Can you imagine? There is actually a movie that was more heavily anticipated than Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone! Yes, many people were eagerly awaiting Harry Potter, but most were under the age of fourteen and had been waiting for four years at most, as that was the amount of time that had passed since the publication of J.K. Rowling’s novel. On the other hand, those who yearned to see J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings brought to the big screen ranged in age from twelve to--come to think of it I would doubt if there were any upper limit there--and many had been waiting for upwards of forty years. The first volume of the trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, was published in 1955, and the series has since become one of fantasy’s most beloved.

In particular, it would be difficult to find anyone at Carnegie Mellon University who was not at least familiar with the trilogy. Even so, it was more difficult for me to get together a group of friend to go see The Fellowship of the Ring than it had been for Harry Potter, because this movie came out in the midst of final exams. Even though it was my friend Ling’s birthday on December 19, she could not come because she had to study. Many of my friends went to see it on the twentieth, when I was already gone. I elected to see the movie on the day it came out, with two friends who came in from slightly out of town just for the occasion.

Once again, we went to the Waterfront Loew’s Cinema, a massive megalopo-plex theater. Unfortunately, my two lady friends were not huge enthusiasts of the books (They just wanted to see me [G].), and did not dedicate as much energy as I would have liked towards getting there early. I think we should have arrived at the theater by 5pm, but instead they picked me up at 5:15 and we got to the theater closer to 6pm. So we got crap seats. I’m sorry, but we really did. Frontmost section of seating, only six rows back from the screen, left bank of seats. Luckily, this did not greatly impede our enjoyment of the movie.

Since I knew that the movie was nearly three hours long, and I hadn’t eaten dinner, I purchased almost ten dollars worth of candy. All sour watermelon slices and nonpareils. And I was a good little boy and didn’t even touch the candy until all the previews were done. They were a bit better about it than they had been at Harry Potter, saddling us with only five this time around. The ever-hot Chris Klein will be appearing in the futuristic sports-action thriller Rollerball. The still – reasonably – hot – despite – getting – a – bit – long – in – the – tooth Mel Gibson (Epinions couldn't deal with this giant "word" unless I added spaces.) will be in Signs, which I think is about crop circles but had a really stupid and overly cryptic trailer. The fairly – hot – but – not – my – type Tom Cruise will be hounded by time-traveling crime-preventing secret police in Minority Report. The ostensibly – hot – even – though – I - don’t – see – it – at – all Wesley Snipes will be in Blade II, which had an unbearably pointless trailer. And the not – hot – but - he’s – not – supposed – to – be Mike Myers will star as Austin Powers in Goldmember. There, that wasn’t too bad, was it?

That was the first time I went to see the movie. But you didn’t think I’d let you off that easy, did you? The second time I went to see The Fellowship of the Ring, I saw three additional previews. The acceptably – hot – even – though - I’ve – never – heard – of – him (But – maybe – I – should – have?) Guy Pearce will be the star of a new version of The Time Machine that looks quite good. The always – hot – but – now – also – incredibly – buff Tobey Maguire will co-star with the hot – and – wonderful – and – theoretically – my – soul – mate – if – I – were – straight – but - I’m – not – no – matter – what – my – mother – says Kirsten Dunst in Spider-Man, which also looks great. Finally, The exotically – hot – not – to – mention – massively – built – but – also – a – little – scary Rock (But his real name is Dwayne Johnson, and now you know why he goes by The Rock.) will star in The Scorpion King, which I assume is an offshoot from The Mummy Returns. And then the movie started.

But, before I start, let me point out, as I did when I reviewed Harry Potter, that I have indeed reused some sentences from my recent review of the novel upon which this movie is based. When stuff is the same, I see no reason to write differently about it. Obviously, the extensive content that refers to the many aspects that are unique to the film will be all-new. I apologize for the moderate ungainliness of the preceding sentence.

The movie starts with a voice over (very excellently done by, I think, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel) that explains some important background information. In a forgotten age of the world, nineteen rings of power were forged. Three were given to the rulers of Elvenkind, seven to the lords of the Dwarf realms, and nine to the kings of mortal Man. But in secret, the Dark Lord Sauron forged one more ring, the One Ring that would hold mastery over all the others. With this ring, Sauron led great armies forth from his land of Mordor to conquer the lands of Middle-earth. Ultimately, an alliance of Men and Elves challenged Sauron’s rule. Sauron was defeated, but the One Ring was lost. It eventually made its way to the cave-creature Gollum, whose life it extended unnaturally but who lost the ring to Bilbo Baggins, of the race known as Hobbits. And Bilbo held the ring in his home in the Shire without incident for half a century, not knowing what he had in his possession, until...

On his eleventy-first (111th) birthday, Bilbo Baggins (Sir Ian Holm [From Hell, Joe Gould’s Secret]) decides to depart Hobbiton in the Shire, in favor of recapturing the adventurous days he shared with Gandalf the Grey (Sir Ian McKellen [X-Men, Gods and Monsters]), a mighty wizard. He leaves all of his worldly possessions, even the Ring, to his nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood [North, Deep Impact]), and sets out. But Gandalf soon discerns the nature of the Ring, discovers that the agents of Sauron are already seeking it, and charges Frodo and his servant and friend Samwise Gamgee (Sean Astin [The Goonies, Rudy]) with the task of removing it from the Shire as quickly as possible, asking them to meet him at an inn in a village west of there. Eventually, they must bring it to Rivendell, where a council will be summoned to determine the next step. They all know that ultimately, the Ring must be destroyed by casting it into the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor, where it was forged.

Hobbits are in general a simple folk, living in clean, quiet villages, valuing hard work and practicality above all else. They make their homes in cozy burrows built into hillsides, and usually live near their very large extended families. They are fond of good food and they put great stock in a good night’s sleep. Also, they are three feet tall and have masses of curly hair on their large, flat feet. Bilbo Baggins was once a highly respected resident of Hobbiton, until he developed his most un-Hobbitlike penchant for adventure. He is quite well off, and is free to dedicate his time to researching and recording history, and charting courses for journeys he has yet to take. But his massive feet grow restless, and he yearns to once more journey away from the Shire. However, he feels strangely compelled to take his golden ring with him. In fact, he reacts with utterly uncharacteristic rage when Gandalf suggests that he leave it behind.

Frodo is a much younger Hobbit than Bilbo. On a certain level, he still looks instinctively for simple solutions to problems, but not because of a desire to escape responsibility; rather, he is young and naïve enough to believe that the great problems of the world are best solved by the great people of the world. He will soon learn that even the smallest has a role to play in the fate of the world. He embodies the dedication and practicality of Hobbitkind, and demonstrates this with the quote, “What must I do?” that he utters when Gandalf explains to him the gravity of the situation with the Ring. Elijah Wood is really gorgeous, and this cannot be hidden by the fact that he is three feet tall with hairy feet. However, the accent he uses in the movie struck me as a little bit silly. I assume that he was instructed to go British with it, since that’s how all the Hobbits sound. However, he sounds like a prissy little schoolboy. Just saying.

Sam Gamgee evinces the best form of the loyalty that is highly prized by the Hobbits, and shares with Frodo a fierce strain of bravery. Sam in pulled into the adventure rather unexpectedly, but without complaint. Electing to define bravery as the doing of things that one is afraid of, rather than as not feeling fear (Ooh, what an awkward sentence. I’m sorry.), I would say that Sam clearly demonstrates his bravery simply by leaving the Shire for the first time in his life. Sean Astin plays the part quite well, with the subtle suggestion of an unsophisticated bumpkin, just enough to be funny but not so much as to be distracting or stereotypical.

There’s a little something that I’m just going to put out there: Does anyone else who has seen the movie feel like Sam and Frodo are gay lovers? I sort of got this impression from their interaction, especially at the very end but at other times, too. My friend Marissa agreed that she was thinking the very same thing. In fact, by doing a yahoo search on the words “Sam” “Frodo” and “homosexual,” I discovered that there exists a fairly lively debate on this matter, dating back to the book. So after you see the movie, please tell me what you think.

Gandalf the Grey is perhaps the most famous person in all of Middle-earth. Wise and powerful, he has used his magical skills only to combat evil in all its forms, in an effort to keep the many people of Middle-earth free to live their lives away from its influence. The Hobbits are wary of him, because he seems to beguile their neighbors into the most un-Hobbitlike of adventures. Sir Ian McKellen is truly the perfect Gandalf. Even though his face is covered by a large grey beard, Ian’s eyes express a world of depth. They are kind and not ungentle, but also filled with strength and wisdom. Also, Sir Ian McKellen is openly homosexual, so I must always give him mad props.

