Tolkien’s epic novel fans always believe the book to be a lot better than Peter Jackson’s adaptation in the movie, ‘Lord of the Rings. However, you will be fascinated to find out that Jackson actually improved some elements when compared with the book. Here are some of these bits.
The Ring and Faramir
In Tolkien’s original plot, Faramir stands out as the only character who is not enticed by the ring which seems quite unbelievable to many given the power of the ring. Jackson tweaked this and showed Faramir almost seduced by the ring. This looked more believable as this depicted the dark reverberation of Boromir's corruption by the mighty ring.
Aragorn is not just a plot device
Although Aragorn is one of the most formidable characters in this saga, the book anchors him more as a plot device. In the movie, Aragorn is shown as a full-fledged character though a bit listless at times. Whereas the book concentrates more on the action of hobbits and Aragorn is used more for narrative. There is nothing more notable than this in the book.
Rationalizing the plot
The novel lovers will always argue that Tolkien’s original plot is superior in every sense of the word including the storyline, length, and intricacies. But what Jackson’s book achieves is streamlining the storyline to crop out peripheral plot lines and highlighting more on parts that seemed more fitting.
Two Towers is less dreary
Nobody can deny that Tolkien’s novel shows the Two Towers quite dull and maybe the weakest part of the novel. On the other hand, the movie adaptation shows the Two Towers in a greater light with the epic battle scenes. Further, the extraordinary clash between Frodo and one of the Ringwraiths and Gollum is also weaved around the Two Towers making it far more epic in Jackson’s version.
Sauron’s eye
Jackson’s interpretation of Sauron’s eye is a ‘flaming eye’. This visual depiction makes the eye menacing and capable of seeing anything in the Middle-Earth. This conceptualization of Sauron’s eye is loved by the movie lovers; the novel, however, is a bit vague on the details of the eye!
Shows a fantasy adventure
This is an uncontested fact that Jackson’s adaptation movie trilogy is the finest fantasy movie ever made. While the movie follows a fantasy adventure theme, the novel is seen more are an Anglo-Saxon version of the Odyssey. The movie is able to create a grandeur conflict at the cost of the richness and complexity of the book’s plot.
