Galadriel: Book vs Movie

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

Thanks to HelloFresh for sponsoring today's video. Go to strms.net/hellofresh_jess_of_the_shire, use my code SHIREAUG10, and receive 10 free meals + free breakfast for life! One breakfast item per box while subscription is active if you’re in the US. The link and code are valid in all countries and the respective local discount will apply.

[@sebastianevangelista4921]

Having them as a sponsor is proof that you're in the big leagues now, Jess!

[@maxedoutvibes]

Finally, a refreshing option for my second breakfasts

[@MrDazzlerdarren]

Sir Terry please ..........I. know you've redum! hahaha

[@monikadeinbeck4760]

When Gimli asks Galadriel for a strand of her hair, neither he nor the reader of the Lord of the Rings know that she grants a simple dwarf a gift she denied the mightiest of all elves of old. And as long as this gift was kept safe by the kindred of Gimli, a spark of the light of the two trees and of the undying lands unspoiled still remained in middle earth.

[@mutantemolina3708]

Three times denied, three strands given. Epicly meaningful recognition of Gimli's admiration, courtesy and humility. Even Celeborn was somewhat uncomfortably jealous.

[@laurentguyot3362]

@@mutantemolina3708 Gimly is the Galahad of LOTR

[@geargeekpdx3566]

",,, and thus the Dwarven spank bank was replenished until the rocks themselves fell to dust" --from the Chillmarillion, chapter 5

[@albaniaalban]

​@@geargeekpdx3566Gross

[@tyree9055]

​@@geargeekpdx3566😂🤣👍

[@allisongliot]

As much as I love Galadriel, I do think she’s the kind of character that works better as a mysterious secondary character than as a focal point for the story.

[@elisebrodeur-jacobs5215]

Agreed

[@theelectricprince8231]

ROP S2 proves this. Her taking any step back works😊

[@TikiDragon1]

​@theelectricprince8231 Season 2? Nah, son, you mean RoP as a whole!

[@rebeccahall4209]

I wish rings of power gave us a different pov character, like Celebrian, her daughter

[@elisebrodeur-jacobs5215]

​@@TikiDragon1I would love to hear what Jess thinks about ROP!

[@Dillon__Morris]

Reading the Fellowship makes me realize just how in depth Tolkiens writing was. As amazing as the movies are, they only really begin to scratch the surface of Middle Earth

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

100%! The books are the best format for the story and all of its complex lore. Luckily, it's such a great story that other versions of it are also pretty fun

[@sebastianevangelista4921]

Yeah you can only go far with how much info and exposition you can provide within a visual medium.

[@penultimateh766]

Like all movies based on books, they are not intended to be a filmed edition OF the book. They are a video essay ABOUT the book.

[@Dillon__Morris]

@@penultimateh766 never said they were 👍🏼

[@nostalji93]

@Ringslover Problem is that media companies don't need "room for others to sketch in". They just tell their own stories and reference the original at best. Galadriel from RoP is not Galadriel, thats a different character.

[@noahmagana137]

Can’t we all agree that cate blanchet is a real life elf because she’s still gorgeous

[@crtune]

Really great actress imo.

[@alecj3454]

She was well cast....unlike the Amazon show.

[@chuckles3265]

Agreed

[@TheHonestPeanut]

​@@alecj3454 nah the TV Galadriel is great. She looks and acts like a younger, more fiery Galadriel. The writing and directing is a bit heavy handed but whatever it's a show. Even if it was a movie folks would complain because she'll never live up to the image we have in our imagination from reading her.

[@DustinHarms]

For me, one of the best castings in film history.

[@verity231]

The "middle" version of Galadriel, the one who was banished and proud is definitely the most interesting. There is a story arc for her, character development, even though we're not there to witness the majority of it. I also love the idea of her learning her wisdom and powers from Melian the Maia in Doriath before the fall of Beleriand. Being the powerful lady of the enchanted forest. Cate Blanchett was pitch perfect casting. She is my Galadriel.

[@painlord2k]

She wanted a land to govern and order and she got one. She got one but she didn't got trapped in the lust of power. This is, in my mind, the reason she say "And I will stay Galadriel". Melkor become Morgoth, Mairon become Sauron. They lost their own identity becoming the container of the power they wanted. But, unfortunately, power is fleeting and when they lost or used it, there nothing left of their self.

[@NicoleStevensHays11x]

@verity231 I’m sure she just popped out of the womb like that. Knew everything, was perfect, good to go. Lmao

[@Raz.C]

Well, Galadriel IS the daughter and grand-daughter of former High Kings of the Noldor. SHE should have inherited the title of High King/ Queen in exile, after the death of Fingolfin. She was cheated out of her birthright to rule the Noldor and thus rule vast lands. It's not surprising, then, that she would choose to remain in exile, to fulfil those repressed desires.

[@stellagetreuer5164]

I‘ll always like book-Galadriel more, the way she is still teasing Celeborn somewhat. She just never lost her sass.

[@BanazirGalpsi1968]

So her gifts both to Gimli and to Sam are part of the surrender arc started when frodo offers the ring, this part of her redemption arc. Gimli closes the feanor arc. And the phial and seed and soil to Sam is giving up the exclusivity to lothlorian. The trees represent both of the two trees. Thus she gives up the things she's most proud of, this proves her pride was GONE

[@BanazirGalpsi1968]

My version is Galadriel 2.o, the complex one .

[@penultimateh766]

Nah, she just a nice lady.

[@dlevi67]

Excellent observation - you clearly are not 'banazir'.

[@jasonmeade955]

This is something I've tried to explain to my sister who loves the LOTR and Hobbit movies, and keeps trying to get into the ROP show, but keeps having trouble getting into it. But it's probably my fault I can't explain it well. When I get going on Tolkien, it tends to be lengthy lecture style. LOL. But I have managed to get across Galadriel's early years and how they connect to the LOTR movies, where she was initially close to Feanor, pulled in by his ambition. Ambition was what she struggled against the most (the only reason she went to Middle Earth was her ambition to grow and rule her own realm, leading her to follow Feanor despite the kinslaying and despite not being boubd by the Oath), with her ambition always testing her by pulling her away from her great wisdom. I had to explain all about Feanor and how his exponential growth of ambition started to drive a wedge between them to the point where Feanor asked for a strand of her hair 3 times, and 3 times she refused. So when Gimli asks for a starnd of her hair and she laughs, giving him 3, it really hits home. Still trying to really convey the significance of the lembas to her. The closest I can get is pointing out that she is the only person in all of Tolkien's writings who has made it other than a valar or maiar. But my sister did seem to get excited when I pointed out that it lembas was exclusively created by women, exclusively gifted by women, and exclusively women who were rulers (or co-rulers) of their realm (even though that is only a bit more than fun fact and doesn't really get into the deep end). But I am getting her more familiar with the first age histories, and she does seem to be more patient with my ramblings when I talk about Melian and Galadriel.

[@painlord2k]

It is not a surrender. It is just giving a gift someone didn't ask but desired; not the desire to possess but with good intentions to leave it to others to represent the friendship between elves and dwarves. Having accepted her "doom" allowed her to give it freely and with joy to Gimli.

[@randalburris665]

And Arwen's grandmother. What a bloodline!

[@williampalmer8052]

I also like how Tolkien depicts her and Celeborn's marriage as very much equal partners. She does not hestitate to call him out when she feels it necessary, and he values her counsel. I think maybe most important of the things you've mentioned is the fact that there is no final canon, and there are no absolute answers to many of the questions people have about Tolkien's world and his works. So many silly disagreements arise needlessly, and many of our interpretations reflect more on who we are than what Tolkien may or may not have intended. In these ambiguous cases, I believe it's better to remain open minded to what others' opinions might teach us, instead of just arguing for its own sake, or for some misguided need to feel superior.

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

Yes! This is one of the things the movie nailed. I love the way they watch each other when they talk. So much respect. And the canon thing really is frustrating. People get so lost in the little details, not realizing that most of those details aren't as certain as they want them to be.

