now movie fans consider canon.

I want to be able to rant about all the character assassinations of my favourites (Legolas, Pippin, Faramir, Bilbo, Thranduil, ...) without having movie!Aragorn, movie!Boromir and movie!Thorin fans butting in.

I want to be able to discuss actual thematic stuff like the nature of the Ring and how it works without being bashed over the head with cookie cutter theories like 'absolute power corrupts'.

I want to be able to read a reply and not having to wonder if the other person has ever read any book by Tolkien because it is so far divorced from canon I can't even picture it.

Anyone, out there? Or do I have to start one myself?

[obsessive-clusterfuck]

Proud founding member and president of the denethot hate club

[anghraine]

Hi! Can you explain what really the power of foresight was with Faramir? I read the books earlier this year and I don't really quite understand it. He could predict the future? Like he would see it in his dreams? But how did he found out from Gollum that he was taking frodo and sam to cirith ungol and that he had committed murder before?

No problem, it's one of my favorite topics!

The concise explanation: I think Faramir's foresight/aftersight in terms of visions is a largely separate "power" from his ability to bring his strength of mind and will to bear on other people and animals, and to resist outside influence. The visions seem more a matter of broad sensitivity, something Faramir doesn't appear to have much if any control over. The second power is (in our terms) essentially a form of direct telepathy, limited in some ways but still very powerful, and I think this second ability is what Faramir is using with Gollum.

The really long version:

In my opinion, Faramir (or Denethor, Aragorn, etc) doesn't necessarily read thoughts like a book, particularly not with a mind as resistant as Gollum's. Faramir describes Gollum's mind in particular as dark and closed, it seems unusually so—

"There are locked doors and closed windows in your mind, and dark rooms behind them," said Faramir.

Still, Gollum is unable to entirely block Faramir's abilities. In LOTR, it does not seem that Gollum can fully block powerful mental abilities such as Faramir's, though his toughness and hostility does limit what Faramir can see. (Unfinished Tales, incidentally, suggests iirc that Denethor's combination of "great mental powers" and his right to use the Anor-stone allowed him to telepathically get the better of Saruman through their palantíri, a similar but greater feat.) I imagine that this is roughly similar to, but scaled down from, Galadriel's telepathic inquiries of even someone as reluctant to have her in his mind as Boromir, given that Faramir is able to still see some things in Gollum's mind, if with more difficulty than usual.

(WRT Boromir ... ngl, if I was the human buffer between Denethor and Faramir, I would also not be thrilled about sudden telepathic intrusions from basically anyone, much less someone I had little reason to trust.)

Disclaimer: a few years after LOTR's publication, Tolkien tried to systematize how this vague mystical telepathy stuff really works. One idea he had among many, iirc, was that no unwilling person's mind could be "read" the ways that Gollum's is throughout LOTR. IMO that can't really be reconciled w/ numerous significant interactions in LOTR where resistance to mental intrusion or domination is clearly variable between individuals and affected by personal qualities like strength of will, basic resilience, the effort put into opposition, supernatural powers, etc. And these attempts at resistance are unsuccessful or only partially successful on many occasions in LOTR (the Mouth of Sauron, for one example, is a Númenórean sorcerer in the book who can't really contend with Aragorn on a telepathic level). So I, personally, tend to avoid using the terminology and rationales from that later systematized explanation when discussing LOTR. And in general, I think Tolkien's later attempts to convert the mystical, mysterious wonder of Middle-earth into something more "hard magic" or even scientific was a failed idea on a par with Teleporno. Others differ!

In any case, when Gollum "unwillingly" looks at Faramir while being questioned, the creepy light drains from his eyes and he shrinks back while Faramir concludes he's being honest on that specific occasion. Gollum experiences physical pain when he does try to lie to Faramir—

"It is called Cirith Ungol." Gollum hissed sharply and began muttering to himself. "Is not that its name?" said Faramir turning to him. "No!" said Gollum, and then he squealed, as if something had stabbed him.

I don't think this is a deliberate punishment from Faramir—that wouldn't be like him at all—and I don't think it's the Ring, but simply a natural consequence of what Faramir is. Later, Gandalf says of Faramir's father:

"He can perceive, if he bends his will thither, much of what is passing in the minds of men ... It is difficult to deceive him, and dangerous to try."

So, IMO, Faramir's quick realization that Gollum is a murderer doesn't come from any vision of the future or past involving Gollum—that is, it's not a deduction from some event he's seen. Faramir does not literally foresee Gollum's trick at Cirith Ungol. His warning would be more specific in that case, I think. What he sees seems to be less detailed but more direct and, well, mystical. Faramir likely doesn't know who exactly Gollum murdered or why or what any of the circumstances were. Rather, Gollum's murderousness and malice are visible conditions of his soul to Faramir's sight. Faramir doesn't foresee the particulars of Gollum's betrayal—but he can see in Gollum's mind that he is keeping something back. Faramir says of Gollum:

"I do not think you are holden to go to Cirith Ungol, of which he has told you less than he knows. That much I perceived clearly in his mind."

