Philippa: [The Entmoot Decides] This is the point at which you think that these two little Hobbits are just about to be packed off to home, and that the Ents are going to do nothing.

Peter: The Ents are, sort of, doing a Switzerland here, really, aren’t they?

Philippa: Yeah. They are Switzerland.

Fran: Yeah, I think maybe this is why some people think the movie’s pro-war.

Philippa: [surprised] What?

Fran: I know that that’s a criticism that’s been made of the film; it’s not anything we intended. Well, you look at it saying, what, “if you sit on the sidelines and [Philippa: Right.] do nothing, you can’t…”

Philippa: “…be a part of this world.”

Fran: Yeah.

Philippa: Yeah. I think it’s actually –. What we’re trying to do is address the Ents’ point of view, which is that the Ents are saying, “We can’t hold back that storm, we just must weather these things” and it’s about turning your back on great evil.

Peter: What Tolkien’s point is is that there are –. Some things are worth fighting for. I mean, Tolkien –.

Philippa: That’s right. Exactly.

Peter: Tolkien wasn’t pro-war, but [Philippa: No.] he is saying that occasionally you do actually have to fight for the things [Philippa: It’s –.] you believe in [Philippa: Exactly.], particularly freedom – I mean, the Ents are being destroyed, you know –.

Philippa: He’s pro-unity, really. Pro-[?].

Peter: I mean, nobody likes war. Nobody is pro-war: I don’t believe many people in the world are genuinely pro-war, but if you look at something like World War II, you know, [Philippa: Mmm.] was that a war that was worth fighting? I mean, you don’t have to be pro-war to say, “Yes, World War II was a justifiable war,” [Philippa agrees] you know, as opposed to World War I, which was a completely unjustifiable war: it was a complete mess, and it should never have happened; but occasionally, there are those moments in time – moments of history – where you do have to say, “This is not acceptable. We have to fight,” and I think Tolkien was really –.

Philippa: It’s in defence of something, isn’t it?

Peter: Defence of freedom: [Philippa: Yeah.] I mean, Tolkien was all about defending freedom.

Philippa: But simply, to say that this situation has existed throughout humanity: this is not an original or new situation. It really speaks to history repeating itself, really.