[@_emory]

What a beautiful sentiment about interpretation, that I feel should be applied to art as a whole. Tolkien would care much more about how his work made someone feel, than if they know every sentence

[@dlevi67]

And yet... and yet... there are "common interpretations" that really don't stand up to scrutiny, but become established despite that. For example, the identification of pipeweed with cannabis, where Tolkien says clearly it's some species of _Nicotiana_ i.e. tobacco. Yes, it may have added to the movie characters of Pippin and Merry being "the funny idiots", but it is not what Tolkien intended (and neither does he describe them as "funny idiots", particularly not Merry). Sorry - my autistic part really gets annoyed by these things.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

@@Jess_of_the_Shire The canon thing... I think a big part of it is that we know Tolkien was a bit of a language nerd, so the words he used were very carefully picked, and probably reflected usages that were amost archaic when he was writing, so when people interpret them in a contemporary way right now, that kind of rubs people the wrong way.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

@Ringslover Season names aren't proper nouns in real... I mean British English 😉 , which is why it's not capitalised. If he was referring to some sort of personification of the season, then it would become a proper noun and be Autumn, though.

[@mhmt1453]

Galadriel is an elf, or more appropriately, she is the prototypical elf. In the Fellowship, when Frodo and Sam meet Galdor, it’s written that elves were not good to seek advice from. They will always give answers that can go either way, and seldom give counsel to strangers, so for her to say “I am no counselor…” makes perfect sense.

[@DisFantasy]

"Don't blame me if things go south."

[@dlevi67]

@@DisFantasy Well, the Ring goes South well before the meeting with Galadriel.

[@jfinester]

“Do not ask the elves for counsel, for they will say both yes and no.”

[@_emory]

The sincerity of “seven square meals” and “wiped out by elevenses” KILLED me

[@GarrettJayChristian]

Okay, the prologue explicitly says 'six meals a day, when they could get them.' Are we really all just second breakfast-pilled now?

[@Pandemia616]

​@@GarrettJayChristianYes

[@penultimateh766]

It is a testimony to the quality of this channel that the comments are so erudite and thoughtful.

[@uriustosh]

That or intense moderation.

[@penultimateh766]

@@uriustosh You could test that by mentioning a political topic.

[@LeftJoystick]

Turns out Tolkien fans aren’t actually the racist bigots the….other side….would have you believe.

[@StoneDeceiver]

u clearly havent been reading mine... rude af of you, honestly. if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all... didnt your mom teach u any manners? jeez....

[@mennorach]

One more interesting thing about Galadriel (that I realized last night in the thunderstorm). She is the only one who does not lose or give up a Ring. Every other ring of power changes hands at least once, but she manages to keep hers from their creation to the end of their power.

[@stephengray1344]

So none of the Nazgul were the original holders of one of the nine rings? That's something I never knew.

[@mennorach]

@@stephengray1344 They were made by the elven smiths, taken by Sauron and then gifted by him to the men. There is no way to know who the rings were originally intended for.

[@painlord2k]

The Ring of Elrond? I don't remember him receiving/taking it from a precedent owner

[@draoidh6479]

​@@painlord2k Elrond's ring comes originally from King Gil Galad

[@mennorach]

@@painlord2k It was Gil-Galads ring that he gave to Elrond. Elrond had survived a siege in a valley and they decided to fortify it against time and evil. Imladris was built with the power of Vilya.

[@fuferito]

I beg to differ. Cate Blanchett's voice has amazing range. She skillfully modulates her tone in turn from the menacing whisper in Frodo's mind, to deep sorrow when she guesses Gandalf has fallen into shadow, to reassuring the rest of the Fellowship to rest, to the menacing Dark Queen in the mirror scene, to, finally, her unforgettable remark to Frodo; _"You are a ring-bearer, Frodo. To bear a ring of power is to be alone."_

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

Oh absolutely! Her range and tone are incredible. I just don't know if I'd say it consistently reads as notably deeper than most women's, as the book describes.

[@1Kapuchu100]

@@Jess_of_the_Shire I believe she did make a point to speak in a deeper register, at least in some scenes, which I feel does make it sound noticeably deeper, at least when compared to the other female characters of that movie.

[@joescott8877]

@@Jess_of_the_Shire That Tolkien line was where I discovered what the word "wont" meant, lol.

[@bonniehalf-elven]

Though I don't really look like Cate Blanchett, I was struck by the line in the first LOTR book: "Her voice was clear and musical, but deeper than woman's wont." I also have a deep voice for a woman, and I cosplayed Galadriel for many years, until I felt I'd aged out of the character. Some of my fondest memories are of playing Galadriel.

[@StoneDeceiver]

@@joescott8877 wont means will not, i wont to correctly correct peoples online hehe xd

[@One_Eyed_Man_]

There was exhaustion there for sure, but I always read a bit of fear in Galadriel's expression as well. Her eyes were wide, and she stumbled back a little as if recoiling from the edge of a cliff. I think she was horrified by what she could have become. I didn't think about it until just now, but the way she listed powers she'd possess as a "beautiful and terrible queen" reminds me of the way Smaug bragged about his own power. Maybe that sort of bragging is emblematic of the corruption that both consumed him and tempted her.

[@laurentguyot3362]

its called pride and it corrupt to the core, everyone should be afraid to succumb to it.

[@painlord2k]

The corruption is metaphysical: The Elven Rings and the One Ring were created to preserve forever the Elves (or Sauron) in Middle Earth. If she accepted the One Ring she would become, FOREVER, "the beautiful and terrible queen". She would become her title, devoid of her original self. Like happened to Sauron and Morgoth. Alone on top.

[@BanazirGalpsi1968]

Also, the thing thats rarely done and super difficult to do is the light and the eyes. All elves have it in degrees in the book. Most folks just slap pointed ears on, hopefully on a skinny pretty character and say" thats an elf". But in tokiens book the ears aren't even mentioned. Only in the letters is it mentioned and only as a perhaps possibility. But the light and the eyes are all over the book.

[@biscuit715]

The movies had the galadralight, which gives her this sort of star like reflection in her eyes which I think worked really well

[@nickpalazzo6585]

There is something about Hobbit ears being pointed and elvish, but ... yeah, that's not exactly an ironclad case. If an adaptation had elves without pointed ears, I wouldn't be mad. I might fear for the creators' safety, though.

[@Oakleaf012]

Movie Galadriel absolutely enchanted me as a kid. I don’t know that I can say I prefer one version or the other, they’re both wonderful, but Cate Blanchett did absolutely marvelous work with a very small part. One of the highest compliments I’ve ever received (back when I was a teen with long wavy blonde hair) was being told I looked like her 😂 Fascinating exploration as always, thank you for your work ❤ (as an aside, I also love your Legolas video and periodically find myself singing “to the sea” in the melody you sang. It’s lovely! Did you make it up?)

[@user-gk9lg5sp4y]

She enchanted me as an adult.

[@Oakleaf012]

@@user-gk9lg5sp4y now and for always

[@StoneDeceiver]

can i has a strand? 🥺👉👈 UwU

[@jessyromel]

I admire Care Blanchett, but I definitely prefer book Galadriel. And I also like Silmarillion Galadriel a lot! I met the character when I was 12 years old watching the movies and I was captured by that strange scene and the next day I was starting reading the books to understand her better. But surprise, surprise... I couldn't because even in the books she's a mystery. Frustrating, but I loved the experience. I agree when you say that what makes this character so good is not knowing exactly what she does, or feel, but I don't think that trying to put her in a spotlight is a bad thing. Of course it's going to be different, but it is an exciting journey to find what others think of her. I watch the series and I like to understand the parallels they are trying to do.

[@Zhohan-]

Something I’ve continually loved about this channel for a long time is the deep appreciation for what fantasy represents. Jess sees the otherworldly nature of Tolkien’s fantasy that I think is missing from so many other works. It’s about giving you a glimpse of reality so far removed from your own existence yet connects you to the unchanging nature of our conscious experience with both ourself and others. So much heart shines through in these videos and my days are brighter for it.

[@CaptainPikeachu]

I think for me personally, a mystical incomprehensible character getting an exploration that breaks the veil of mystic is one of my fave things. I can see why others may have a problem with it, but I love knowing characters as people, even the mystical seemingly infallible ones.

