295 lines
18 KiB
Markdown
295 lines
18 KiB
Markdown
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layout: post
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title: "LotR: Differences between book and film"
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date: 2019-02-16 10:00:00 +0200
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categories: blog
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---
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After a long time I have finally bought the books of Lord of the Rings. In this post I intend to show
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the differences between the book(s) and the movies. Regardless of any shown differences, the movies are
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and remain my most beloved of all and are a very good adaptation of the books.
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To clear up terminology, what we call books is called volumes in Lord of the Rings. The first volume entitled
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"Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" is internally consisting of two books. The same is true
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for the second and third volumes that correspond with the movies.
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That said, let's start with the differences of (for now) the first volume/movie.
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## Hobbiton to Buckleberry Ferry
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It is difficult to clearly outline what is different from the movie as many things are never mentioned in
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the movie and therefore even mentioning them would require an extensive summary of the book which I cannot do.
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Nonetheless I will try my very best to give as much details as necessary to understand the background of things.
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### Book
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The time before the party of Bilbo is mentioned with detail. He receives presents from Dale and the Lonely Mountain
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and dwarves are regular visitors. The Sackville-Bagginses are distant relatives of his and they already bought
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Bag End in the auction at the end of The Hobbit story line. Ever since they had to give it back, they yearn for
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owning it again. Bilbo makes Frodo (a cousin) his official heir, which makes S.-B. even more hatred, because
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they see less of a chance to get Bag End again. At some point Bilbo places the sign "No admittance unless on party
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business" at the entrance of the estate.
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Gandalf arrives in the shire for the feast. The party is held on premises of Bag End. When Bilbo does the speech,
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he mentions that Frodo not only becomes of age at 33 years but also into inheritance. Everyone is puzzled. Then
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he puts the ring on disappears. Gandalf added some light effects which make people think that Gandalf let
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Bilbo disappear. Therefore he is named "disturber of the peace".
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After the guests were all home, Gandalf makes sure that Bilbo leaves the envelope with the ring in the house.
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Frodo is given the ring and asked to keep it secure.
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17 years pass in which Gandalf tries to figure out if the ring is actually "the one ring". Eventually he comes
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back and has a lengthy talk with Frodo and tells him of the task ahead and that Frodo must go to Rivendell.
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At this meeting the black speech on the ring is also revealed. To make his disappearance seem normal, Frodo plans
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with the help of his friend Meriadoc to move to Buckland (east of the Brandywine river) and buys a small home there,
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which is out of eyesight from other buildings. Sam was eavesdropping and was conscripted to help Frodo in the
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endeavour.
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Gandalf sets out again and on his return to the shire (some weeks/months before Frodos move) he meets Radagast near
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Bree, who tells him that Saruman wants to see him. Gandalf now writes a letter and gives it to the innkeeper in
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Bree who should send it to Frodo.
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Finally the day of the move is there and Merry and Pippin help Frodo with moving the chairs and similar things
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to the new home. Merry is riding ahead. Short before Frodo is set to depart, he sees a black man near the house
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of Sam. At midnight Frodo goes with Sam and Pippin by foot through the countryside, trying to avoid the streets.
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They go in a big berth south over the main east-west street and into Took land. Their journey lasts multiple days
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and on the way they encounter black riders some number of times and meet the elves which travel from the
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Grey Havens. One night they stay with the elves and Frodo talks about the problems and the black riders with
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the leader of the elves. The leader promises to send out messengers to alert other elves of the problems.
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The supplies of Frodo, Sam and Pippin are running already thin when they finally arrive during late evening at the
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farm in the east of the shire. Pippin is known by the farmer so they are friendly greeted and have supper and
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tell parts of their story. The farmer agrees to transport them with his carriage in the dark to the Buckleberry
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Ferry. There a dark shadow on a pony comes close to them but it is revealed as Merry who was wondering where
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Frodo was. The farmer said good bye and together they travelled with the ferry over the Brandywine.