Meanwhile, in a letter written shortly before the publication of LOTR, Tolkien said of Faramir's ancestors:

They became thus in appearance, and even in powers of mind, hardly distinguishable from the Elves

So these abilities aren't that strange in that context. Faramir by chance (or "chance") is, like his father, almost purely an ancient Númenórean type despite living millennia after the destruction of Númenor (that destruction is the main reason "Númenóreanness" is fading throughout the age Faramir lives in). Even less ultra-Númenórean members of Denethor's family are still consistently inheriting characteristics from their distant ancestor Elros, Elrond's brother, while Faramir and Denethor independently strike Sam and Pippin as peculiarly akin to Gandalf, a literal Maia like their ancestress Melian:

“Ah well, sir,” said Sam, “you [Faramir] said my master had an elvish air; and that was good and true. But I can say this: you have an air too, sir, that reminds me of, of—well, Gandalf, of wizards.”

He [Denethor] turned his dark eyes on Gandalf, and now Pippin saw a likeness between the two, and he felt the strain between them, almost as if he saw a line of smouldering fire drawn from eye to eye, that might suddenly burst into flame.

Meanwhile, Faramir's mother's family is believed to be part Elvish, a belief immediately confirmed when Legolas meets Faramir's maternal uncle:

At length they came to the Prince Imrahil, and Legolas looked at him and bowed low; for he saw that here indeed was one who had elven-blood in his veins. "Hail, lord!" he [Legolas] said. "It is long since the people of Nimrodel left the woodlands of Lórien, and yet still one may see that not all sailed from Amroth’s haven west over water."

In addition to that, Faramir's men believe he's under some specific personal blessing or charm as well as the Númenórean/Elvish/Maia throwback qualities. It's also mentioned by different groups of soldiers that Faramir can exercise some power of command over animals as well as people. Beregond describes Faramir getting his horse to run towards five Nazgûl in real time:

"They will make the Gate. No! the horses are running mad. Look! the men are thrown; they are running on foot. No, one is still up, but he rides back to the others. That will be the Captain [Faramir]: he can master both beasts and men."

Then, during the later retreat of Faramir's men across the Pelennor:

At last, less than a mile from the City, a more ordered mass of men came into view, marching not running, still holding together. The watchers held their breath. "Faramir must be there," they said. "He can govern man and beast."

Tolkien said of the ancient Númenóreans:

But nearly all women could ride horses, treating them honourably, and housing them more nobly than any other of their domestic animals. The stables of a great man were often as large and as fair to look upon as his own house. Both men and women rode horses for pleasure … and in ceremony of state both men and women of rank, even queens, would ride, on horseback amid their escorts or retinues … The Númenóreans trained their horses to hear and understand calls (by voice or whistling) from great distances; and also, where there was great love between men or women and their favorite steeds, they could (or so it is said in ancient tales) summon them at need by their thought alone. So it was also with their dogs.

Likely the same Númenórean abilities were used for evil by Queen Berúthiel against her cats. In an interview with Daphne Castell, Tolkien said:

She [Berúthiel] was one of these people who loathe cats, but cats will jump on them and follow them about—you know how sometimes they pursue people who hate them? I have a friend like that. I’m afraid she took to torturing them for amusement, but she kept some and used them—trained them to go on evil errands by night, to spy on her enemies or terrify them.

The more formal version of the Berúthiel lore recurs in Unfinished Tales:

She had nine black cats and one white, her slaves, with whom she conversed, or read their memories, setting them to discover all the dark secrets of Gondor, so that she knew those things "that men wish most to keep hidden," setting the white cat to spy upon the black, and tormenting them.

Faramir, by contrast, has a strong aversion to harming/killing animals for any reason other than genuine need, but apparently quite similar basic abilities. He typically uses these abilities to try to compassionately understand other people or gather necessary information, rather than for domination or provoking fear. Even so, Faramir does seem to use his mental powers pretty much all the time with no attempt to conceal what he's doing—he says some pretty outlandish things to Frodo and Sam as if they're very ordinary, but it doesn't seem that most people he knows can do all these things. This stuff is ordinary to him because it flows out of his fundamental being, not because it's common.