[@kerickwalters2749]

A stroke has rendered me hemiplegic so I spend most of my day resting . Channels like yours are a godsend ❤ could I challenge you to do an hour long video on a much avoided topic? The Scouring Of The Shire? Please and thank you

[@NicoleStevensHays11x]

@kerickwalters2749 I am SO SORRY. I had a right front parietal hemorrhagic stroke at 28 or so yrs old. Paralyzed on entire left side, shoulders down. Prognosis was wheelchair for life. But if you click my name you’ll see a few of my rehab videos. Made a full recovery against all odds. I still remember the hell of having to push a button just because I wanted to roll over in bed (needed a nurse). And the night I tried going to the bathroom alone and wound up on the floor stuck lol. Before the stroke was the near fatal car accident. Was in my 3rd year of medical school before all that went down. A decade after it, which is now, breast cancer. There’s been other brushes w/ death. I hope this isn’t gonna be an every 10 year thing lol. You’re in my prayers. God bless you ♥️ Oh, and … so, my stroke didn’t affect sensation or anything. Pure motor. Your motor cortex is basically, in the last strip of your frontal lobe. Other parts of your frontal lobe deal with things like impulse control and judgment. I had all this bleeding going on there and ischemia and swelling. So I was not in my right mind. I remember being in the Neuro ICU for like three days maybe. I remember being in a diaper and I remember like, launching something at the plexiglass between me and the nurse station LMAO just to be a jerk. You should have seen me the night of the stroke, too. I was in the hospital, waiting room for the emergency room because of severe pain from an injury that still needed another surgery and it was that rise of blood pressure that caused me to blow a gasket in my head. My normal blood pressure went up to 191/110 or something. Because I was so young, it took them forever to diagnose me. They wanted to call it an atypical migraine, and after that they wanted to call a shrink down. I went nuclear. I was screaming at them. I was screaming at the little old lady, sharing the room with me who is trying to tell me to just talk to the psychiatrist. I was demanding to be discharged against medical Advice. And only one shoulder would go up. I was like are you guys freaking kidding me. This is not psychosomatic. This is all going on from like when I got there at maybe 10 or 11 at night until they finally scanned my head at 6am. I was going WILD. I’m laughing remembering it. Freaking psychiatrist…get out of here… classic presentation of a stroke! When you hear Hoovebeats, think horses, not zebras. Med school saying. I hope you had a better experience than me. It was okay after that night but dude, the head pain was MONSTROUS! Other worldly. I had a midline shift, but no actual brain herniation. And when the blood moves into the ventricles where the cerebral spinal fluid is you get so nauseous…I feel bad that I came out of this walking normally and you didn’t. I wish I could help. Jesus has new bodies for us though…well, He will by that time lol

[@Zelkathis]

I like all versions of Galadriel; it's like hearing different descriptions of the same person from different friends. They all have a different take on them based on their experiences with that person. She's one of Tolkien's most extraordinary characters, in my opinion.

[@nexx410]

Cate was perfect for this role. She has this somewhat alien ethereal look that really embodies Galadriel. Peter Jackson did such a good job which is becoming so apparent compared to today’s movies and series

[@iseriver3982]

People always tend to forget that it's called tolkeins legendarian not because tolkein is the benevolent god of middle earth, but because there's a lot of unanswered questions, deliberate mysteries and contradiction in his writings. There's going to be room for a little wriggling.

[@tomklock568]

I think that’s what makes her character more fascinating: beautiful, mysterious, powerful, dare I say, frightening. Thanks so much for the video. I too haven’t even looked at the rings of power series.

[@tomklock568]

By the way, you are doing such a great job on these videos. Thanks.

[@jasonmeade955]

I tried the Rings of Power. I am not one to get all worked up about "canon," but they stripped away everything that made up Galadriel. Her wisdom is nonexistent (though they try to make her look wise by making everyone else idiots). They removed her ambition and replaced it with some blind vengeance obsession. They eliminated her aversion to violence and created a brutally efficient killer. And worst (in my opinion), they simple erased her husband and daughter and seem to be creating some sort of shameful secret relationship with Sauron as if they wanted to make a Hallmark romance drama set in Middle Earth.

[@tomklock568]

@@jasonmeade955 Wow that is pathetic!

[@CaptainPikeachu]

@@tomklock568 You should watch things yourself and decide instead of just accepting what other say as truth and having an opinion based on what someone says.

[@jaguarking2892]

Cate Blanchett was such an amazing pick for this role. She's the perfect amount of delicate yet commanding, and her presence is just what the films needed more of.

[@semicharmedlife311]

Truly! And then you see her portrayal of Lilith in that horrid Borderlands film. 😬

[@jaguarking2892]

@@semicharmedlife311 a girl's gotta eat

[@semicharmedlife311]

@@jaguarking2892 It's not her fault in any way. Frankly, the entire casting for that film is beyond dubious. And although it released this year; it was actually filmed in like 2014. Awful.

[@joescott8877]

I can think of no better choice. I was totally smitten by her Galadriel, and never tire of seeing her scenes. (She's amazing in "Elizabeth" and other films as well!)

[@semicharmedlife311]

@@joescott8877 Alternately, were Cate not cast I feel Tilda Swinton would also excel in the role.

[@oscarstainton]

When I first saw the Ralph Bakshi animated film, I was surprised by how much of a "lighter touch" they gave Galadriel, especially compared to the heightened distance and sombre gravitas of Cate Blanchett. At first I didn't like it. But over time, I think that's kind of intriguing; the idea that she has transcended the pains of her immortality and is able to gently advise the hobbits. That motherly warmth and regal authority was there.

[@EriktheRed2023]

For all the Bakshi film's flaws, it does a really good job with showing personalities. Sam gets rather short thrift, but that's largely down to the film not getting to the parts where he gets to shine.

[@Quirderph]

Bakshi's Galadriel read to me like somebody whose temptation was in the far past, like she had already made up her mind to never use the One Ring long before Frodo brought it to Lothlórien. Unlike Jackson's Galadriel who goes through a very dramatic temptation right there on screen.

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

Yes! It's a very different interpretation, but also very true to Tolkien's original vision for the character

[@sebastianevangelista4921]

@@Jess_of_the_Shire If he had lived longer I wonder how different his approach to her in The Silmarillion would have been given how he was one for constant revision.

[@sebastianevangelista4921]

@Ringslover That checks out.

[@coreyander286]

Making Galadriel into a more purely Marian figure seems redundant, when the legendarium already has Melian, who was truly unstained as far as I can remember, always being the voice of reason even against Thingol. And Varda if we're counting non-Incarnates.

[@mordirit8727]

A Marian figure, a _true_ Marian figure, needs to achieve its divinity through human means. Melian is a goddess on par with Sauron, even capable of fending off Morgoth's curses and intentions (until her heartbreak over Thingol's death stops her). She can't be Mary, not truly. If Mary had been an angel sent to Earth by God explicitly to give birth to Jesus, she wouldn't be as meaningful to Catholicism as she is. If anything, I think the issue with using Galadriel for this is that she isn't human enough. If Tolkien desperately needed and wanted a Mary in his books, he should have used a human for it, not an elf.

[@vettim89]

I think its interesting that Jackson chose to emphasize the frustration and sadness of seeing all they once valued decay and fade in both Elrond and Galadriel. I think the mirth and lightness of Galadriel's personality is lost because of this in the films.

[@rbweston]

Friday evening, 8pm (UK), It must be time to watch Jess of the Shire with a nice glass of wine. :D

[@stipekn]

I was eating a hobbit style breakfast while watching the video.

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

This is the Number 2 most recommended way to watch my videos. #1 being with a nice cup of tea

[@sebastianevangelista4921]

@@Jess_of_the_Shire Tea is perfection!

[@rbweston]

@@Jess_of_the_Shire I think I'm one of the few British people who hate Tea.

[@sebastianevangelista4921]

@@rbweston You bring shame to your country 🙃!

[@ActonBell1848]

You made a good point and one I hadn't thought of when I had read the scene of the Mirror of Galadriel. In that she bows her head yielding all the power of beauty and "light" the ring could offer her instead to be simply an elf a being who offers knowledge and aid to those who need. In this she avoids falling into the trap Feanor did.

