The Good and The Bad - a Quick Look at the Movies

[Sauron the White]

Matthew - regarding these two on the bad side of the ledger..........

Boromir's speech to Frodo before he trys and takes the Ring is almost wholly absent. This is very upsetting as this is one of the best parts in the book. The scene is rather rushed.
* Boromir was pierced by numerous arrows, not just three.

One inherent difference in movies and books is there simply is not space for long speeches in films. If you look at almost every speech in the books, they were seriously shortened for the film. That is simply part and parcel of the medium. It does not lend itself to long speeches - especially with todays audiences for good or bad.

Most things in films are shortened when they involve numerical repetition, and that may also apply to the arrows piercing Boromir. I think what Jackson did here was to give Lurtz thicker and heavier arrows so the effect of each one was magnified beyond that of a normal much thinner arrow. And his slow-mo reaction makes each one seem more important. Its simply a difference in style. Remember, in the book we see nothing of this, only the after effects. In the films its much more dramatic and painful to actually witness it.