Deliberate mistake: When Gandalf and Pippin quickly ride to the aid of Faramir and his men, who flee the Orcs at Osgiliath, in the first close-up of Gandalf and the Halfling, the wizard's silver broach is noticeably backwards - the shot is flipped for direction continuity. (01:12:40)
Continuity mistake: After Aragorn's coronation, he and Arwen approach Frodo, Sam, Pippin and Merry. When they all bow to the Hobbits, in the close-ups the people surrounding the Hobbits are very close. However, in the overhead wide shot there is a large gap between the Hobbits and the crowd. (02:57:10)
Continuity mistake: When Éowyn and Merry ride, she says, "Take the reins." She holds her sword in her left hand and grabs an Orc blade with her right hand as they ride. In the next wide back shot, she holds the Orc blade in her left hand. Then the Orc blade is back in her right hand. There are discrepancies between the sword seen in Merry's close-ups and the wide shots as well. (02:06:15)
Revealing mistake: During the charge of the Rohirrim on the Pelennor fields, there is a close-up of Éomer. His spear is held in his right hand, he tosses it up and amazingly changes his hand position on the spear in mid-air as he rides. Another rider is behind Éomer to his left and as this man rides the spear he holds above his head bobs up and down like rubber, as does the spear behind Éomer's right shoulder. (02:00:30)
Continuity mistake: At Minas Tirith, after injured Faramir is carried up, Denethor walks away and sees the Orc army for the first time. In the next shot when the Troll lifts the rock onto the catapult, this catapult is totally different in the close-up and following wide shot. (02:00:35)
Revealing mistake: At Dunharrow, Merry watches as everyone rides off, and in the shot of his back Éowyn's fingertips reach his right shoulder. In the next front close-up, she's still further back, note her fingers behind his head, but he starts to rise off the ground even as her hand is just coming closer. (01:26:05)
Continuity mistake: As Pippin climbs to light the beacon, in the overhead wide shot the stacks of wood are seen on a double step platform at the top of the cliff. Where Pip climbs, there is a wide ledge above him leading to the platform, between the four columns. Yet, in the next close-up, there is barely any ledge between the cliff side and the double step platform on which the stacks of wood sits and the cliff side is also rockier in the close-up. (00:46:35)
Revealing mistake: Though the effort is made to hide Shadowfax's saddle under Gandalf's cloak, bits of it are still visible in some shots as Gandalf rides the horse. For instance, when the wizard rides with Pippin to save Faramir from Denethor, just as they exit the tunnel in front of the Witch King, the brown saddle is seen right behind Gandalf's knee, though his robe is deliberately secured at the bottom to prevent this.
Continuity mistake: When Aragorn beheads the mouth of Sauron, his left cheek is splashed with a fair amount of black blood which drips downward. In the very next shot of Aragorn's face, the amount of blood has been reduced to a few dried spots. (01:11:45)
Continuity mistake: While the Orcs attack Minas Tirith, the fix-it shop on one of the levels is seen in various shots and its look changes in consecutive shots. The bucket that hangs at the doorway is gone in the first shot, yet it's back four shots later and the rubble in front is vastly different in both shots, etc. (00:23:05)
Revealing mistake: In the scene of Shelob's lair, upon seeing Shelob Frodo falls down with the light of Earendil in his hand, and the forefront foam 'rock' hops upward upon his fall.
Continuity mistake: When the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is wrapping up, you see Aragorn with some of his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. In the next shot (in the background you can see the Dead swarming up a mumak), his forehead has nothing on it.
Continuity mistake: As Theoden lies trapped underneath the horse's body, there are many other bodies and armour lying all around him. During the entire scene, until Theoden's death, many of those bodies/armour change entirely or change positions. (02:14:10 - 02:16:10)
Revealing mistake: After Gandalf yells at Pippin, "This is no place for a Hobbit!" he hits one Orc up close, then another in the wide shot. The third Orc he swings at with his staff actually falls back, before the staff is anywhere near him. (01:36:20)
Continuity mistake: Before Merry asks, "What are you doing?" in this wide shot Pippin heads towards Gandalf and walks in the very narrow area between the center cots and the cots against the walls. Yet, when Aragorn walks in and also in the close-up as the palantir rolls out of Aragorn's hand, the area between the cots has significantly widened from the original width, note the floor pattern, for the obvious dramatic shot! (00:19:40 - 00:21:25)
Continuity mistake: At the Grey Havens, Cirdan the Shipwright stands behind Elrond, Celeborn and Galadriel. There are five mooring pilings on the dock near them. 1st shot, Cirdan stands to the right of the second piling (on the left). 2nd shot, he stands in front of the second piling. 3rd shot, he stands to the right of the second piling again. 4th shot, Cirdan now stands behind the second mooring piling. This has nothing to do with camera angles. (03:04:20)
Continuity mistake: After Aragorn's dream, the soldier delivers a message from Theoden, while standing at the doorway of Aragorn's tent and there are long ties hanging from the grommets on one side of the flaps. Yet, in the next exterior shots when Aragorn leaves, there are no ties in the grommets. (01:15:30)
Revealing mistake: In Osgiliath, while the Gondorians battle the Orcs, in quite a few shots it's obvious that the fighting is staged. In one shot in particular a helmeted Orc slams his double blade axe into the chest of a Ranger, yet it's clear that the sharp axe does not leave any mark whatsoever as he falls to the ground. (00:52:00)
Revealing mistake: In Arwen's vision, as the child (which she realized to be her future child with Aragorn) runs past the plants in the wide shot, the area between his knees and ankles become very thin, dark and partially disappear, then reappear while he runs. However when he reaches the steps and stone ground within the same vision, his legs are normal again, as he was filmed on that set, whereas he was 'pasted' among the greenery. His upper body though, remains normal throughout this shot. As soon as he reaches the stone floor, which is the set that he was filmed on, his legs are normal again along with the rest of his body. There should be no differentiation in the appearance and disappearance of part of his legs between the backdrop of greenery or the stone of Minas Tirith within the one vision, but there is. (00:27:05)
Continuity mistake: As Gollum steals the lembas while Sam and Frodo are sleeping, Sam's sword lies under him, with the hilt near his face and his right arm over it. However when Sam opens his eyes the sword now lies near him. (01:02:00)
Answer: There are only five wizards. Saruman and Gandalf are heavily involved, as we see. Radagast, while not mentioned in the film, has a particular affinity with the birds and animals - it is he who sends the Eagles to the last battle, and to rescue Gandalf from Isengard. The final two, Alatar and Pallando, known as the Blue Wizards, went into the far eastern regions of Middle-Earth and never returned. Tolkien felt that they would ultimately have fallen from grace, much as Saruman did.
Tailkinker ★