It's not clear how much fine control he has, interestingly. This is more headcanon perhaps, but I don't feel like it's completely under his control, even while it's much more controlled than things like Faramir's vision of Boromir's funeral boat, his frequent, repeated dreams of Númenor's destruction, the Ring riddle dream he received multiple times, or even his suspiciously specific "guess" of what passed between Galadriel and Boromir in Lothlórien. Yet his more everyday mental powers do seem to involve some measure of deliberate effort in a lot of the instances we see, given the differing degrees of difficulty and strain we see with the powers he and Denethor exhibit more frequently and consistently.

This is is also interesting wrt Éowyn, because Tolkien describes Faramir's perception of her as "clear sight" (which I suspect is just Tolkien's preferred parlance for "clairvoyance"). Faramir perceives a lot more of what's going on with Éowyn than I think he had materially observable evidence for—but does not see everything that's going on with her by any means. He seems to understand basically everything about her feelings for Aragorn, more than Éowyn herself does, but does not know if she loves him [Faramir].

I'm guessing that it's more difficult to "see" this way when it's directly personal (one of the tragedies of his and Denethor's relationship is that their shared mental powers do not enable either to realize how much they love each other). But it also doesn't seem like he's trying to overcome Éowyn's mental resistance the way he was with Gollum, and possibly Frodo and Sam—he does handle it a bit differently when it's not a matter of critical military urgency. With Éowyn, he sees what his abilities make clear to him, is interested enough to seek out Merry (and also perceive more than Merry says, because Faramir has never been a normal person one day in his life) but doesn't seem to really push either of them.

So I tend to imagine that with someone like Faramir, Denethor, Aragorn etc, we're usually seeing a relatively passive, natural form of low-grade telepathy that simply derives from their fundamental nature and personalities (as we see in Faramir with Éowyn, possibly Faramir with Aragorn). That can be kicked up to more powerful, forceful telepathy via active exertion of the will (as described by Gandalf wrt Denethor's ability to "bend[] his will thither" to see what passes in others' minds, and seen with Faramir vs Gollum, Aragorn vs the Mouth of Sauron, more subtly Faramir vs Denethor). At a high point of strain this can be done very aggressively or defensively (Denethor vs Gandalf, Denethor vs Saruman, Denethor vs Sauron seriously is there a Maia that man won't fight, Faramir vs the Black Breath given his completely unique symptoms that Aragorn attributes to his "staunch will", possibly Aragorn vs the Black Breath in a healing capacity...).

Anyway, I hope these massive walls of text are helpful or interesting! Thanks for the ask :)

[rosefires20]

The one thing that gets me about the Lord of the Rings movies is how much they fail Faramir's character but manage to really show Boromir's specifically in the extended cuts.

Faramir gets so little time in the movies compared to how much he gets in the books. He is genuinely such a good character in the books and I adore him so much. He has one of the best lines in the series as well that really captures some of the larger themes of the peace.

"I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend." - Faramir in The Two Towers

He is genuinely such a kind man, and in the books, you see that through his actions but also the actions and words of everyone around him. In the books, you get Beregond and Pippin's interactions and conversations where Beregond talks about how much he admires and loves Faramir as his captain and how much he trusts him. Beregond's love and dedication is part of the reason why Denethor's plan to burn him and Faramir alive gets delayed long enough for Pippin to go and get Gandalf and return with enough time to save Faramir at least.

The movie fails so hard because they have Faramir and his group take Frodo and Sam forcefully to Osgiliath and he has a moment with the ring. In the books, before even knowing for sure that Frodo had the ring, he said he would not take it. When it is revealed, he completely denies it and aids Frodo with food and shelter for a bit. The scene of him rejecting the ring especially with the knowledge that it got to his dearly beloved brother is so good and so core to Faramir's character which drives me nuts with how it went down in the movies.

In the books, you also get most of a chapter dedicated to Eowyn and Faramir and their healing journey. There, you also get to see how kind and loving Faramir is as a person with how he respects and interacts with Eowyn. Just god. He's such a good example of the series's gentle masculinity. He parallels Aragorn a lot in it especially since Aragorn is the one who is meant to be king while Faramir had the hearts of the people.

[witchthewriter]

𝑳𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝑶𝒇 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑹𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝑹𝒂𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔

Okay, I've finished watching all of the Lord of the Rings movies - without interruption or being on my phone. So I gotta say - Frodo is a bit of a bitch.

| 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐞

This Hobbit was constantly by Frodo's side. Unfailing in his loyalty. If it wasn't for Mr Gamgee, the ring wouldn't have been destroyed?! He kept Frodo going, and even though "he couldn't carry the ring," he said, "okay bet, i'll carry you then." AND THREW FRODO OVER HIS SHOULDER AND KEPT GOING.

