I agree that the movie did attempt to give the characters some development. Aragorn went from being completely flat and colorless in the book to having some conflict (wishy-washyness, yes. *g*). But I guess to me the characters still feel roughly two-dimensional. Nothing they do suprises me, and nothing they do seems much of a change from how they were when the story began in the first movie. Well, with the exception of Frodo and possibly Sam. They do seem affected and changed by their experiences, which is development of a definite sort. I felt that about them when I read the books, as well.
I should say, this is not to mean I don't like the characters. They're just as fun as the rest of the movie, and I don't mind their being for the most part static archetypes. Though I agree with you re Faramir. I loved canon Faramir, and I thought that his constant right-mindedness, and the fact that he *wasn't* tempted by the ring, showed a strength of will that was admirable and impressive. It made what Denethor attempts to do that much more heart-breaking. Not everybody needs to be a dysfunctional child of a dysfunctional family to be a good character. I only accept that change because Jackson et al made a good point in the TTT commentary (I think it was the commentary - might've been an interview), that the ring is built up to be this great force of evil, and for some random guy to wander through the story at that point and have absolutely no problem resisting it rather lessens the evil oomph. Movie-TTT-Faramir still makes me cringe, but that's a good point.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2003-12-17 08:30 am (UTC)I should say, this is not to mean I don't like the characters. They're just as fun as the rest of the movie, and I don't mind their being for the most part static archetypes. Though I agree with you re Faramir. I loved canon Faramir, and I thought that his constant right-mindedness, and the fact that he *wasn't* tempted by the ring, showed a strength of will that was admirable and impressive. It made what Denethor attempts to do that much more heart-breaking. Not everybody needs to be a dysfunctional child of a dysfunctional family to be a good character. I only accept that change because Jackson et al made a good point in the TTT commentary (I think it was the commentary - might've been an interview), that the ring is built up to be this great force of evil, and for some random guy to wander through the story at that point and have absolutely no problem resisting it rather lessens the evil oomph. Movie-TTT-Faramir still makes me cringe, but that's a good point.