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### Differences
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I already left a lot out but the gist of it should be clear. In the movie the seventeen years comprise of one scene
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where Gandalf journeys to Minas Tirith to read the accounts of Isildur. Also Gandalf is disturber of the peace
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prior of Bilbo's disappearance. Further the S.-B. are mentioned and Bilbo is wary of them but it is not clear
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why exactly. All the dwarves and the connection to Laketown (and hence the key location of The Hobbit) are missing.
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Pippin and Merry are not introduced during the party. The dragon firework however was in the book.
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The journey through the shire is implied but Pippin is not part of it and they only see elves in passing. Pippin
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and Merry are reintroduced running through a farm and afterwards they hide the first time from the black rider.
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In the following they run to Backleberry Ferry and barely escape. The black riders asking around in Hobbiton
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and the shire in general is shown, however.
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The topic of supplies, eating and the duration of the journey is excessively mentioned in the book but
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almost never in the movie.
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If you solely watch the movie you do not get a sense of the size of the shire, nor of the exact geography
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of the things.
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## From Buckleberry Ferry to Bree
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How shall I put it, in the movie it is instantaneous. The next scene after the ferry is Bree, heavily implying
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it is a trouble free journey. In the book a whole part of the journey exists that was completely cut from the
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movie.
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### Book
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A very short account of the narrative in the book follows.
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East of the Brandywine Merry is again riding ahead, since Frodo knows the way and Merry wants to prepare things.
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After some foot walk they arrive at the new small home of Frodo. There they wash and eat. On the early morning
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of the next day they want to go on. Frodo is feeling bad, because he wants to say goodbye. But it is revealed
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that indeed Sam, Pippin and Merry guessed a long time ago the plans of Frodo and conspired to help him.
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The next day they start each with a pony through the forest east of the shire. This forest is troublesome
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for them and the trees are blocking their way until they eventually arrive at Old Willow. There Pippin and
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Merry are taken in by the tree [this type of scene was added to the Extended Version of the second movie
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and is placed in the Fangorn forest]. Tom Bombadil comes to their aid and together they travel to Tom's home,
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where Goldberry waited. There they recovered and heard stories. It was revealed that Tom was not influenced by
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the ring.
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After some time they went on but were caught by wights. They barely survived and their ponies went back to Tom.
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Frodo sang a song that Tom taught them to sing when in peril. Tom came and freed the hobbits. Once more they
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went to the home of Tom. Afterwards Tom brought them to the street to Bree. There they said goodbye and
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went to the city gate of Bree.
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During this time Gandalf escaped from Saruman, rode with the fastest horse of the Rohans (Shadowfax) to Hobbiton
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and then back to Bree and arrived there few days before the hobbits. He did not stay there and moved on towards
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Rivendell.
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## Bree
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The entire presence in Bree is far more detailed than in the movie.
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### Book
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They arrive at the Prancing Pony and get their rooms. There they wash and eat supper. Afterwards everyone but
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Merry goes to the big room and joined the company there. Pippin told a lot of stories of the shire which got
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a lot of attention. Also there were Underhills who thought Frodo was a long lost cousin.
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Frodo spoke with Strider who warned him of the attention that Pippin got. Then Frodo decided to sing a song to
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get the attention away from Pippin. But ofter a while he fell and the ring slipped on his finger. The crowd was
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crazy. Frodo took the ring off again and explained that he was not gone. The other people thought him a magician.
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They went back to their rooms with Strider who explained who he was. Then the innkeeper came and remembered that
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he was given a letter from Gandalf. This letter explained who Strider is and urged Frodo to leave Bag End
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immediately.
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Upon the realization of the imminent danger, they relocated to another room and stuffed something in the beds
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to irritate the black riders. Merry was still gone. The helper of the innkeeper was told to keep watch for
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Merry. Later in the night Merry was brought back and was shocked.
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Their deception proved important as the black riders went to the hobbit rooms in the inn and when discovering
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that those were empty, they fled the scene. The ponies of the hobbits moved away as well. On the next morning
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the innkeeper asked around in town who would be willing to sell a horse. Only one person proved willing and
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that person was also implicated as working for the dark lord. Nonetheless the hobbits got the horse and
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used it to pack the supplies and went with Strider out of the town.