Now, maybe I wouldn't be as ticked off, if the other characters' gave Sam the same respect as Frodo. When Gandalf swooped in the eagles, and brought to safety, everyone went into Frodo's room. And poor Sam was left behind, standing at the door, watching on as everyone showed their love to Frodo.

| 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐨 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭

Okay, so there are 3 main female characters. Throughout the whole series.

Arwen (love interest of Aragorn, yes she did save Frodo and brought him to safety).

Galadriel (who spoke for like 10 minutes throughout the whole series? Married.)

Eowyn (Who falls in love with Aragorn, even though she wants to fight for her kingdom and her family. But she still had to fall in love with someone ... and if she couldn't have Aragorn, then she had Faramir). So she did fight in the first battle, but where was she when the army went to the Black Gates??

I think this is why it's taken me so long to get through the whole trilogy because there weren't any female characters I could relate to. Who actively helped against the antagonist.

| 𝐆����𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐖𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐱𝐲

I'm going to say it with my whole chest, I think Gandalf the Grey is sexy. But when he became ... what, the white wizard? He became less sexy. HOWEVER, where was his magic? Did I miss a major plot point? Because why was Arwen dying? And why was there a big eye, where was the actual physical villain? (If anyone wants to answer these questions, please(!) do so).

| 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 … 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬?

Because why were there only Legolas and Gimli there to help? Elrond snuck into Rohan's camp and told Aragorn of the orcs on corsairs coming, and gave him the sword. But why couldn't other Elves and Dwarfs help the Men? Because even if it wasn't their war to fight, they would still be in deep shit if Sauron won?

[torchwood-99]

Grima has come to Gondor. He and Éowyn both must meet a reckoning.

[thisiswhereikeepdcthings]

To clarify: This is not a case of both universes existing simultaneously. This is an inexplicably-dropped-into-an-entirely-different-universe crossover.

This is not necessarily about which is your favorite character out of these (although it could be. Who am I to tell you what to do here). This is about what would be the most chaotic, the most cursed, the most barely-justifiable plot-wise. The worst, if you will.

And, since there are far more than ten characters I can imagine dumping into the world of Batman and the Justice League with no valid reasoning, there will be more.

More (or less) cursed options available here

[yourdailyjormy]

decided I hated the icons I've been working on actually. decided to try a fresh set with a new approach (drawing a base structure and using the same one for all icons). decided i should probably draw someone who isn't from tolkien for a change.

let's pretend that this is the first sansa i drew tonight, and not the third.

actually that's not fair let's pretend it's the second:

[frodo-with-glasses]

Me watching Return of the King before I discovered your blog: Man, I LOVE this movie!!

Me watching Return of the King after I discovered your blog: Man, I LOVE this movie, but where's Beregond?????

[ent-maiden]

#And yeah I agree with Faramir but it's like the difference between someone who's saintly and someone who's noble

Yes. Faramir is saintly and Denethor is simply noble.

Finally! Someone who talks about the nuance of Denethor. He's not a mad stward. He is wise, but he's too proud and it ultimately leads to his fall and his despair. It's a tragedy. And it's a good tragedy, a well-written one that gives me the chills every time.

book!denethor and faramir are like

"i need you to make the hard decisions now that your brother is gone, because you are the one that will be my heir. i need you to weigh the good of many and the good of few. and i need you to do it independently for when i am gone as well."

and

"i refuse to be anything but gentle. i refuse to let the concept of a greater good justify cruelty. i love you. and im sorry to be a disappointment."

[apricusapollo]

me: I have a new ship to suggest - legolas and boromir

my bsf: didn't u say that like a week ago??

me: THAT WAS FARAMIR 😭😭😭

[headcannonballs]

On Temptation and the Power of the One Ring

So I had planned to write something like this for quite a while but couldn't quite find the words (and the time) to write it out. But a particular comment on a reddit post inspired me, and suddenly I could express what I mean exactly.

This is going to be about how most adaptations just don't get what the One Ring's actual deal is, how temptation works, and the very Christian idea of the Fall of Man. So if you are an avid Peter Jackson defender, or someone who despises Christianity (but if that is the case why are you reading Tolkien?!) please just don't bother leaving rants.

Temptation and the Fall of Man

The reddit comment in question is here, but the main point that struck me is:

People who don’t cheat recognize the danger and remove themselves from the situation. People who cheat don’t. It’s really that simple.

The comment itself had plenty of upvotes, but also multiple replies claiming that they are somehow defending cheaters and that cheaters are just that way and non-cheaters cannot be tempted to cheat. And it just struck me how similar that argument is to some people's view of the One Ring.

I had previously mentioned in another post a point on how most of Samwise Gamgee's most avid fans do not recognize that he was actually very succeptible to the One Ring's pull, having held it only for a short amount of time but already having false delusions of grandeur. Yes, he rejected it, but it was just the first temptation and already he could picture the whole thing in his mind.

