Ha så kul
There are many rumours concerning
changes which have been made to
the forthcoming second film of the
trilogy. Don't believe all of them!
Nevertheless, in the interests of gossip.
Which Two Towers?
FILMS: Gandalf says the following
line, ""The veiling shadow of the
East takes shape. There is a union
now between the Two Towers–
Orthanc and Barad-dûr–"
BOOKS: The postscript at the end
of The Fellowship of the Ring says,
"The second part is called The Two
Towers, since the events recounted
in it are domininated by Orthanc,
the citadel of Saruman, and the
fortress of Minas Morgul that guards
the entrance ot Mordor."
COMMENT: Many readers of the
book assume that the second tower
referred to is Barad-dûr, since Minas
Morgul is mentioned only in passing.
Frodo is journeying to Mordor in his
portion of the story, and Barad-dûr
is the seat of power in Mordor.
More Frightening Treebeard
Encounter
FILMS: After escaping the Uruk-hai,
Merry and Pippin stumble through
Fangorn Forest, frightened and
hungry, until Treebeard smacks them
on the head with a"branch" and picks
the terrified two up.
BOOKS: The hobbits are nourished
by lembas and journey through
Fangorn rather cheerfully. They
travel for a few miles before
encountering Treebeard, who talks
with them briefly before picking the
pair up.
COMMENT: Lembas is a luxury that
can be cut to accommodate the film™s
running time. A more dramatic
encounter between Treebeard and the
hobbits makes for a more effective
cut to another scene in the film.
Funnier Treebeard Encounter
FILMS: Pippin climbs a tree, that
blinks to an open eye. Pippin is
pulling himself up upon the nose,
turns and looks straight at the eye,
turns to tell Merry something, when
he realizes he just saw an eye in a
tree.
BOOKS: Pippin and Merry discover
Treebeard when the Ent walks up
behind the two hobbits and begins
talking to them.
COMMENT: This is a more visually
interesting introduction to Treebeard
than it would be if the book were
followed precisely.
Gandalf™s Resurrection Shown
on Screen
FILMS: Gandalf is shown being
resurrected as Gandalf the White
while lying naked upon the snowy
mountain-top after his battle with
the Balrog.
BOOKS: Gandalf merely discusses
this event when he meets up with
Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli.
COMMENT: It is more effective
film storytelling to show things rather
than have characters talk about
them. However the danger is that
the filmmakers may portray
Gandalf™s resurrection in a way
different from how Tolkien would
have visualized it.
Éowyn Sword Shattering
Maneuver (ESSM)
FILMS: Éowyn spars with Aragorn
to demonstrate her prowess with a
sword, and shatters Aragorn's sword
in the process.
BOOKS: The only physical
interaction Éowyn and Aragorn have
is when she handed him a cup of wine
and their hands met."
COMMENT: Such scenes make
Éowyn a more memorable character
in the second film.
Théodred™s Funeral
FILMS: Théoden's son, Théodred, is
brought back to Edoras after being
killed in battle with Saruman's forces.
Éowyn mourns her cousin besides the
bed he is set upon, and Grima enters
to speak to her. Later, after
Wormtongue is banished, Théoden
buries his son in the flower-covered
tombs outside the Edoras and prays
while Gandalf speaks words of
comfort to the grieving king.
BOOKS: There are no such scenes.
Théodred was killed in the first battle
of the Fords of Isen five days before
Gandalf and company's arrival in
Edoras, but he was buried at the battle
site.
COMMENT: The funeral is a
dramatic way of showing how
Saruman™s aggression personally
affected the people of Rohan.
