Director Peter Jackson made several significant changes while adapting J. R. R. Tolkien’s three-novel epic The Lord of the Rings from page to screen. Most of these adjustments, like infusing character arcs with greater longevity and increasing minor but important characters’ roles, organically benefited the transition between mediums. However, one of Jackson’s most stark and startling changes remains a divisive swing and a miss. Not only does Faramir’s (David Wenham) debut in The Two Towers film differ from Tolkien’s book of the same name, but drastically altering Faramir from Tolkien’s source material both misunderstands his thematic purpose and undermines his existing nuance.

Who Is Faramir in ‘The Lord of the Rings’?
Image via New Line Cinema

In Jackson’s Two Towers adaptation, Faramir stumbles upon Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood) and Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin) just outside Mordor’s borders. Unbeknownst to the two Hobbits, Denethor (John Noble), Boromir (Sean Bean) and Faramir’s father and the Steward of Gondor, had ordered Boromir to retrieve the One Ring so the increasingly vulnerable kingdom of Gondor can use Sauron’s best weapon against him.

Upon learning that Frodo possesses the Ring, Faramir diverts the Hobbits toward Gondor. Grieving his brother’s recent death and wounded from a lifetime of paternal abuse, he sees the chance to complete Boromir’s mission as a way to finally prove his worth to Denethor. Ultimately, Faramir realizes his error and frees Frodo and Sam.

How Is Faramir Different in Tolkien’s ‘Lord of the Rings’ Books?

The novel’s dramatic tension stems from a similar conundrum — whether Faramir is who he claims to be, and if he’ll repeat his brother’s mistake — but plays out quite differently. Although Faramir understands the Ring’s seductive pull and how a man as well-intentioned as Boromir almost fell into its clutches, he declares he wouldn’t take the Ring even if he found it lying abandoned by the side of the road. When he states that the Ring falling into his lap is “a chance for Faramir, captain of Gondor, to show his quality,” he does so while laughing over the irony that Frodo and Sam fled from one brother only to run into the other’s grasp. Faramir knows he could effortlessly seize the Ring from a pair of helpless Hobbits, but the idea never tempts him.

From the beginning, Faramir is Boromir’s foil and designed by Tolkien to be so. Both want to see their broken city restored to its former beauty. However, their approaches and priorities contrast. Boromir is no villain, but the “proud, fearless, and often rash” prince becomes susceptible to the Ring because it preys upon the fears those traits mask: namely, Boromir’s desperate desire to protect his people.

Tolkien’s dramatic irony lies in how Boromir’s younger brother, derided by Denethor as the lesser son, demonstrates the nobility, forethought, and patience required of a true soldier and Steward. Even though Faramir cares as much as Boromir, he rejects the Ring sight unseen because he understands that using a purely evil object for good isn’t worth the inevitably destructive cost. Juxtaposed against his gallant, passionate, yet flawed sibling, Faramir is a rarity among Men and represents a hopeful path forward: that Men can redeem their worst failings.

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In fact, Faramir’s “quality” reminds Sam of Gandalf (Ian McKellen), a figure Faramir admired in his youth. Although this relationship detail isn’t one of Jackson’s crucial omissions, its loss reflects the director’s overall flawed approach to Faramir. Unlike his book counterpart, who cautiously approaches Frodo, Sam, and Gollum (Andy Serkis) until they earn his respect, Jackson’s Faramir treats the trio with unnecessary disdain that borders on cruelty. Even in the Extended Edition, which somewhat clarifies Faramir’s motivations, his hostility is both unnecessary and tonally inconsistent with the kinder, more book-accurate man The Return of the King depicts.

Changing Faramir Ruins His Purpose
Image via New Line Cinema

In the trilogy’s special features documentary, Jackson stated he gave Faramir a longer and deeper conflict over the Ring because he didn’t want to build up the Ring’s power only to render its threat moot by letting a newly introduced character easily resist it. While understandable, a movie-only scene from The Fellowship of the Ring shows Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) turning down the Ring despite its whispering temptations — a testimony to Aragorn’s strength that essentially takes Faramir’s thematic role away from him.

The Ring’s inability to root its way into Faramir’s heart doesn’t make him a bland character without internal conflict; if anything, the distinction renders his resolve more compelling. A man trying to protect his city from Sauron’s forces, mourn his brother, and honor his callous father already possesses enough dramatic heft to sustain Two Towers’ lengthy runtime. Jackson’s version evolves into his best self, but reframing Faramir’s self-awareness into covetous heartache repeats Boromir’s journey and distracts from the point: that Faramir demonstrates his quality from the start.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron’s new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.Release Date December 18, 2002 Runtime 179 minutes

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is available to stream on Max.

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