Due to the nature of this movie (the first of a trilogy), it presents the same difficulty to the reviewer (me) as did Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone; containing as much exposition as it does, it is difficult to really analyze the events without describing a large portion of the movie. So, if you are not already familiar with the story and do not want to see any spoilers, you will want to skip the remainder of my descriptions of characters, since hardly any of these others even appear until a third of the way through. Instead, look for the bolded and italicized words, “End Potential Spoilers.”

Frodo and Sam are not forced to embark upon their journey alone. Even just on the way to Rivendell, they are accompanied by two other hobbits, Peregrin “Pippin” Took (Billy Boyd [very small parts in British things]) and Meriadoc “Merry” Brandybuck (Dominic Monaghan [Hetty Wainthropp Investigates]). Pippin and Merry are quite immature and much more reckless than Frodo. But they are good friends of his, so he puts up with their carelessness.

Meanwhile, Gandalf goes to Isengard, the tower fortress of Saruman the White (Christopher Lee [Gremlins 2, the small part of the Burgomeister (Head Constable Judge Guy) in Sleepy Hollow, and scads of obscure horror stuff from decades past]), the head of Gandalf’s order, to appraise Saruman of the situation with the Ring. To Gandalf’s horror, he discovers that Saruman has betrayed the order of the Wise and thrown his lot in with Sauron. Saruman thus proves himself to be a cruel and weak person, unworthy to lead the Wise. Christopher Lee is excellent in this role. His face is naturally gaunt, a well-known common trait among evil persons, and a bit of makeup serves to make his eyes appear more sunken and his cheekbones unnaturally sharp. Wickedness burns in his eyes, and there is excellent chemistry between him and McKellen.

At the Prancing Pony Inn, the four Hobbits encounter a Man who calls himself Strider, but is more rightly known as Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen [28 Days, G.I. Jane]). As a descendant of an ancient dynasty, he has a claim to the throne of Gondor. Living in exile for his whole life, he has developed formidable skills in the realms of battle and survivalism. He is loyal, brave, and well-respected by all who know him. Viggo Mortensen is ruggedly handsome, and dark and brooding and all that good stuff. His performance strikes me as quite intense, and very well-suited to Aragorn’s character. There is some friction between Aragorn and Boromir (Sean Bean [Don’t Say a Word, Essex Boys]), who joins the small company (the “Fellowship”) that accompanies the Hobbits when they depart from Rivendell. Boromir is heir to the Stewardship of Gondor, an office that will lose most of its power if the true king is restored. Thus, he resents Aragorn’s presence. Also, Boromir’s desire to use the Ring against Sauron demonstrates him to be rash and headstrong, because all the information at his disposal tells him that the Ring corrupts whoever uses it.

Before I discuss the other members of the Fellowship, let me first tell you about the chief residents of Rivendell. The lord of this safe haven is Elrond (Hugo Weaving [The Matrix, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert]), and his noble daughter is Arwen (Liv Tyler [Armageddon, One Night at McCool’s, not to mention to video for Aerosmith’s “Crazy”]), both Elves. Elrond is one of the wisest and most respected people in all of Middle-earth. The wise and powerful immediately heed his summons when the fate of the Ring must be decided. He is also quite old; he fought in the great battle when Sauron was slain, some three thousand years earlier. He called for the destruction of the Ring at that time, but the opportunity was lost when Isildur, heir to the throne of Gondor, claimed the Ring as his own. I think that Hugo Weaving is very creepy-looking. Very creepy indeed. He is also appropriately intense. Arwen is graceful, beautiful, and not to be messed with under any circumstances. She has a will of iron, and full command over ancient Elvish magics. Also, Aragorn and Arwen are in love, and Arwen has pledged to give up her immortal Elven life for a Human lifetime with him. Liv Tyler was unexpectedly brilliant in this role. I really wasn’t expecting much from her, but she slipped into this part effortlessly. She conveyed an otherworldly presence of wisdom and mystery, as well as the requisite inner strength. Plus, she is quite beautiful and her features lend themselves well to the modifications of Elfdom.

The Fellowship is rounded out by a rather mismatched pair, Legolas the Elf (Orlando Bloom [more of that obscure British stuff]) and Gimli the Dwarf (John Rhys-Davies [Raiders of the Lost Ark, Sliders]). There has long been enmity between their two races, so they find it difficult to get along with one another. Both are excellent fighters, Legolas with his bow and Gimli with his axe, but neither is characterized overmuch in this movie. Legolas is quiet and serious, while Gimli is more boisterous and emotional, and occasionally acts as a humorous element. Sean Bean is very cute, and most of the girls I know agree wholeheartedly. John Rhys-Davies, meanwhile, is quite a presence, even when CGI makes him look four feet tall.

There are many obstacles that the Fellowship will face on the way to Mount Doom. For example, the Dwarves of Khazad-Dûm fled their city a thousand years ago when they awoke a great evil deep in the mines of Moria. A small contingent from Gimli’s clan returned more recently in an attempt to reclaim the Misty Mountains, but who will hold sway when the Fellowship arrives there? And while Sauron’s great army of Orcs stands ready to spring forth from his dark tower of Barad-Dûr, Saruman is chopping down a great forest to fortify his own tower at Isengard, where he is training his mighty Uruk-hai, soldier Orcs more powerful than any ever before seen. And Sauron has sent forth the nine Nazgûl (ringwraiths), black-cloaked riders on fierce black horses, to hunt for the Ring.

But all is not lost; there are those who would help the Fellowship. Already, I have mentioned the residents of Rivendell. There are also Celeborn and Galadriel (Cate Blanchett [Elizabeth, The Talented Mr. Ripley]), the Lord and Lady of Lothlórien, a forest kingdom beyond the Misty Mountains. Galadriel is far more ancient than even Elrond, and she is the keeper of the powerful magics of Lórien, particularly the Mirror of Galadriel which has the power to show the future. Cate Blanchett really captures the ethereal nature of Galadriel, projecting an air of great power and wisdom.

The movie does a great job of demonstrating the evil of the Ring. In particular, we see that it moves Bilbo to become violent towards such dearly-loved friends as Gandalf and Frodo, and it inspires Boromir and Saruman to even more irrational actions. It inspires fear in the hearts of such wise and powerful individuals and Gandalf and Galadriel, who reject the Ring lest they be seduced into using it for evil, all in the name of good. Most importantly, Gandalf explains that the Ring “wants to be found.” When the agents of Sauron are near, the Ring tries to trick Frodo into putting it on. For, though he will become invisible to everyone of flesh and blood, he will shine like a beacon to the Nazgûl; the Ring acts as a portal to the wraith-world, where Frodo can see and be seen by the Eye of Sauron, that quests endlessly for the Ring. I should explain that Sauron is too weak to take a physical form, but the Ring will give him that strength.

End Potential Spoilers

Now that I’ve finished about the plot and characters, let’s talk about special effects. In order to discuss them, as well as some other aspects of the movie, I will need a new word: eyegasm. An eyegasm is a euphoric feeling brought about by something that an individual sees. Many other types of gasms are possible. A sampling: foodgasm (caused by something that one eats), eargasm (something that one hears), nosegasm (something that one smells), prograsm (successfully coding a difficult computer program). In any event, The Fellowship of the Ring was replete with eyegasms.

First off, the size issue. Many characters belong to races that are other than Man-size. Hobbits average three feet tall, and Dwarves come in at about four. However, these characters are constantly interacting with one another and with Human characters. I don’t even know how they performed the effect that changes the apparent sizes of actors, but it always looked completely real. When characters that altered in this way touched one another or handled objects together, I could not find any discrepancies in their movements. Also, the Hobbits are not just shorter, but also stumpier. I have decided that “stumpy” is now a verb, and so special effects were used to stumpy Elijah Wood.

The CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) is top-notch. Images of massive armies marching against one another look realistic, with each soldier moving independently, and differently from those around him. I was awestruck by the sight of massive numbers of Orcish servants swarming over the faces of great towers. Great monsters such as a swamp troll, the Balrog, and Sauron himself, are brought to the screen with fierce intensity. There is also a great sea-monster that is a complex but coherent mass of constant movement, which is pulled off quite well. I think that is was done with CGI.

