Yes, that scene was more faithful than most. I have read the trilogy over 24 times.
Glorfindel, Noldorin Elf Lord, prophesied in 1974 TA to Earnur, the last king of Gondor, that “not by the hand of man” would the Witch-King of Angmar, the Lord of the Nazgul, die.
This made the Witch-King, who knew that Glorfindel was one of the First-Born, and therefore very powerful, and to be believed, think that he was thus invincible with respect to all humans. Eowyn was a woman, not a man.
The movies were quite disappointing, in that they secularized the tale, and removed most of Tolkien’s implicit monotheism and explicit philosophy. They also changed the personalities of key characters too much. Elrond Halfelven, the ultimate great uncle to Aragorn (via Elrond’s beloved twin brother, Elros), and his adopted father who LOVED him like a SON, was turned into a bigot against humans. Aragorn, who never rejected his heritage after he learned of it at age 20, was turned into the reluctant hero stereotype.
It is not surprising that Christopher Tolkien disowned the Peter Jackson movies.
The Howard Shore score is my favorite aspect of it all. I sang it live in The Lord of the Rings in Concert on the west coast.
The movies were quite disappointing, in that they secularized the tale, and removed most of Tolkien’s implicit monotheism and explicit philosophy.
Yep, which fits right in with the topic of this thread. Grumped me that most everything I was looking for and expecting from the books was purged away in the movies.
What really bombed it for me was the absence of
The Scouring of the Shire - that was the ending that neatly wrapped it all up in a bow, with a cherry on top. Events came full circle, where the hobbits who had left as a bunch of scared kids returned as experienced and capable matured adults who knew how to take care of business in saving their own country - which is where it all began as well as where the very last battle of a war they thought had ended fell. Saruman getting the comeuppance he did was gratifying - for all his supposed knowledge & wisdom he was prone to miscalculations that brought him catastrophic results. When he thought he could move in on and take over the Shire, bully and enslave the inhabitants and get away with it was the last mistake that arrogant asshat ever made. When I saw Saruman buy it outside his tower in the movie, I was bummed knowing the
Scouring was not going to happen.
The Howard Shore score
Got the soundtrack. Makes for awesome mood music. Some of it gives me goosebumps every time I play it.
