Faramir looking to the distance in Lord of the Rings

The Lord of the Rings is full of heroic characters, and Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings movies succeed in recreating some of them — but they don’t do justice to Faramir. Iconic fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien penned some of the genre’s most memorable knights, Wizards, and warriors, with Faramir being a shining example of a hero from the realm of Men. Faramir is the brother of Boromir, a member of the Fellowship of the Ring — and certainly the brother more focused on in the movies. Faramir has a significant role in Tolkien’s books, but it isn’t properly adapted.

Jackson had to make a lot of changes to Tolkien’s story to capture the gist of it over three feature-length movies. The vast, sprawling scope of Tolkien’s tale required Jackson to cut much of the narrative and condense the arcs of some of Lord of the Rings’ most powerful characters. To make his main characters compelling, Jackson had to give them more screen time in proportion to other characters, even those who were iconic. Unfortunately, many of Faramir’s heroics were sacrificed to make bigger heroes’ roles stand out.

The Lord Of The Rings Movies Make A Controversial Change To Faramir’s Character

Faramir Is Very Different In The Source Material

Faramir laying on the pyre in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. David Wenham as Faramir from Lord of the Rings standing outside looking ahead. David Wenham as Faramir in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. An image of Faramir firing an arrow in Lord of the Rings. Faramir bids farewell to the Hobbits in Lord of the Rings.

Faramir is one of the best characters in The Lord of the Rings, and he’s one of the purest men in Tolkien’s story. Alongside Aragorn and Éowyn, Faramir is one of the top three human heroes in Tolkien’s narrative. However, only Aragorn and Éowyn get their due in Jackson’s adaptations. Faramir is especially honorable for resisting the One Ring in the book, despite his complex reaction to it. However, the movie emphasizes his temptation. It also makes him more hostile towards Gollum and Frodo to dramatize the latter’s journey. He actually treats them with respect in the books.

Peter Jackson’s Faramir Misses The Point Of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Character

Jackson’s Movies Didn’t Get Faramir Right

Faramir and Eowyn in The Lord of the Rings.

Jackson’s movies ensure a compact telling of Tolkien’s story, but they fail to adapt the Faramir of The Lord of the Rings books. Faramir is just another character in the movies, but he has a unique and special purpose in the source material. Faramir contrasts his brother heavily, who is a lesser knight in many ways but still gets all the credit and glory. Boromir earns a place in the Fellowship of the Ring and his father’s approval, unlike Faramir, who has to put up with his father’s disdain for him.

Boromir is unable to resist the temptation of the One Ring, proving a foil for Aragorn in The Fellowship of the Ring. These two men contrast each other, with Boromir’s lowest point being his assault of Frodo. However, Faramir is Boromir’s most important foil in the book, proving that not all children follow in the footsteps of toxic parents. This message is especially radiant because the fates of most children in the book are indeed laid out by their forebears. Faramir overcomes something most heroes in The Lord of the Rings never could, but this isn’t clear in the movies.