'For myself,' said Faramir, 'I would see the White Tree in flower again in the courts of the kings, and the Silver Crown return, and Minas Tirith in peace: Minas Anor again as of old, full of light, high and fair, beautiful as a queen among other queens: not a mistress of many slaves, nay, not even a kind mistress of willing slaves. War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend: the city of the Men of Nümenor; and I would have her loved for her memory, her ancientry, her beauty, and her present wisdom. Not feared, save as men may fear the dignity of a man, old and wise.'
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers
#because this speech did not appear#and could not appear#in the movie#because of the changes to faramir's character#that were deemed necessary to serve the interests of the film#in having a character who changed#and trying to dramatize what the movie otherwise struggled to dramatize#i.e. the power of the ring#and the badassery of aragorn#because if faramir could reject the ring without a visible struggle#audiences would think#wait#you're making the wrong guy king#so book!faramir was sacrificed on that altar#and we got a fundamentally different#and lesser#character#which is what it is#i still love the movie#for the things it did well#and book!faramir still exists#as much as he ever did#but movie fans who haven't read the books#don't understand:#in the books he was a different person#a better person#the best person