Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Mansun
Defeats nobody major at all in the entire book but is later able to break the staff of Gandalf the White?? (film)
Is defeated by a hobbit & a woman (albeit with luck).
The point is, lets not forget that the WK is made to look inferior as an opponent also!!
|
Oh dear, here we go again!!!!
In both Book and Film, the Witch King in his last form is far mightier and Superior to his 'former' self - Tolkien has mentioned this in his Letters, and Jackson mentions that they had to 'up' the power of the WK as they needed a 'baddie' to cocentrate on in this movie - either that or have Sauron appear at the Black Gate. Now THAT would have caused mass hysteria by a lot of Tolkien fans!
So therefore, Jackson was following Tolkien's lead in 'powering up' the WK.
I have explained here and in other threads, and I put it to you now that the Staff is a symbolic token that a Wizard carries, and at most a conduit of his power - Remember Gandalf broke Saurman's staff both in move and book with his Voice. Not a blast from his Staff. One of the only places in the book I can see Gandalf use his staff is to light a fire! (oh and to light the way in Moria!)
Merry and Eowyn. Luck???? No way! The Witch King was defeated by a blade of Weseternesse that was designed with possibly that exact purpose in mind, and wielded by the courageous hand of a halfling. Eowyn then gallantly killed the Witch King after the spell holding his sinews to his will were unknit by Merry.
But I do understand that the WK/Gandalf scene is different in that Gandalf's staff is broken, and thath he lies on the floor. But do we really know what would have happened if the two DID fight? Remember Gandalf was in a body that could be inflicted by wounds exactly as a normal man - he could die as easily as a man could. And (and I think I'm in the minority here) - from the very first time I read the book, I always wondered how much of a Bluff Gandalf's words to the WK were.............did he know himself whether he could defeat the WK or not?
But the end of this scene in both book and movie is exactly the same. Rohan have arrived in the nick of time to Save the Day. And Jackson ramps up the tension by having Gandalf on the floor to show the Movie world this.