Dumbing it down

[Essex]

Alatar

And while I'm ranting away, just how does Eowyn get 'almost dead?' After racking up an impressive body count, fighting Gothmog (2nd in command?), she kills the WK (and if that weren't enough), runs from the Gimp, and then...what are we to assume? She looks well enough when she chats with Theoden.

It's called adrenaline, and then shock. Just like the unsung hero Merry who was walking around unnoticed after he helped defeat the Witch King in the book, his wounds did not take their perilous hold until later. This has been transposed from Merry to Eoywn for the movie, as she was the one at Theoden's side for his death speech (because film wise the story could not fit a Merry/theoden bonding session in - but this is a pity).

Did Merry break the spell that knit the WK sinews together, or did he sting the WK, bringing him to his knees and causing him to 'freeze' so that (1) Eowyn could have time to say her line and (2) she could stab him in the face easily without the need of a step stool?

Yes, just as in the book (except she said the line before hand), Merry brought down the WK enabling her to kill the WK with a sword to his 'face'. If non book readers don't understand, and book reading cynics can't except it, then too bad.

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Essex

If non book readers don't understand, and book reading cynics can't except it, then too bad.

I hope that you understand my point. I've taken your advice, either 'filling in' where PJ left stuff out or 'separating' the movie from the books and enjoying each as a different thing.

Just wanted to point out more items that may not have made sense to the illiterate nor to me. With Eowyn, a major character, to be one moment a bit tussled and the next moment a bit 'dead' is was a bit (IMO) hard to swallow. Where was Merry after the encounter? Do hobbits have less adrenaline?

Would have been better, I think (like anyone cares!) if, upon stabbing the WK Eowyn screamed as if wounded. She could then have talked with Theoden but we might have had a sense that she too was filing, being mortally wounded, like Merry (luckily Aragorn saves them). Running from Gothmog didn't make her seem almost dead to me.