June 23, 2003

RotK
G

I think I've been misunderstood.

When I said that the two major battles in RotK could be given an hour of screentime each I may have been exaggerating slightly and I certainly hope that this doesn't happen. In a way I would like to see Pelennor Fields given something like an hour, simply because it is supposed to be so much bigger than Helm's Deep. I definately don't want non book readers to look back on the three films and think of Helm's Deep as the major battle scene. When all is said and done though, for me LotR is about the characters, not the battles, and it is here that I think the emphasis should be placed.

Anyway, the point I was trying to make was that there is very little chance as far as I can see that the rest of the story can be told in three hours, and here is why; a brief list of the scenes that have still to come:

1. Theoden riding to Isengard and meeting the hobbits.
2. Gandalf confronting Saruman and Pippin finding the Palantir.
3. A bit more of Treebeard (hopefully).
4. The coming of the Grey Company.
5. Pippin looking in the Palantir.
6. Gandalf and Pippin riding to Minas Tirith.
7. Aragorn and Theoden returning to Helm's Deep.
8. Helm's Deep. Aragorn and Theoden must have seperate scenes with Eowyn here and Aragorn looks in the Palantir.
9. Edoras: the mustering of Rohan and Merry offering Theoden his sword.
10. Pippin meeting Denethor and Beregond.
11. Faramir returning to Minas Tirith and being rescued by Gandalf from the Nazgul (looking forward to that).
12. Faramir and Denethor together and Faramir being sent back to Osgiliath.
13. Faramir fighting in Osgiliath?
14. Faramir being hit by a poisoned arrow on his way back to Minas Tirith.
15. Denethor looking in his Palantir?
16. The ride of the Rohirrim (and Ghan-buri-Ghan?).
17. The Paths of the Dead.
18. The Pyre of Denethor, including Pippin seeing Gandalf confront the Black captain and Beregond killing some of his kin.
19. The Battle of the Pelennor Fields, including Theoden's death, Merry and Eowyn avenging him and Aragorn coming up the Anduin.
20. The houses of healing, which must be returned to later for Faramir and Eowyn to fall in love (I get the feeling that this wont be done justice).
21. The Last Debate.
22. The battle at the Black Gate.
23. Frodo and Sam seeing the Black Captain lead his army from Minas Morgul.
24. Shelob.
25. Frodo's 'death' and subsequent capture.
26. Sam deciding what to do and puting on the Ring.
27. Sam rescuing Frodo.
28. Frodo and Sam in Gorgoroth.
29. The slopes of Mount Doom.
30. Mount Doom itself.
31. The Eagles rescuing Frodo and Sam and probably fighting off the Nazgul.
32. Everyone meeting up at Minas Tirith.
33. Aragorn and Arwen's wedding and coronation.
34. The ride back north, with stops at Edoras and Rivendell, and possibly even Lothlorien and Bree.
35. The Shire.
36. The Grey Havens.
37. Sam eventually sailing West?
38. Haldir in the Halls of Mandos?
39. Epilogue, narrated by Galadriel.

In addition to all this, we have to have Saruman's death fitted in somewhere and we'll probably get more of Elrond, Arwen and Galadriel than are necessary. I haven't een bothered to mention Bergil or Imrahil as I don;t see any way that time will be found for them. Anyway, sorry about the length and the question remains: how can all this possibly fit into three hours of movie and be done the justice it deserves? I personally have no idea.

G.