by Jeremy Mark Robinson, Crescent Moon,
2007
Then Beren and Luthien went through the Gate, and down the labyrinthine stairs; and together wrought the greatest deed that has been dared by Elves or Men. For they came to the seat of Morgoth in his nethermost hall, that was upheld by horror, lit by fire, and filled with weapons of death and torment. There Beren slunk in wolf's form beneath his throne; but Luthien was stripped of her disguise by the will of Morgoth, and he bent his gaze upon her. She was not daunted by his eyes; and she named her own name, and offered her service to sing before him, after the manner of a minstrel. Then Morgoth looking upon her beauty conceived in his thought an evil lust, and a design more dark than any that had yet come into his heart since he fled from Valinor. Thus he was beguiled by his own malice, for he watched her, leaving her free for a while, and taking secret pleasure in his thought.(J.R.R. Tolkien, from The Silmarillion)
Forthcoming from Crescent Moon Publishing:
A new critical study of J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and other books.
This new analysis by Jeremy Mark Robinson
explores Tolkien's major writings (The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit,
Beowulf: The Monster and the Critics, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. The
Silmarillion and The History of Middle-earth volumes), Tolkien
and fairy tales, the mythological, political and religious aspects of Tolkien's
Midde-earth, the critics' response to Tolkien's fiction over the decades,
the Tolkien industry (merchandizing, toys, role-playing games, posters,
Tolkien societies, conferences and the like), Tolkien in visual and fantasy
art, the cultural aspects of The Lord of the Rings (from the 1950s
to the present), Tolkien's fiction's relationship with other fantasy fiction,
such as C.S. Lewis and Harry Potter,and the TV, radio and film versions
of Tolkien's books, including the new Hollywood interpretations of The
Lord of the Rings.
The 2001-03 Hollywood films are discussed
in great detail, with a scene-by-scene analysis of each film (including
the extended cuts, and omissions, additions, alterations, etc).
This new book draws on contemporary cultural theory and analysis and offers a sceptical but sympathetic and illuminating account of the Tolkien phenomenon. This book is designed to appeal to the general reader (and viewer) of Tolkien: it is written in a clear, jargon-free and easily-accessible style.
Jeremy Mark Robinson's books include Glorification:
Religious Abstraction in Renaissance and 20th Century Art (1990), Arthur
Rimbaud (1992), Lawrence Durrell (1995) and Detonation Britain:
Nuclear War in the UK (1997). He edits two magazines, Passion
and Pagan America (a journal of American poetry).
820pp Illustrations, bibliography, notes
ISBN 1-86171-057-7 ISBN-13
9781861710574 £30.00 / $60.00
I was from early days aggrieved by the poverty of my own beloved country: it had no stories of its own (bound up with its tongue and soil), not of the quality that I sought, and found (as an ingredient) in legends of other lands. There was Greek, and Celtic, and Romance, Germanic, Scandinavian, and Finnish (which greatly affected me); but nothing English, save impoverished chap-book stuff. Of course, there was and is all the Arthurian world, but powerful as it is, it is imperfectly naturalized, associated with the soil of Britain but not with English; and does not replace what I felt to be missing. For one thing, its 'faerie' is too lavish, and fantastical, incoherent and repetitive.(J.R.R. Tolkien, from a letter, 1951)
EXTRACTS FROM J.R.R.
TOLKIEN by Jeremy Mark Robinson
EXTRACT FROM THE INTRODUCTION
Philip Toynbee declared, in 1961, that
Tolkien's 'childish books had passed into a merciful oblivion', a wonderful
statement, just a tad inaccurate. In 1997, The Lord of the Rings
was voted the top book of the 20th century by readers in a British bookstore's
poll (Waterstone's). 104 out of 105 stores and 25,000 readers put The
Lord of the Rings at the top (1984 was second).
The results of the poll angered many lit'ry
critics in Blighty. Howard Jacobson, Mark Lawson, Bob Inglis, Germaine
Greer and Susan Jeffreys, were among those irritated by Lord of the
Rings' success among readers. The Daily Telegraph readers' poll
came up with the same results. The Folio Society also ran a poll (of 50,000
members), and Middle-earth was top again (Pride and Prejudice was
second and David Copperfield was third).
It was Tolkien's incredible popularity
that annoyed some critics and journos. Writers are nothing if not bitchy
and envious of other people's success, and British journalists have a long
tradition of knocking down anyone who's successful. So the popularity of
The
Lord served to underline many of the prejudices of the literary establishment
and media in the UK:
(1) That people who liked Tolkien were
geeks, anoraks, sci-fi nuts, college students, hippies, and so on.
