[NancyBrooke]

What do you think? Will Peter Jackson and Phillipa Boyens include the Faramir/Eowyn story line in ROTK?

Just idle conjecture ...

[Maram68]

Actually, my friend JMac posted about that , saying that they were going to leave it out .. if they do, I'll have to write my first hate-mail ever to PJ and Co.



Anyone has more information about this?

[Ellbee]

Well, I always thought the Faramir/Eowyn bit in the book was rather weak and implausible. Perhaps PJ and Co. felt they couldn't make it believable without devoting a lot more time to it than they could afford. I would much rather see it finish up with a significant look or two, making you thinkg that something could happen between the two of them, rather than the "Oh! She's so sad! And beautiful! And sad! I'm in love!" "Me too! I shall throw off my shieldmaidenhood forever!" thing from the book. It never felt real to me.

-Ell

[Maram68]

[Thuriniel]

Bad news dear Claudia ... I just read certain article this morning and there is this reference to Faramir, Eowyn and the Houses of Healing:

Houses of Healing: In the novel, Eowyn and Faramir convalesce here after battle. Aragorn heals her; she falls harder for him; Faramir falls for her. Jackson shot it, but felt the movie had strayed from Frodo too long. Viggo Mortensen was sad to learn (from Newsweek) the scene was gone. It'll be on the DVD.

Well, I guess we'll get to see it in the RotK EE ... so the news is not all that bad . We'll just have to wait a little bit longer. If you want to read the whole article (there are spoilers, so read at your own risk!) go to:

http://www.msnbc.com/news/996638.asp

It definitely has some interesting information in it ... and since you're an Orlando fan, I think you will enjoy reading about his feelings when he wore the "Legolas look" for the last time.


Maria

[PoweroftheBook]

Hmmm...I'm afraid I really have to disagree with the belief that the Faramir/Eowyn romance felt 'thrown together' or rather weak. When I read ROTK for the first time...okay, okay, after I'd learned to dissect literature to some extent...I felt that the romance between these two provided some emotional catharsis right after the upheaval on Mount Doom, the battles by the Black Gate, and the reunions on the Field of Cormallen.

Most of the main characters up to this point aren't human, and are performing simply astounding feats of emotional strength. (Aragorn's a Dunedain and future King, so he doesn't really count.)

Back in Minas Tirith, however, are two humans whose emotional battles are quickly being lost. Eowyn's just lost her Uncle, her last parental figure, and is being kept from the battle to recover from her fight with the Witch-King. Faramir cannot yet join the battle, and he's recently lost his big brother and his dad (who, incidentally, tried to kill him in the process).

"...his (Faramir's) heart was heavy...he turned and saw the Lady Eowyn of Rohan...his clear sight perceived her sorrow and unrest."

At first, she looks to him for freedom from the Houses of Healing, for her own special kind of healing that can be found by riding to war. He cannot help her in that area, but asks if she can ease his care by speaking with him. She replies that she cannot heal him, but will wait for Doom to fall with him.

I find this rather a realistic outlook, as far as human relationships go - "Don't look for healing from me, for I'm a wreck, too!"

Faramir spends the next few days walking about in the Gardens with Merry, on the off-chance he might see Eowyn. On the day in which the great battle is fought, with lightning flickering across the plain in the distance, they meet on the walls of the city of Gondor to look at the approaching storm. After gradually comforting each other with words, as their hands creep nearer and nearer together till they clasp, he eventually draws her into his arms, as they face this Apocalyptic battle together, content to spend their last days with each other.

How much more romantic can it get?

The romance of Faramir and Eowyn is the human element in all this, the ability of the human spirit to rebuild itself and face down death. It's certainly a lot more developed than Aragorn and Arwen's "Tinuviel, Tinuviel!" bit. That, in my eyes, was just a bit cheesy.

The Aragorn/Arwen romance always irritated me, we never got to really see their true chemistry out of the public eye. I think Arwen only had about two or three lines in the entire three books. After the weaknesses displayed and the comfort given between Faramir and Eowyn, all other romantic relationships seem a bit shallow and undeveloped (at least in my opinion). Please don't take offense!

And PJ isn't including this in the movie! NOOOOOOOOO!


Regards,

The Power of the Book

[Maram68]

Dear Power of the Book:

you may be right ... I may be just transporting my whole annoyance at the treatment of the character of Eowyn in the books to the romance part.

Then again, it is a personal perception ... but I am really upset that they will not include it in the theatrical release ... as I said before, I am a big Eowyn fan.

