Most everyone who saw the trailer for the film expected Tauriel to be a possible love interest for LOTR alum Orlando Bloom's Legolas. To the mixed reactions of audiences everywhere when the film was released, she also became a love interest for the new heartthrob in town: Aiden Turner's Kili.
This blog is going to focus on three different perspectives of this odd and rather disliked love triangle. The first will be from the perspective of the Tolkien fans, the second from the sci-fi/fantasy geeks, and the third from the hopeless romantic side. My focus will be on the particular strengths and weaknesses of these changes, and a verdict of how this story ultimately weighs in the film. If you have not read the book and have only seen the movies, then please be prepared for spoilers. It's not like the book has been out for 70 years or anything.
The Tolkien Fan Perspective
I'm not one of those die-hard Tolkien fans, but I am a Trekker so I know how it feels to watch the stories you love get rebooted into something you can appreciate but also feel betrayed about. I have also played The Lord of the Rings Online for over 4 years now and have more than 10 main avatars. Now I play this game because it's free to play and I have successfully unlocked 90% of the playable areas without spending one penny. What makes this game unique is that it not only effectively creates the geography of Middle Earth, but many of the quests are taken from Tolkien's other works. You also learn the history of not only the different races, but other factions including the Dunedain, the Dunlendings, and the Angmarim who follow the Witch-King. If you play often enough, you can easily learn about the histories of these other peoples simply by reading your quest log. You can also follow the forums online and in the game chat rooms. If there is anything that I have learned about Tolkien fans, it's that they are extremely picky about one thing and one thing alone: canon.
Tolkien wrote so many books and histories of Middle Earth that if they were all eventually put on screen, you'd probably wind up with enough watchable material to keep you occupied for an uninterrupted half year. The details are so intricate that you can tell what he wanted you to imagine while reading. However, his work was not perfect. There are plenty of instances throughout his works where he goes into such detail that it's almost too much for a brain that is not used to such writing to handle. There are also instances where he just gives you a brief description and moves on. The Hobbit does have such instances. Take for example Bard the Bowman.
The book merely puts Bard in the right place at the right time. Smaug comes? No problem. Just load that iron arrow in the ballast, wait for the opportune moment, and fire. We get almost nothing else from him in the book except that he slew Smaug. In the film, he is introduced (played by Luke Evans, who looks suspiciously similar to the aforementioned Bloom without his makeup or wig on) as a bargeman who struggles to support his children. Adding more to the story so we get to know him as a real person instead of a deus ex machina is a nice move. In the process, we also learn about the people of Laketown and how the political system is affecting its subjects. This particular back story alone adds to the film instead of making any major changes, as it fills in time between the barrel sequence and reaching Erebor. The changes that aren't as appreciated mostly don't involve Bard and the Laketown citizens, but the dwarves.
Now for the subject of this blog: Kili and Tauriel. Tauriel is an original character, so the writers could do whatever they wanted with her. Kili, on the other hand, does appear in the book. He is the youngest of the dwarves, doesn't speak very much, and is mostly alluded to in the action sequences, or that he's with his older brother, Fili. Like most of the other dwarves, he's just there. There isn't much of a character description about him. What we do know is he is second in line to the Throne of Durin behind Fili. On screen, there is a deleted scene in An Unexpected Journey that pegs Kili as a flirt. That little trait added a layer to his character, but didn't alter the story line. Yet.
When Kili and Tauriel first meet, Tauriel merely appears as a slight change to this portion of the book. She slaughters spiders left and right while the defenseless Kili looks on, not quite sure what to think of it, but definitely smitten right away. Here is where the problem begins. Having Tauriel as a love interest for Legolas alone may have been tolerated by the Tolkien fans because it would have added to the story instead of altering the main premise of the book. By turning Tauriel into the center of a love triangle, being the object of affection from Legolas and Kili, it began to change the original story.
Peter Jackson does do a wonderful job in making the dwarves in his film distinct characters. By giving the dwarves real personalities, it enriches the movie and the story, and generally doesn't change much. Kili, on the other hand, would helm the changes first in Desolation of Smaug with his relationship with Tauriel and the poisoning result from the orc arrow he takes to the leg. The wound and residual poisoning did not appear in the book; and while it brought an excuse to bring Legolas and Tauriel into the action, it changed the fact that not all the dwarves enter Erebor. Kili, affected by the poison in the film, is ordered by Thorin to stay behind, and Oin opts to stay with him because he has healing skills, and so Kili won't be alone. Then Fili, being the best big brother in Middle Earth, stays behind as well because family comes first for him. Later, a hungover Bofur appears, having slept through the early morning alarm (another change which will undoubtedly be explained in the extended cut. Can't wait to see that!) and missing the dwarves' boat as they push off for their former home and treasures.
Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a big deal, but we are dealing with Tolkien here, and his chronicles of Middle Earth are so intricate that changing his works is not a welcome idea to his fans. In the book, all thirteen of the dwarves were present for the hidden door to be opened. From there, we have the encounter with Smaug, and some drama between Bilbo and Thorin regarding the Arkenstone (which was also changed), and then goblins attack and there's an epic battle. Considering how long the first two movie versions of this book are, the third film is expected to be around three hours long like its predecessors. Well, at the end of Desolation of Smaug, Smaug is heading for Laketown to do some serious damage, and there are four dwarves there, two of which are not going to make it out of the upcoming goblin battle alive. Since we have to wait a year to see how this is going to work out, Tolkien fans are left to stew over how Peter Jackson is going to satisfy them after all the changes he's made.
The love story between Kili and Tauriel is the headliner for all these "problem" changes. Many Tolkien fans aren't appreciative of the fact that the new heroine has completely modified part of the lore they have loved for so many years. It's not the actors' faults, as Turner and Lilly are excellent in their roles and do have good onscreen chemistry, but since the love story involving their characters is the most notable change and addition, it does make them a target for much frustration. Their love story is seen as an unnecessary change, which disrupts Tolkien's canonical history. To many Tolkien fans, this is not okay.
The Multifandom Geek Perspective
This particular viewpoint covers the fans of fantasy. There are some who love fantasy but aren't die hard Tolkien fans. There are also multifandom geeks out there who are into sci-fi, fantasy, anime, cosplay and other similar geek venues (that's where I fall). Many who prefer the fantasy aspect can admit that Tolkien was the one who set the standard for most modern fantasy.
First off, let's cover the two main points of the Kili/Tauriel relationship: 1) it is a love triangle that also involves Legolas, and 2) it is an interracial romance that is not often found in fantasy.
Most geeks out there can admit that love triangles in just about any film, geek related or not, are extremely overused these days. A lot of these love triangles can be traced back to the popularity of the young adult Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. The popularity of this supernatural series focusing on the love triangle between very unlikable characters. As this series grew in popularity, other young adult books and series rose to popularity as well. Some of the popular series and books that have been made into movies in the last few years include Beautiful Creatures, Warm Bodies, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (in which Turner plays a supporting role as a werewolf), and, of course, the blockbuster hit, The Hunger Games.
Many films such as these brought in millions of dollars worldwide, whereas others just barely broke even. Regardless, each of these popular series had a love triangle involved. Young adult books and films are not the only ones that are guilty of overusing this plot device, but they are what many people, geek and otherwise, tend to think of today when a love triangle is mentioned. Which brings us back to the Kili/Tauriel/Legolas love triangle.
The trailer for The Desolation of Smaug made sure to focus on a potential love story between Tauriel and Legolas. In some ways, it almost seemed like that would be Tauriel's sole purpose in the film. When sparks ignite between Kili and Tauriel instead, it almost feels like overkill. The Lord of the Rings trilogy had a slight love triangle going on when Eowyn clearly had a crush on Aragorn despite his love for Arwen. To bring in another love triangle when we've already had one almost feels cheap.
However, this brings me to the second point of this section: the interracial romance. Kili is a dwarf, and Tauriel is an immortal elf. Ask any dungeon master about this and most will make this statement: dwarves and elves are not compatible together. The list of playable races for just about any version of Dungeons and Dragons does not include half-dwarf, half-elf. The popular half-elves that are playable are half human, and sometimes elves can be cross-bred with other races, but dwarves are never included. It almost never happens.
What Peter Jackson has done by linking Kili and Tauriel together can almost be considered groundbreaking. There are probably other works of literature and fantasy that do allow for elves and dwarves to marry and have children, but to many, it does seem rather implausible. This makes Jackson first one to really shed some light on this almost controversial topic in fantasy realms, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Fantasy and science fiction has the unique ability to cloak social and political issues in metaphors that are not always obvious to the reader or viewer.