(2) That Tolkien's fiction was juvenile,
reactionary, sexist, racist, pro-militaristic, etc.
(3) And it was badly written, simplistic,
stereotypical, and so on.
(4) And it was in the fantasy genre, which
was automatically deemed as lightweight, as 'escapist', as fit only for
adolescent boys. And so on and on.
Around 100 million copies of The Lord
of the Rings had been sold by the end of the twentieth century, and
60 million copies of The Hobbit, with sales of around 3 million
per year of the two books combined. Readers just love reading Tolkien's
books. It's that simple. You can't force people to buy books or go see
movies; there's isn't a magic formula (or ruling ring) to hypnotize readers
and consumers (if there was, it'd be worth billions). And the Tolkien phenomenon
began with readers. Back in 1937, 1954 and 1955, the publishers Allen &
Unwin did their bit, of course, with reviews, blurbs, advertizing and so
on, promoting The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, but it was readers
who first started the phenomenon that has become truly global.
Tolkien's influence on literature has
been considerable, too, and not just in the realm of fantasy, sci-fi, fairy
tales and related genres. As fantasy author Terry Brooks said, Tolkien
'was the premier fantasy writer of the last century, and all of us writing
today owe him a huge debt.' No other writer W.H. Auden reckoned had 'created
an imaginary world and a feigned history in such detail'. Colin Wilson
agreed that only a few writers have concocted a total universe, and that
Tolkien's was very impressive. Tolkien's mythological writings may be the
'largest body of invented mythology in the history of literature', according
to David Day. Invented, that is, by one person. It's also 'certainly the
most complex and detailed invented world in all literature'.
If you thought that there wasn't really
a Tolkien industry prior to the 2001-2003 Lord of the Rings films,
you were wrong. A massive Tolkien industry has been around for decades:
the 2001-03 films were simply adding to that. The Tolkien industry consists
of (among other things): Tolkien societies in many countries, Tolkien fan
newsletters, Tolkien merchandize catalogues, Tolkien websites, Tolkien
chess sets, decorative porcelain plates, fantasy posters, Middle-earth
maps, Tolkien calendars, Lord of the Rings plastic figures (Mithril Miniatures,
Harlequin, and movie tie-ins), music and songs based on Tolkien's writing,
Tolkien's verse set to music, Middle-earth puzzles, fan fiction, Middle-earth
poems, Middle-earth playing cards, Middle-earth games and activity packs,
Lord of the Rings keyfobs, Tolkien diaries, a Hobbit birthday book, Frodo
necklaces, Gandalf pendants, replica swords, replica jewellery (including
the golden ring, of course), telephone cards, Kinder Surprise chocolate
egg figures, Tolkien role-playing games (MERP, METW), Lord of the Rings
stickers, Tolkien postcards, fridge magnets, and Middle-earth stationary.
Tolkien fan conferences, seminars and symposia, Tolkien art exhibitions.
Then there are myriad editions of Tolkien's books: limited editions, collector's
editions, boxed editions, anniversary editions, pop-up books, cartoon books,
etc.
Among the books dedicated to the world
of Tolkien's fiction are: dictionaries of elvish, guides to Tolkien's invented
languages, guides and atlases to Middle-earth, Tolkien bestiaries, teachers'
guides to Tolkien, Middle-earth quiz books, Tolkien books of days, books
of fantasy art, spin-off books, and spoofs (Bored of the Rings).
Radio versions of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit (on
CD, tape, etc), audio books (read by the author, or by actors), film versions
(on video, DVD, etc), and stage productions.
The combination of music and Tolkien includes
bands with Tolkienesque names (thousands of them), acts singing about Tolkienesque
subjects (Led Zeppelin, Rush, Genesis), and the many singers, songwriters
and acts who interpreted the verses in Tolkien's books.
If that isn't an industry gathered around
a writer's work, I don't know what is. Also, it existed quite healthily
prior to the 2001-03 films (before the 2001-03 films Tolkien's books had
sold in the 100 million plus mark). And it only occurs to a very, very
writers (in the U.K., the Brontës, D.H. Lawrence, Thomas Hardy, Charles
Dickens, etc).
EXTRACT FROM THE CHAPTER
ON THE FILMS
RECIPE FOR A SWORD AND SORCERY FILM
In the last few days before The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring hit 10,000 screens worldwide on December 19, 2001, I made a list of some suggestions for the basic requirements of a fantasy/ sword-and-sorcery blockbuster movie (and most these duly turned up in The Fellowship of the Ring):
ï Silly and unpronounceable names for people,
creatures and places.