Of course, making someone appear to be of a different race requires far more than just changing their apparent size; there is a great deal of makeup that must be applied. Hobbits have very curly hair on their heads, as well as on their feet. Their heads looked fine and realistic (Although, I don’t remember the books ever saying that Hobbits had ears that folded over themselves.), but I think the feet were a bit overdone. They were somewhat distracting in the wider shots. The Elves were done wonderfully, though. The pointed ears were present but sufficiently understated, and I think some makeup is definitely used around these actors’ eyes to make them seem more piercing, without necessarily making them appear angular. More dramatic by far is the appearance of the Orcish soldiers who constantly attack our heroes. Although the Orcs are sometimes generated by CGI in wide shots, I am fairly certain that they are portrayed by actual actors in the close-ups. They have makeup over their entire faces, including prostheses to create the needed bone structure. They look very realistic (Not as in “They look like real Orcs!” since that would be silly. Rather, “They look like actual living creatures of that form, rather than people with lots of makeup on.”).

The battle choreography was extraordinary, and promises to get only better. One of my favorite shots involves Legolas stabbing an assailant with an arrow, before loading his bow with it and firing at a different soldier. On the message boards for DragonRealms, a text-based RPG MUD that I play, players immediately starting clamoring for a move like that. I’ve got to admit that the battle with the cave troll in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone pales in comparison to the battle with the cave troll in this movie. This creature has four warriors attacking it intermittently while being distracted by skirmishes with the Orcs that have surrounded them. It is getting attacked by all manner of weapons, and two of the Hobbits even climb onto the beast’s back in an effort to subdue it, and still the battle rages on. I can’t wait until the armies begin clashing in the next movie!

The soundtrack is quite good. Like that of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, it is composed mainly of horns, strings, and wood instruments. However, it is distinctly more subtle that Harry Potter. I wouldn’t say that Harry Potter had an overbearing soundtrack, but now I do at least understand why some people say it did. The music in this movie tended to stay more in the background, and I didn’t notice it very much, even when I was trying to pay attention to it. There are some very nice touches, though, throughout the movie. When the Nazgûl ride into Bree, there is some super-sinister chanting going on. And when Frodo’s attention is focused on the Ring sitting on the stone pedestal, the music crescendos while the inscription on the ring is chanted in the Black Speech. This was especially nice because only people very much into the novel would actually recognize the significance of the sinister chanting, while anyone can still appreciate its effect. There are also two pieces composed and performed by Enya. The really amusing thing is that the Elvish language in which she is singing is called (Are you ready for this? You should sit down.) Quenya. You see?! Enya singing in Quenya! Enya, Quenya, Enya, Quenya, Enya, Quenya, wheee!

The costuming is pretty much pure awesome. The Last Alliance (in the Prologue) is arrayed in archaic but authentic-looking armor, while Gimli the Dwarf’s contemporary helmet is also impressive, with a geometric line-design on it. The Hobbits wear cozy-looking provincial outfits, and I really liked the scarf that Pippin wears. Arwen and Galadriel are both seen wearing ethereal-seeming white gowns that serve to accentuate the otherworldliness of both women (Not that it is ever mentioned in the movie, but Galadriel is actually Arwen’s maternal grandmother.). Arwen and her father Elrond both wear outfits with delicate embroidery on them; Arwen a dark traveling cloak, and Elrond a cream-colored Nehru jacket. Elrond looks positively regal at his Council in russet robes and a circlet of silver filigree. I quite liked the look of Frodo’s mithril corselet, which appeared to be white with gold fittings. Finally, the leaf-shaped clasps on their gray traveling cloaks are a nice touch near the end of the movie.

Much of the movie takes place in the out-of-doors. For example, we see some picturesque vistas of the Shire, and there are breathtaking shots of mountaintops and what-have-you. But they definitely didn’t skimp on the interiors when they built them. Bag End came out looking perfect. The architecture conforms to the detailed description from the books, with the requisitely round doors, windows, and hallways. The whole thing is done on the scale of a Hobbit, so there is some brief physical comedy as Gandalf acclimates himself to the low ceiling. Rivendell is exquisite. The recovery room where Frodo awakens is bathed in golden light, illuminating a predominantly white chamber with a lot of delicate cloth objects. The rest of Rivendell is marked with lovely gazebos that incorporate a great deal of openwork. It seems like most of Rivendell consists of openwork, latticework, filigree, and embroidery. The stone caverns of Moria are impressive, and I especially liked the staircase that sets the stage for a climactic chase scene.

Various scenes were aided by the presence of some strikingly attractive props. I quite liked the beer steins from which the Hobbits drink in Bree, and the simple silver pitcher that Galadriel uses to fill her Mirror. There’s this gorgeous candelabra standing near Frodo’s bed in Rivendell, and I definitely want it for my apartment. The silver pendant that Arwen gives to Aragorn is delicate and beautiful, and I noticed that Aragorn also wears a regal-looking ring on his finger, that may or may not have a greenish hue. If it does, then it may be the Elessar (elf-stone) referenced in the novel. They also have these leaf-shaped paddles that they use to steer the boats they were given in Lothlórien. They supports the leaf motif already established by their clasps, and they really work well with the nature of Lothlórien.

I would also like to give mad props to all of the actors in The Fellowship of the Ring for really nailing the pronunciations of all the words in Tolkien’s made-up languages. I won’t go into it here (I refer you back to my review on the book: ), but suffice it to say that there are scads of documents, mostly created by Tolkien himself, that refer to these linguistics, and many purists would have been up in arms if words had been mispronounced. Luckily, the Rs come off with an appropriate degree of guttural roll (For example, “Mordor” should be pronounced something like “Morrh-dorh.” Of particular note, Viggo Mortensen and Cate Blanchett land such words perfectly, on several occasions.) They even nailed Caradhras, in which dh actually produces a th sound.

There were, however, a few negative points. Two, really, that I can think of. Firstly, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel has a scene in which she has a very dramatic speech, accentuated by supernatural-seeming lighting and sound. Unfortunately, most of the speech is unintelligible (to me, at least) as a result of these effects. Secondly, there is a lot of name-dropping in the movie. What I mean is, they mention a lot of geographical places and proper names of things, and whatnot. In point of fact, this aspect of the movie is greatly diminished from the original literary trilogy, which included a huge Appendix of such things, as well as a map of Middle-earth, so the reader wouldn’t get lost. Thankfully, most of these references do not appear in the movie. However, I have heard it said (by people who had not read the books) that there were still too many for their tastes.

It is important to not that this movie does not stand alone. In short, it has no ending. I was fully expecting that. I knew that even though filming of all three films was concluded simultaneously, we must all wait a year before the next one comes out. If you are not prepared for this reality, this situation may cause you irreversible brain trauma. The second time I saw the movie, I heard the following discussion behind me as the closing credits rolled. Boy: “What’s this for [‘this’ being the credits]?” Father: “Well, the movie’s over. We’re going to go now.” Boy: “Aren’t we going to stay for the rest?” Father: “No, son. We’ve got to wait a whole year.” That boy was traumatized for life. Don’t let that happen to you.

Differences Between the Book and the Movie
And now, what I’m sure you’ve all been waiting for, a discussion of everything that is different between the book and the movie versions of this story. Let me warn you, it will be quite long. If you’re not interested, skip down to where you see the words “End Report on Differences,” in bold. To clarify on just how long this will be, let me provide some perspective. When I reread Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in November, I kept track of differences both between it and the American version of the novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and between the book and the movie. Together, these differences filled six pages of college ruled loose-leaf paper, and translated into over seventy-five hundred words in two reviews. For The Fellowship of the Ring, there are only the differences between the book and the movie to consider. (Interestingly, even though the novel is British, it was never, as far as I know, Americanized.) Even so, these differences filled ten pages, and spilled over onto an eleventh. I have divided them into three categories. “Things Added” are things that appeared in the movie but simply did not happen in the book, so this section will contain movie spoilers. “Things Removed” is a list of things that happen in the book but not in the movie, so this section contains book spoilers, and the bulk of the items that I have compiled. “Things Changed” are things that basically happen in both the film and the novel, but noticeably changed. That section contains spoilers for both the movie and the book.

Please forgive me my grammar; I am inconsistent here if I am stating things the way they are in the book, or the way they are in the movie. For “Things Removed,” all of the mentioned items are in the book but not the movie. For “Things Added,” the opposite is true. All instances of negative modifiers such as “not” are actually redundant, but the writing was just getting too boring. Plus, I didn’t feel like fixing it when I noticed my mistake. But I’ll be more careful for “Things Changed.”

