January 24, 2004

More Nitpicking
Tuor

Hey, Brett C., I’ll add some things to your nitpicky Tolkien fan list. WARNING!! Those who haven't read the books and intend to will find this very spoiling.
1. When Pippin looks into the palantir in the book, they’re all sleeping outside.
2. And a Nazgul flies by shortly after, before he and Gandalf leave, which I think would be more intense than the movie’s rendition. I guess it was too fast for the pace of the movie.
3. Merry didn’t know the rider he was with, Dernhelm, was actually Eowyn until she revealed herself to the witch-king.
4. Obvious one, Aragorn had Anduril (Narsil reforged) since he left Rivendell at the beginning of the quest. In fact, he carried around only the broken hilt of it before it was reforged.
5. The Army of the Dead helped Aragorn and the rest of the Grey Company (also not in the movie) take the Corsairs' ships so they could load their own LIVING human army onto the ships, and had no part in the Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
6. The palantir of Minas Anor, aka Minas Tirith, is not shown, or mentioned, at all in the movie, which explains Denethor's madness.
7. Sam and Frodo's forced march across Gorgoroth was not in the movie, though I've seen scenes suggesting it's in the EE, or at least it was filmed, so that's good.

And finally, the most nitpicky of all...
8. Frodo puts the ring on his index finger, meaning Gollum bites off his index finger instead of the ring (third) finger.
8a. Oh yeah, Gollum falls into the Crack of Doom due to his own celebration in reacquiring the Ring. Tolkien had considered having Sam push Gollum in after biting Frodo's finger, but decided against it for some reason.

Tuor