March 11, 2003

Re: Frodo's Heroism
Danny

There is a moment right before the one you mentioned where the ring overpowers Frodo. I mentioned it in a post. When they near Minas Morgul, Frodo is overcome, and runs almost toppling with his head lolling towards the city. Only Sam grabbing him and turning him around saved Frodo from being captured. It was not an issue of Frodo's will at that moment. Frodo was overpowered and only pulled out of the trap by Sam, much like Sam and Faramir together save Frodo when he is overcome in the movie.

I agree that the movie didn't show enough of Frodo's strength, compromised as much by Frodo's lack of a role in the moments at the Ford as anything that happens in TTT. However, it is still visible when he resists at weathertop, and just by the fact that he does continue despite the despair he is battling. He still corageously takes the task on his shoulders at Rivendell, and bravely decides to trek to Mordor without the help of Aragorn or the rest of the Fellowship.

The challenge with film is portraying a Frodo who is both fallable and heroic. Most viewers relate more to a fallable character like Frodo than they do to Gandalf. I do wish that PJ had done more to show Frodo's strength. Though as I said, it is still there. I think part of it is that when I read, I see a character very much how I want to see him. My mind wants Frodo to be strong so it doesn't pay as much attention to his struggles. In the film, it is harder for us to overlook those kinds of things so our perception of Frodo as weaker is largely because we are forced to see things that we tend to glaze over when we read.

I want to make the point that there is one very clear moment in the book TTT where Frodo is overwhelmed by the enemy's power and he was moments away from involuntarily destroying the quest. Read the chapter where he sees the army and despairs as you mentioned, and you will see just a few pages before that moment where it happens. I beleive it is the Chapter, Stairs of Cirith Ungol or something to that effect. I don't have my books out right now.