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### Differences
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The key points are kept in the movie but overall the book gives much higher fidelity.
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## From Bree to Weathertop
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Strider leads them off-road to the Weathertop, which takes many days and supplies are dwindling. The journey
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to Weathertop is very much shortened in the movie.
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Three days away from Weathertop the company sees lightning on the Weathertop. This is later revealed to be a fight
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of Gandalf with the riders. Afterwards Gandalf rides fast to Rivendell.
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## Weathertop
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The events of the Weathertop are in effect similar but the exact location somewhat different. It is explained
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in the book that the black riders cannot see normally. They need their black horses for visual direction.
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Rather they smell things. As long as Frodo did not have the ring on, he was invisible to the riders without
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their horses. The other hobbits were not endangered by the riders. Once Frodo took the ring on, they
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saw him and stabbed him with a morgul blade. Gladly for Frodo they missed, otherwise he would have become
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one of them.
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## From Weathertop to Rivendell
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The journey to Rivendell was long and perilous. At some point they came across the trolls of The Hobbit and took
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some weapons from there. Short before the Ford of Bruinen they met Glorfindel who came from Rivendell. Frodo was
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to ride on the white horse on to Rivendell. When the riders came, Frodo did not want to ride fast away. Glorfindel
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spoke something to the horse which then gallopped fast towards the Ford and barely came first place ahead of more
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riders. Once over the Ford, Frodo stopped with his sword high and wanted the riders to stop. The riders stepped
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into the river and were then flooded away. It is later revealed that the forms on the water (horses) were added by
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Gandalf.
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### Differences
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In the movie the journey is very much shorter and it is not Glorfindel but Arwen that comes to their aid.
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Furthermore Arwen is travelling with Frodo to the Ford and the chase to the Ford is made longer than it was
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in the book. Lastly Arwen seems to cause the flood when in the book it is revealed that Elrond is the reason
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for it.
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## Rivendell
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Rivendell takes a much longer time than it was in the movie. In fact is is so intensive that I cannot give
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a clear abstract of the order of things.
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### Differences of the book to the movie
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- prior to the counsel of Elrond, many months pass in which scouts are searching for the black riders
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- the council itself is much longer, Gloin is present as well and tells from the Lonely Mountain
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- Aragorn has the broken Narzil with him, it is not lying in Rivendell
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- the sword is reforged and Anduril, Flame of the West, is given to Aragorn
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- many more scenes with Bilbo
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- almost no mention of Arwen (connection of Aragorn and Arwen is not mentioned at all and only visible
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if you know what to look for)
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## From Rivendell to Moria
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The fellowship sets out with the pony. Supplies and the duration of the journey, as well as the specific route
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are far more detailed in the book. Dark birds are flying over them but not in the least in the way it is depicted
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in the movie. It is not an attack. At last they come to Caradhras (or Redhorn) and try to take the mountain
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pass. In the book it is Aragorn who pushes for this route. They are defeated by the snow
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and the snow is not caused by Saruman in a wizard battle with Gandalf.
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When back down, they are attacked by wargs which pushes them towards Moria, rather than the Gap of Rohan. After
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a long journey they find the door. Gandalf takes quite some time until he finds out that the riddle is meant
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literal, the door to Moria opens. The company has to leave the pony behind. After the water was disturbed,
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an octopus-like being comes out of it and pushes them into Moria and then barrs the doors from the outside,
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so that they cannot push the door open again from the inside (which they could have done otherwise).
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### Differences
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The movie makes the journey on the one hand shorter and more dramatic. Also it adds scene where Boromir picks up
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the ring from Frodo, which has no resemblance in the book. Furthermore Saruman is mentioned far more often and
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is a crucial plot device in the movie.
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## Through Moria
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The journey through Moria is longer and more detailed in the book. At the junction with the three pathways
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(depicted in movie) there is an additional guard room where they make rest for the night. In that guard room
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is an old well and there Pippin throws a stone inside which runs deep down. Gandalf's remark is the same as
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in the movie.