To fans they just see him rejecting that one instance, and think: that is it - Sam is impervious to the One Ring, and maybe he would have made an even better ringbearer than Frodo (WTH are they smoking really?).

But that is not how temptation works.

Temptation is a process, like water flowing over stone, taking a very long time but also inevitably eroding the defenses slowly and surely. That is why the duration of having borne the One Ring matters. There are of course people more susceptible to the temptation - people who are open to trying new things, people who are at a vulnerable point and desperate, people who do not know better - but the one thing for certain is the only 'safe method' to protect oneself from temptation is to remove it completely.

In Christianity, we term this 'the Fall of Man'. All humans have the propensity for sin, and in fact do sin at least once but more likely multiple times in their lives. No one (except for Jesus) is perfectly good and is able to remain as such. In fact plenty of the 'restrictions' that so many people outside the religion see as being oppressive is actually not directly ordered in the Bible. Things like abstaining before marriage or restricting violent material or works promoting violence are not in the ten commandments. And not every Christian adheres to it either. So why do we do it?

Because of temptation. Because if you give yourself enough rope, someday you might actually hang yourself with it.

King David fell to adultery not because he is a sinner (we all are). It is because he saw the temptation of Bathsheba, and instead of removing himself from the situation, he allowed it to fester to the point where he kept making one bad decision after another.

That is precisely how temptation, and the One Ring, works. No matter how 'good' you think you are, if you are in its presence long enough, you will fall.

The Faramir Problem and What it Actually Means

So why do I state that the adaptations of LotR don't actually understand temptation or the Power of the One Ring? Well, I don't really want to touch RoP (but their version of Sauron should be obvious enough), so I'll illustrate my point with the Peter Jackson adaptation.

And we come to the Faramir Problem.

There are fans of movie-Faramir who love the movie version because it gave Faramir an arc. Even though I don't believe he needs an arc, I also wish to point to the fact that even in the interviews, Peter and co had explained their reason for changing Faramir and it was not because he needed a character arc. It was instead because, and I think this was the exact quote:

It (Faramir rejecting temptation) stripped the One Ring of all power.

And it is this intepretation that is the root of the problem. The fact is: rejecting the temptation of the One Ring the way Faramir did, does not actually strip the One Ring of any power - instead it acknowledges the One Ring has incredible power, one that is even more dangerous than Faramir trusts his own willpower. And so Faramir does not chose to confront the One Ring - he chooses to avoid it.

Multiple times in the book we see this same situation happening: Frodo almost offers the One Ring to a powerful person, and that person rejects the offer vehemently, and always keeps a distance away from it. Gandalf, Galadriel, even Faramir all wanted the temptation kept away from them, and not the chance to confront the One Ring and reject it. As Gandalf explains:

Do not tempt me! For I do not wish to become like the Dark Lord himself. Yet the way of the Ring to my heart is by pity, pity for weakness and the desire of strength to do good. Do not tempt me! I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe, unused. The wish to wield it would be too great for my strength. I shall have such need of it. Great perils lie before me.

It is not that the One Ring itself is a power that cannot be fought against or even overpowered. If so, Sauron could never have been defeated in the first place. Instead it is that the One Ring offers power that would inevitably tempt people into doing evil. It is the temptation to use it that, if given the chance to fester, cannot be fought against or overpowered. And that is why so many people chose to remove that temptation altogether by never possessing it in the first place.

Even Sauron himself could never believe that anyone can possess the One Ring and not use it. That is the true reason why he panicked so badly once he heard the One Ring was found - Sauron was afraid of his 'rival' becoming too powerful and that he in his diminished state would no longer be able to fight against this new power. And so he decided to strike before his powers were all ready, to catch the new bearer unprepared and take the One Ring back.

So why is this a problem in the Peter Jackson films? It is because they had erroneously attributed the power of the One Ring to some corrupting force that is inside it, and that can be rejected outright if the person has enough willpower in them.

Let us consider the following.

In movie scene that is analogous to my Gandalf quote above, movie-Gandalf instead says:

Don't tempt me Frodo! I dare not take it. Not even to keep it safe. Understand Frodo, I would use this Ring from a desire to do good. But through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine.

On first sight, it would seem very similar in meaning to make it almost annoying that I'm splitting hairs. But in actuality, they mean different things.

In the book, what Gandalf means is: don't tempt me with the One Ring, because if I have it I will be tempted to use it, and thus become just like Sauron.

Whereas in the movie, it is instead: don't tempt me with the One Ring, because if I use it when tempted, I will be turned into someone just like Sauron.

