[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

Duly noted. I ought to have known that you wouldn't be able to misinterpret such a simple song. <P>I think that the portrayal of Gollum is one of the places where the film was spot on. In my opinion it gets to the real meat of Gollum's personality; which gives us plenty to discuss. <P>Notwithstanding some horribly trite lines ("Go away and never come back"? Please), the "inner conversation" scene was excellent. It accords with my theory that Sméagol split into Slinker and Stinker the moment he murdered Déagol (or at least the moment he realised the enormity of the deed), and that the two personas moved further apart as the gestalt's behaviour became more and more depraved. The defining characteristic of Sméagol's character is that although he is utterly selfish and capable of the foulest deeds, he refuses to admit this to himself, requiring that he literally become somebody else when committing base acts. Possession of the Ring for so long can only have quickened this process, whilst prolonging it beyond its natural span (necessarily limited by Sméagol's lifespan), until by the time of <I>The Two Towers</I> his actions are so debased that the only way to maintain his innocence is to have Gollum supplant Sméagol as the dominant personality. After a brief period in which the "innocent" Sméagol/Slinker persona fights for control, the apparent betrayal in Ithilien tips the balance back in favour of Stinker/Gollum. <P>I take this as a stark warning of the more extreme results of self-deception. We should always be honest with ourselves, and Gollum is a perfect example of what can happen to those who are not.<p>[ January 08, 2003: Message edited by: Squatter of Amon Rudh ]