I am also including my opinion on the quality of the change ( + or ++ for a good or very good change, - or -- for a bad or very bad change, and = for a lateral change). In addition, there are a few acronyms that I will use, in an effort to explain why some changes were made. RRS is Runtime Reduction Syndrome, which results in things being pulled from the adaptation, because they would simply make the movie too long. OWYCS refers to Only What You Can Show, when information has to be left unprovided, because there is no way to insert expository text into a movie. LAUF is the “Look At Us!” Factor, which causes things to be added to the movie in an effort to show off modern special effects technology. TAWC means The Audience Wouldn’t Care, because there are some things that would only have been appreciated by a few dozen die-hard fans that have read several thousand pages in auxiliary materials. NEWIAM demonstrates that Not Everything Works In A Movie; many things were changed simply because they wouldn’t have played well on the big screen. KTI stands for Keep Them Interested, referring to the fact that some things were changed in the interest of improving the flow of the movie. NACOT is a reminder that there is Not A Cast Of Thousands in the movie. And NLA refers to things that are No Longer Applicable because of earlier changes.

Things Added
Though appearing in the movie, none of these things actually happened in the novel The Fellowship of the Ring. In the first scene, Frodo and Gandalf engage in some dialogue regarding whether or not a Wizard can ever actually be late [+]. Gandalf gives the Hobbit children a treat by setting off some fireworks when he first arrives in Hobbiton [+ LAUF]. At Bilbo’s party, Frodo makes Sam dance with Rosie. Gandalf tells Frodo to travel by day and to stay off the road [+]. The nearness of the Nazgûl causes insects to rise from the dirt. The Nazgûl kill two people in the early part of the movie (a Hobbit in Hobbiton, and the gatekeeper at Bree) [+ KTI]. Frodo is chased by a Nazgûl as he approaches the Bucklebury Ferry [+ KTI: It was a good, suspenseful scene.]. Frodo sees the Eye of Sauron when he wears the Ring in Bree [+ LAUF: It did look pretty cool, and increased the apparent danger.]. Saruman makes a crack about the pipe-weed affecting Gandalf’s sensibilities [=]. Gandalf and Saruman interact with the Palantír at Isengard [+]. Gandalf and Saruman engage in a magical battle of wills at Isengard [+ LAUF]. Saruman is somehow making Uruk-hai [+]. Boromir cuts himself on the shards of Narsil [+ KTI: They needed to mention the sword, and this worked pretty well.]. Gimli tries to destroy the Ring, but it shatters his axe instead [+ KTI: It was pretty cool.]. The entire scene between Aragorn and Arwen at Rivendell is made up [++ KTI], as is the piece of jewelry that she gives him [+]. Boromir picks up the Ring when it falls in the snow [+ This really shows where Boromir’s head is at.]. They come to a large staircase in Moria, and it collapses out from under them [++ LAUF: It was very cool.]. Galadriel has the ability to psychically project coherent thoughts [- KTI: It’s pretty freaky.]. I will note that the movie actually includes the first chapter of The Two Towers, the second book in the Lord of the Rings series [++ NEWIAM: Otherwise, this movie would have had no climax.], but I will detail the specific events later, in their own appropriate sections, treating that chapter no differently from the first novel. Merry and Pippin see what Frodo is doing, and they distract the Orcs so that he can escape [+ KTI: They wind up pretty shortchanged for character development, so they deserve this.]. At the very end, Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli actually see Sam and Frodo on the far bank of the Anduin [= KTI].

Things Removed
The number of things that were removed from the book is so mind-boggling as to require the extensive subdivision of this section.

Middle-Earth is Alive With the Sound of Music
In the book, the characters are constantly singing. Not just occasionally, mind you, but constantly. Conversely, there are no character-sung songs that I noticed in the movie. Here they all are, with singers and descriptions. And, the record, the following note should accompany all of them: [++ RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI: I just skipped over this stuff when I read the book]. Okay, here we go: Bilbo -- an on-the-road-song; Frodo -- a reprise of the road-song; Frodo -- a walking-song; Pippin, Merry, Sam, and Frodo -- a mission-departure-song; Frodo -- an inn-song; Gandalf (in a letter) -- a song about Aragorn; Sam -- a song about Gil-Galad; Aragorn -- a song about Tinúviel; Sam -- a troll-song; Bilbo -- a song about Eärendil; Arwen -- a song about Elbereth Gilthoniel; Boromir -- a dream-sword-song; Bilbo -- a reprise of the song about Aragorn; Gandalf -- The inscription on the Ring, in the Black Speech; Bilbo -- a winter-song; Bilbo -- a sitting-thinking-song; Gimli -- a song about Moria; Legolas -- a song about Nimrodel; The Elves of Lothlórien -- a song about Mithrandir (Gandalf); Frodo and Sam -- a memorial song to Gandalf; Galadriel -- a harp-song about Lórien; Galdriel a farewell-song; Aragorn and Legolas -- a funeral-song for Boromir.

Abstract References
There were plenty of things that don’t actually occur or appear during the action of the book, but are referred to or described therein, but not in the movie. There is an explanation of the nature and derivation of pipe-weed [- OWYCS: The removal leads to some incidental amusement when Gandalf proclaims the excellence of the “weed.”]. Frodo’s parents drowned in a boating accident [- OWYCS]. Most Hobbits are afraid of boats and water travel [- OWYCS: It gave the Hobbits some more cultural character, and Merry’s lack of this fear made him seem braver.]. There is some background information about the Buckland region and it’s protective hedge, the High Hay [- OWYCS]. There is a reference to a constellation called the Sickle, or the Great Bear [- OWYCS: This was a hint that Middle-earth might really be our world in a very ancient time.] Frodo mentions that Bilbo has been translating Elvish writings [= TAWC]. Someone says something about how the Nazgûl breed their horses [=]. Someone mentions that Arwen used to live in Lothlórien [- TAWC]. At the Council of Elrond, we get updates on the current doings of the Dwarves Under the Mountain [- TAWC], the Men of Dale [- TAWC], the Men of Gondor [- TAWC], and the Elves of King Thranduil of Mirkwood [- TAWC]. We learn that Sauron offered to return Moria to the Dwarves [- KTI]. We get a description of the city of Osgiliath in Gondor [- KTI]. We find out that Minas Ithil and Minas Anor, both in Gondor, are now known as Minas Morgul and Minas Tirith, respectively [- KTI]. Gandalf refers to the Necromancer [- TAWC]. Legolas doesn’t mention that Gollum has escaped from captivity in Mirkwood [- NLA]. Nobody ever mentions the proper name of the tower of Isengard, Orthanc [- OWYCS]. They talk quite a bit about the Misty Mountains and their history [+ TAWC: This kind of thing got a bit boring in the book.]. The lake at Moria is there because a nearby river was dammed [= OWYCS]. It is mentioned that Moria is the only known source of mithril [- TAWC]. Galadriel tells Frodo that she was the one to originally summon the White Council, but with the hope that Gandalf would be in charge [- TAWC]. Someone says something about Fangorn Forest [- KTI]. They pass by the borders of Rohan along the Anduin [= OWYCS]. There is no mention of the Beornings, Men who have the ability to shape-shift into bears [- OWYCS].

Current References
Some of the removed references and concepts were at least immediate to the plot in the original novel. The master-servant relationship between Sam and Frodo is de-emphasized in the movie [-]. In the book, Aragorn explains how the Nazgûl are able to see [= TAWC]. Saruman had earlier tried to convince Gandalf that the Ring had fallen into the sea long ago [- RRS]. Gandalf (I think) warns the others that the Nazgúl will be getting better steeds [- RRS]. It is mentioned early on that if the One is destroyed, then the accomplishments of the Three may also be undone [-- RRS: This presented an interesting moral dilemma, especially for the Elves.], and Galadriel later reiterates this [-- RRS]. Gandalf (I think) points out that Sauron will not be expecting them to destroy the ring, so if they choose that course, they will have an automatic advantage [-- RRS: This gave greater insight into Sauron’s character.]. Even though the Elves of Lothlórien clearly have much magic, they act confused when members of the Company ask about it, because they don’t consider it to be magic [- RRS TAWC KTI NEWIAM]. The elf-boats of Lothlórien are said to be unsinkable [- RRS]. There is some speculation about how time flows differently in Lothlórien [-- RRS KTI: This helped to enhance the magic of Lothlórien]. Galadriel and others indicate that the Ring will only give its greatest powers to one who already wields a great power (e.g., Gandalf, Saruman, Galadriel, Sauron, etc.) [-- RRS: This was an interesting twist.].

Simple Facts
There are some things that are given as true in the novel, but not in the movie. Bilbo’s 111th birthday is supposed to also be Frodo’s 33rd [=]. Sam is quite obsessed with Elves [- OWYCS: This was a cute character development.]. Men and Hobbits live together in harmony in Bree [- OWYCS: Except, they could have shown it, just by putting a few Hobbits in the village.]. Lothlórien is supposed to be a golden wood, instead of just green [-].