In the former, Gandalf requests the temptation be removed because he knows he will not be able to withstand temptation. Whereas in the latter, Gandalf requests the temptation be removed because the end result should he be tempted is far too devastating. That is the subtle but important difference: in the book temptation will win and a new Dark Lord will happen, whereas in the movie temptation might win and only if so a new Dark Lord can happen.

Another scene for contrast would be Tom Bombadil playing with the One Ring versus Aragorn rejecting the One Ring. Both scenes are not present in the other medium, but again illustrates how different their One Ring is.

In the book, Tom (an almost divine being) is not tempted be the One Ring at all, instead seeing it as a trinklet with no power. This is the scene that actually strips the One Ring of all power. And the reasoning is simple: Tom has no need for that power (being incredibly powerul himself) and so there is no temptation for him. There is no wavering, not even for a second, and it illustrates that the One Ring is not all-powerful in and of itself - an impossible foe. Instead it is the human condition of falling prey to temptation, and the test for everyone is whether they know to avoid situations where they can be tempted.

In the movie, we have a small scene where Aragorn comes across Frodo in Amon Hen, and Frodo tempts Aragorn with the One Ring, testing if he will turn out to be like Boromir. And after a tense moment, Aragorn rejects the One Ring, claiming he would have gone with Frodo all the way to Mount Doom. And despite the reason they would give for the Faramir change in the Two Towers, this scene actually strips the One Ring of power as well. Because the direct contrast with Boromir before him seems to be saying: look if you are actually good enough, you can reject the One Ring, all the way to Mount Doom. Boromir was just not good enough, unlike Aragorn.

And this part also shows Peter and co.'s biases.

In the book, the reason Tom can be not tempted is because he is essentially 'not of this world' and so not bound by its problems. Everyone else is susceptible to falling to temptation, and the best way is to avoid it altogether (by destroying the One Ring).

Whereas in the movie, the temptation is very strong, but the best and purest and 'goodest' can defeat it. The heroes that the movie makesr wished to push (Aragorn and Samwise) can outright reject the One Ring, when everyone else (including Frodo) falls short. That is why Faramir cannot reject the One Ring - he is lesser than Aragorn.

The films missed the point: the test is not to reject the One Ring. The test is to avoid the One Ring altogether. As Faramir states:

Or I am wise enough to know that there are some perils from which a man must flee.

Plenty of fans fixate on his earlier quote of not taking the One Ring if it lay by a highway, not actually catching the essence of the statement, but this later quote actually illustrates it quite well. Faramir does not only reject the One Ring because he is humble and good and will not use the evil thing. He rejects it because it is a temptation and thus a danger to Minas Tirith, even if it gives great power when used. To even allow this temptation into Gondor would be poison to all its people, and so he refuses to bring it home.

And for the final thing to show how the One Ring is misunderstood in the Peter Jackson films, we have Frodo.

Frodo and the Temptation of Christ (but Failing)

I think the book portrayed Frodo as tremendously heroic, but also as ultimately human. As Tolkien states in his letter:

I do not think that Frodo's was a moral failure. At the last moment the pressure of the Ring would reach its maximum – impossible, I should have said, for any one to resist, certainly after long possession, months of increasing torment, and when starved and exhausted. Frodo had done what he could and spent himself completely (as an instrument of Providence) and had produced a situation in which the object of his quest could be achieved. His humility (with which he began) and his sufferings were justly rewarded by the highest honour; and his exercise of patience and mercy towards Gollum gained him Mercy: his failure was redressed.

Throughout this entire piece I have been repeating that the best way to counter the One Ring is to be away from it. It is not just the best way, it is the only way. So what about the one person who is not allowed to be away from the One Ring?

As Faramir says:

If you took this thing on yourself, unwilling, at others' asking, then you have pity and honour from me.

Honour is easy enough to understand, but pity? Because Faramir, right from the start, knew it was an impossible task, and Frodo would be forever changed by it. That is why he was so keen to avoid seeing the One Ring himself.

In the book, we have Frodo Baggins: a 50 year old man who embarks on a journey to save the world. He is old enough to be in possession of himself, he is clearly in-charge among the hobbits, and even able to converse with the other more noble members of the fellowship with dignity and wisdom.

When he took the One Ring at the Council of Elrond, he may not have understood all its implications, but he knows it is life-changing and it is after much consideration that Frodo took up the burden. And Elrond's quote after demonstrates the enormity of the task:

But it is a heavy burden. So heavy that none could lay it on another. I do not lay it on you. But if you take it freely, I will say that your choice is right; and though all the mighty elf-friends of old, Hador, and Hurin and Túrin, and Beren himself were assembled together, your seat should be among them.

