Boromir's problems

On 2/21/04 12:16 PM, in article
22986a60.0402211216.7318b68 RemoveThis @posting.google.com, "Felix Oscar"
<tree01 RemoveThis @inreach.com> wrote:

Snip
 >
 > Weren't Boromir and Faramir both affected by their father, who struck
 > me as crass and even ignorant.

Regarding Faramir being affected by his father, in letter 244 Tolkien
writes, "I think you misunderstand Faramir. He was daunted by his
father: not only in the ordinary way of a family with a stern proud
father of great force of character, but as a Numenorean before the
chief of the one surviving Numenorean state. ...He had a 'bossy'
brother. He had been accustomed to giving way and not giving his own
opinions air, while retaining a power of command among men, such as a
man may obtain who is evidently personally courageous and decisive,
but also modest, fair-minded and scrupulously just, and very
merciful."

 > I also wonder why the resentment to
 > Faramir and not Boromir.

In letter 183 Tolkien writes, "Denethor was tainted with mere
politics: hence his failure, and his mistrust of Faramir. It had
become for him a prime motive to preserve the polity of Gondor, as it
was, against another potentate, who had made himself stronger and was
to be feared and opposed for that reason rather than because he was
ruthless and wicked. Denethor despised lesser men, and one may be sure
did not distinguish between orcs and the allies of Mordor. If he had
survived as victor, even without use of the Ring, he would have taken
a long stride towards becoming himself a tyrant, and the terms and
treatment he accorded to the deluded peoples of east and south would
have been cruel and vengeful. He had become a 'political' leader: sc.
Gondor against the rest."
 >
 > I thought Sean Bean came across very well as Boromir in the film,
 > although truncated.

I agree. Sean Bean really did a fine job portraying Boromir. The
extended DVDs show a more fleshed out character, which I was glad to
see. David Wenham did a great job of portraying Faramir in the short
screen time he had. He really captured Tolkien's description of
Faramir.


--
Flora Foxburr<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
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Felix Oscar <tree01 RemoveThis @inreach.com> wrote:
 > I got this impression from the book that Boromir was blabbing too much
 > about his home city etc, creating friction with Gandalf. Did you get
 > that impression?

 > When they were on the boat near the Argonath, Boromir was "muttering
 > and biting his nails" - was this stress caused by the ring?

 > Weren't Boromir and Faramir both affected by their father, who struck
 > me as crass and even ignorant.

Denethor, Ignorant, you must be joking.


 > I also wonder why the resentment to
 > Faramir and not Boromir.

 > I thought Sean Bean came across very well as Boromir in the film,
 > although truncated.

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On 2/21/04 12:16 PM, in article
22986a60.0402211216.7318b68 DeleteThis @posting.google.com, "Felix Oscar"
<tree01 DeleteThis @inreach.com> wrote:

Snip
 >
 > Weren't Boromir and Faramir both affected by their father, who struck
 > me as crass and even ignorant.

Regarding Faramir being affected by his father, in letter 244 Tolkien
writes, "I think you misunderstand Faramir. He was daunted by his father:
not only in the ordinary way of a family with a stern proud father of great
force of character, but as a Numenorean before the chief of the one
surviving Numenorean state. ...He had a 'bossy' brother. He had been
accustomed to giving way and not giving his own opinions air, while
retaining a power of command among men, such as a man may obtain who is
evidently personally courageous and decisive, but also modest, fair-minded
and scrupulously just, and very merciful."

 > I also wonder why the resentment to
 > Faramir and not Boromir.

In letter 183 Tolkien writes, "Denethor was tainted with mere politics:
hence his failure, and his mistrust of Faramir. It had become for him a
prime motive to preserve the polity of Gondor, as it was, against another
potentate, who had made himself stronger and was to be feared and opposed
for that reason rather than because he was ruthless and wicked. Denethor
despised lesser men, and one may be sure did not distinguish between orcs
and the allies of Mordor. If he had survived as victor, even without use of
the Ring, he would have taken a long stride towards becoming himself a
tyrant, and the terms and treatment he accorded to the deluded peoples of
east and south would have been cruel and vengeful. He had become a
'political' leader: sc. Gondor against the rest."
 >
 > I thought Sean Bean came across very well as Boromir in the film,
 > although truncated.

I agree. Sean Bean really did a fine job portraying Boromir. The extended
DVDs show a more fleshed out character, which I was glad to see. David
Wenham did a great job of portraying Faramir in the short screen time he
had. He really captured Tolkien's description of Faramir.


--
Flora Foxburr


Sent using the Entourage X Test Drive.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
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"Felix Oscar" <tree01.RemoveThis@inreach.com> wrote in message
news:22986a60.0402211216.7318b68@posting.google.com...
 > I got this impression from the book that Boromir was blabbing too much
 > about his home city etc, creating friction with Gandalf. Did you get
 > that impression?
 >
I think most of the friction was between he and Aragorn actually.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Boromir's problems 

"Jose L. Solano" <jsolano199.DeleteThis@aol.comlink> wrote in message
news:20040221180407.15108.00000147@mb-m18.aol.com...
  > >I got this impression from the book that Boromir was blabbing too much
  > >about his home city etc, creating friction with Gandalf.
 >
 > Like father, like son, I guess. Denethor put Gondor above all other things
(but
 > being its lord, I think that's expected), and so did Boromir, though he
wasn't
 > as thick-headed... well, not without the ring's influence.
 >
 >
 >
 > Jose L. Solano
 > -------------------------------
 > A devious, degenerate defender of the devil
 > -------------------------------
 > "It's too damn safe."
 >

Like Bill Clinton, "The World's only indispensible nation," ie all the
others being "dispensible".<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
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