[@joescott8877]

I was smitten by Cate Blanchett's portrayal. The performance lived up to my already idealized image of her from the book. The only complaint: Movie G. never uttered the wonderful line: "...we have fought the long defeat." I adored the Gifts scene in the movie, esp. Galadriel's kind yet rejoining smile in answer to Sam's "cheek" in asking for a spare "nice, shiny dagger"! I dearly wish PJ had included the splendid scene in TTT where "Lockbearer" freaks with joy after Gandalf delivers a message to Gimli from "His Lady," LOL!

[@Perktube1]

Your description of Galadriel's test is agreeable. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but Tolkien's comparatively few words describing her gives more of an image than the movie does.😊

[@peterratter6603]

Showing my age here...my first introduction was the version voiced by Annette Crosbie in Ralph Bakshi's animation, long before I read The Hobbit, let alone TLotR. With adult hindsight, I can see why she fascinated me - the ethereal glow of her against the background, the subtly too-perfect symmetry of her face coupled with the power in her voice... Some years later, finally reading LotR, she was a Power, a Presence in the stories that made her one of my favourite characters. That fact that decades hence, I think she has one of the best (acrobatic! gymnastic!) entrances and songs in the stage show is entirely coincidental. As you say, the PJ version is relatively blunt and broadstroke, but conveys the Power that she is as a character. I also agree with your thoughts on Cate Blanchett's portrayal; somehow, she *gets* Galadriel. Even though the sequence is entirely for the movies, one of my favourite lines from the PJ franchise: "I come for Mithrandir. And I will leave with him. If you try to stop me, I will destroy you..."

[@BrodieVickers-tk9sd]

Never knew she did that until this evening, amazing actress👍

[@ernestschroeder9762]

I think you're missing that Galadriel was taught by Melian ,the mayar , the girdle of Melian is practically what surrounded Lothlorian.

[@DustinHarms]

2 of my favorite things surrounding Galadriel - 1 - Her namárië, which still 50/50 makes me tear up when I read it as if the elves were truly real and just as solemn. Especially knowing the context, which I didn't even have the first few times I read it. I definitely subscribe, in my own head-canon, to the first revision rather than the far later one. I love the idea that Galadriel had some small degree of vice and therefore, regret. It's magnificent and suits both the character and the world all the more...at least for me. 2 - The tie in with Gimli's request and Faenor. Denying Faenor thrice, then freely giving 3 strands to Gimli. It almost feels like Galadriel's own kind of closure, even if Gimli had no idea. As far as preference for book or movie adaptation....that's an impossible choice. I honestly can't imagine a better casting than Cate Blanchett, who often carries a similarly mysterious and unknowable air, while also being simultaneously charming and friendly. She really, REALLY suits the character. But the movie doesn't have her song, and I always found the scene with her "temptation" just slightly overdone in the movie. So, really, I may have just the slightest preference to the books, but I fully and gladly enjoy both.

[@kathilisi3019]

If you like the song Namárië, I recorded a version of this song years ago on my first KZbin channel that I lost access to due to technical difficulties. You can find it if you search for "Galadriel's Song kathilisi". I'd be interested in hearing your opinion about it, whether it fits the idea of the song that you have in your head. 😊

[@DustinHarms]

@@kathilisi3019 That was lovely! I definitely did imagine the minor tonality of your version, and the singing was beautiful. Only thing I imagined differently would be the tempo - I imagine it a decent bit slower. Overall, though, that was really great. Thanks for sharing!

[@tolstiynamek]

@kathilisi2030 thank you! That was beautiful! You have a lovely voice and you make it easy to imagine this as a bittersweet song of parting.

[@helenewashington8017]

Now I must find that song also !

[@charliestevenson3500]

Imagination is the best illustrator for the books and directors have to work very hard to satisfy the readers of the books.

[@yoonahkang7384]

I think its enough if they try to satisfy themselves. Thats the only realistic way of doing art

[@charliestevenson3500]

@@yoonahkang7384 true, if the directors enjoyed reading the books.

[@ijc9837]

It is so entertaining to watch all these different JRRT youtubers give their interpretation of his works. I've seen maybe 2 dozen this week! all different to some degree. At least you admitted to not touching rings of prime with a 10-foot pole.

[@MrBillclintin]

I think Cate Blanchett did a great job as the Galadriel. The role as Galadriel, Arwen and especially Luthien is impossible to depict. The divine elfs is more vala/maia then 'human'.

[@animistchannel]

Ah, Galadriel, Galadriel, Galadriel! Tolkien couldn't settle on a simple identity and process for her, because she IS the Faerie Queen, and he had no way to fully integrate that with any later theology, because she is already what she is. He already had Arwen as his Madonna, and yet Galdriel was her grandmother. This matters! This is a character of such resonance in the actual world that no translation can be properly made to some other smaller frame of reference. He couldn't reduce her to a simple principle, because she is already a complex and extraordinary confluence of principles already. In an older culture, she is, in essence, a princess of the Tao itself, and cannot be locked down (or, Laotse would say, not "cut up") into anything more manageable by the words of men. "Stairway To Heaven" by Led Zeppelin is perhaps the best attempt so far to portray in evocative terms "The Redemption of Galadriel" having many references of both the Tolkienian story alongside elder elemental notions. In meeting the One Ring in person, she finally found her "shadow taller than her soul" and chose not to chase after it. For her, it was not a real temptation, more like a relief to have that showdown over with at last, and what she gave up was not really her ambition, but her self-doubt. She had strived with power to stop power, and she finally proved that it was not power she had sought all along. What she had wished for through all the years of "fighting the long defeat" was neither victory nor loss, but rather a reunion. Having held off loss (at least locally, quite effectively) and refused victory by the most direct and vulgar means; she could finally go home with a clear conscience, knowing that she had succeeded where so many of her kin (especially Faenor) had failed. She had, by her faithfulness to the Eternal Music itself, truly bought her Stairway to Heaven. The cost of passage was not the gold of the earth or power upon the land, but rather the gold of her own head and the power to let everything else grow on without her and be itself. As such, she could also move on and still be herself -- to remain Galadriel. She (and Gandalf btw) specifically had faced the choice and decided to let Sauron be thrown down and have no one replace him. As such, they had both fulfilled what had brought/sent them to middle-earth in the first place, and so they could return with no regret for what the future might later bring. They had set the world free on its own merits, and they had earned their rest without regret. There is a whole evocation vs invocation magic function at work here, but it is a longer conversation not so well suited to one KZbin comment. If you would have that, I can describe some principles at work. Tolkien was at least relatively aware of this sort of thing working itself out. It often comes down to where you put your identity, and where your identity puts you, and whether these things can work themselves out across the events of a life after all...

[@DarkMuj]

Absolute twaddle mate you need to get your head examined

[@johnfox7985]

I'd be interested in a better understanding of this evocation versus invocation magic function concept!

