Heh. I should get you to debate this with Russ. I'm with you -- IMO, that decision blurred the distinction between Boromir and Faramir.

Russ, OTOH, says that this is something Tolkien got wrong, and that the scene in the book was a wall-hurler for him. He says that Faramir, as a military leader in the field, would never have agreed to let the Ring go -- although he still didn't try to take it for himself -- until it was proven to him that he could not prevent Sauron from taking it. I don't agree with him, but wotthehell, it's only a movie.