Elvira Margarida McMurry

M.A. New University of Lisbon - Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. (Faculdade de Ciências Sociais e Humanas), 2007.

ABSTRACT

This dissertation compares The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkien with the most recent cinematographic re-interpretation, by Peter Jackson. In order to produce an objective comparison, a parallel table was created to evidence the differences between Tolkien's novel and Peter Jackson's DVD extended versions of the films. This table, presented in Appendix B, provided the basis for the work done in the dissertation.

The comparison shows surprising results concerning the use of Tolkien's text, which is widely used throughout the films in different ways, and concerning the actual differences and similarities in plot, story-line and characters. It also shows the re-ordering of events in the films, which has a logic of its own and, though different from Tolkien's, how it is not that far from the outlined chronology in the novel.

Finally, it discusses the reception the films received and analyses how the films have produced a new aesthetic reader of the novel: future generations of Tolkien's novel might refer to it as in the past generation many have referred to the BBC radio adaptation.