This is rather a short chapter - only about seven and a half pages. Why? Perhaps in part because it's not really its own chapter; in terms of content, it is more like the conclusion of the previous chapter, "The Breaking of the Fellowship". This is a nice little trick Tolkien plays: he leaves us in the midst of the action at the end of Book II (only for Frodo and Sam are things in any way concluded there), putting the literal division between the books before the natural conclusion of Book II (that conclusion being Boromir's death and Aragorn's decision to go after Merry and Pippin). Nonetheless, I'm inclined to agree with Estelyn that Peter Jackson actually made the right decision here; this is perhaps one of the few cases where the movie-aesthetic really is different from the book-aesthetic.
This chapter is in my opinion probably the best portrayal of Aragorn in the book. Aragorn, I will admit, is not my favorite character. Not that I dislike him - but it often seems that he lacks depth. In the discussion of I-10 I said:
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He is a flat character in the tradition of great flat characters like Aeneas and Beowulf. It's not that he is poorly characterized, just that he does not have the same sort of psychological hook as Turin or Gollum or even Frodo.
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Well, if there's one chapter that proves me wrong, I think it's this one. Here, Aragorn's indecision, his mistakes, his regrets - all are vividly and effectively depicted. For example:
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Boromir smiled.
'Which way did they go? Was Frodo there?' said Aragorn.
But Boromir did not speak again.
'Alas!' said Aragorn. 'Thus passes the heir of Denethor, Lord of the Tower of the Guard! This is a bitter end. Now the company is all in ruin. It is I that have failed. Vain was Gandalf's trust in me. What shall I do now? Boromir has laid it on me to go to Minas Tirith, and my heart desires it; but where are the Ring and the Bearer? How shall I find them and save the Quest from disaster?'
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Even the minutest detail is perfect here - as, for example, that Aragorn waited a moment too long to ask Boromir whether Frodo was with them.
This kind of indecision is really needed at this point in the book. One of the dangers of having characters like Aragorn and, especially, Gandalf, aiding Frodo is that, deep down, it is almost impossible for the reader to believe that such figures of benevolent authority will ever fail or be defeated. Only by showing us that they can and do fail (or even better, killing them off) can Tolkien make the reader really worry.