Legolas' and Gimli's contest at Helm's Deep

[Carrûn]

When death is such a stark reality people often joke about it or approach it with a sort of lightheartedness in an attempt to make it less frightening. Dark humor, but humor none the less; it's been pretty much beaten to death in any standard war film.

I think in Tolkien's case it was a way to inject some humor into the plot as well as to show the progressing friendship between the pair without sacrificing the competitiveness between them.

On a side note my friend supposedly had a buddy in Iraq who had "Durin's Bane" & a balrog painted onto his crew's tank. So maybe the ace of spades is out.