People
A number of people are completely removed from the story. They include: Samwise Gamgee’s father, Hamfast “Gaffer” Gamgee [- RRS]; Lobelia, Otho, and Lotho Sackville-Baggins, distant and disliked relatives of Bilbo’s and Frodo’s [- RRS NACOT]; Sandyman the miller and his son Ted [= RRS NACOT]; Fredegar “Fatty” Bolger and Folco Boffin, good friends of Frodo’s [= RRS NACOT]; Nob and Bob, employees of the Prancing Pony [= RRS NACOT]; Bill Ferny of Bree and some travelers from the South who make trouble for Frodo at the Prancing Pony [- RRS NACOT]; Glorfindel, an elf-lord of Rivendell [= NACOT]; Elladan and Elrohir, Arwen’s brothers [- NACOT]; Erestor and Galdir, elf-lords who sit at the Council of Elrond [=]; Glóin, Gimli’s father, who is never named or stressed, even though he is standing next to his son [- RRS]; Radagast the Brown, a good Wizard who is duped by Saruman into sending Gandalf to Isengard [- RRS]; Shadowfax, the fastest horse in Rohan [- RRS: Horses are people, too!].

Places
There are a number of locations that appear in the novel but not in the movie, or appear but are not named. Aragorn and the Hobbits travel through a marsh outside of Bree [= RRS]. They never mention Weathertop, the name that Men gave to Amon Sûl [= RRS TAWC]. Similarly, the name of Orodruin, Mt. Doom, is never given [= RRS TAWC]. Gandalf does not seem to ever pass through the Ring of Isengard on his way to Saruman’s tower [-]. He also does not visit Rohan on his way out of Isengard [- RRS: This served early on to show that something was amiss in Rohan.]. In the book, before they read Moria, Aragorn senses that something is strange as they pass through a place called Hollin [= RRS]. Gimli takes Frodo to visit Kheled-zâram outside of Moria [+ RRS TAWC KTI: Heck, even I didn’t care!]. Then Aragorn takes him to visit Cerin Amroth in Lothlórien [+ RRS TAWC KTI]. And the whole company has to pass through the gates of Caras Galadon on the way in [+ RRS TAWC KTI].

All Kinds of Stuff
There are all kinds of itty-bitty things that got yanked. In fact, there are so many that I have divided them by arbitrary segments of the story.

UP THROUGH BREE
There were supposed to be Dwarves at Bilbo’s party [- NACOT: The Dwarves reinforced the idea of Bilbo’s earlier adventures] and accompanying him on the road [- NACOT]. Gandalf produces a flash of light at the instant that Bilbo vanishes [=]. Bilbo leaves at Bag End a variety of items with notes on them, so that they can be distributed to various friends and relations [- RRS NEWIAM KTI: It was a humorous interlude.]. Sam and Ted talk about strange happenings in the Shire [= RRS: Of course, it’s rather obvious by now.]. Frodo takes a late night walk and hears Ham Gamgee being asked questions by a Nazgúl [- RRS NLA: This was how Frodo found out he was being looked for, except that Gandalf has instead already told him.]. Frodo gives Sam the opportunity to leave him at the Woody End and go back to the Shire [- RRS: This further shows Frodo’s desire to protect his friends from harm.], but Sam insists on seeing it through [- RRS: This demonstrates Sam’s dedication to Frodo.]. Merry has a pony with him when he meets the others [= NLA]. The four main Hobbits talk extensively with other Hobbits that they meet at Bree [- RRS NEWIAM KTI NACOT]. Strider speaks to Frodo before the incident with the Ring, urging him to be careful [- RRS: Foreshadowing again.], and he later reveals that he had been eavesdropping on them when they first arrived at the village [- RRS KTI]. Barliman Butterbur asks to speak with Frodo [- RRS] and reveals that he has a note for him, from Gandalf [-- RRS NEWIAM KTI: This leaves a fairly large informational gap at this point in the story.]. Some of the Black Riders come to Crickhollow and learn that the Ring is gone from there [- RRS NLA]. Some person or persons allied with Mordor sneak into the stable at the Prancing Pony and release the Hobbits’ horses [- RRS NLA]. There is a large gathering of Men and Hobbits who see them off from Bree, as they had become local celebrities after Frodo’s sudden disappearance [= RRS NEWIAM NACOT].

FROM BREE TO RIVENDELL
They see strange flashes in the sky [- RRS: This is Gandalf fighting the Nazgûl.]. Frodo comments that he has been eating less during their travels, and if he continues losing weight he will soon become a wraith, to which Aragorn reacts badly [- RRS: This was a foreshadowing of what happens to people who wear the Rings of Power for too long.]. On Amon Sûl, they find that Gandalf has left them a sign that he was there [- RRS]. Frodo calls out, “O Elbereth! Gilthoniel!” when he is besieged by the Nazgûl [- RRS TAWC: This showed Frodo’s dedication to the side of good, as Elbereth Gilthoniel is one of the “goddesses” of Middle-earth. Not that you’d know that from the movie.]. Gandalf has left another sign, a green beryl, on the Last Bridge across the Hoarwell River [- RRS NEWIAM KTI NLA: By this point, Arwen has taken charge of Frodo.]. Strider finds that they have drifted slightly north of the Ford of Bruinen [RRS NLA]. They encounter the Trolls that turned to stone in The Hobbit [- RRS TAWC KTI NLA: Bilbo was shown telling this story to children, so it would have made sense to the audience. However, it would have severely interrupted the flow of action at that point, since we had moved on with Frodo and Arwen. Evidently, a troll “statue” is actually shown at one point, but this is more an homage than actual content.]. Frodo is immediately given a refreshing drink upon crossing the Bruinen [RRS OWYCS: It would be hard to explain how spiritually, mentally, and physically refreshing this beverage was.]. The Nazgûl call mockingly to Frodo [+ RRS NEWIAM: They are much creepier if they don’t talk.].

AT RIVENDELL AND ON CARADHRAS
They eat a feast at Elrond’s [RRS NEWIAM]. Saruman has not taken the epithet, “Of Many Colours” [-- RRS: This was pretty cool, and I would have liked to see the visual effect for his multi-hued robes. As for the spelling, bear in mind that the book was British.]. At the Council of Elrond, suggests were made that the ring should be given to Tom Bombadil [+ NLA: Tom doesn’t exist in the movie.] or thrown into the sea [= RRS]. Gandalf says something interesting, presumably referring to the Ring when he says that “nothing is evil in the beginning” [- RRS TAWC]. Bilbo mentions that he will have to add this story to his book [- RRS TAWC: Bilbo’s book is cool!], and he offers to take the Ring to Mount Doom himself [- RRS: Bilbo’s character was reduced for the movie, so this bit of development would have been excessive.]. Elrond compares Frodo to some of the great elf-friends of the past [-- RRS TAWC KTI: Frodo’s interest in these ancient Elvish things is important, I tell you!]. Gandalf apparently does not have his elven-sword Glamdring [- RRS OWYCS TAWC KTI: They would have had to explain too much if they mentioned it at all.]. Sam isn’t shown getting close to and talking to Bill the pony [-- RRS TAWC KTI: But this was some more very sweet development for Sam.]. Sam also does not express the desire to get some rope [- RRS OWYCS: Does Peter Jackson not understand the concept of foreshadowing?]. Gandalf and Aragorn specifically address fears that the Hobbits may suffer from hypothermia on Caradhras [= RRS KTI: Their danger is already great enough, I think, and all the business with snow was a little boring.], and Gandalf uses magic to light a fire as protection against this possibility [= RRS NLA]. Legolas demonstrates the light-footedness of Elves by running about on top of a deep snowfall [- RRS NEWIAM: It was fun to read. Apparently, you can actually see Legolas running atop the snow, but they never call attention to it as is done in the book.]. Meanwhile, Aragorn and Boromir burrow through the snow and carry the Hobbits to safety [- RRS NEWIAM].

AFTER CARADHRAS AND THROUGH MORIA
The Fellowship is attacked by Wargs, evil wolf-creaturs, in the foothills of the Misty Mountains as they regroup before entering Moria [- RRS KTI: The Wargs were a distraction and never struck me as a real threat.]. Legolas and Gimli are snippy with each other as they approach the gates of Moria [-- RRS: The whole element of their rivalry is lost, but I’ll explain more about that, later.]. They mention Bilbo’s old mithril corselet, before they know that Frodo is actually wearing it [- RRS: Knock-knock. Who’s there? Foreshadowing.]. The drums of the Orcs of Moria are never heard [- RRS: They even mentioned the drums, so why not let us hear them? I have now been told that you can hear them after all, but I was unable during my two viewings.]. Frodo calls out, “The Shire,” and gets a good strike in at the cave troll [-- RRS: Frodo isn’t supposed to be quite so worthless in a fight, you know.]. They removed some foreshadowing about the Balrog, in that Gandalf hears Orcs use the Black Speech word ghâsh, which means fire [- RRS], and later finds that one possible escape route is being blocked by a force possessing powerful magic [- RRS].

