July 14, 2002

Glorfindel, Characters, and Isengard
Brett C.

I wanted to clear up what I think was a misinterpretaion of my Glorfindel question. I did not mean to question why Glorfindel did not rdie with Frodo to the Ford when they get there, but why he did not, like Arwen in the movie, ride with Frodo from the time he first finds the Hobbits and Aragorn, especially if he knows the Wraiths are close behind. Even so, I think some of the answers put forward so far are pretty plausable.

Deb, Aragron is actually around 80 when he meets the Hobbits, and looks much younger because of his Dunedain heritage. Frodo is 50 but looks 33 because of the prolonging effect of the Ring, while in the movie he really is 33 because there is no 17 year interlude between Gandalf's leaving and returning to the Shire.

As far as the artistic qualities of the movie go, I have only two itches to scratch. I thought Moria wa a bit to open aired, and would have liked a more closed in feel, as if it really had been carved form the living rock of Silvertine. The other was Isengard. The description of the Wizard's Vale has always left me with the impression that the encircling walls are actually the southward stretching arms of the Misty Mountains forming an almost crater like valley, with the arch for the gate tunnelled by the Numenoreans for acces. PJ preferred to go with the wall being a manmade construct forming a circle around the tower. Did this look surprise anyone else?