Why does the TV series of "The Lord of the Rings" upset fans?

The TV series of "The Lord of the Rings" has been controversial since it started filming. What are fans worried about? We have sorted and compared several important roles to give you an idea.

In general, J.R.R. Tolkien writes about "God", and the TV series is about "man".

One of the reasons for the success of film "The Lord of the Rings" is that they capture the mythic feel of the original. Elves is a race who is always ageless and handsome.

However, the drama version feels realistic. It is not about powerful and beautiful elves who have lived for thousands of years, but a group of people who can fight very well.

I. External appearance

J.R.R. Tolkien writes about elves with classical beauty. They are a race outside of time, intelligent and powerful. Both men and women have long hair.

Galadriel – her hair is a unique miracle and the original inspiration for the elves.

Film: Gimli's wish is to get a hair of the lady.

Drama version: Madam, I ask you to give me a… forget it.

Thranduil – the King of the Elves of Northern Mirkwood.

Drama version TV series version

Elves in the film, mostly have long hair. This not only blurs the gender and strengthens the non-human beauty, but also adds a sense of ethereality and mystery. Even without talking about the face, the short hair of the drama version makes the elves lost the temperament of the race.

II. Identity

Take Galadriel as an example. In the original, she was the noble leader, running the show behind the scenes. Although not on the battlefield, she led the clan to find their homes, helped the Rangers and urged the elves to support Lohan. All of that show the determination and responsibility of her as a leader in a time of crisis. She is so powerful that she does not need special military uniforms and weapons.

The drama version of Galadriel is a "hungry warrior", carrying a heavy sword and walking alone in Middle Earth. She always shows the state of violence against violence. It presents the power more directly in the TV series, but diminishes the charisma of the character.

III. Texture

J.R.R. Tolkien said that he was seeking a romantic fairy-story. The film with extraordinary costumes and architecture, shining bright light on elven faces to distinguish from humans, are trying to restore that sense of fairyland.

Many scenes had cold and warm layout lighting as well as diffused light sources, and range of control. In addition, the extensive use of black and softness with the picture looks gentler. White softness has a part mainly in the scenes where the elves appear. And in with the highlighting of the scenes where the elves appear in the highlights, post production applied luminous processing, so that the picture seems dreamier.

But what we see in the drama is a group of "people". The details are very polished, but the sense of fantasy is missing.

Facing these comments, TV series producers said they didn't compare it with the movies. They deliberately use this "realistic" quality to avoid the "Middle Earth aesthetic" benchmark set by Peter Jackson. This may be a reasonable approach, but fans don't accept it. It takes courage to blaze new trails, and new explorations always deserve applause. But hopefully they will find the right direction next time.