ï Wacky costumes (fur, leather, chains).
High fashion meets S/M by way of pantomime and Hallowe'en. (and some of
the Lord of the Rings costumes duly wound up as Hallowe'en and party
costumes - with Legolas's wardrobe coming out the most popular). Designer
Richard Taylor was adamant about LOTR: 'this was never going to be a Conan
the Barbarian-style film', meaning the phony fantasy look (actually,
the 1982 film of Conan has a great look, designed by Ron Cobb, including
the $350,000 Thulsa Doom 'Temple of Set' set constructed on a mountain).
ï Fairy tale wizards, princes, warriors,
princesses.
ï Cute animals.
ï Cute li'l creatures (E.T.s, Ewoks, hobbits,
Nelwyns, munchkins, dwarves).
ï A range (and hierarchy) of creatures
and beings (including the cute furry ones).
ï Humorous sidekicks (the fat, lazy slob;
the fussy, camp neurotic; the clumsy clown; the laconic beefcake).
ï The useless wimp who accidentally discovers
some wonderful talent (and helps to save the day).
ï Fathers and sons (wise men and acolytes,
martial arts teachers and novices, ageing kings and young, would-be warriors).
ï Male-male bonding, buddy formula, patriarchy
in action (Frodo and Sam, Qui-Gon Jinn/ Anakin Skywalker and Obi-wan Kenobi,
the white cop and the black cop, etc).
ï Dumb dialogue (awkward, convoluted,
obvious).
ï Minimal (under-written) characterization.
ï Men in fright wigs.
ï Women with Pre-Raphaelite locks and
long dresses (women as wise crones, or mothers, or helpers, or 'love interest'
only). If they're lucky, an actress may get to don the low-rent-Goth-meets-Jean-Paul-Gaultier
costume to play a witch or sorceress.
ï Actors practising their scowls, grimaces
and - crucially - looks of awe and amazement to blue screens (film director
yelling: 'now you see a really scary monster, Chuck, and it turns into
a semi-naked vixen!').
ï British/ European actors playing the
villains.
ï Hunky, macho warrior types (bare torsos;
hours in the gym to get - and maintain - those abs).
ï 'Magic' visualized with bluish streaks
(de rigeur from Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark
onwards).
ï A 'magical' transformation of a person
or creature (usually live and on-screen).
ï Sword fights (preferrably with lots
of jumping, swinging and stunts,
à la Errol Flynn, ending
with the hero nearly getting stabbed, until the villain trips and falls
over the battlements).
ï A magical sword (Excalibur, Narsil,
Green Destiny, dad's lightsabre).
ï Emphasis on weaponry (every hit and
thud mixed very loud on the Dolby digital super surround sound soundtrack).
ï A silly gadget or weapon or trick.
ï Heroic acts (with maybe the worthy sacrifice
of a sidekick or helper).
ï The hero ought to have some amazing
athletic skill: swooping martial arts (Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow),
or a circus trapeze act (Burt Lancaster), or swordplay (Errol Flynn), or
brute strength (Arnold Schwarzenegger and Vin Diesel).
ï A big battle or three (one of them must
show a small band of brothers winning against overwhelming odds).
ï The hordes of baddies have to be both
fearsome and hopelessly useless at fighting (orcs, stormtroopers, vampires,
bugs). The goodies (even the tiny or weedy ones) must be able to dispatch
them with a single sword or axe stroke.
ï Someone has to swing on a rope, or a
chandelier, or some rigging on a ship.
ï A stuntman or woman has to fall into
some water (a pool, a river, a moat or the sea). Some high falls are mandatory
too (usually when shot with arrows or spears).
ï Stunt people have to fall off horses,
chariots or carriages when shot.
ï A raid on a village, which's burnt (Conan,
The Vikings, The Masque of the Red Death - those shots of burning buildings
in Red Death crop up in every Roger Corman film).
ï Bustling towns, villages and markets
(it's impossible to make a fantasy or mediaeval or sword 'n' sorcery flick
without at least one bustling village scene, usually in the first act).
ï Thousands of extras (if you can't afford
that many, use computer-generated people, which often turn out to be nearly
as expensive - except they do act how you want them to, and you don't have
to feed 'em, transport or house 'em or clothe 'em).
ï Secondary characters who wouldn't look
out of place at Glastonbury Festival, a Marilyn Manson concert, or a tattoo
parlour.
