Originally Posted by
wiggin
Hmm, I'm of two minds. If you've read Tolkien his books are full of interludes for songs, poems, chants, etc. He uses it to set the mood of a scene and at times it can be effective. When I first read the books as a kid (maybe 8 or 9?) I generally skipped over the poetry because I found it disrupted my flow and was generally unintelligible. Since then I've gained a greater appreciation for it; it might not be my preferred format, but it has its place.
The question, then, is whether a film's attempt to authentically represent the source material is effective at the author's original purpose. I think it all comes down to execution. Some scenes in LotR and related films did this better than others; I leave it up to the viewer to decide if they think it is effective. But I don't have some knee-jerk negative reaction to musical interludes, no. It's an artistic choice I might not always have chosen for myself but it can work if done well.
I come from a cultural background with a great deal of communal singing, by both the highly trained and rank amateurs. While I'll admit that I cringe inwardly a bit at the frequent musical faux pas like frequent key changes and crimes against meter (and even worse IMO are egregious mispronunciations), I have an appreciation for the value in communal song. People are often better able to process complex emotions through song, and doing so communally can be an important cohesive force. It's not always clear that the in-group experience translates well to the screen, though.