Tolkien and Campbell

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JamesN.
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Post by JamesN. »

In a hole in the ground there lived a " Hobbit ":

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-no ... .html?vp=1

Welcome to the world of Dan Price - " Hobo Artist ":

http://www.squidoo.com/danprice

A rather curious and interesting fellow. ( I like him ). :wink:
What do I know? - Michael de Montaigne

JamesN.
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Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:46 am
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Post by JamesN. »

Now that the holiday season is here and the December 13th release date for Peter Jackson's 2nd installment of " The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug " is fast approaching there will be no doubt activity available to stir up interest. ( This was a rather interesting approach. ): :o

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-576 ... le-chrome/
What do I know? - Michael de Montaigne

JamesN.
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Post by JamesN. »

I love this old thread.

I think if there is any particular element that bears repeating that has occurred to me after seeing this latest rendering of " Tolkien's " work: " The Desolation of Smaug " it would be that of what resonates or is called forth from within the individual's own personal subconscious. Being but a ( a component of a larger cosmology ; whatever is contained within the movie; ( flaws and all ); has along with the rest of Tolkien's work all the mythic ingredients necessary to conjure up within an individual's psyche all the " subconscious " playmates that have been with them for a lifetime. The names and costumes of the characters may change and the scripts they read may be different; but the roles they serve will be timeless in function.

The " Muses " will dance once more within the " Fantasyland of the Imagination "." The Wasteland " of T.S. Elliott will momentarily be suspended and replaced by the summons of the psyche's ( siren ) " Call "; and any long forgotten memories connected to their themes will be reawakened and invited to play their music. For all children either young or old these messages will find a common playground with which to delve and spin in their wonder; while all will be caught and held within the grasp of their magical spell.

If there is anything more potent than the power contained within these forces to evoke; it may be illustrated in their ability to " reveal " to us the " secrets " of our own inner mysteries. The awesome power of the Dragon " Smaug "; Gandolf as the wise adviser or mentor; Bilbo as the timid, hesitant, and uncertain protagonist; as well as the whole host of other assorted characters are transformed within this " Adventure " context. They become " transcendent " vehicles that speak to other inner complexities that reside deep within us all and are drawn forth within this interplay from the long forgotten sleep of their hibernation.

I will leave to others any particular critiques concerning the actual film itself for there are many associates much more eloquent and qualified on this subject than I am. But as to what is of " value " that Tolkien brings; I thought this article on " Lord of The Rings " offered from something David Kudler quoted back in 2003 would be of interest to revisit:

Thank you for sharing that link with us! It's a very interesting article (if a little snearing in its view of Campbell and Lucas).

For those who don't subscribe to the Times of London here is a portion of the article to which Ivor linked above:





We all love the sagas of heroism. But I think there is something more going on with The Lord of the Rings.

In one sense, obviously, the films offer pretty much what has gone before — mesmerising fights and battles between goodies and baddies in an escapist fantasy world where reality is replaced by constant excitement, constant novelty and a happy ending.

However, even though all these films are in the myth-making, or rather the myth-makeover, business, The Lord of the Rings (book and film) seems to me to offer much more than its predecessors.

I think that is because it is a better, richer myth that was created originally by a man who understood myth-making better and instinctively; for that reason it feeds in a much more satisfying way the deep hunger of millions of people throughout the world for whom other myths have faded and lost their power.

In a way this is all rather surprising. The sophisticated view of The Lord of the Rings (the book) is that it is mawkish and clumsy. J R R Tolkien was one of a group of extremely bachelorish dons (although not all of them were actually bachelors) at Oxford called the Inklings.

C S Lewis, the creator of Narnia, was another member. As a group they have always struck me as the least attractive kind of English male coterie of the prewar era; cocoa drinking, whimsical and sexless, or distracted only occasionally by feeble bat squeaks of sexuality that were hardly audible through the mists of their pipe-smoking misogyny.