One of the reasons why fantasy and sci-fi are so appealing is because writers can make anything happen in this genre. To quote the amazing Rod Serling, creator of the TV series The Twilight Zone: "Fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science fiction is the improbable made possible." (Geek Wisdom, Stephen J. Segal, Quirk Productions, 2011. Page 211) Jackson is merely putting into practice what Serling makes reference to: the impossible made probable. Are dwarves and elves incompatible? Maybe, maybe not. But that's what makes fantasy just that!
As mentioned before, Tolkien is one of the "fathers" of modern fantasy. If you take a look at the many definitions of the word itself in the Oxford English Dictionary (a Shakespeare buff's best friend), one of the meanings of the word fantasy is "an idea with no basis in reality." Fantasy is completely separate from reality, which means there are no bounds. Tolkien may have spearheaded the parameters used in most fantasy lore today, but he merely introduced the ideas. As long as a fantasy writer has an imagination, they can do whatever they want! Jackson is clearly exercising this right by pairing Tauriel with Kili, and I must say, it's about time someone finally tried to popularize such a pairing!
In a way, the Kili/Tauriel story line is almost an oxymoron in terms of multifandom: it uses the overworked plot device of the love triangle, but it also introduces an almost completely unused fantasy aspect. The middle ground lies in the the heart of the story, which brings me to my third and final perspective:
The Hopeless Romantic Perspective
As a geek girl, I do enjoy a well written love story that transcends normal romance from time to time. The romance genre? Not so much. I find it way too predictable to be satisfying. In my DVD collection, the number of romance films I own is second to last in the category list. So taking a look at Tauriel and Kili, how strong is their romantic story line?
Let's take a look at Kili, which every fangirl is currently doing right now. We met him in the previous film, An Unexpected Journey. He is royalty, a direct descendant of Durin, and his brother, Fili, is overprotective of him. He has a tendency to be reckless, isn't the sharpest ax in the shed, very savvy when it comes to weapons and using objects around him as weapons, a bit of a ladies' man, and has no appreciation for furniture but is adept at handling china. He is also noble, in that he will not turn from danger so long as his friends and family are in harm's way. He is handsome and daring, and does not give up easily. He seems to know exactly what he wants from life and from the adventure he embarks on. And then he meets Tauriel.
They first meet as a weaponless Kili is being chased by giant spiders and Tauriel literally swoops in and slaughters them effortlessly. Though she refuses to give him any weapons for him to defend himself, he is still taken by her. If you watch Kili, he looks at Tauriel like she is a beautiful type of butterfly that he's never seen before. Then, as she's locking him up in the dungeon, he pulls a dwarvish innuendo to get her to frisk him: "I could have anything in my trousers!" Her cool reply of, "Or nothing." is the best put down to his boldness, but that still does nothing to keep him from watching her. When Legolas brings up the subject, it's clear that she is flattered by Kili's interest, and possibly intrigued. If you ask me, Legolas' statement that Kili is "no less ugly" than other dwarves is just Orlando Bloom's realization that, for the first time, his title of "hottest guy in Middle Earth" is now threatened.
Tauriel then meets with Legolas' father, Thranduil, who tells her not to encourage his son, as he has now taken a liking to her. Considering how she has worked with Legolas for over 600 years, it's probably too late for them already. Tauriel's behavior implies that she once had feelings for him, and the fact that he's noticing her now after so many centuries is something she probably didn't expect. Though Thranduil has given her orders, she demonstrates later that she won't always adhere to his commands. When she goes to the dungeons to check on the dwarves, it is possible she does so in part for her interest in Kili.
Though Kili's teasing her about his mother's runestone is clearly a bad method, he remedies it immediately, gaining her attention. The other dwarves are oddly silent in this scene, so they may be asleep or just silently watching this whole thing (there'd better be an explanation in the extended cut!). Instead of Kili trying to bargain and flatter his way out of getting her to help him escape, they manage to connect. He tells of his promise to his mother (oh, the heartstrings! How they hurt!), which most women would take as him being a mama's boy. Tauriel doesn't think so; she finds Kili's promise to her sweet. Then she talks about her love of the starlight, to which he says, "I always thought it was a cold light." He isn't trying to start an argument with her, but is merely stating what he thinks. Tauriel is smart enough to realize this and further explains why the starlight makes her feel alive. Then Kili remembers some astronomical phenomena and tells her of that.
