[doug*platypus]

<B>Spoiler Ahoy</B><P>I'm not sure if the debate surrounding the appearance of Sauron is still going on as this is an old thread. But I can tell you from first hand experience (although it does mean blowing my own trumpet a bit) that Sauron DOES appear, and fights Aragorn one on one. Or at least I can say that they filmed those scenes, because I was there. I was there, Gandalf, 3000 years ago. Well, a couple of years ago.<P>In the charge of the major characters at the Battle on the Morannon, Aragorn wasn't present. I was an Orc extra, and they had Gandalf, Merry, Pippin, Legolas, Éomer and Gimli shooting their big fight scenes. Viggo was off with another unit filming scenes for the ultimate showdown. Sauron has the world's coolest flaming standard.<P>Eomer of the Rohirrim made a great point that the book didn't really need a visible, classic bad guy to have an amazing ending. Sinister eye Sauron from the book was maybe a bit disappointing but worked very well. <P>The filmmakers couldn't really get away with that, since audiences don't usually react well to something that is different from the formula. Any exception needs to be extremely well done, and it would be much more straightforward to bring out the big guy in his armour. There's precedent in Fingolfin's combat with Morgoth anyway, so we shouldn't be too upset.<P>I think that PJ and co kind of backed themselves into a corner somewhat, as well. Sauron is of course the ultimate bad guy of the trilogy, but he has was not constantly present as such in the first two movies. FOTR placed a lot (too much) of emphasis on Saruman as the villain, even crediting him with the snowstorm on Caradhras. Characters such as Lurtz and Wormtongue have only added to the confusion. ROTK will need to produce a big solid visible Sauron to reinforce the idea that he is the main enemy. <P>I think that the book needed this less, because throughout it is easier to picture him as the chief force of evil. Almost every evil person or deed is linked ultimately to Sauron. Bill Ferny ended up working for Sauron's spies, the Barrow-Wights were active because of Sauron's increasing power, and Saruman was always portrayed as inferior and subordinate to the dark lord.<P>By the way, the destruction of the Ring intervenes just as Aragorn is about to be killed. And bear in mind this is only what I've been told and seen. It could all be an elaborate hoax (as was the alternate dialogue for Darth Vader in ESB or the multiple endings of The Simpsons' Who Shot Mister Burns episode).<p>[ 6:50 PM December 09, 2003: Message edited by: doug*platypus ]