Subtlety
I rarely have opportunity to post these days, much less to read lengthy threads such as this, but I thought it worth reading and so I hope what I have to mention will be worth posting.
The VOICE OF SARUMAN scene sets up some of the character conflict that we see later in the film.
Gandalf's uncertainty and fear that he has sent Frodo to his doom makes better sense as a spirit of thought from Saruman. This also gives Aragorn more of an opportunity to take leadership.
Theoden's lack of faith in himself is also made keener by the spell of Saruman's voice.
This is a subtle effect that Gandalf warns of in the book, but is rather difficult to show in a movie. The EE of ROTK accomplishes this, though this kind of subtlety seems to have largely gone unnoticed. Kudos to Peter, Fran, and Phillipa for this effort.
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