We have already seen how differently the Mirkwood elves treat the dwarves in comparison to the Rivendell elves in An Unexpected Journey. The Mirkwood elves are fierce and defensive, and handle the dwarves rather roughly for trespassing on their territory. We witness through Thorin's meeting with Thranduil how proud the dwarves are too, even in dire situations. Kili and Tauriel step around these established traits of their kin and manage to connect. Their chemistry isn't forced, but comes naturally. There are no undertones of seduction, manipulation, or coercion; they are merely taking time to get to know each other. Though it probably wasn't either's intention to establish a relationship of any kind, their personalities make it so. But was it enough?
When Bilbo springs the dwarves from the dungeon, Kili shows no remorse in leaving Tauriel behind, nor does Tauriel seem ready to show mercy to the dwarves as she and the other elves hotly pursue them after the escape. It seems like their moment together was all for naught, until Kili takes the poisoned arrow to the leg. Tauriel watches him float away in his barrel down the river, but shows no impulse to follow Kili. It is when the captured orc reveals that Kili is already dying from the poison that she makes her flight to follow.
Now here's where we get a good look at who Tauriel really is. It's clear that she is loyal enough to her king that she will do what she needs to fulfill her duty honorably. She probably had no intention to follow the dwarves after their totally awesome escape because they were already too far gone. Once she learns of Kili's critical wound, she high-tails it out there against her king's wishes, knowing full well that Legolas will follow her. When Legolas catches up to her, she tells him she knew he would follow; it is unclear whether she knew he would follow her because she knows he is taken with her now, or because he is duty bound and will not allow his best captain to break his father's orders. In any case, she brings forth the argument that they need to stop the orcs because it is their duty as the people of Middle Earth to watch out for each other. She has lived most of her life bound to the protection of her people alone, and this is probably a trait that all of her kin are very much aware of, since they've spent hundreds of years together. She also knows Legolas well enough and can use his knowledge of her to give a convincing reason why she's taking on a squad of orcs on her own. She was forced to leave the orc interrogation after learning of the poisoned arrows, so she didn't hear about the impending war. This would make her reason for going off on her own be to catch up with Kili in time. Her hundreds of years of experience makes her shrewd.
When Tauriel and Kili finally reunite, the poison in his system is this close to killing him, but he's still fighting off orcs with Oin and Fili, while Bofur runs off to find some kingsfoil to counteract the affects of the poison. Tauriel and Legolas wipe out orcs left and right, and as they retreat, Legolas tries to get Tauriel to follow. However, she stays behind to help Kili when Bofur returns with the kingsfoil. Legolas, for the first time in all of Jackson's movies, gets his butt kicked, but still doggedly follows Bolg as he flees. His actions here show that he is bound to duty rather than his feelings.
Thanks to Tauriel, the kingsfoil is applied just in time to purge the poison from Kili. As she tends to his wound once the danger has passed, Kili, in a delirious state, begins to talk of her, not believing that she is really there with him. As he talks of her, he says one of the best lines in the movie: "She walks in starlight in another world." His fingers gently brush hers, and she barely entwines her fingers around his. Then he asks her, "do you think she could have loved me?" She does not answer.
Okay, that's done with! All in all, Kili and Tauriel have a decent love story. They care for one another, but have different goals that take precedence over pursuing a relationship. They don't obsess about each other, and they don't try to force each other into something they don't have time for. Kili fell first, but Tauriel made the move when she defied Thranduil and Legolas. Their feelings for each other come naturally.
Those of us who read the book know that Kili dies in battle, so the potential for a happy ending for these two is almost nil. The only thing I can come up with for these two to have some sense of a happy ending is if Kili suffers a mortal wound, but Tauriel manages to take him west to the undying lands. With that ending, it would stick with Tolkien's canon and remove Tauriel at the same time. Their particular love story in this film is a refreshing one, not only due to the naturalness of their actions toward one another, but also due to the acting done by Turner and Lilly. They manage to create compelling characters that romantics roots for, and their chemistry is impeccable. Although it is a change to the well-loved story, we still want to see them get together and have a happy ending.
Final Verdict
Having seen the movie three times, this particular topic kept me weighing the three perspectives, trying to find the best way so categorizing Kili and Tauriel's love story in The Hobbit films. Ultimately, it was unnecessary. While it is a good love story, the book did not have it initially, and it brought too many changes to the beloved story. There were already enough additions that didn't change much, but the love story couldn't be ignored. It is forgivable to many, but the movie could have done without it.
However, there is still the fact that it is a decent love story. What's done is done, and I'm going to enjoy it while I can.
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