The Battle of Pellenor fields is an echo of the great battles of the first age. Another fact that I am sure the woke will miss from tolkiens work is that to Tolkien, the March of history is not a good thing. Humanity is not progressing to a better future. It is degrading, moving further and further away from past glory. Each cycle of history being an imperfect imitation of the cycle that preceded it. Progress, far from being good is slowly moving the world further from its noble past. Tolkien is the fantasy equivalent of "The consequences of the industrial revolution..." in its purest form.
It's what the Jackson movies really captured. The depictions of Gondorian soldiers, in beautifully crafted Numenorian armor, fighting amidst ruins. The Great Kings of old, reduced to partisans in the wastelands. Even Galadrial, the greatest Elven queen, Princess of the Noldor who beheld the light of the Valar before the breaking of the world, is but an ethereal shadow weighed down by the last remaining choice in her eons long existence. To succumb to her pride, or to diminish herself totally at the end.
Compare this to the industrious orcs, mass producing weapons on assembly lines, birthing their young in common pits with no family, fed mass produced swill on unknown providence that exists solely to increase their numbers and serve their basic needs. But offer no joy. And over it all, they are ruled in love and fear by an unblinking eye that orders their society in perfect strategic harmony. Even if at the individual level they hate themselves, and everyone around them.
It's a scathing indictment of progress.
Progress to Tolkien is a bad thing, it's why each historical cycle is always a worse reflection of the prior cycle.
But God is in the machine. Gandalf mentions this to Frodo in Moria. Evil is not the only power at work. And Tolkiens catholic optimism saves his mythology from what is arguably personal nihilism that no doubt nearly consumed him in the Trenches of World War 1. God offers the grace of redemption.
In the first age, Fingolfin, high king of the Noldor elves rode out and challenged the black enemy Morgoth to single combat. They fought, and in the end Morgoth prevailed. Striking down the King of the Elves.
Eowyns battle with the Witch king is an echo of this earlier battle with Morgoth. But this time, Good won. Because the fire in a small Hobbits heart was kindled at the last moment and he struck out at the leg of the Witch King, making him vulnerable for Eowyn to strike the killing blow. Tolkien does not use the words "fire" and "flame" lightly. When he does, he is referring to the spirit of God.
God motivated the least among his children to great heroism, and in that moment mankind was redeemed for the fall of Numenor and a path was made to restore the line of the Numenorian kings despite their betrayal. So while the March of history is bad, God opens the way for men to halt its excesses and return to the path. And even atone for the sins of the past that led to the current bad circumstances.
It really is something that shows Tolkien's masterclass. He manages to create a world so dense with lore and so vibrant with atmosphere, you always have this sombre shadow over everything. I mean, the shire is kind of jolly and it is its own thing (which is also kind of the point: They get dragged into everything by the end), but every other place has always this melancholic atmosphere of a bygone glory that will never be reached. I wonder, is this theme of progress mirrored in small scale (pun not intended) with the razing of the shire? I guess to some degree, but the shire is then repaired and the Mallorn tree planted, so maybe that represents the glimmer of hope?
As for the rest of Middle Earth, the fellowship comes past a couple of statues like the Argonaths or the ruins of a tower like on Weathertop and you know these snow-white structures jutting from the ground like bones are what remains of a long-gone splendor that might never be reached again.
Even in places like Minas Tirith, that haven't fallen to ruin yet, you are made aware that they are still just a shadow of their former self and that they stand amidst decay and destruction. Minas Tirith, in that regard is very interesting and woven masterfully into the lore with ties to three other places: The Pelennor Fields, Osgiliath and Minas Morgul.
Minas Tirith itself is still standing strong, but you can tell it is declining, based on many empty houses and the general situation in the city.
The Pelennor Fields are surrouned by ancient walls that have fallen to ruin, a clear indication of the waning power of Minas Tirith.
From Minas Tirith, you can see Osgiliath, a city that has been destroyed by war.
Minas Tirith's sister-city Minas Ithil is now known as Minas Morgul, a city tainted by Sauron's vile influence.
When you read a lesser author's work that doesn't create a world as dense and vibrant as Arda, they mention a ruined city and you know, it's a ruined city. They mention old statues close to a road and you know it's old statues close to a road. In a certain way, they fill a gap in the lore and hint at something bigger, but it seldom really has this overwhelming feeling like it does in LOTR, where an old statue next to a road is so much more.
And the key difference is the worldbuilding, themes, atmosphere and tone of the entire story.
The thing about Tolkien's worldbuilding is that it allows us to have this exchange about the deeply rooted themes in his work and how they are woven into so many details everywhere.
If this Amazon-show was worth a damn, they'd show us the splendor of the second age and attempt to make us feel how insanely glorious the first age must have been by extrapolation. Just imagine, seeing Moria while it was still a glorious symbol of dwarven might and fortune. A smart show would show us pretty much the same locations used in LOTR, but bustling with live, bright and shining with gold and silver, polished marble and intricate craftsmanship that only dwarves can create.
Imagine the strongholds of elves in all their breathtaking beauty. Their forests running with silver streams, golden leaves all around, lush green fields and overflowing orchards.
I dread to think what Amazon will give us instead. I expect everything to be gritty and grubby. Cause gritty and grubby is grimderp and grimderp is super mature for mature audiences. Also tits and gore and...
... fuck me. It's actually kinda fun to think about. Tolkien portrayed progress as something that moves us away from an idealized past. It's nothing short of irony that this is now happening with people pretending to carry on his creation.
In a hundred years, people will still talk about the refined writing of Tolkien. In 5 years, no one will even remember Rings of Power.
Tell me that doesn't bring a tear to your eye.
Oh no... it's raining.
Fun Fact: I have a burning hatred for the Jackson trilogy and one of the main reasons is how the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is ruined in the movie.
For the record, the other things that make me hate the movies are Sam's betrayal at Cirith Ungol, Elves/Legolas getting a reach-around at every turn and Gimli being turned into nothing but a blabbering idiot.
This is supposed to be Celebrimbor, someone who we already know looks like. He looks like the most mannish elf I've seen so far.
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No shit, when I saw that post, it took me 10 seconds to realize that the screenshot wasn't Jeremy Irons' character from that aweful DnD movie.
