[Essex]

Ha Ha! The Movie page's most infamous thread has come back to haunt us.

Thank you, Valar, for resurrecting it, even though I disagree with the 'certainty' you state is shown in the book re Gandalf's power over the WK.

read your post again Valar. You will see a particular word highlighted here:

And that I might have averted but for the madness of Denethor.

Now if Gandalf was one thing, he definately wasn't modest. If he felt he could do something he would come right out and say it. But here we have him questioning himself re the possibility of defeating the WK, by the use of the word 'might'

PS your point

But all would know this if they really read the book and not just take what they want from words within and creat their own meanings

That is exactly why we have this forum for. You can have your own opinions on what Tolkien is saying. That is one of the reasons why the book is loved so much. For example, just one word taken a different way from Glorfindel's Prophecy re the Witch King sets up endless hours of conversation.

PPS Welcome to the Downs by the way

PPPS My eariler points on the WK being perhaps more Stronger in the film because this film needed a 'Baddie' to focus on. I feel vindicated because I've finally listened to the Directors' commentaries on the WK scenes, and they say pretty much what I implied. Because we don't see Sauron (after they made the wise decision to airbrush him out of the black gate fight scene) PJ and co decided they needed a 'baddie' to focus on, and the WK was next in line.