Question: In the book it mentions that Gothmog, Lieutenant of Minas Morgul, assumed control of Sauron's army after the Witch-King was vanquished. Shouldn't Khamul, the second-in-command of the Nazgul, have assumed control of the army?
Question: Are there hidden allegories (Christian, political, social, etc.) behind the stories of the Ring trilogy?
Chosen answer: None whatsoever. To quote Tolkien "As for any inner meaning or 'message', it has in the intention of the author none". He was strongly opposed to those who tried to read deeper meaning into the books.
Question: Extended Edition: What is the point of the avalanche of skulls that the Army of the Dead throw down upon Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli? Surely the AOTD would want to keep Aragorn alive; he was the only way that they could break their curse. Or was the avalanche of skulls something that the AOTD were not responsible for? PS: I don't want any answers like "Peter Jackson put it there because it looked cool", I want answers that fit within the context of the film.
Chosen answer: With the last of the line of Isildur dead, there would be no one left to hold them to their oath and they'd be free to 'pass on.'
The king would have no reason to believe that killing Aragorn would free him. He thought the line was broken. He was surprised that there was an heir left alive. Therefore, he would have believed that they were never going to pass on because there was nobody to free them. Immediately attempting to kill the last person that could free them seems like an odd conclusion to come to within minutes of meeting Aragorn. A possible reason is that the army was leaving, so the magic holding the skulls stopped.
Question: How long exactly did the whole journey take up until Aragorn became king? In both the movie and the book?
Answer: In the movies, the journey alone lasted 13 months, until the Ring was destroyed. In FotR, it was only a short amount of time between Gandalf leaving after Bilbo's party for Minas Tirith to look up the scrolls of Isildur and coming back to Frodo to warn him. Once the Ring was destroyed, it was not that long until Aragorn was crowned either. Now in the book, it's very different. Bilbo's feast was the year 3001 and in this year Gandalf and Aragorn start searching for news on Gollum. Between 3004-3008, Gandalf sees Frodo in intervals. During 3009-3017, Gandalf and Aragorn hunt for Gollum, who at some point during this time was captured by Sauron. In 3017, Gollum is released and captured by Aragorn and taken to Thranduil in Mirkwood, Legolas' father. Also during this year, Gandalf reads the scroll of Isildur. In April 3018, Frodo leaves the Shire. March 25 3019, the Ring is destroyed. May 1 3019, Aragorn is crowned King Elessar. In September 3021, Bilbo, Frodo and the Keepers of the Rings leave the Grey Havens.
Question: This may be a bit stupid, but when Pippin is singing to Denethor while he's eating, is him eating supposed to mean anything symbolically?
Answer: Well, the fact that Denethor IS eating in the first place during such a highly emotionally charged dire moment, coupled with the fact that he actually asks Pippin to sing, serves to demonstrate Denethor's cruel heartlessness. As we hear Pippin's stirring voice, the spurting red tomato is used to add a shocking visual as it represents the blood of the many men who are riding to Osgiliath to their death.
Question: Did I miss Arwen's return to Rivendell in Two Towers? Elrond talked her into leaving; she walks off to the ships with other elves, looking back at Elrond. In Return of the King, she is back at Rivendell, and is again persuaded to leave, and rides off on a horse in a parade going to Gray Havens.
Chosen answer: She does not walk off to the ships in The Two Towers. She and the other Elves start walking to leave on their journey to the Grey Havens. In Return of the King, she is on horseback, during the Elves journey towards the Grey Havens, when she sees a vision of her son wearing the Evenstar, and of Aragorn. She then changes her mind and decides to ride back to Rivendell and confront her father, who has the gift of foresight, about her future life with Aragorn.
Question: I've heard 2 main explanations from friends as to why Frodo, Gandalf and the elves go to the undying lands at the end of the film and I've read another post which explains it a bit but I'm still confused. One is that it is because Frodo dies and cannot stay where he is and that it's like going to heaven but the other is that he's just going on an adventure or something like that. I think the first explanation makes more sense but I'd appreciate if someone could explain it to me properly because I'm still confused.
Answer: The bearers of the three Great Rings - Galadriel, Elrond, and Gandalf (who was given his ring by Cirdan the Shipwright), all pass to the West to the Undying Lands, for their time is ending. The Elves do so because their time in Middle-earth is ending too, and it is the time for men. Frodo, just like Bilbo, and when the time comes, Sam too, were all Ring bearers, and they all go to the Undying Lands with the blessings of the Valar. Frodo who leaves with Bilbo because the burden and pain were so deep for him, goes to the Undying Lands where the Valar will not only heal Frodo's physical wounds but emotional ones as well.
Question: Since I am deathly afriad of spiders, I closed my eyes for this scene. Can someone tell me how the spider is killed? Also, can someone briefly explain how Gollum and Sam play into the whole scene?