Frodo saw the temptation, and instead of avoiding it like everyone else, he took it upon himself and weathered it all the way right till the end at Mount Doom. Where he failed.

Because at the end of the day, Frodo is just human, and could not do the impossible. No one can. He may have eventually gave into the temptation, but he did his very best, and that gave the world a chance to be saved (by Gollum). That is why so many readers would say Frodo makes an almost Christ-like figure, choosing to be tempted instead of avoiding it because the world needs him to do so.

On the other hand, the Frodo in the movie is just barely out of his teens, and portrayed to be full of youthful wonder and excitement. He is frequently protected by Samwise, and even Merry and Pippin at times, and is treated as a protected youth more than a fellow comrade by the others in the fellowship.

When he took the One Ring in the Council of Elrond, he was essentially forced to step in between the quarrel between the dwarves and the elves. He didn't seem to grasp the actual hopelessness of the task, and Elrond and Gandalf didn't really enlighten him either.

Slowly thoughout the three films, we see the bright and cheery Frodo fading away to the influence of the One Ring, described as almost drug-like. He is not longer really in control of himself, and depends very heavily on Samwise and even Gollum. This culminates in the "go away Sam!" scene where Frodo seems to even lose logical thought and his rationality.

But the one scene I want to highlight is the scene right at the slopes of Mount Doom.

In the book:

With a gasp Frodo cast himself on the ground. Sam sat by him. To his surprise he felt tired but lighter, and his head seemed clear again. His will was set, and only death would break it. He knew that all the hazards and perils were now drawing together to a point: the next day would be a day of doom, the day of final effort or disaster, the last gasp. “Now for it! Come now master” said Sam as he struggled to his feet. He bent over Frodo, rousing him gently. Frodo groaned; but with a great effort of will he staggered up; and then he fell upon his knees again. He raised his eyes with difficulty to the dark slopes of Mount Doom towering above him, and then pitifully and with sobs he began to crawl forward on his hands. Sam looked at him and wept in his heart, but no tears came to his dry and stinging eyes. “I said I’d carry him, if it broke my back,” he muttered, “and I will!” “Come, Mr. Frodo!” he cried. “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you and it as well.”

The reason why I quote the whole section of the book in full is that many people when recalling this scene have in their mind the images of the movie: Frodo caught in the throes of a living nightmare and unable to escape much less move forward in his mission. Samwise sees his torment and makes the decision for both of them to carry Frodo forward when he is unable to do so himself, and proceed with the destruction of the One Ring.

But that is not the case in the book at all. Instead Frodo had not given up and even though his body was hurting with every step and temptation haunted his mind, he was still determined to crawl his way to the Crack of Doom to complete his mission. It is the sight of Frodo suffering so much but still so determined that caused Samwise to take action - he cannot do what Frodo can, bearing the One Ring the way Frodo had done. But Samwise had promised to carry Frodo because that is what he can do, and so he did it.

Again we have the difference between book and movie in the in handling of the One Ring. In the book, Frodo is nearing the end of his impossible task, and doomed to give in to temptation. But he struggles every step of the way, proving his moral fibre. He fought the good fight, and even if he lost right at the end, Eru Iluvatar will see it done.

But in the movie, Frodo has given in. He can no longer fight. Instead it is Samwise, the movie producer chosen hero, who has to step in and fight Frodo's battles for him. In the book, even if Samwise wasn't there, Frodo would have crawled every step of the way. Samwise's presence is an aid to help shorten the distance and torment. Whereas in the movie, if Samwise wasn't there, the quest is over. That is such a major difference, but because throughout the whole three films watchers have been conditioned to a different Frodo, we are persuaded to accept this narrative - Frodo isn't the hero, it is Samwise who is the true hero instead.

Conclusion

I actually first came into contact with Tolkien through the movies (unlike Tolkien's bff's work Narnia where I knew of the books first). However watching the films and reading the books gave me an almost surreal experience of feeling like they are at times two completely different stories, despite sharing the same characters, storylines, or even exact quotes.

I pondered really hard on this and the conclusion I came up with is that LotR and all of Tolkien's works are fundamentally Christian (despite not being allegories like the afore mentioned Narnia). Because of Tolkien's deep belief in Catholicism, the Bible themes and Christian way of thinking are all woven into the fabrics of his work. When you share these values, everything makes sense and proceeds rationally from each other. The characters come alive, the society feels real, the history is believable.

Why are word convents so important that Isildur could curse people to be bound to his word even after they died? Isn't it stupid to blow a loud horn to announce partaking in a secret mission? How is it that Eowyn chose to give up fighting and become a healer despite wanting so badly to be in the battle just days earlier?

