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PaperclipPerfector  1yr ago (text post)   29623 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of October 2, 2023

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I dislike what the movies did with Denethor (I understand the choices being made and why Jackson made them, but I still dislike them). It changed book Denethor into a caricature; it weakened the character. But there was need for easy villains so Denethor and Wormtongue fit those roles. I also wasn't too happy with how they treated Brad Dourif, who I think is a good enough actor to convey Grima's evil without needing to be made up like "greasy incel creepy guy nobody would ever trust". Part of that character is that he looked and acted the part of the wise, responsible councillor which is how he was able to worm (ha!) his way into Theoden's confidence and why the rest of the court didn't rise up against him.

But that's personal aesthetic and artistic choices.

who I think is a good enough actor to convey Grima's evil without needing to be made up like "greasy incel creepy guy nobody would ever trust"

Yeah, I found that bit very weird too, how was it that all of Rohan wasn't able to see what an utter slimebag this dude looked like and allowed him to rise up the ranks and become the most trusted advisor of the king just like that?

At least the MTG card was better done, which is not something you can say for Theoden or even Galadriel.

Denethor and Aragorn were in the books similar people. The difference seems to be that Aragorn was rightfully the king and Denethor was not but had the desire (the will to power). Yet both wanted Gondor to succeed.

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