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Gandalf leads the company at length to the room with Balin's last stand. Here he reads the accounts which
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are written in various languages. The company hears drums in the background. They are attacked and Frodo
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is hit. The company escapes through the second door which leads them down and Gandalf creates a magical
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barrier but is throne back. It is not revealed from what or whom. The fellowship is moving towards the bridge
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of Khazadûm. The Balrog is coming for them and Gandalf makes a stand and is thrown down. His last words are
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"Fly you fools". After some further rooms the remaining fellowship makes for the main entrance of Moria,
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kills the guards there and after a short momento stop for Gimli, they make haste for the forest of Lorien.
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## Lorien
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The overall journey through Lorien is way more detailed. An orc company is following them out of Moria.
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In Lorien they make rest for the night and try to climb the trees. The elves in the trees say the famous
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line that they could hear them from a mile away. Legolas negotiates with the elves and the company can stay
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on the flots for the night.
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Afterwards they are led to the central part of the forest, at some point they blindfolded to ensure the exact way is unknown to them.
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In the city they meet high up in the trees Galadriel and Celeborn. The dialogue is more detailed. The company
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gets a pavillon to sleep in. Overall they stay many weeks in Lorien where time seems to be different.
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The key scene of the mirror involves Sam as well and more visions are mentioned.
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## From Lorien to Rauros (big falls of Anduin)
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Lastly the fellowship is departing from Lorien and brought to the harbour. There they get Lambas bread, their
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cloaks and the boats as well as rope for Sam. With them they travel in direction of Anduin, The Great. Before
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leaving the forest, a large ship of Galadriel and Celeborn is towed to them and they eat on the grass next to the
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river. There they get the presents.
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- Aragorn: a sheath for Anduril and the jewel that Aragorn received in the movie in Rivendell from Arwen
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- Boromir: golden belt
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- Legolas: a bow
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- Gimli: three hairs of Galadriel
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- Sam: a box with earth of Galadriel's orchard and a silver nut from a mallorn tree
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- Frodo: the light of Earendil
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- Pippin/Merry: silver belt
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Afterwards they journey for a long time through various regions along the Anduin. One night they encounter
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Gollum but after Frodo draws Sting, Gollum disappears and is not seen again, though he continues to follow
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them. At some point they come to the rapids of Sarn Gebir and they transport the boats to the other end of the
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rapids. Then they journey on to the falls of Rauros. At the beach they make camp for the night and finally
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have to decide whether to go to Minas Tirith as Boromir was headed or to Mordor. Frodo asks for time to
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think about it and walks away. Some time later Boromir meets him and the scene from the movie plays. Frodo
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takes the ring on and runs to the top of the hill. In a stone chair he sits down and walks in all four
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directions of the sky. In the east he sees the ever watchful eye and manages to take the ring of mere
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seconds before Sauron would have known his exact location.
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Frodo made a decision to leave everyone alone and move to Mordor without saying goodbye. He slips the ring
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back on trying to come to the beach without anyone noticing.
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Meanwhile Sam asks where Frodo remains. Boromir reappears and it is revealed that Boromir threatened Frodo.
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Aragorn tries to keep order but fails. Pippin and Merry are running to the wood calling for Frodo. Legolas and
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Gimli, being already friends, move together to search for Frodo. Aragorn asks Boromir to at least protect Pippin
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and Merry. Aragorn is going with Sam. But Sam cannot keep the pace of Aragorn and falls back. He thinks that Frodo
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needs a boot to get to the other side and runs back to the beach.
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There he discovers that Frodo is in one of the boats. Sam is running into the water and is saved by Frodo,
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who still has the ring on. Frodo takes the ring off, gets Sam aboard and rows back to the shore.
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Sam takes his things and makes hole into the other boats and sets off with Frodo to the other shore, where
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they hide the boat and move on.
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### Differences
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The journey is shorter and the first movie concludes with a battle of the Urukhai, where Boromir dies. This part
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is not even in the first book and only hinted at in the second (which I will feature later). The scene with
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Boromir and the almost drowning of Sam is, however, depicted close to the book.
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## To be continued
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Once I finish the second volume, I shall continue the journey of describing the differences.
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