Peter Jackson in Perspective: The Power Behind Cinema's The Lord of the Rings. A Look at Hollywood's Take on Tolkien's Epic Tale. - Softcover

Wright, Greg

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0975957708 ISBN 13: 9780975957707

Publisher: Hollywood Jesus Books, 2004

Synopsis

Peter Jackson in Perspective: The Power Behind Cinema's The Lord of the Rings brings under one cover the dozens of essays and lectures that first began appearing on the website Hollywood Jesus in December of 2001. Since then, author Greg Wright (Tolkien in Perspective: Sifting the Gold from the Glitter, VMI 2003) has analyzed and anticipated the cinematic choices of director Peter Jackson with almost prophetic critical insight. He rightly attributes the success of The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and The Return of the King to the power of film itself, the power of Jackson's artistry and the original power of J.R.R. Tolkien's literary masterwork-and in so doing provides an educational, entertaining and respectful look at the process of bringing a much-loved novel to the screen. Like a sculptor of words and ideas, Jackson has pared away pieces of Tolkien's fanstastic epic to reveal both the essence of Tolkien and something entirely new, something uniquely his own. The essays in this volume are an invaluable guide to understanding both Jackson and Tolkien.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

"Peter Jackson s Lord of the Rings trilogy has created a renaissance in epic filmmaking. Through a series of thought-provoking essays, Greg Wright captures the filmmaker s own journey to Mordor and back in Peter Jackson in Perspective: The Power Behind Cinema s The Lord of the Rings. This book is a must-read for Peter Jackson fans and film enthusiasts." --Michael Regina (AKA Xoanon ), Editor in Chief, TheOneRing.net

"This book of essays is your lembas bread for the cinematic journey that is The Lord of the Rings. True to form, even a nibble of Wright s delicious writing will satisfy. Amazing stuff." --Cliff Vaughn, Culture Editor, Ethics Daily

"The 'power' of Peter Jackson s The Lord of the Rings is the power of story. Greg Wright demonstrates that the greatest stories gain much of their strength from how they resonate in our lives, depicting our virtues and foibles at the religious, spiritual or moral levels. Wright brings to his critique a vast knowledge of Tolkien extending far beyond the adapted work, yet he is also sensitive to the demands of film craft and from this perspective probes the decisions Jackson made in bringing the novel to his medium. The critic rightly points out that the greatest departures from the novel s Christian spirit occur at junctures such as Aragorn s 'no mercy' cry at Helm s Deep rather than through the more obvious changes to Tolkien s story. As the majority of these essays were originally posted on the highly popular HollywoodJesus.com website, Peter Jackson in Perspective is also a fascinating record of the dynamics of web criticism." --Christopher Garbowski, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University

"Greg Wright understands Tolkien, and he understands the power and nature of film. He writes with unmatched insight about the ways that Peter Jackson s movie trilogy alternately amplifies, mutes, and reworks Tolkien s literary tale. Wright approaches each medium with both the reverence of an enthusiast and the critical eye of an investigator. What emerges is a collection of essays that cuts to the heart of Jackson s grand interpretation. Peter Jackson in Perspective is an important contribution to the cultural conversation about Tolkien and film, and nobody with an interest in The Lord of the Rings or the intersection of faith, storytelling, and cinema should miss it. Best commentary on the films I have read, hands-down." --Andy Rau, Managing Editor, Internet for Christians

Edition details

• Publisher: Hollywood Jesus Books
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0975957708
• ISBN 13: 9780975957707
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 212