May 1, 2003

Gandalf's Advice is Never Bad
Manofwesternesse

I can fully appreciate Mr.Underhill's problem with Gandalf's advice to Theoden IF looked at purely from the sequence of events in the movie.

In the Book of course there were no exiled Rohirrim, just those scattered by the Orc attacks at the Fords of Isen. Gandalf's advice in the Book context then was good. There were sufficient Rohirrim available to hope to give open battle to the Orcs, together with those of Erkenbrand's followers whom Gandalf later gathered. But then on hearing of the size of the Orc army Gandalf advised Theoden to go to Helms Deep.

In the movie however Gandalf advised open warfare, which as you say with 300 old men and boys was ridiculous. As I've commented before it is as if they changed the plot in one place & then promptly forgot they changed it, leading the characters into silly situations which could easily have been avoided.

But I still love it!