Those inclined to look down on the book of The Lord of the Rings (and I am not one) point out disdainfully the unaesthetic, kitschy folksiness of the hobbits in the shire, the dreadful verse throughout, the self-conscious oscillations of the language between Mummerset Lowspeak and cod Early English Highspeak, and embarrassing inventions such as Tom Bombadillo and the Ents, all of which could have been conceived only in the mind of someone missing several hormones and a great deal not just of taste, but also of appetite for adult life.

I don’t see how one can argue with that. But I have always loved the books anyway. What counts about them, despite all that, and what makes the films great is the story. And the story is a powerful collection of elemental myths that are woven together in a way that is spellbinding.

This is not a matter of assemblage. It is not easy to put myths together, like painting by numbers. We know there are huge amounts of powerful material out there, somewhere in our virtual memories, which can have strange and great power over the imagination, across cultures and across time. You do not have to be a follower of Carl Jung or to believe in some sort of collective unconscious to be convinced of that.

Many writers and directors have been tempted, very self-consciously, to try to make use of this power. For example, George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, is known to have consulted Joseph Campbell, the American guru of myth and archetype and author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Star Wars is clearly based on such thoughts to the point of giving me, at least, a sense of pastiche.

The difference, I think, with The Lord of the Rings (book and film) is that Tolkien was deeply learned in myth and in ancient lore and language and had been obsessed with it, devoted to it, for decades.

It had become part of him; through his obsessions it had become in some sense real to him; he had internalised it. Obsession is the father of belief. And without wanting to make rather obvious generalisations about creativity, I think that process is essential to (although not enough for) the creation of something of great power.

It is missing in the other faintly comparable myth-making blockbusters, because they all lack a grand obsessive as a myth-maker. You have in some sense to be obsessed to persuade others to believe, as the princes of organised religions have learnt to their dismay.

Myths are the stories we tell ourselves about what we are and how to be, and about earthly and unearthly power. And in a world where organised religion and moralists of all kinds have become suspect or moribund, myths and fables and parables can still deal with the power of good and evil, natural or supernatural, in the form of entertainment.

The Lord of the Rings is unselfconsciously about all these serious things, some of them deeply unfashionable, such as hierarchy, example, command, self-sacrifice, self-denial and honour. It is also about the more glamorous virtues, about heroism, loyalty and bravery in the face of unspeakable fear, about true love and true friendship.
What do I know? - Michael de Montaigne

JamesN.
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Post by JamesN. »

OK everyone; here is a new video game that is based on a " Middle Earth " connection with the " Lord of the Rings " cosmology: ( I'm not sure this is what Tolkien had in mind in relation to his work but some of you may have different thoughts about this. )

http://bgr.com/2014/01/23/shadow-of-mor ... lay-video/
What do I know? - Michael de Montaigne

JamesN.
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Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:46 am
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Post by JamesN. »

For those interested here is a clip form the last part of " The Hobbit " trilogy - " The Battle of The Five Armies ". This project combined with " Lord of The Rings " are now completed and stand much in a sense like the George Lucas " Star Wars " saga as finished products. This will no doubt have varying opinions as to it's faithful replication of authenticity but at least it is finished and can provide a gateway to the original written work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSzeFFsKEt4

As a tribute to this wonderful old thread I just had to dust it off once more since there is so much great conversation contained here and it only seemed right to do so at the close of this chapter.

( A special friend sent me a copy of The Hobbit awhile back; and for anyone who has read it; like the coal buried beneath the ashes of an old fire; once stirred comes to life once more as an inspiration of life's great adventure. )
:idea:
What do I know? - Michael de Montaigne

JamesN.
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Joined: Sat Mar 04, 2006 2:46 am
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Post by JamesN. »

( I tried to share this in the "Jung in the Weeds" thread but it would not post so I'm putting it here. )

This is a remarkable article on Jung and Tolkien.


http://www.cgjungpage.org/learn/article ... e-and-word

8)
What do I know? - Michael de Montaigne

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