[Holbytlass]

I concur that seeing the landscape before the destruction is vital. I like the subtle visual clue when the camera is directly overhead Gandalf riding, passed the front gate, into the sharp angle made by the two trails and then repeated by the two sides of Orthanc making a sharp angle again as if saying something is closing in on him.

Even though it seems odd, afterall, how often do we see or hear of two old men beating the pants (or robe) off each other, it makes sense for Gandalf's capture to happen that way. I don't see Gandalf being taken down by a bunch of orcs (that would be inconsistent to his fighting all those orcs later in Moria), he could've easily blasted them like he did in the cave in The Hobbit. It would take someone/thing as powerful as himself to potentially take him down.

The rotating on the ear was weird. I suppose there had to be something visual to say that he was completely under Sarauman's control but the ear?!

It didn't really matter to me whether it was shown as Saruman being Sauron's lackey or a second evil person, I don't think there was enough to show what caused Saruman's fall from grace. He had been established as "wise and powerful", "head of the order" that Gandalf belonged to and since Gandalf is shown to be good and powerful and helpful, that would make Saruman more so, being the one in charge, so to speak.

On a side note, I do like how Saruman, like Bilbo, is a piler not a filer, eccentric and/or evil trait? Wonder what Sauron's study looks like? And what does that make me?!