Clive, of course. there was a Cecil lewis who was poet laureate back in the 60s.

You're right about the women. Jackson was too respectful here. He had the opportunity to give Tolkien's cosily patriarchal world-view a good shaking- and he didn't take it.

Another thing about the Gimli character is that he was so muffled up in prosthetics you could barely see his face. How is a chap supposed o act under those conditions?

Tolkien's Gimli has great dignity. Jackson's has none.

"ash and cordite smell"- beautifully put.