These are just some questions that secular people, when faced with a Christian answer, will feel baffled by. And in a certain way, I understand Peter and Co. choosing to 'go secular' with their intepretations so that a larger audience will be exposed to Tolkien's works.

Telling people to bind themselves with restrictions and avoid temptations is not what the modern freedom-loving audience wants to hear. Instead what they really want is a hero, seemingly relatable and humble, but also capable of doing things that no human can do (rejecting the One Ring).

They want to be told that: "There's some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for."

And not: "‘Few may do that with honour,’ he answered. ‘But as for you, lady: did you not accept the charge to govern the people until their lord’s return? If you had not been chosen, then some marshal or captain would have been set in the same place, and he could not ride away from his charge, were he weary of it or no.”

[from-the-coffee-shop-in-edoras]

I wonder if there was ever a significant conflict between Eomer and Lothiriel, and Eowyn and Faramir, in regards to their differences in culture. If there were, I'd reckon between Lothiriel and Eomer they'd be early on, whereas with Eowyn and Faramir they'd take longer to emerge. I read a theory that Eowyn would actually quite like Faramir considering her "not like other Rohirrim", after all she endured in Rohan, and with her desire to be special, but as she grows more confident in herself and regains pride in her land, stuff that perhaps she didn't notice before or felt flattered by begins to bother her. I'd imagine it must also flare up for both when it comes to raising the kids, and in lawful rulings where Gondor and Rohan justice differs.

So I am OBSESSED with this whole line of thought! It hits on a couple of things that have always stood out to me about Farawyn — things that I notice every time I read the text and are always kind of floating around at the edges of my thoughts when I contemplate them, but that I’ve never really contextualized or merged into a broader theory/HC. Those two things are:

1. Faramir is the one in the book to give voice to the belief that the Rohirrim are “middle men” and that Gondor, in the process of declining, is becoming more and more like Rohan. He never explicitly and fully disclaims this belief and, thus, potentially still believes it to be true even after he marries Éowyn (even if we assume he doesn’t think of HER that way).

2. When Éowyn first sees Faramir, we’re told that she “knew, for she was bred among men of war, that here was one whom no Rider of the Mark would outmatch in battle.” So her very first reaction to this total stranger, before he really says or does anything, is to elevate him above every single man her homeland has ever produced. That’s pretty huge, given that the Rohirrim have legendary warriors in their ranks and think of themselves explicitly as “men of war” whereas Faramir isn’t even the strongest warrior in Gondor and specifically does not like to think of himself as a warrior at all. To me, this dismissal of the Rohirrim gives off just as much bitterness toward Rohan as it does respect for Faramir, someone she doesn’t know and doesn’t know anything about yet.

So, consistent with the theory you referenced, both sides of their relationship start off in a Rohan-critical place (that’s not a judgment on Éowyn — she would be justified in feeling embittered toward Rohan given some of her experiences there — though I do judge Faramir for it, sorry Faramir fans! I still like him anyway!). I can definitely see her, in this frame of mind, liking the fact that Faramir thinks she’s different/better than other Rohirrim.

But somewhere in my subconscious, that’s always rankled for me because I have also always believed that Éowyn is intensely proud of Rohan. She has always read to me as someone who would get into a bar fight with anyone who disrespected her country. The way she talks about being a shieldmaiden just drips with pride and defiance, and that’s core to her identity as a Rohirrim. It’s deep in her heart. So would she really go the whole rest of her life holding onto all that anger (especially because we have reason to believe that the things she was most unhappy with in Rohan were changed after the war — Éomer’s reaction to Gandalf telling him why Éowyn was unhappy seems to indicate that he Gets It now, he doesn’t seek to interfere at all with her making the decision to marry Faramir, and Gríma is dead)? Would she still be so dismissive of Rohan or tolerate anyone else who had those views?

I don’t think she would. And if her views evolve and Faramir’s don’t, then there is some kind of conflict coming. That’s not to say that I think their marriage would be unhappy or that this would split them apart, but they have to reckon with it at some point, right? @emmanuellececchi has written a fic where it’s clear they’ve had this conversation and successfully addressed it — Éowyn kind of jokingly holds it over his head that he ever thought that stuff, and he obviously doesn’t think that way anymore— and I absolutely LOVED it. But I think it would also be fascinating to look at it from an intense and dramatic angle by showing her perspective start to change over time and then giving us a front row seat to watch those initial, potentially ugly conversations about it.

I don’t know if whoever wrote the theory you saw ever made a story out of it. If they didn’t, then someone should, and nobody writes intense, emotionally fraught Éowyn like you, my friend! So if this is a line of thought that you’d ever consider following into a fic, I could simply not be more thrilled and would BEG you to tag me in it.