AFTER MORIA AND INCLUDING LOTHLÓRIEN
Frodo (and Sam, I think) meet with Haldir of Lothlórien in a treetop [=]. The Elves of Lothlórien do not report having seen Orcs recently [= RRS]. In Lothlórien, Gollum is spotted twice: first, on his own at the bottom of the tree where the Fellowship is sleeping [- RRS], and later near a company of Orcs [- RRS]. The Fellowship does not cross a rope bridge into Lothlórien [- RRS KTI] and they are not blindfolded when they enter [- RRS KTI: This is done to protect the secrets of the Elves from enemies. They originally asked only that Gimli be blindfolded, but Aragorn insisted that they must all fare alike.]. Galadriel charms Gimli by speaking kindly of places that are sacred to the Dwarves [-- RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI: Galadriel was even cooler in the book.] Galadriel peers into the eyes of the members of the Fellowship, and they feel as if they are being offered their fondest wish, if they just abandon their quest [-- RRS NEWIAM: Some pretty interesting things are revealed.]. Legolas and Gimli go walking together in Lothlórien [- RRS NEWIAM KTI: They’re supposed to be developing a friendship that didn’t exist earlier.]. Galadriel does not mention that she has the ability to dictate what her Mirror shows, if she wills it [- RRS]. Sam does not look into the Mirror [-- RRS NEWIAM: Foreshadowing just took such a beating in the adaptation. I’ll explain this incident later.]. Nenya, the Ring of Adamant, is never mentioned [-- RRS TAWC: The presence of one of the Three is a pretty important thing, if you asked me.]. Sam reiterates Frodo’s suggestion that Galadriel take the One Ring [- RRS KTI NLA]. They receive gifts of lembas, which are sweet energy-giving cakes [- RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI], and ropes of a strong substance called hithlain [- RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI]. Also missing is the actual giving of the elf-cloaks and the explanation of their properties [- RRS TAWC KTI: But it’s kind of important.], although the Fellowship does have the cloaks in the next scene. Gimli is supposed to be quite sad as they leave Lothlórien [- RRS KTI: It’s a whole developmental arc for him.].

AFTER LOTHLÓRIEN
On the Anduin, Sam sees Gollum as a “log with eyes” [- RRS: It was suspenseful.], and Gollum even comes right up to their boat [- RRS]. They notice an eagle in the sky over Emyn Muil [=], shortly before Orcs start firing arrows at them from the shore [- RRS: It’s like the Orcs weren’t even following them.], after which a large black creature passes overhead [-- RRS: Unless something very important is being significantly changed in The Return of the King, this really should have been left.]. While fog keeps them hidden [=], Legolas and Aragorn scout for a portage-way [+ RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI] and then they carry the boats for a bit [+ RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI]. When Boromir speaks to Frodo, he blusters on and on and on about the past (and future) glory of Gondor [- RRS NEWIAM KTI: It showed more accurately what Boromir was thinking.]. They removed a good bit of detective work that Sam did to figure out where Frodo was [-- RRS KTI: I’ll talk more about Sam later one, when I talk about character changes.]. Sam and Frodo don’t return to shore to get more supplies [=]. The Orcs have not left Merry’s and Pippin’s knives [- TAWC NEWIAM: Not that these were the special knives from the novel, anyway.]. We do not see Saruman’s emblem: a white hand and the letter S.

Extended Incidents
There are several scenarios that are entirely removed. Here is a rundown of all the missing events.

THE LONG TALK
Gandalf and Frodo share a very long conversation at Bag End. Gandalf tells Frodo that Bilbo once lied about how he acquired the Ring [- RRS: This further exposed the nature of the ring.]. Gandalf also speaks of Saruman’s research into the Rings of Power [- RRS: This made it especially dangerous for Saruman to be after the Ring; he would know a great deal about how to use it.]. Gandalf warns Frodo that the Dark Power might enslave the Shire [- RRS: This served to make the threat more immediate, earlier on.]. Then Gandalf recites the full verse from which the Ring’s inscription is quoted [-- RRS: But the verse was so cool!]. He also mentions that Sauron has already recovered three of the seven dwarf-rings [- RRS TAWC: This served to demonstrate Sauron’s power.]. He mentions the threat of the Ringwraiths at this time [- RRS]. He tells Frodo about Isildur’s experience with the Ring [- RRS] and about how Gollum was once a hobbit-like creature named Déagol who stole the ring from his friend Sméagol [-- RRS: This really showed how the Ring can change a person, especially physically.]. He also mentions Aragorn at this time [- RRS: A little foreshowing never hurt anyone.]. Gandalf suggests that Frodo throw the Ring into the fireplace, but Frodo can’t bring himself to do it [-- RRS: This demonstrated that the Ring has already begun its subtle hold on Frodo.]. There is an amusing moment when Frodo screws up his own determination to save the shire, despite the sometimes excessive closed-mindedness and dullness of his neighbors [- OWYCS: It was kind of funny, and showed the strength of his character.]. Gandalf specifically tells Frodo to use the name Underhill, rather than just saying that he should not use his own name [=].

THE WESTERING ELVES
Frodo, Sam, and Pippin encounter a group of elves in a place called the Woody End. They meet Gildor Inglorion and his kinsmen, quite fortuitously, when a second Nazgûl is nearly upon them [- RRS: It added some more suspense.] Not surprisingly, the Elves are singing a song [++ RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI: These songs are all so annoying!]. Frodo speaks some High Elven [- RRS TAWC: It was nice bit of character development.], and then they all enjoy a feast [+ RRS NEWIAM: Watching people eat just doesn’t make for an interesting movie.]. Gildor warns Frodo of increasing danger [= RRS: We already knew that.] and advises him to seek out other companions [- RRS: That would good advice; Gandalf could have said it instead, in the movie.]. Gildor names Frodo an elf-friend [-- RRS TAWC: This was a very nice bit of character development, that really spoke for Frodo’s nobility.]. The Elves specifically tell Sam to always stay with Frodo [=].

THE MARISH
The three Hobbits also take a shortcut through a region called the Marish. Not surprisingly, they sing a drinking-song on the way [++ RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI: Need I say it again?]. They hear two Nazgûl calling to each other [- RRS: It was spooky.]. They eat a generous meal with Farmer Maggot and his wife, and the farmer then provides them with a ride to the Bucklebury Ferry [= RRS TAWC NEWIAM: It was a cute interlude, but basically pointless.].

THE HOUSE AT CRICKHOLLOW
The movie is missing an entire incident in which Frodo has actually sold Bag End to the Sackville-Bagginses [- RRS TAWC: You don’t understand how huge a sacrifice this was for Frodo.], and makes it known that he is moving to Crickhollow in Buckland [=], from whence he plans to depart in secret for Rivendell. The first thing that Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry do when they arrive there is to sing a bath-song [++ RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI: I want to kill myself.]. The main thing that happens here is that Pippin and Merry reveal that they have known the nature of Frodo’s plan for some time [- RRS KTI: The two young Hobbits came off as much less useless.]. In fact, they even know about the Ring because, as Merry explains, he once saw Bilbo using it [- RRS KTI]. Sam had been their informant while he was just the gardener at Bag End, but he clammed up when he became a direct part of Frodo’s plan [-- RRS KTI: This really spoke for Sam’s integrity.]. That night, Frodo dreams of a white tower [+ TAWC NEWIAM KTI: I didn’t get this when it happened in the book.]. Fatty Bolger stays behind at Crickhollow to dissuade any pursuit [- RRS NLA], and the four other Hobbits depart on ponies for the long ride to Bree [- RRS: You really have no idea how far they wound up walking in the movie.].

