Are We Ready For Peter Jackson's Aragorn?

as Tolkien's self-humbling hero. He cannot be a sacrificial Christ-like figure, but must be a warrior and a rascal. He must have the endearing qualities of the well-travelled advisor, and the reassuring air of the valiant hero. Yet the audience must know he's not perfect without being led to believe he is a rogue or anti-hero. Aragorn is innately good, as good as any man can be who chooses to do what's right for others over advancing his own ambitions. But he is ambitious. He is dedicated, determined, and sure of what he wants though he has no idea of how to achieve his goal. He is neither naive nor ruthless. He does not wallow in bitterness or self-deprecation. Aragorn is the flower about to bloom, the young buck about to take charge of the herd, the long lost prince who is about to come into his own. He's like no man you or I have ever known, but he is like every man should be. He's smart and yet he can be outwitted (as Gollum persistently eludes him). He is brave and yet he can be daunted (as when he travels uncertainly down the Anduin, plagued by doubts and fears over the consequences of the choices he must make). In the final analysis, Aragorn's role is pivotal in Tolkien's story because he is always where he needs to be, setting into motion events he cannot guarantee will turn out the way he wants; ensuring that others complete their tasks; supporting others such as Theoden and Frodo when their needs are greater than his own. He is Aragorn, Middle-earth's handyman. He makes few mistakes but he learns from them. Yet he comes so perilously close to making other mistakes that he comes across as a very realistic character. Peter Jackson could have picked a worse lead for the trilogy. He could have shown the story from Sam's perspective, and had Rosie Cotton chasing Sam all over the landscape. And then we'd have to ask, why is Sam in this movie? I don't think we'll be asking that about Aragorn, but the greatest danger for the character is that too much will have been cut for his choices to seem believable.

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