[@animistchannel]

​@@johnfox7985 Okay, sure, why not? In basic terms, evocation is calling or summoning something forth, and invocation is bringing something into yourself as a part of your own identity. These are the essential sides of the magical coin. Evocation is striking a match and lighting a campfire to warm and dry yourself on a cold snowy night. Invocation is cranking up your own metabolism to heat yourself and dry yourself off with that heat from within. Both are literally, physically demonstrable in the real world. The Hoover Dam, or a SpaceX rocket, or a nuclear bomb are all evocations -- ways of harnessing and channeling what is already out there in nature and unleashing or channeling it according to your desires. Learning to read, or to draw, or to shoot a bow are invocations -- they change what you are by giving you a new way to channel the information-energy of the environment through your consciousness, which changes your consciousness itself. A priest, engineer, blacksmith, or ceremonial magician are generally evokers. They seek to call up some skill or power effect to serve their will. A shaman, monk, mystic, or mathematician are generally invokers. They seek to change and evolve themselves to enhance their own process of processing, to become the thing that can see or comprehend the thing that matters to them, whether that be the mind of the Forest or the virtues of a well-rounded soul or the multi-dimensional projections of an equation. These two aspects of magic (which is to say, the deliberate behaviors and adaptations with forethought and intention, not just instinctive reflexes or reactions) are necessarily intertwined. It takes some invocation to improve your evocation, and it is by effective evocation that the level of invocation can be proven and made useful or progressive. The difference is partly found in what you are after the fact. An evoker can build a thing or call forth an effect, and after that they are still basically the same "them." An invoker is necessarily changed by the experience. I once put this to a ceremonial witch in this way (approx): "When you do your spells or go out and change the world with your effects, you come home and you are still you. Your magic serves your will, for whatever that will is worth. When I go out into to the wild to commune, what comes back is not necessarily the same as what went out. I don't expect to still be me, but rather to Become what is needed for the next stage of my work. I'm not trying to stay "me." There is no "me." I am just a process unfolding without boundaries. Invocation is scary. It means always challenging your very self as to whether you should continue to exist as you, or whether "being you" is even relevant to what you need to do. Buckminster Fuller once said, "I Seem To Be A Verb." This is perhaps the most concise definition of the difference. Okay then, in Tolkien's world, how does this play out? The rings of power had both invocational and evocational effects. They linked the user to eternity in some ways, which could extend a lifespan as an evoked effect, because it changed the nature of their being, an invoked effect. Thus humans, who were meant to have a limited lifespan, would become functionally immortal, but at the cost of "stretching" out their soul, watering them down, making them increasingly under the power of whoever controlled the One Ring (i.e. Sauron), because the One Ring was an invocation of Sauron's own immortal spirit as a maia. Dwarves, however, who were entirely of the world as a sub-creation of Aule, did not have that connection to the eternal music, so they neither had longer lives nor fell into the dominance of Sauron when using their rings. They just got the evocation effects of their rings of power to use, the perception and intuition of their own desire to wealth and influence in the world. This was really irritating for Sauron, to say the least! The 7 rings he gave them just empowered their independence without making them subject to his will. The 3 elf-rings which were made in secret without Sauron's contamination were equally problematic. Each had some elemental invocational affinity (air, water, fire) that could be used to create evocational effects. Elrond hid Rivendell in the river-valley and secured its borders against all spies. Galadriel grew mallorn trees in the image/glory of Two Trees of the ancient age (she having invoked the light of the trees in antiquity), and they reached up high into the airs, and in the news of the winds she could see far afield and even fight the will of Sauron in the weathers of the world. Gandalf had enhanced fire of spirit and could (reincarnate! and) summon flames and plasma/lightnings to his bidding. In each of these, however, they also took on (invoked) some of the essence of their element, with Elrond always considering the flow of water to the sea and the spirit world beyond, Galadriel always entwined in the news of the fates of the world [re: Vi and Vili from norse mythology] and being tempted to make dominion over it, and Gandalf always seeming to bump up against the willfulness/fire of spirit of those he sought to advise or help. By rejecting the temptations of the One Ring, each of these ringbearers proved in their own ways that they were fit to cleanse the world of its main evil, but that they wouldn't try to invoke the final power to personally dominate middle-earth in their own name. They gave up their evocations of their rings, got on a boat together, and let the invocations of their spirits take them to their true home in Valinor. They had passed the test of worldly incarnation, and so they went to eternity and remained what they had Becomee of themselves. And that, believe it or not, IS the short version. "...and she's buying a Stairway To Heaven" a pathway bought with the "gold" of her own soul, like the very hairs on her head.

[@animistchannel]

@@johnfox7985 Sorry, I wrote a detailed response on the matter, but it seems to have been deleted for unknown reasons. Sometimes the KZbin algorithm does this on its own, or maybe I said something Jess thought was not acceptable.

[@theculturedbumpkin]

One of my favorite characters ever

[@zb3701]

Wonderful and fascinating analysis and insights with such endearing presentation as always. PhD level. Just love your channel. Glad you're full-time now!

[@billcox6791]

I love the idea of there not being a single canon. It’s very fitting with this being a mythology where we often have conflicting stories that are all considered true.

[@Anshelm77]

19:51 And this gives his stories the feel of oral tradition, making them seem older than they are, appropriately enough.

[@Qenton]

That Alan Lee painting is one of my favorites. I still keep the calendar that had that one in it. Of course Peter Jackson based many of the films imagery on those paintings.

[@alseid8709]

You know what really, really drives me up the wall? How in the Hobbit, they use Galadriel's "Terrible Queen" visual as if it was her "Super Saiyan" or "Devil Trigger" mode, just a power up, in that terrible scene in Dol Guldur. It's not something she can just switch on, it's a vision of the horrible power she would wield, and the corruption she would suffer, if she took the Ring. But no, in the Hobbit she just does it.

[@williamblack6912]

You could argue that this is how she appears in the spirit world similar to Glorfindel at the Ford of Bruinen

[@sindelscat9336]

Honestly, I liked that better than what we got in rings of power.....

[@coreyander286]

@@sindelscat9336 who asked

[@sindelscat9336]

@@coreyander286 found the rings of power stan

[@NemisCassander]

@@williamblack6912 This is how I see it. When Frodo offers the Ring, we see her in her true Fana, which would make sense, as Sauron, sort of, is seen the same around the Ring. I felt that Galadriel drew on that form to banish the Necromancer from Dol Guldur. Which, at least in broad strokes, is exactly according to canon.

[@mykullthecimmerian7183]

Nicely done! I love Galadriel!

[@briarroseella7142]

I really love both takes honestly, both book and movie. It's so interesting to see how Tolkien also worked on the character even after publication. It helps a lot to realize as an aspiring author hahaha. As for Rings of Power, I totally get that stance, the metaphor you used about the grand canyon, she really isn't the same character in RoP and LotR book & movie. Maybe that's where all the criticism is coming from, that the mysticism about her has disappeared in RoP. But at the same time, I do like that she's getting a character arc, and considering that one version that Tolkien had for a while, I feel like RoP Galadriel's pride really fits into that. Idk, just rambling. Either way, really love all of your deep dives like this, they're so insightful!! So thank you so much!

[@IanUniacke]

I love your analysis. It has clarified for me something I've always wondered, which is why people think the book galadriel is different to the movie galadriel. Since to me, I read them the same way. And I have now realised that I always read Galadriel as the arthurian archetype, especially since one of the first mentions of her in the book is Gimli saying something akin to "there's a witch in this forest". I grew up obsessed with arthurian legend so it was natural for me to fill in the blanks from there. Even now, watching you read the book version of frodo offering the ring to galadriel I still read it exactly as it is in the movie. That is that Galadriel would become literally terrifying. But if you are not biased towards that depiction like I was I guess it just reads differently.

[@BrodieVickers-tk9sd]

Cate Blanchett was great casting for Galadriel. Though I've also got to give credit to the BBC Radio Dramatization actress for her portrayal too, Marian Diamond. She's not that well known, hasn't even got a wiki page, but her voice was perfect for the character! Looking forward to you covering that sometime. Never knew that Annette Crosbie (Scottish actress, whose still with us at 90 years old, she's really good) played her as well in the Ralph Bakshi movie, must pay attention to that next time I watch it..

[@kevindenelsbeck7444]

Nice work, thanks. The very nature of personal identity, and where the fences are even for the superpowers, is hinted at and seems worthy of an even deeper treatment.

[@dougmphilly]

This is so good that I had to subscribe. So well done.

[@nikorex32]

I like the bit about finding her "frustratingly fascinating" near the end of the video. Well said. That's why I am careful what I wish for, when I want more adaptations or stories about some charaters. Sometimes you just need to leave it be.

[@patatequiroule]

I love how the evolution of Tolkien's characters and concepts doesn't feel like he's just rewriting them, but rather it feels like the living mythologies he drew inspiration from. Any version of a trope or character we can have in our head never really is "the cannon", it is like a snapshot of a particular moment in history, reflected in storytelling.

[@stevewatt4819]

ah, but the Kinslaying, ...The trek over the ice, so much to her!