THE OLD FOREST AND THE BARROW-DOWNS
There is a lengthy (80 pages) series of events where Frodo, Sam, Pippin, and Merry travel through the Old Forest east of the Shire, and through the Barrow-downs on the way to Bree. First, they express some reticence to enter the Old Forest, because they have heard tales of the trees expressing ill will towards the Shire, and moving around [+ RRS NEWIAM: It’s all a bit too ghost-storyish for a movie. That goes for the entire sequence of events.]. Then, joy of joys, they sing a forest-song [++ RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI: Manwë save us all!]. The forest draws them inwards [+ RRS NEWIAM] and puts them to sleep [+ RRS NEWIAM]. A willow tree actually absorbs Merry and Pippin inside its trunk, and its roots hold Frodo underwater [+ RRS NEWIAM]. Then they hear someone…singing [++ RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI: Aaaargh!]. It is Tom Bombadil, an enigmatic man who rescues them [+ RRS NEWIAM]. He brings them back to his house, where he lives with his wife, Goldberry [+ RRS NEWIAM]. Before my head explodes, I’ll just list all of the songs they all sing over the course of the adventure: Tom -- a going-home-song; Tom -- an inviting-in-song; Goldberry -- an inviting-in-song; Frodo -- a song about Goldberry; Tom -- a feeding-the-animals-song; Tom -- an errand-rescue-song; Tom -- a call-on-me-for-rescuing-song; a barrow-wight -- an incantation-song; Tom -- a rescue-response-song; Tom; a wight-banishment-song; Tom -- a Hobbit-walking-song; Tom -- a random-running-song-with-pony-names; Tom -- a leave-taking song. You know by now the comment that applies to all of that. So, back to the events at hand. They have a massive feast [+ RRS NEWIAM], and that night Frodo dreams of a man (Gandalf, perhaps?) imprisoned atop a tower [- RRS NLA: We were actually seeing Gandalf while he was imprisoned, so this would have been redundant. In the novel, it was good foreshadowing.]. At one point the next day, Frodo shows the Ring to Tom, who wears it briefly, yet it has no effect on him [= RRS NEWIAM TAWC: This brief scene has led to massive amounts of speculation among Tolkien fans, and would have confused the heck out of the audience since the questions raised are never answered.]. From Tom’s, they depart for the next leg of their trip through the Barrow-downs, but they are delayed when they accidentally fall asleep atop a barrow [+ RRS NEWIAM]. It is foggy when they awaken, and Frodo discovers that he has become separated from the others as he passes between a pair of standing-stones [+ RRS NEWIAM]. Frodo becomes imprisoned in a barrow by a barrow-wight [+ RRS NEWIAM], where he finds that the other three Hobbits have already been taken, and arrayed in fine garments and arms [+ RRS NEWIAM]. Once Tom has rescued them, Merry briefly has a flashback to an ancient war [+ RRS NEWIAM TAWC]. The Hobbits take some very nice Númenorean knives (short swords for persons of their stature) from the barrow [- NLA: These swords were very cool, and were a badge of pride for the young Hobbits.]. It is Tom who suggests that they head for the Prancing Pony in Bree [=]. I think that covers everything. It really is a huge omission, but the movie works fine without it.

THE GIFTS OF GALADRIEL
As the Fellowship leaves Lothlórien, they enjoy a farewell picnic with Galadriel and Celeborn, where Galdriel gives gifts to each member of the Fellowship [-- RRS TAWC KTI: Obviously, this sort of thing does work in movies, as evidenced by the end of Star Wars: A New Hope.]. To Aragorn, she gives the name Elessar [-- RRS TAWC KTI: His name is kind of important, though.], which means elf-stone, as well as said elf-stone itself [- RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI], and a special sheath [- RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI]. Boromir gets a gold belt [- RRS TAWC KTI] while Pippin and Merry get silver ones with golden flower-shaped clasps [- RRS TAWC KTI]. To Legolas she gives a bow and arrows [- RRS TAWC KTI]. Sam receives a wooden box with the letter G carved on it, containing some soil from Lothlórien [-- RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI]. And to Gimli the Dwarf, she gives the most awe-inspiring gift of all: three strands of her own hair [-- RRS TAWC NEWIAM KTI: This went to show how much Gimli had changed since the beginning of the story.].

Things Changed
This category will also require subdivisions, but not nearly as many as “Things Removed” did. And before I launch into them, a quick note: It rains a bunch of times in the book, and only once or twice in the movie [=].

Let’s Do The Time Warp Again
Plenty of things were switched and scrambled, time-wise. For example, seventeen years pass in the book between Frodo’s receiving the Ring and Gandalf’s definitively identifying it, while an undetermined but seemingly short time passes in the movie [= NEWIAM: There’s really no need for the delay, except to show that Frodo stops aging.]. Meanwhile, we see Gandalf doing his research, rather than his telling Frodo about it later [+ KTI]. The movie also removes a two to three month delay that Frodo takes in the book before leaving the Shire [= NLA: This happens partly because Gandalf had asked them to wait for him, but he doesn’t do that in the movie.]. At about this point, we see Gandalf being imprisoned by Saruman, rather than his telling everyone about it at Rivendell [++ KTI]. In the movie, the Fellowship is spontaneously selected, while the book features two months of decision making [+ KTI]. In the movie, the others discover that Frodo is wearing his mithril corselet while they are still in Moria, while in the book this was not realized until quite a bit later [=].

Same Action, Different Character
There are a fair number of things that are done by different characters in the movie than in the book. The following all refer to how things are reflected in the film. A woman is the one to say, “Proudfeet,” instead of a man [=]. Gandalf puts the Ring into the envelope, instead of Bilbo [=]. Arwen meets Aragon and the Hobbits west of Bruinen, instead of a character in the book named Glorfindel [+ KTI NACOT: I never really cared about Glrofindel.]. Then Arwen challenges the Nazgûl instead of Frodo doing it himself [- KTI: This was an action scene for Arwen, so I guess it made sense to give it to her. But it takes away some bravery from Frodo’s character.]. Then, losing no momentum, Arwen raises the waters of Bruinen, instead of Elrond [+ KTI: It makes sense for Arwen to do it, since she’s right there.]. Pippin throws a stone into the water near Moria, instead of Boromir [- They’re trying to make Pippin look stupid!]. Frodo thinks of using the password mellon, instead of Gandalf figuring it out himself [+ But at least they’re trying to make Frodo look smart.]. Instead of a fierce orc-chieftain, the Fellowship fights against a massive cave troll in Moria [++ LAUF: It was so cool!], whereas in the novel they only see the troll briefly and then fight the chieftain while they flee from it [++ NEWIAM KTI: It makes the guys look less wussy.]. Gimli raises uncertainties about entering Lothlórien, instead of Boromir [+ TAWC: Strangely enough, this change is made despite likely audience apathy. As a Dwarf, Gimli should be the one most opposed to entering an elf-kingodm.]. Sam is the first one to identify Gollum, instead of Gandalf [- Does Gandalf really have to be the only one to know anything?].

Same Event, Different Place
Plenty of stuff pretty much happens the same way in the movie as in the book, but in a different place. Again, these describe things the way they are in the movie. The prologue is cobbled together from narratives given by Gandalf and Elrond at Rivendell [++ KTI NEWIAM: It works very well.]. The Nazgûl seem to issue forth from the same place as where Sauron is amassing his forces. However, the former should me Minas Morgul while the latter should be Barad-dûr, and both are mentioned in the movie [=]. Gandalf and Frodo speak of pity in Moria, instead of at Bag End [=]. Sam notes that he will be the farther he’s ever been from home as they cross a field, instead of the Brandywine River [=].

Same Event, Only Different
These reflect things that were changed for the movie, but were still essentially the same as far as what they did for the plot. There’s so much of it that I’m going to divide it up again.

BEFORE THE COUNCIL OF ELROND
Bilbo’s disappearance is seemingly unplanned, and he hasn’t let Frodo in on it [- KTI OWYCS: I suppose they would have had to explain more, but it sort of changes the tone of the events.]. Gandalf throws the Ring into the fireplace in its envelope instead of on its chain [=]. Bilbo leaves the Ring on the floor instead of on the mantelpiece [=]. Gandalf pulls Sam altogether inside, instead of just pulling his head up [+ LAUF: It makes for a bit of spectacle.], and then Sam babbles less than in the book but mentions having overheard something about “the end of the world” [+ KTI: The flow is good, and it was a little bit funny.]. Frodo and Sam set out directly for the Prancing Pony instead of Buckland [+ NEWIAM KTI: As I mentioned, the adventure they get into on the way wouldn’t have worked in a movie.]. Attention is brought onto Frodo at the Prancing Pony because Pippin actually calls him “Baggins,” instead of having told the story of Bilbo’s disappearance as in the book [+ NEWIAM KTI: It was easier this way.]. Strider grabs Frodo bodily instead of asking to speak with him later [+ KTI].

