A girl has a right to change her mind...

I know I've complained like crazy about the Lord of the Rings movies and how they sacrifice the integrity of the story they're supposed to portray for the sake of giving Liv Tyler more screen time. I apologize to everyone sweet enough to go and see them with me and tolerate my jaded snickers and cries of horror through the entire show.

But, and maybe this is a little bit of distance from the book talking, but I've seen them in a new light. At least the last one. Well, I guess I saw it in the same light, the light of a projector. Commentated by none other than Pere Andre.

I don't know how much I've said about Pere Andre. He deserves his own entry at some point. I know I've been a bit heavy-handed with the superlatives lately, but I think he's one of the holiest priests I've ever met. Or holiest seeming at least, I can't read anyone's soul. He just radiates peace, joy, humility, and faithfulness to the church. I think you'd like him, Dad. Particularly as he was speaking out against the "marshmallow (read "buddy") Jesus concept a few weeks back (incidently, they were selling marshmallow baby Jesuses in all the bakeries and candy shops around Christmas time.)

But he's so gentle. People always ask him such hard questions, and he even provokes them by topics he brings up (gently) for conversation. And he always responds calmly, with something incredibly intelligent or insightful, or if he really doesn't know or has to think about it more he says so. He never hits you over the head with anything, but he never compromises in telling what the church teaches either. And he's always available. Hannah wanted him to come have coffee with us one day and he wrote us right into his PDA and came rolling up to see us in his motor scooter (I don' t know if that's as radical as it might sound...lots of people ride moter scooters around here. It's just practical, especially when it comes to parking) And he's my spiritual director! My very first! And he's been a lot of help.

And yet he's so young- not even thirty! (I know this because we played at game at Hannah's birthday party recently where we wrote names of people we all (or at least the French or the Americans or the aumonerie people) knew on cards attatched to people's foreheads and everyone had to guess who (s)he was after asking yes/no questions for hints.) And he has this homeliness to him...he has this big black unibrow, these big glasses that seem to have survived the late eighties, a manner that, while exuding peace, can be a little awkward. But his lack of phsyical beauty, not to sound trite but this is true, only accents his spiritual beauty.

Anyway, back on topic, his commentary went about as in depth as that of another you might have read about another movie but, with all due respect my love, this one seemed a little more plausible (well, the movie did come from a Catholic imagination and not a Mormon one...)

Highlights (and yeah, some of this might be old news to a lot of people, but some of the rest, you'd have had to watch it many times to notice. Which perhaps you have):

Gollum argues with himself about killing the hobbits:
evil Gollum starts off calling not so evil Gollum "Smeagol," his interior name from himself, which calls to mind the time he was innocent. However, when he really wants to manipulate him, it's "Gollum," which evokes a time of exile in which he "forgot even his own name" and an image of himself as a murder, which A. floods him with guilt and despair and B. reminds him that he killed once, he might as well kill again. How often does Evil smash our face into our guilt and convince us we have no hope of redemption?

Frodo leaves Sam:
Frodo distrusts Sam only after Gollum plants the thought in his mind that Sam is out to get the ring for himself, and leaves him only when Sam suggests that Frodo give the ring to him (not after it seems Sam has eaten the rest of the lembas.), like Eve was rendered vulnerable when the serpent planted in her mind the thought that God is not all good and loving.

Shelob episode (Shelob is the giant spider for those who haven't read the book):
Frodo regrets leaving Sam when he finds himself alone, in the shadows

Tolkien likes to set up situations that are impossible to escape, only to have his heroes escape by...idunno divine intervention almost?

Sam holding mostly-dead Frodo resembles the Pieta.
"Don't go where I can't follow you!" (Christ to Peter?- Where I am going you will not be able to follow)

Parallel between sleeping and death, prevalent in the gospels

Sam, like Christ to dead people about to be resurrected, commands Frodo to "wake up"

Smallest LOTR sentence could be: Sam wept.

Spider silk wrapped around Frodo like bands wrapped around Lazarus in the tomb?

I noticed: Sam did quite a bit of damage to Shelob with his sword, but it was the light, given to them by Galadriel, not his own efforts that finally drove her back.


Sam gets Frodo back:

Frodo has hands tied together as Christ is often pictured.
Orcs strip Frodo of his garments, divide them among themselves, and dispute over the mithril coat which, I believe, happens tobe seamless
lashes on Frodo's arm, old wound from sword back in first movie clearly visible.
Frodo: this is my burden. Only Christ can bear our sins on himself and liberate us from them.

I noticed: Orcs in the midst of mobilizing themselves against the western armies, disputing and killing themselves. This place really is Hell. (of course the fire and brimstone later on helps this image along). When the orcs and other "baddies" have a common goal they are more or less allies but ultimately everyone is quite ready to attack and kill everyone else, on virtually any pretext. There are no friends. (ok this is kind of obvious)

Sam and Frodo climb Mount Doom?

have to put on enemy clothes- Christ "clothes" himself in our humanity, becomes one of us in order to save us (ok, orcs aren't being saved...but you kinda get the picture). We're not talking about a ray of heavenly light penetrating from outside but someone who really descended into the midst of all the evil the world had to offer.

Frodo falls numerous times on the way

Sam can't carry Frodo's burden- but he can carry Frodo. We can't carry the world's sins, but we can join our sufferings with those of Christ in order to support him in our salvation and the world's.

Outside the pitiful armies of the west are being surrounded by the unnumbered hoards of Mordor. And yet that isn't where the battle is being decided, but by two measly hobbits crawling up the side of the mountain while the Eye's attention is elsewhere. We think we're fighting against all the odds, but really the battle has already been won for us elsewhere. We still have to keep fighting, but our victory is assured by something small and courageous that happened elswhere.

I noticed- Sam finally admits that there isn't likely to be a return journey- more or less renounces all hope of terrestrial life after the mission- and hoists Frodo up and they keep going. He "hates his life" and ends up saving it- and everyone elses.

Ring Toss

good thing they didn't get rid of Gollum like Sam wanted to against Frodo's faith in his potential for salvation...funny how someone betraying someone to such an extent can make the saving act possible...

When the ring is gone, Mordor and its armies are swallowed by the ground, as death is swallowed up in the resurrection.

Those given up for dead are saved by eagles- a symbol of Christ.

I noticed- "If your finger is causing you to sin- cut it off..."

Gray Havens- Frodo rides off literally into the sunset, welcomed by a guy in a white robe and long white beard. Seemingly as if into the sky with the reflection on the ocean. Can we say- the ascension?

Before he goes he leaves those who have followed him through all this the book containing his life story, leaving a page for them to write- as Christ left us with the Gospels and the church is left to write the last page of the final days.

Anyway, maybe all this was really obvious...but maybe the movie has its merits after all.

Final tidbit- "Baggins" is rendered "Sacquet" in French. "Sac," of course, meaning "bag."

Also: we watched the movie on our wall.