Gandalf's words - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Selmo · 09-18-2002, 04:21 AM

When I first saw the film, I was shocked to find that Gandalf's words about not dealing out death in judgement lightly were missing from the scene with Frodo in Bagend; I consider them to be very important to the whole story.
I was greatly relieved when Gandalf uses those words in Moria.
Film is film, not the written word, so changes are necessary. I have no problem with that. Despite the changes, I loved the film.
I was slightly annoyed by the inclusion of extra scenes that didn't add to the story, but took up time that could have been used for bits that were cut. For example, the wizards duel and the scene in Moria with all that collapsing masonry, put in just so that Gimli could use the line about dwarf tossing.

I strongly disliked the "lets hunt some orc" line. They're not Tolkien's words; they're not even English English. The phrase is an ugly, ungrammatical modern American expression, quite out of keeping for Aragorn's character.
Cosidering Aragorn's state of mind at the time, angry, fearful, sorrowful and full of self-doubt, it's not surprising that his usually very careful speech patterns should break down, but his words should still have been compatable with the early twentieth century English English that Tolkien would have used.

[ September 18, 2002: Message edited by: Selmo ]

09-18-2002, 04:21 AM	#1
Selmo Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: The Shire (Staffordshire), United Kingdom Posts: 273	When I first saw the film, I was shocked to find that Gandalf's words about not dealing out death in judgement lightly were missing from the scene with Frodo in Bagend; I consider them to be very important to the whole story. I was greatly relieved when Gandalf uses those words in Moria. Film is film, not the written word, so changes are necessary. I have no problem with that. Despite the changes, I loved the film. I was slightly annoyed by the inclusion of extra scenes that didn't add to the story, but took up time that could have been used for bits that were cut. For example, the wizards duel and the scene in Moria with all that collapsing masonry, put in just so that Gimli could use the line about dwarf tossing. I strongly disliked the "lets hunt some orc" line. They're not Tolkien's words; they're not even English English. The phrase is an ugly, ungrammatical modern American expression, quite out of keeping for Aragorn's character. Cosidering Aragorn's state of mind at the time, angry, fearful, sorrowful and full of self-doubt, it's not surprising that his usually very careful speech patterns should break down, but his words should still have been compatable with the early twentieth century English English that Tolkien would have used. [ September 18, 2002: Message edited by: Selmo ]