[@StoneDeceiver]

i loved that part when sam shouts THERE IS A TEMPEST IN ME! and bites the ring off of frodos finger after galadriel told sam only gimli gets free hairs

[@jamesfehlinger9731]

You mention the influence of the Catholic Mary on Tolkien's Galadriel, and that's certainly true. But Tolkien also admitted to having been influenced by H. Rider Haggard; and if you read Haggard's work, the echoes of the immortal queen Ayesha, She-Who-Must-Be-Obeyed, in the character of Galadriel are unmistakable, and in fact quite striking. Chapter XII "She" "But presently I clearly felt that somebody was looking at me from behind the curtains. I could not see the person, but I could distinctly feel his or her gaze, and, what is more, it produced a very odd effect upon my nerves. I was frightened, I do not know why. ... The hand grasped the curtain and drew it aside, and as it did so I heard a voice, I think the softest and yet most silvery voice I ever heard. It reminded me of the murmur of a brook. "Stranger," said the voice... "stranger, wherefore art thou so much afraid?" ... "Why art thou so frightened, stranger?", asked the sweet voice again -- a voice which seemed to draw the heart out of me, like the strains of softest music. ... "It is thy beauty that makes me fear, oh queen," I answered, humbly... "Ah, stranger," she answered, with a laugh that sounded like distant silver bells, "thou wast afraid because mine eyes were searching out thine heart, therefore wast thou afraid..." "Dost thou wonder how I knew that ye were coming to this land...?" "Ay, O queen," I answered... "Then gaze upon that water," and she pointed to the fontlike vessel, and then, bending forward, held her hand over it. I rose and gazed, and instantly the water darkened. Then it cleared, and I saw as distinctly as I ever saw anything in my life -- I saw, I say, our boat... I started back aghast, and cried out that it was magic, for I recognized the whole scene; it was one which had actually occurred. "Nay, nay...," she answered, "it is no magic... There is no such thing as magic, though there is such a thing as knowledge of the secrets of Nature. That water is my glass; in it I can see what passes if I care to summon up the pictures... Therein I can show thee what thou wilt of the past, if it be anything to do with this country and with what I have known, or anything that thou, the gazer, hast known..." "Never before had I guessed what beauty made sublime could be, and yet the sublimity was a dark one; the glory was not all of heaven, though none the less was it glorious. Though the face before me was that of a young woman of certainly not more than thirty years..., yet it had stamped upon it a look of unutterable experience, and of deep acquaintance with grief and passion. Not even the lovely smile... could hide this shadow of sin and sorrow. It shone even in the light of the glorious eyes, it was present in the air of majesty, and it seemed to say: "Behold me, lovely as no woman was or is, undying and half divine; memory haunts me from age to age, and passion leads me by the hand; evil have I done, and with sorrow have I made acquaintance from age to age, and from age to age evil shall I do, and sorrow shall I know till my redemption comes." ... "I have looked on beauty, and I am blinded," I said... "So! what did I tell thee? Beauty is like the lightning; it is lovely, but it destroys..."

[@cally77777]

Yes I read 'She' again recently, and there are striking parallels, especially her ability to see things in the water. However while Galadriel has a possible dark side, Ayesha is already a Dark Queen, who can and does strike down those that offend her, and is much less in control of her emotions, notably jealousy and rage.

[@Ashasverus]

I think that Galadriel is one of those characters that daunt and impress an author. The author can see a part of them clearly, but then the character brings along the rest of their being, and the author gets overwhelmed. Even as a kid, I could see that Galdriel was entirely self possessed. She obviously is the stronger partner in her marriage to Celeborn. She is completely confident when speaking to the fellowship. In The Mirror of Galadriel, she is obviously the movibg force of the chapter, Sam and Frodo are reacting to her, not she them. At the parting, she is regretful, hopeful, majestic and humble. So much character. No wonder that Tolkien kept revisiting her.

[@beansnrice321]

Cate Blanchett was amazing as Galadriel. Her performance might have been the one that most transported me to Middle Earth.

[@gregoryshull2099]

Jess of the Shire, you are also an "ephemeral powerhouse" !!! Thank you 😊

[@Cal-fr9mw]

Making a 9 to 10 Hour Drive and I have almost all tokens books as audiobooks for these type of ventures plus catching up on your content. Your voice is so easy to listen to

[@micklumsden3956]

I enjoyed hearing your thoughts - thank you. I have always found Galadriel intriguing. And the more I learn about it, the more intriguing she is. I really didn’t like the Galadriel of the film. Not because it was badly done and not because there were any defects in the acting. But only because the medium of film takes away at least some of the mystery. I would have liked you to have explored the mystery much more. For example, what was her relationship with Boromir? What I mean is that these are two mighty characters in the opposition to Sauron. And yet, neither of them seem to recognise the other. Galadriel is supposed to be wise and good. And yet the affect of her “intervention“ with Boromir seems to be to push him in the direction of his fall. Most commentators seem to be very clear that Boromir is full of pride, and even suggest that he is “the rotten apple in the barrel“. I reject that completely, but I do think that by his very nature, he was vulnerable. Galadriel did nothing to help him and I have to ask myself “why not?“

[@gabrielblanchard3921]

Literally my first thought when I heard there was going to be a live-action adaptation of _Lord of the Rings_ was "I hope they get Cate Blanchett to play Galadriel." (I could have physically popped when I heard people saying she wasn't pretty enough!?) She's my favorite character; I was borderline devastated when they just flat-out _cut_ Gimli's devotion to her -- it's one of the most interesting and historically _important_ things about Gimli! to say nothing of their obnoxious "comic relief Dwarf" characterization. Plus, knowing that she refused Feanor even one hair makes it _so much more powerful_ that she gives Gimli _three tresses_ when he could only bring himself to name (not actually ask for!) one, and that at her urging. And speaking of Feanor, he's really got the vibe of that Demi Lovato meme: _get a job, stay away from her_

[@patrickholt2270]

I couldn't agree more. Feanor was monstrously prideful, as well as genocidally ruthless, ordering the massacre of a whole branch of Elvenkind just so he could steal their ships to take his army back to Middle-Earth, and then burning them to make a statement about not retreating, because he was so possessive about the Silmarils, which were precious because they contained the light of the Great Trees Iluvatar had made - light which he had no part in creating and had no right to own in the first place.

[@verity231]

Hear! Hear! I'm very dissapointed with the way they portrayed Gimli (and all Dwarves to a certain extent) in the films, no matter how much I love PJ's trilogy. I can understand the decision to cut certain less than obvious elements in order to make the film coherent and clear for people completely unfamiliar with Tolkien's work, but this particular storyline is very significant in terms of Elves-Dwarves relations.

[@jfinester]

@@patrickholt2270 Actually, Eru Ilúvatar didn’t make the Two Trees. Yavanna did, and it was a deed that she could only do once.

[@joescott8877]

I wouldn't say they "flat-out cut" Gimli's devotion to Lady G, but I do think it inexplicable, and maybe ultimately unconscionable, that PJ didn't avail himself of the splendid "Lockbearer" scene in TTT, where Gandlalf the White is catching up with his friends and says "Oh, yes, Gimli, Galadriel has a message for you," and Gimli freaks with joy as he hears that she's thinking of him, and identifies herself as "His Lady." It's GOLD, lol!

[@painlord2k]

@@patrickholt2270 They were not made by Iluvatar but by Yevanna. The First cardinal sin of Feanor was refusing the Three Silmarils to the Valar to revive the Two Trees BEFORE he knew Melkor had killed his father and stolen them (and much more). The Second was to take the Ships spreading elven blood (and the Ships were the equivalent of the Silmarili for the teleri) The Third was to burn them (refusing to give them back after using them).

[@wacojones8062]

I read the Hobbit and Ring Trilogy in the late 1960's. I have read 5 5 times in total plus the Silmarillion twice. Now plowing through all the later material Christiopher and others have been able to be published. I have seen the Peter Jackson films and have copies of them. Keep up the good coverage of the extended lore.

