Guest Oo-Ah, if you didn't like Boromir's death scene, don't ever watchthe death scene in Kurosawa's Throne of Blood. You thought Boromir took too many arrows... And speaking in my capacity as a bloodthirsty viewer, that first shot (upper lobe of the left lung) wouldn't have killed him instantly. and he had enough adrenaline to keep him going longer than otherwise. Likewise that second arrow (too low). But the aggregate of the three is feasable, IMHO.
Julia, The lack of music and declamation is understandable, given the choices that must be made for the flow of the plotline and the overall viweing time. Myself, I'd love to have it all in, but I love opera, Beowulf, Shakespearean plays, etc. But if these movies lead some folks to try out the books, and some of those folks go on to try the "real" stuff that Tolkien loved andd drew from, then I am content with the sacrifice of my preferences.
I can't find who was interested in non-Swann Tolkien music CD's, but for what it's worth, I found one at Borders Bookstore (chain store in the USA). It's called At Dawn In Rivendell: selected songs and poems from The Lord of the Rings. It's performed by the Tolkien Ensemble and Christopher Lee. The music is by Caspar Reiff and Peter Hall. Apparently it is part of a series (An Evening in Rivendell and A Night in Rivendell have been produced already). It's published by L.A.G. Records, a subsidiary of Decca Records. I bought it mostly for Christopher Lee's readings (love that voice!), but the music isn't too bad.