The $5K Prequel

 

Yes, I know that a major chapter of the Silmarillion, the Akallabêth, tells the long story of the fall of the kingdom of Kingdom of Númenor. And from them came the Dúnedain. But that story is told almost without a single line of dialog, since it’s presented as history. So although the “facts” are down on paper, the “story” doesn’t exist past the skeletal stage. That’s why I said it was unwritten.

And somewhere in there is the inter-species love story of Beren and Luthien, and the ring of Barahir that Beren inherited, the very same ring Aragorn wears all those centuries later in LOTR when he repeats the exact same storyline with Arwen. You could make an entire chick flick costume drama just from this one part alone.

So there is a huge amount of telling yet to be done, but it needs to be fleshed out with great music, snappy dialog, and some decent special effects. After all, the Great Satan of Middle Earth, Sauron, was really just a little devil compared to his former master.

Jackson has made his billions from the story, maybe it should go all Open Source now.

1. I believe the presence of Tom Bombabdil in LOTR was an embarassment to Tolkien, long before he finished the story. If you read “The Shadow of the Past” (son Christopher’s first volume of the story of how LOTR got written), you’ll see that Tolkien was at his wit’s end to find a story line for the “Hobbit sequel”. He wrote the first chapter, which is merely a transition to get the Ring into Frodo’s hands. He conceived the need for Frodo to take the Ring out of the Shire, either back to its proper owner or to be destroyed somehow. He outlined a chapter recounting 3 hobbits setting out to cross the Shire countryside. But how to make a story out of this?

   Now, years earlier, Tolkien had written a stand-alone “song” about Tom Bombadil and the River Daughter. This was completely independent of anything else he had ever written. But, being desperate to get his hobbit story going, he decided to have Frodo and company meet them. This provided him with what he initially called “Chapter 3”.

   Later, when the first draft was finished and Tolkien was going through it to clean up the inconsistencies, I’m sure he realized that TB’s character just didn’t fit into the story. Take another look at the references to TB at the Council of Elrond - TB is explained away very briefly and clumsily, I think. But he stayed in the story because otherwise it’s tough to explain how the hobbits could have made it to Bree without getting captured.

   Oh, one other thing. What got the story going, finally, was when Tolkien thought of having Black Riders show up.

   Posted by KGrupa       10/08/2009  at  02:18 PM  



2. I haven’t bothered to read much of son Christopher’s work. But I have heard that TB was inconvenient, and was perhaps a misstep off into magical fairyland, a direction Tolkien didn’t want to go.

   TB lived in their world, but wasn’t really part of it. Maybe that’s why he was always a favorite mystery to me.

   On the 3rd hand, Tim Benzedrine and his old lady Hashberry were a trip. Literally.

   Posted by Drew458       10/08/2009  at  03:22 PM  



3. Drew they could make an entire film on just the Dwarves of Moria and the friendship between the Elves of Beleriand for example. I did enjoy Jackson’s trilogy of films but there were a few glaring omissions. Given the length of the books though it’s never going to be possible to please all of the people. I agree with you though Bombadil, was a character who was worth including.

   Posted by LyndonB       10/08/2009  at  06:04 PM  



4. On the 3rd hand, Tim Benzedrine and his old lady Hashberry were a trip. Literally.
   

   Oh yes…

   “Do you like what you doth see . . . ?” said the voluptuous elf-maiden as she provocatively parted the folds of her robe to reveal the rounded, shadowy glories within. Frito’s throat was dry, though his head reeled with desire and ale.

   Tim Benzedrine, Hashberry, and voluptuous elf-maidens. What’s not to like?

   Posted by Christopher       10/10/2009  at  07:07 PM  

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