[@tylerbarrett6652]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Galadriel... she has always been my favorite Tolkein character. What impacts me so significantly is that JRRT wrote at some point that she MIGHT have been the only one equal in crafting to Feanor. I think her first name given was something that meant "man-maiden". So... she was every bit a woman... but she could equal or exceed nearly every man elf... even Feanor. She hung out with all her cousins and was "one of the guys"... and was every bit the hunter/warrior in Finwe's line, but then she also had the softer feminine side... and all of that makes her so much more multi-dimensional than any other character. She is the only female descendant of Finwe that we have a chance to meet. One thing that stands out is that she spent so much time with the Maiar Melian and learned much from her... None of her cousins had this sort of influence, did they? I like the original idea that she had 2 kids... Celebrant AND Amroth... that would have made more sense to me, though I think JRRT veered off of that idea very early on. So then I think JRRT failed because all evidence suggests that she was not a perfect mother. Celebrant (Elrond's wife) did not have the strength to rebound from her torturous ordeal with the Orcs... and Galadriel could not assist in healing her? I feel like that's JRRT's fault... and not Galadriel's... but that probably doesn't make sense. Anyway, thanks for sharing this with us.

[@dlevi67]

She was called Artanis, meaning "noble woman" by her father, and Nerwen, meaning "man-maiden" by her mother. BTW- her daughter was called Celebrian; Celebrant is a river.

[@tylerbarrett6652]

@@dlevi67 - thanks... I knew I had that wrong... Celebrian. I was close, anyhow.

[@abrahamcollier]

10:23 soundtrack choices are awesome

[@paulsoldner9500]

I just adore how you read Galadriel's lines! You have an incredible reading voice

[@Strash1892]

The last time I stayed over at my sister's, I watched The Fellowship of the Ring with two of my nieces, which they were only allowed to do under adult supervision. It was their first time watching the movie and they hadn't read the books, and when Galadriel appeared, they actually debated among themselves whether the character was good or evil. Of course they asked me about this but I just shrugged and said you'll find out on your own soon enough.

[@luisostasuc8135]

I think it's great that they've learned to approach their media critically. It's a skill as much as a trait.

[@magliadoro]

I love that big, red DUNE volume on your shelf behind you.

[@skatemetrix]

Book Galadriel versus Movie Galadriel- ah yes, but which Book Galadriel though?

[@JackChurchill101]

Well said. She lived before the sun and moon and is unknowable. One thing that is often unspoken in adaptation is her tutorage under Melian. She learned the underlying power of the world through song. Tolkien was ever consistent that Song carries an immense power that we mortals do not remember. I would have liked to see Amazon take that angle, - made her the politician perhaps, and Elrond the young brash sword fighter on a quest. I would have liked to see her tare the foundations from her enemy with enchantment, not backflips. Alas. She still exists in my imagination, and in the stories and songs we share.

[@Omnifarious0]

Seeing the ages of Middle Earth as times when mythologies of a different nature held sway is an interesting take I hadn't thought of before. That Galadriel is a link between older pagan beliefs and myths, the sorceress in the woods, and Mary, mother of God is a very interesting idea. I'm not sure if that's how you intended what you were saying to be understood, but that's an insight I gleaned from it regardless. And part of that is the need for links like that when creating new mythologies. Partly because part of the purpose of these mythologies is to allow people to situate themselves within their own stories and the stories of the people around them. It's to provide a narrative structure by which they might understand themselves. And in order to allow people to fit themselves into the new structure, you have to show them the isomorphisms between the old structure and the new.

[@rainbowhiker]

The creation of characters is a supremely thoughtful process for me. Leaving mystery in their makeup is always interesting. Some authors overexplain characters and that is a shame. Leaving something alone is almost always a good thing in stories. Not ignoring, no, but intriguing that character to wonder and the readers desire to want more than is needed for a story.

[@GiacomodellaSvezia]

I've started to wonder more and more how much Tolkien knew about Buddhism, because this video touches on at least one very important aspect of it. On the other hand, he was intelligent enough to get its wisdom, at least intuitively.

[@Frederic_S]

In the movie, when we come to this scene 9:00 I was so astonished that they pictured it almost exactly as I had imagined it when reading the book.

[@stevemiller6923]

Great commentary, as always. I was deeply disappointed by the movie presentation of Galadriel, Then I saw the extended version on Blueray and my disappointment went away. i have never been disappointed by Jess.

[@jjsnedgehammer]

The name alone was a chief reason for drawing me in. Tolkien created a few names that draw me in and intrigue me. I can appreciate his love of linguistics and share that same passion. I love the mystery of Galadriel and probably favor the book version slightly, only because I read it a few decades before the movies came along (I love the movies very much of course!). She reminds me of Robert Graves’s talk of the ‘White -or Triple- Goddess’ in mythology: the maiden, mother, & old crone ~with Galadriel being the mother.

[@markschannon8797]

You always add such depth to the story. Thank you again.

[@elainedejong2806]

Thanks Jess! I love Galadriel and love the way you presented her.

[@spondulixtanstaafl7887]

Thank you, a very thoughtful, caring and precise presentation.

[@VTimmoni]

One of my favorite characters from the books. Thank you.

[@arckocsog253]

You’re very eloquent and have a great insight

[@ClubofInfo-Circulation]

the way Peter Jacskon turned it into a daydream-like or angelic experience when encountering the Elves worked well. We immediately know what they are, that they are the closest thing to pure good, and they are good news when they appear, just as orcs are bad news. Amazon's Rings of Power on the other hand just shows the Elves and Orcs as just being pointy-eared races who can do things you can't, a bit like something from Star Trek

[@amitaiuriarte4094]

Great video! Thank you for bringing up King Arthur. I would be very interested in hearing you explain that story from original to all of its spin-offs.

[@johnwalters1341]

Enjoyed your video. I think Peter Jackson & Co. chose to portray a somewhat sinister version of Galadriel ("an Elf-witch of terrible power," in Gimli's words) in order to create some tension between Galadriel and Frodo in the scene with Galadriel's Mirror. That whole scene plays rather differently in the book, where both Frodo and Samwise gaze into the Mirror, and it was in answer to Sam's desire to see some "Elf magic."

[@jasonbrown9142]

Nice analysis - I think the juxtaposition of Feanor and Gimli with the strands of hair is worth more discussion. Feanor was possessive of beauty, sought it to treasure and horde it but over Gimli gold held no power and so Galadriel, seeing into his heart (another of her powers) grants the gift she refused to the mighty Feanor. Maybe this too was an abandonment of former pride and maybe too the recognition of the goodness she could do with the smallest of deeds. It’s also worth mentioning the deep regard Aragorn, Elrond and most notably Gandalf (a Maiar) hold her in. More than all the other female characters including even Luthien, she seems held in the greatest esteem. She is queen, though only assuming the title of Lady. She is the morning, and the mother of day (Celebrian) and the grandmother of dusk (Arwen).The trinity of the Norns should not be lost there. I find that comparison more apt than that of Mary, who is largely the vehicle of Jesus’s birth in principal and only secondarily valued for a mother/virgin symbol. Galadriel is gowned in white but she is not pure. She is not the mother of God and while she is the mother of Celebrian, this is hardly the mother figure Mary was/is. She carries a ring of power and though it is untarnished by Sauron’s touch still it was bound to the One ring. Galadriel sought and became a power, she feared Sauron perceiving her weaknesses through the ring, she was vulnerable to corruption under the right circumstances but she chose to surrender rather than be corrupted when Frodo presented her with the choice and thus won her internal struggle with pride. I think younger Tolkien had her right but perhaps older Tolkien found more connection to his religious roots as he aged, many do, and thus Galadriel transformed. I don’t find much conflict with book Galadriel vs movie Galadriel. In this PJ got it right, if not in many other things. Her power is dark because the rings of power and power itself is dark. It taxes her because it is against her nature to use it in this way and because it is corrosive. Cate Blanchett was amazing in that role. RoP Galadriel is quite different but she may transform yet. I think the show struggles to get elves right and I don’t think the dynamic between her and Elrond as competitors seems likely. But she cannot be the same person in show and movie if the character is going to develop in any meaningful way and a lead character needs to develop. I think the actress playing her is skillful and she has to walk a difficult path with this character but I am hopeful they may yet figure it out.

[@florian847]

Such a great video as always, thank you. Onto sculpting some Wodd Elves models. I'm inspired!

