Revealing mistake: When the Orcs attack Osgiliath, Faramir takes his sword and it appears as if he plunges it into the belly of an Orc. However, he really turns the sword before it hits the Orc and the tip coming out of the back of the Orc is CG. The angle of his hand on the hilt as the blade penetrates and the CG blade in the Orc's back do not line up. (00:46:20)
Continuity mistake: At Rivendell, in the first shot Arwen holds the book and it's open to the page with the drawing of the door on the right side. Then in the next close-up, (before the book falls) she is still holding the book open, but it is now open to a different page. Then the book starts to fall to the floor. (00:30:15)
Audio problem: When Faramir and his men ride out of Minas Tirith, Gandalf tries to dissuade him from going. Faramir says, "This is the city of the Men of Númenor. I will gladly give my life to defend her beauty, her memory." It then cuts to a tight close-up as he rides past Gandalf when he continues saying, "her wisdom," and his closed lips do not move at all. (Extended Edition.) (01:30:10)
Audio problem: Before the skull avalanche, after Gimli shouts, "Stand, you traitors!" there is a wide shot of Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas, in which Aragorn shouts, but nothing is heard. (01:56:30)
Continuity mistake: As Frodo, Sam and Gollum begin to climb the stairs at Cirith Ungol, Sam asks, "Hey, what's in this tunnel?" then grabs Gollum and pushes him to the stone wall. In the wideshot, Gollum's back is noticeably up against a different part of the wall, than in the previous and following close-ups. (00:59:35)
Continuity mistake: As Faramir and the Gondorian soldiers start to ride down the path in Minas Tirith, there is a close-up of Faramir passing a particular building, and then over a dozen shots later, when Gandalf shouts, "Faramir!" Faramir still rides past the same building. In the next wideshot with Gandalf, they are on a different part of the path, yet in the next close-up Faramir is once again still at the same building as earlier. (01:29:00)
Continuity mistake: At Dunharrow, Éowyn talks with Merry, who stands in front of the tent's door flaps. In the interior shots, there are short ties hanging from the grommet holes on both sides of the flaps. Yet in the next exterior shot as Merry heads to the smithy, there are long ties hanging only on one side of the flaps, the other side has empty grommets! (01:13:50)
Revealing mistake: In several crowd shots of Minas Tirith during Faramir's suicide charge (particularly the one featuring Irolas), the top of the set is visible. Buildings stop unnaturally, and the sky is visible where the other walls of the city and the mountain range behind it would have blocked it.
Continuity mistake: On the balcony at Minas Tirith, when Pip hands Gandalf the cup of water, the large rug at the foot of the bed is clearly visible, as is the wood bench on the balcony. In following shots, including when Gandalf says, "This will be the end of Gondor as we know it," the bench's position very noticeably differs and the large rug is actually gone!! (Extended Edition) (00:52:55 - 00:54:15)
Continuity mistake: When Frodo, who is alone, finishes writing and turns to the beginning of the Red Book, we see 'There and back again, a Hobbit's tale, by Bilbo Baggins' written on the page. However, the handwriting on the page in this close-up is different than when it is first seen in FotR, when Bilbo first writes it. Then when Sam comes into the study, he reads aloud, "There and back... and The Lord of the Rings by Frodo Baggins," in the close-up of Frodo's handwriting. Sam then exclaims, "You finished it!" Frodo closes the book, but as he closes it we see that page again and 'The Lord of the Rings by Frodo Baggins' is written differently than the previous close-up of that page. (03:01:40)
Revealing mistake: When The Steward of Gondor is about to burn Faramir on the pyre, Gandalf dramatically bursts through the doors on Shadowfax and rides to the pyre. Look at the rider's face - it is obviously not Gandalf, but a double in some of these shots.
Continuity mistake: After Pippin has looked in the Palantír Merry rushes to his side. There is a shot of Pippin lying lifeless on the floor and Merry is nowhere to be seen. Then it cuts to Gandalf shoving Merry aside and Merry is again right next to Pippin.
Continuity mistake: When Éowyn rests on a chaise in the golden hall of Meduseld, Aragorn speaks with her. The position of her robe, the tassled pillows and tassled material, under her feet, etc., changes in consecutive close-ups, semi close-ups and wide shots. (Extended Edition) (00:27:35)
Continuity mistake: Frodo is tied up in the Tower at Cirith Ungol and in the first few shots his wrists are tightly bound left over right. Yet after Gorbag threatens Shagrat, in the shot of Frodo as we see them fight behind him, Frodo's now bound right over left and in this shot his hair and webbing are completely different than the previous shot. The rope, its knots, his hair and webbing change throughout the shots. (02:18:20)
Revealing mistake: At Minas Tirith, Grond breaks through the door, then Trolls and Orcs attack. After Gandalf yells, "Volley! Fire!" there is a shot of Orcs, one of which is somewhat bald at the bottom of the screen in the foreground, who run towards the right of the screen. Then other shots including Gandalf slaying a Troll. The last shot of this scene is the same shot of the Orcs running to the right of the screen. (01:48:15)
Deliberate mistake: On the fields of Pelennor, after the great battle, before Pippin and Merry meet again, Pippin's Lorien brooch points to his right. As Pippin is walking and looking around, his brooch is pointing to his left. When Pippin is next to Merry, the leaf is pointing to his right again. Obviously the second shot is flipped. (02:16:30)
Revealing mistake: In Shelob's lair Frodo runs away from her and points the light of Eärendil at Shelob to keep her at bay. He then dives, head first, down a sloped passage and as he does both of his knee pads are seen. (01:42:10)
Continuity mistake: After the battle of the Pelennor fields, as the King of the Dead and his army disappear, in the shot behind Gimli and Aragorn, Gimli looks around at the disappearing army and holds his axe horizontally in his right hand. In the next shot from the front the axe is now on the ground and he is leaning on it. (02:17:00)
Continuity mistake: According to the map shown in the opening prologue to the Fellowship of the Ring, the tower of Barad-dur should not be visible through the Black Gates - it's far off to the east, with an outcrop of the Ash Mountains in the way. (02:31:20)
Continuity mistake: When Gandalf and Pippin fall to the ground, after the wizard's staff is broken by the Witch King, their body positions differ in consecutive shots, as does Pippin's when he stands up. (00:24:05)
Answer: Aragorn is 210 years old when he dies. Some of the early texts give his age at death as 190, but Tolkien eventually confirmed that 210 is the correct age.
Tailkinker ★