Chosen answer: Gollum framed Sam with the Lembas crumbs, so Sam stays down below. Gollum leads Frodo into the cave then disappears. He then watches as Frodo is caught in Shelob's web and taunts Frodo loudly. He then sees Frodo fighting and cutting the web, while Shelob moves closer. Frodo runs out of the cave and is attacked by Gollum. Frodo fights him and Gollum falls down the side of the cliff. Frodo is surprised by Shelob who appears on the rocks over him. Shelob then stabs Frodo with her venom and starts wrapping his body in the web material. Sam suddenly appears, having seen the 'missing' Lembas down below and coming up to help Frodo. Sam goes after Shelob. Sam fights with her and stabs her and she then crawls back into her lair. It's not made clear if Shelob dies, but she is badly wounded.
Question: Does Sam's reluctance to give the ring back to Frodo in Cirith Ungol mean that Sam too feels the pull of the ring and wants it for himself, or is he simply reluctant to give it back because he thinks Frodo cannot cope?
Chosen answer: Probably a bit of both. Even with his utter loyalty to Frodo, Sam isn't immune to the lure of the Ring. It still affects him, even if only a little, enough to cause a brief hesitation. However, it's also fair to say that he realises what effect the Ring has on Frodo and hates to see that happen to him, which would also give him pause in returning the Ring to his master.
Question: When the Ring is destroyed and all the bad guys fall into the earth, but the good army does not, how do they get on to other land when all around them the ground has collapsed? I'm guessing that the eagles pick them up, one by one, but I'm not sure.
Answer: After Barad-dûr, Sauron's Dark Tower, crumbles, the Black Gate falls into ruin and the area around it quakes and opens up. The Men of the West are surrounded by Sauron's army on all sides, but it is only the ground between the Men and the Black Gate that collapses, taking with it many in Sauron's army, but not all. The ground behind the Men of the West is still intact.
Question: I have heard that in ROTK Extended, there will be a scene with Ghan-buri-Ghan, chief of the Woses, helping the Riders Of Rohan reach Pelennor through the Druadan Forest - as noted in the book. I have also heard that Ghan will be played by New Zealand entertainer Wi Kuki Kaa - who also had a small part in the Worzel Gummidge Down Under TV special. Is any of this true?
Answer: There is no such scene in the extended version of RotK, and as such, Wi Kuki Kaa does not appear in the film.
Question: I was startled by the authentic-appearing emotion on Hugo Weaving's face at the coronation scene when he told Arwen to "Go to him." Is he that good an actor, was there a real emotion running through the scene, or was he simply exhausted by the whole thing?
Chosen answer: According to commentary, they reshot this part of the scene and these particular shots were done in pickups, long after the shoot in New Zealand ended, so exhaustion had nothing to do with it. Hugo Weaving is simply a good actor, receiving direction from a good director.
Question: In the Extended Edition, Eomer found Eówyn lying after the battle of Pelenor Fields and believed she is dead. What injuries did she suffered that required her to be sent to the House of Healing?
Chosen answer: When Éowyn (as well as Merry) stabs the Witch-king of Angmar, a serious and deadly malady described in the book as, "The Black Shadow, for it came from the Nazgûl" begins to afflict them. Those who are stricken are taken to the Houses of Healing. Old Gondorian lore states, "The hands of the king are the hands of healer." Aragorn, as the rightful king, has the power to heal Éowyn and Merry with the aid of the plant athelas which is also known as kingsfoil.
Question: In the Extended Edition, Aragorn is looking into the Palantir and you see Arwen in it. Then the Evenstar on Aragorn smashes on the ground, does this really happen?
Answer: No, the Evenstar does not break. Aragorn wears it in later scenes, such as at the Black Gate. Sauron uses the Palantir to try to manipulate and scare Aragorn with the vision of Arwen dying. When the Evenstar, which represents Arwen UndÓmiel who is the Evenstar of her people, shatters, it adds to the emotional impact on Aragorn.
Question: What is the name of the song sung in the background, in the Extended DVD, at the houses of healing while Eowyn is being healed?
Answer: It's called Arwen's Song, Liv Tyler sings it. Here are the words: "With a sigh you turn away. With a deepening heart no more words to say. You will find that the world has changed forever. The trees are now turning from green to gold. The sun is now fading, I wish I could hold you closer."
Question: I would really like to know - is this picture of Saruman definitely his final fate?(http://www.councilofelrond.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=My_eGallery&file=index&do=showpic&pid=5639&orderby=hitsD). I thought that Wormtongue was going to stab Saruman on Orthanc in the extended ROTK and does it not seem a bit graphic for a LOTR film?
Answer: A bit graphic? We've had heads and limbs lopped off and fingers bitten off - doesn't seem like this is significantly worse. Until the Extended Edition comes out, there's no way to tell (unless you're on here, Mr Jackson) whether this is the real deal or not - that being said, what we see here doesn't actually preclude Grima doing his bit. As I understand it, during the final confrontation between Gandalf and Saruman, Saruman is standing on the peak of Orthanc - and presumably, in order to converse with Gandalf down below, Saruman will be standing pretty much at the edge. It's not an implausible sequence of events that Grima stabs Saruman, leading to the wizard falling from the tower, to be ultimately impaled on his own devices (as we see in the image).
Answer: Not necessarily - the precise command hierarchy isn't established in the books and we don't know where the various Nazgul stand. Gothmog is the Witch-King's leftenant, so it would make sense that he would be second-in-command of any army led by his master.
Tailkinker ★