And thanks Maria, yes *sigh* it says clearly PJ will leave it out ... *sigh *...

I, for myself, am getting very weary of Frodo suffering, so I cannot share PJ's opinion, but I am not the director but just .... a regular "Elfnut" and Eowyn/Eomer fan ...

A whole year waiting ...

Thanks for the info, anyway!

[PoweroftheBook]

Dear Maram68

I wholeheartedly agree. Hobbit suffering is fast becoming the rule of the day. Not that it's a bad thing, given that it's the focus of the books, but still...

First Saruman and Isengard, now this? Maybe if they cut out the Arwen scenes, they'd find a few minutes in the 3 and 1/2 hours of movie running time!!!

Will we even recognize the story when we see it?

Regards,

The Power of the Book

[Moralanqua]

Power of the book,

Thank you for posting that insight into Eowyn and Faramir . I must confess that i couldnt stand her from the performace seen in theatrical version on TT. She was redeemed slightly in the extended movie but i now find myself reading as quickly as possible to discover her full personality in my book!


Faramir - 'nuff said. What a fantastic, faceted gem of a character! He may not have the all round hotness of Aegnor (swoon!) or the disiplined force of Elronds twins - but he is a fantastic book character who is now coming into his own onscreen also!

I cant wait! Pleeeease PJ! No more silly love triangle hints! I get the picture!

And dont get me started on Arwens 'Flu' That is beyond belief!

[PoweroftheBook]

LuckyObsidian,

You're welcome. Good to have another Eowyn-defender in the ranks. The love-triangle is becoming a bit overblown, since Aragorn reputedly felt nothing romantic for her, and she transmuted her desires for adventure and honors onto him, since he was 'the Lost King'.

Faramir is quite the subtly alluring character, isn't he?

I have a fic with him and Ioreth, with a dash of Faramir/Eowyn, under the title 'Imloth Melui'. And now I'll stop shamelessly promoting myself.

I'm curious, what is Arwen's 'Flu'? Is it the endless lying about on divans and pondering immortality?

Regards,

The Power of the Book

[Moralanqua]

( Please, call me Mora! Less to type!)

Sorry all, I assumed you had all heard about Arwens 'Flu'


Urgh!

Some sort of ROTK photobook being sold in USA says that in the movie, Arwen is ill with some mystery illness (Flu) and only Saurons defeat can save her life. Thus we now have the additional drama and tension and incentive for Fuzzy Face to do the business!

Contrived is the word that rings in my head with this plot...

I was sure if i should believe it, however, it does seem to fit in with the latest trailer when Elrond goes to her (shes resting on the wee sofa) and mumbles something about her fate and decisions bla bla.


Please! No more 'adaptions' PJ! (Unless its adding in a scene with the Twins frolicking nekkid in a field, chasing butterflies...)

[PoweroftheBook]

Mora,

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

DESPITE the fact that Elves don't get sick. DESPITE the fact that Arwen's eventual fate has nothing to do with Sauron's powers. DESPITE the fact that Tolkien is rolling in his grave as we speak.

We're the ones writing the fanfiction! Not PJ!



So help me, if he forgets Legolas being struck with sea-longing, or Gimli and Legolas going to Valinor together...I'll say something very unkind.

As for that adaptation...that makes for a very interesting plot bunny!

As I'm getting a little too happy with the emoticons, I think I'll leave this be.

Regards,

The Power of the Book

[Roisin]

Well I think Arwen's "illness" could be consistent with an Elf dying of grief, which is certainly canon. Aragorn threw her over, and she thinks he is going to die.

There's so little in the books about what Arwen was doing while all this was going on, she could very well have been dying of grief, we just don't know..

But I may die of grief myself if there's no Eowyn/Faramir in the movie. I want to see poor Faramir finally get a shred of happiness.

Roisin

[Viv]

[PoweroftheBook]

Amen, Roisin.

It will leave Faramir and Eowyn's characters terribly unfinished if they are dropped like hot potatoes in favor of watching Frodo crawl over a few more rocks, or Arwen languishing on her bed.

By the way, I saw the book that Mora mentioned. I have to say, even though Roisin's probably right in attributing Arwen's symptoms to grief, the picture book unnerves one terribly.

Let's just say that if PJ can leave out the romance of Faramir and Eowyn, who knows what else he might have up his sleeves? Not that I don't love the guy for doing what he's done, but he's also playing up some parts of the book to an almost overwhelming appearance.

Regards,

The Power of the Book