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I am going to check this out tonight because I am not only a huge Tolkien fan but I also really love the writings of some of his other buddies - GK Chesterton and CS Lewis. I am dismayed to hear that his faith is not addressed as central to his personality and writings though.
I am going to check this out tonight because I am not only a huge Tolkien fan but I also really love the writings of some of his other buddies - GK Chesterton and CS Lewis.
Check out SHADOWLANDS, the movie with Anthony Hopkins as C.S. Lewis. It's a really good movie. It isn't a thorough biopic. It only covers his relationship with Joy Davidman, and it plays fairly loosely with the facts in places, but it still succeeds as a great semi-biographical drama.
TOLKIEN is not a bad movie exactly. But it isn't a biopic. It's largely fiction. Really beautiful in places, the cast is great, and there are (too few) really moving scenes. But an accurate biographical film? Nope. Not even a little bitty bit.
Check out SHADOWLANDS, the movie with Anthony Hopkins as C.S. Lewis. It's a really good movie. It isn't a thorough biopic. It only covers his relationship with Joy Davidman, and it plays fairly loosely with the facts in places, but it still succeeds as a great semi-biographical drama.
TOLKIEN is not a bad movie exactly. But it isn't a biopic. It's largely fiction. Really beautiful in places, the cast is great, and there are (too few) really moving scenes. But an accurate biographical film? Nope. Not even a little bitty bit.
Oh I LOVED Shadowlands! I thought that Anthony Hopkins and Debra Winger were very well cast.
I watched Tolkien last night and thought it was decent but definitely not great.
I haven’t seen it, but I have to say that if his faith is ignored then I’d probably be disappointed. Christianity was very important to Tolkien, both in shaping his research and writings as well as defining his personal relationships. Tolkien played a role in Lewis conversion to Christianity and their eventual fallout due to the latter’s embrace of the Anglican Church.
I haven’t seen it, but I have to say that if his faith is ignored then I’d probably be disappointed. Christianity was very important to Tolkien, both in shaping his research and writings as well as defining his personal relationships. Tolkien played a role in Lewis conversion to Christianity and their eventual fallout due to the latter’s embrace of the Anglican Church.
I read somewhere that Tolkien was very much into pagan culture but wasn’t able to find any pagans around where he lived.
Yup. Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic. He certainly admired a lot of what was good, true, beautiful, and virtuous in pre-Christian cultures. But he was not a pagan at heart. Anyone who has ever studied his work or even given a cursory glance at his biography should know this.
I suspect that link was written by someone of the evangelical / fundamentalist stripe, who have such a narrow view of the world and the Christian Faith that they cannot see beyond their own tunnel vision. Such people reject any whiff of paganism simply for being pagan. Which is stupid. Lots of good stuff came out of pagan cultures. Pants for one. I am eternally grateful for the pagan horse barbarians for the invention of pants. I just don't have the legs to make a kilt or toga work.
Yup. Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic. He certainly admired a lot of what was good, true, beautiful, and virtuous in pre-Christian cultures. But he was not a pagan at heart. Anyone who has ever studied his work or even given a cursory glance at his biography should know this.
I suspect that link was written by someone of the evangelical / fundamentalist stripe, who have such a narrow view of the world and the Christian Faith that they cannot see beyond their own tunnel vision. Such people reject any whiff of paganism simply for being pagan. Which is stupid. Lots of good stuff came out of pagan cultures. Pants for one. I am eternally grateful for the pagan horse barbarians for the invention of pants. I just don't have the legs to make a kilt or toga work.
My mistake even though Tolkien’s stories were based on some Pagan myths it was CL.Lewis who was fascinated with Pagans.
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I am eternally grateful for the pagan horse barbarians for the invention of pants. I just don't have the legs to make a kilt or toga work.