ï Horse rides in spectacular scenery (mountains,
lakes, rivers, forests - cue the music!).
ï Drinks round the camp fire (or a mead
hall, or a tribal gathering).
ï A camp of tents in a forest scene, or
a caravaneserai in the desert among palm trees.
ï Amazing sets (one of these must be a
royal hall where the king/ queen/ emperor/ chief/ villain dwells).
ï The climax of the film must take place
on the biggest, most expensive set, which is then destroyed (there was
always a lot more gun-powder, dynamite, gas jets and petrol than you realized
in ancient castles, as well as wind machines, dry ice machines and smoke
machines, and sometimes lasers and spotlights).
ï Castles and towns are seen in the distance
(models, mattes, CGI, or the real thing, if you can afford to go to Spain,
Hungary, Wales, etc).
ï There must a king, or queen, prince,
or emperor, and a throne, and someone nasty plotting its overthrow.
ï A banquet, dance or a tavern (a feast
around a big table is essential - preferrably with someone unexpected turning
up, like Robin Hood).
ï A joust (the hero's always in disguise,
and wins, like in Ivanhoe or A Knight's Tale).
ï There's always a scene in the lady's
chamber, when she's alone in the evening, and the hero scales the walls.
(The room always looks very comfy, well-lit, and vast, and not like a cold,
drafty castle. It recalls a mediaeval-style bridal suite at a Las Vegas
hotel).
ï Long dark tunnels lit by perpetual torches
(always with the torches).
ï Candles must be everywhere, on every
surface.
ï Caves, dungeons, arenas of death (there
must be prop skeletons and skulls, rubbery cobwebs, dripping water, and
some rats).
ï A torture scene, and a weirdo met in
the dungeons.
ï A chasm or cliff (and someone has to
jump or fall off it, as in Jason and the Argonauts and every fantasy
film ever made).
ï Gratuitous gore and blood.
ï Storms, thunder and lightning.
ï A snow, fire or rain scene (preferrably
all three).
ï A few great monsters (if you can't get
Ray Harryhausen, you make do with any of hundreds of visual fx wizards
who can turn in hommages to the great man).
ï Moments of gut-wrenching sentimentality
and bathos.
ï Unintentionally funny bits (you don't
need to plan for these - they will occur spontaneously).
ï Camp humour (ditto).
ï A bourgeois, heterosexual romance (always
adolescent, not mature, no matter what the age of the lovers).
ï The villains meeting a juicy, inventive
death.
ï Big 19th century orchestral music with
Wagnerian overtones (when in doubt, raid Carl Orff's Carmina Burana
for the n-th time, just like everyone else does).
ï Maybe some New Age/ Celtic AOR warbly
music (as in Braveheart or Gladiator).
ï Quotes and references to other movies.
ï Conservative, right-wing WASP First
World ideology (pro-war, pro-family, pro-establishment, pro-class, pro-elite,
pro-Christian, etc).
ï America vs. the rest of the world, followed
by an affirmation of US new world order.
ï Celtic, Dark Age, Western European culture
and history.
ï Raiding Western mythology (Homer, Norse
saga, Arthurian legend, ancient Greece, Egypt, Rome, etc) via Joseph Campbell.
ï Simplistic, Manichean morality, good
vs. evil.
ï Spiritual mumbo-jumbo (including a curse,
prophecy or magical formula).
ï An enchanted crystal or key or sword
or spell or statue that'll impossibly save the world (well, I suppose a
ring'll do).
ï Total closure (of plot strands) at the
end.
ï Absolutely no ambiguity whatsoever.
ï Happy ending (utterly essential - and
it's built into the form from the beginning, as Tolkien recognized).
The Lord of the Rings films did
of course contain plenty of those ingredients (and went to town on some
of them: the fright wigs, the Ray Harryhausen monsters, the CGI extras,
the magical weapons, and the gore, for instance).
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Andy Goldsworthy | Art | Art in Close-Up Series | Sculpture | Painters | American Painters | Renaissance Painters | Renaissance Writers | J.R.R. Tolkien | Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling | Cinema | Media, Cinema, Culture, Feminism | Feminism and Gender Studies | Literature | Poetry | Contemporary Poetry | Novelists | 19th Century and Romantic Culture | European Writers | British Poets | Shakespeare Studies | Arthur Rimbaud Studies | D.H. Lawrence Studies | John Cowper Powys Studies | Thomas Hardy Studies | Journals | Alchemy Records | Index of Titles, ISBNs, Dates and Prices | New Titles and Forthcoming Books | TV arts documentaries on DVD and video