[@sebastianevangelista4921]

1. Not even joking here when I say that one of my biggest takeaways from this is that book Galadriel would make for a great therapist! She listens and offers feedback when needed, but ultimately she encourages others to look inwards and make their own decisions, which in the long run is more helpful than just following directions or orders. 2. Regarding the retcons and continuity discrepancies, do you have any personal preferences for how it should have been or do you ultimately feel that it doesn't really matter? I'm very much against fan entitlement, but we'd all be lying if we said we never had our own imagined versions of someone else's work because of perceived/subjective flaws. 3. As a Non-Theistic Satanist it's always hilarious just how invested I am in a world that's so fundamentally catholic in its values and inspiration. 4. Off topic but do you have any thoughts on The War of the Rohirrim? Is there anything in particular about it that peaks your interests or that you're looking forward to? 5. If I had to choose between the book and movie versions I have to admittedly go with the latter because (1) I grew up with the extended cuts and therefore they're my go-to reference for the franchise, and (2) we got Cate Blanchett being Cate Blanchett. Need I say more or can we all agree that Cate Blanchett is awesome (ignoring that time she scoffed off metal music)?

[@Jess_of_the_Shire]

Personally, I really like the more morally complex, prideful version of Galadriel. It humanizes her a lot, something that is very good when there are so few female characters in the story, and so many of them already occupy the position of "perfect saintly woman." I am looking forward to War of the Rohirrim, for the most part. I just like new Middle Earth stories, especially when its in such a new format. The US trailer was a bit generic in my opinion, but I'll have to reserve judgement for when I've seen the show. Thanks so much for watching and supporting!

[@sebastianevangelista4921]

@@Jess_of_the_Shire That is more than fair because yeah the number of prominent Middle-Earth women can be counted on one hand and they're quite traditionally feminine when you get down to it. A big part of why I'm looking forward to War of the Rohirrim is because the lead protagonist will be a fully-rounded woman who was reportedly influenced by the female characters of Hayao Miyazaki's films. I think a big part of why many of us love the Blanchett version specifically is because of *the vibes* but I can acknowledge that there was much more to her in the source material. PS regarding the position of "perfect saintly woman" for female characters, a big part of what makes Tamsyn Muir's Locked Tomb series so great is that its female leads are allowed to be angry without being treated in a condescending way because of that. Muir said the following in an interview: Gideon came out and I started to see reviews and comments, and so many of them were along the lines of: Gideon’s so rude. She’s gross. She swears too much. Harrow’s so mean. She’s like one of those annoying girls who thinks they’re so smart. Yuck. And that just kind of drove me… wild with despair, honestly. To see readers-of all genders, not just men-saying my characters were dislikable for not conforming more closely to our ideals of how girls ought to behave. That stung a lot more than I’d expected it to. Because at no point during writing had it even occurred to me to worry about that aspect. It is A-OK to not like my characters. Gideon and Harrow are both jerks, at least some of the time. But we’re all jerks at least some of the time, and if your main criticism of Gideon is that she should be more softly-spoken and nicer to her friends-if your main criticism of Harrow is that she shouldn’t be so confident in her own prodigious intelligence and talent-then… well, I presume you’d be making the same criticisms if they’d both been guys. Right? Right??

[@AJ0223]

Non theistic satanist lmao

[@leonwilkinson8124]

Once again, I am humbled by your analysis and insight, Jess. I didn't like the movie Galadriel as well as the book Galadriel because she wasn't given enough to do, and she seemed more human and less other-worldly. You've really opened my eyes by dispelling the notion of the LOTR as an inviolable canon. I'm returned to an earlier insight about myths, that they can vary in many ways depending on the teller. They are set pieces, certainly, but the details can be quite different from telling to telling. I did not know that Tolkien continued to tinker with his works, as it were, and it comforts me that he couldn't decide exactly who Galadriel was either. I wanted to like Galadriel in the Rings of Power, but she is much too human for a virtually ageless being. Your point about the pluses and minuses of adaptation from medium to medium is also well taken. The various attempts to translate Dune to the movies provide an excellent case in point. Since most of the dialogue, actually monologue, in the book is internal, how do you convey it on the screen? Having the monologue voiced, as David Lynch did in his version, just didn't work. Limiting that approach in the recent movies has been much more fruitful. Compliments on your headwear. I don't know what to call it. Not an aigrette. Ah, a crown, your majesty.

[@bivekhunjan2888]

Loved this analysis

[@zachlewis9751]

I liked the outfit switch between the ad and the video. For one they were cute, and it was easy to skip the ad.

[@crtune]

Book Galadriel. It always comes to the books. Oddly, it is the "voice" of the prose that keeps me coming back, along with the vast extent of underlying lore. As the words sound out in my mind, they make a sort of near "music", if prose can be such a thing. [side note - I have noticed you have a very good sense of music, in your occasional singing of improvised "song" - keep up the good work; it's not easy doing justice to J.R.R.'s songs] I lost count how many times I read LOTR many years ago at twenty full readings (I tend to also read the Appendices each time, though not 100% of times). Since I have also been reading it nearly annually since then I may be nearing thirty readings. I cannot claim as much reading in any other part of the author's writing or published works from the family. I did read Farmer Giles at one point long ago, and of course the Hobbit gets opened up and read fully here and there. Love your commercial delivery. "Elevensies". And I bet they have so many choices that "Second Breakfast" never has to be the same as regular breakfast LOL.

[@Snowden5386]

I could never bring myself to read LOTR for a lot of reasons, (one of them being English isn't my first language but I like to read books in their original language and Tolkien is kind of hard to follow), but I LOVE the way you explain things and the character. I feel a little closer to the lore without being overwhelmed. So thank you for highlighting Galadriel's character 💛 First video and instant follow!

[@pamelatarajcak5634]

There's some medieval iconography that show Mary punching Satan. And now I'm seeing some parallels with that and when Galadriel in the Hobbit movies fought Sauron.

[@dcwatcher4644]

On my first read through of lord of the rings. Read the hobbit obsessively as a child , and I’ve re discovered my love for fantasy as an adult and I’m so excited to read all of his work .

[@ishmaelforester9825]

The thing about the hair and her beauty in LOTR is very humorous and tongue in cheek. It's like a parody of Arthurian patter made funny because the knight is a dwarf.

[@ishmaelforester9825]

It's really charming though, even a little moving.

[@MartijnHover]

I have enjoyed watching your comparative analyses of the LOTR-books and movies over the past few weeks. They have been very instructive and educational. When I watched the movies for the first time, when they came out 20 odd years ago, the last time I had read the books was years before, so I remembered more of the general feel of the books than the actual details. I did notice that Tom Bombadil was missing from the story, but I could see why Jackson had decided to do that. All in all, at the time I thought the movies caught the atmosphere of the books, as I remembered them, very well. I still think they are among the best and most faithful book adaptations that Hollywood has ever managed to produce. When I reread the books some years later, what I mostly felt was a sense of relief that Jackson hadn't turned them into a musical, considering how often the characters burst into epic songs every 10-20 pages or so. Which I always felt an irrepressible urge to skip over. 🙂 I think most of the decisions where scenes and characters differ between the movies and the books, are understandable and defensible. I never had the idea that any of the characters in the movie were unrecognizable from the books. The essence of the books were very much left intact, as far as I'm concerned. Just my two cents worth, of course.

[@TheTolkienCurmudgeon]

Hurray! You really went deep on this one! You relied on detail gleaned from "The History of Middle-earth" when talking about Galadriel. Yes! Great point you made about the color of dark Galadriel and Minas Morgul. BTW, I want to know about the wonderful top-hatted mouse on the wall...as if Reepicheep had been reborn in a Dickensian universe! Also, maybe see my vid on the subject of how we can complete Tolkien's world in our own imagination according to the ideas we find in "Leaf By Niggle" and "On Fairy Stories".

[@wacojones8062]

Total book set is over 20 volumes. I am currently starting to read "book two of Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth" I just finished "The nature of Middle earth" there is also "The people of Middle earth along with Tolkien's translation of Beowulf and several other translations plus the books he wrote for his sons when they learning to read. Some were assembled by his son Christopher from J.R.R. Tolkien's Notes, essays and some of his letters. There is a separate book of just his letters I recently bought.