THE COUNCIL OF ELROND AND AFTERWARDS
Frodo comes across Bilbo sitting on a bench in Rivendell, instead of Elrond going to wake him up [=]. Frodo places the Ring on the stone table at the Council of Elrond instead of just holding it up [+ KTI: It was nice and dramatic.]. Frodo offers to take the ring during a fight instead of during an uncomfortable silence [= Both situations have merits.]. Gimli gets very emotional at Balin’s Tomb, rather than just sad as in the book [+]. The Elves of Lothlórien appear with bows and arrows pointed at the Fellowship, rather than calling to them from the treetops [+ KTI]. When Galdriel speaks of her Mirror, she says that it can show “things that have not come to pass” rather than “things that yet may be” [=]. When he takes the boat, Sam is not invisible as he is in the book [=]. Also, Sam’s near-drowning was made to be more dramatic [+ KTI]. Also, Sam reiterates that he was instructed to stay with Frodo, rather than following Frodo completely of his own volition as in the novel [-]. Aragorn, Gimli, and Legoal arrive in time to help Boromir fight the Orcs [+ KTI: It seemed pretty lame that none of them were able to help in the book.], and we actually see the battle [++ NEWIAM KTI: In the book, we see only the aftermath. Clearly, this would not work in the movie version.]. Finally, Boromir is laid on a bier with his own arms, but not the weapons of his fallen foes [= TAWC: Most people wouldn’t have understood their significance anyway.].

Same Scene/Character/Concept, Only Different
In a few cases, whole elements were changed around, including several related incidents.

MERRY AND PIPPIN
Merry and Pippin get a sort of bum rap until the second-to-last scene in the movie. Pippin and Merry are the ones to set off the dragon fireworks (and it goes a bit awry) instead of Gandalf himself [- KTI]. Pippin and Merry recklessly light a campfire on Weathertop, rather than Aragorn having suggested it [- KTI]. As already mentioned, Boromir’s reckless actions at Moria are given over to Pippin instead. Inside Moria, Pippin’s intention dropping of a stone is made accidental, which takes some heat off him, but then the stone is made into a massive skeleton with various armaments [+ KTI]. Aside from that, I noticed that it is not being stressed that these two are quite a bit younger than Frodo, since clearly the actors are in fact about the same age and this element is dropped from the movie [=].

SAMWISE GAMGEE
Sam’s character was even more decimated, in my opinion. In the book, he is a very sensitive and creative soul, and also a startlingly good judge of character, despite his outwards rustic naïveté. Some of his perceptive skills and sensitivity are at least hinted at in the movie, but much of the character’s richness is lost [-- RRS TAWC]. In the book, he had bonded strongly with Bill the Pony, and actually cried when they had to let him go at the gates of Moria [- RRS KTI: It was a very sweet moment.]. I won’t reiterate the many changes and removals that I have already noted, but I will just say that even though the songs themselves were still as asinine as Moulin Rouge, Sam was the only character in the books where it actually seemed to make sense that he would be singing, as he had written the songs himself. I’m really quite disappointed that this element didn’t seem to be retained at all [-].

GANDALF’S IMPRISONMENT
Saruman is even nastier in the movie than the book; in the book, he gave Gandalf at least a few friendly sentences before revealing his true colors [- KTI: Gandalf should have become suspicious.]. While Gandalf is imprisoned atop Isengard, I noticed that Saruman was being particularly cruel to the trees in the vicinity, rather than just cutting them down as in the book [+ KTI: You’ll understand why in the second movie, assuming they remain faithful.]. With removal of the character of Radagast, who had been the key to Gandalf’s escape, Gandalf had to engineer his own rescue (ultimately by the same method), with the help of a friendly moth [+ KTI: It made Gandalf look cool, and the other way would have taken far too much explaining.]. Also, Saruman is actually present at the moment of Gandalf’s rescue, and the whole event is much more dramatic [+ KTI].

ARAGORN AND BOROMIL AND NARSIL
In the book, Aragorn (for the duration of the time that he calls himself Strider) tends to speak of himself in the third person [- NEWIAM: Even in the book, it was weird.]. In the novel, Aragorn carries the shards of Narsil with him, while in the movie they are kept at Rivendell [=]. In general, the movie has a great deal less focus on the sword, and it is never even mentioned that it has been renamed Andúril (Flame of the West) [= NEWIAM]. The movie adds the element of Boromir’s resentment towards Aragorn for having the capacity to overthrow the authority of his office [+ KTI], and Boromir suggests that Aragorn has forsaken his crown [- But clearly he hasn’t.]. Also, there is no mention that the two men are planning to travel to Minas Tirith, whether or not the rest of the Fellowship follows them [= In the end, nothing had really been decided in either version.].

LEGOLAS AND GIMLI
Both of these characters were significantly changed, as well as reduced. For starters, they were practically reversed in many ways. In the book, Legolas was lighthearted and carefree-seeming, and highly energetic. Gimli, on the other hand, was largely stoic, the only exception being his unrestrained sadness at Balin’s Tomb. In the movie, however, Legolas behaved quite seriously, while Gimli was the more hot-blooded of the two [- I think that the change is less in keeping with their racial standards.]. The rivalry between the Dwarf and the Elf, rooted in an ancient feud between the two races, is not much in evidence except for during the one argument at the Council of Elrond [- RRS KTI: I guess they thought it would be too complicated to include this element.]. Not surprisingly, the movie also fails to highlight the strong friendship that develops between Legolas and Gimli, which begins primarily when Gimli becomes enamored of Lothlórien and it’s Lady [- RRS KTI OWYCS: Oddly enough, the friendship in the novel is mainly “told” and not “shown.”].

CARADHRAS
In the first place, the book has the Company initially planning to go through Rohan, while they reject the idea out of hand in the movie [+], and Gandalf is more willing to consider the Moria route in the book [=]. The large flock of black birds (crebain) appears when the Fellowship is higher on the mountain [=]. The Fellowship is attacked on Caradhras by Saruman, rather than by the mountain’s own ill will [+ NEWIAM KTI: The mountain thing wouldn’t have gone over well in a movie, and they wanted to keep Saruman on our minds.].

THE MIRROR OF GALADRIEL
Things play out somewhat differently with the Mirror of Galadriel. Firstly, as I already mentioned, Sam is not in the scene. In the book, Sam sees Hobbiton in profound danger, but Frodo sees this in the movie [=]. Sam also sees himself climbing a rock wall, and he sees Frodo in a profound sleep, but neither image appears in the movie [- RRS KTI: They really have something against foreshadowing in this movie!]. Frodo also does not see a ship undertaking a perilous journey, or an old man who resembles Gandalf [- RRS KTI: It’s like foreshadowing would kill them!].

ON THE BANKS OF THE ANDUIN
As the movie reaches its climax, a number of aspects of the situation are different. Firstly, there had throughout the novel been the implication that the Fellowship would eventually have to decide whether to go west to Gondor or east to Mordor, or perhaps to split up, but this decision is not present in the movie [=]. Consequently, Frodo has not asked for an hour alone to think about this issue; he is instead simply off collecting firewood [- If he is trying to decide, it makes more sense for Boromir to be trying to sway him.]. Then, the others are not really talking about Frodo’s dilemma; they just happen to notice that they haven’t seen Frodo lately [=]. Also, Boromir doesn’t mention having seen Frodo.

End Report on Differences

Sweet Jesus! This compilation of disparities between the novel and the film contained more than eight thousand words. The review as a whole has more than thirteen thousand, making it the longest I have ever written, to the best of my knowledge. In 10-point font, single-spaced, it occupies sixteen pages on my word-processor. The text also includes a record fifty-seven accented symbols. All I can say is, “Ph34r my L337 writing ski11z!”

But enough about me and how awesome I am. Let me outline my overall opinion on the adaptation from book to movie. Clearly, a huge number of things were changed, far more than in the making of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Many overly detailed and historically relevant details were removed from the novel, because they clearly would have been out of place in a motion picture. Also, in another marked difference from Harry Potter, very little of the spoken dialogue comes from Tolkien’s original work. However, a few of the best quotes are retained. Even so, I felt that the movie was very much in keeping with the spirit of Tolkien’s vision. The requisite special effects were carried off very well, and the sets were realized in perfect accordance with the novel.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is an incredible movie. It can be appreciated by people who love the novel as well as by those who are completely unfamiliar with it. It appeals to fans of adventure, fantasy, and romance. After many failed attempts in the past, this novel has finally found a fitting adaptation, and I for one couldn’t be happier. And, most importantly (and in conjunction with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone), this movie has finally cleansed us all of the bad mojo that was left by Dungeons and Dragons.

Recommended:
Yes