Sauron and the Ring

[Kuruharan]

But at last the seige was so strait that Sauron himself came forth; and he wrestled with Gil-galad and Elendil, and they both were slain, and the sword of Elendil broke under him as he fell. But Sauron also was thrown down and with the hilt-shard of Narsil Isildur cut the Ruling Ring from the hand of Sauron and took it for his own. Then Sauron was for that time vanquished, and he forsook his body, and his spirit fled far away and hid in waste places; and he took no visible shape again for many long years.

-Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age

You are quite right that the movie did not portray the fall of Sauron correctly. However, there is no mention of his body being stabbed repeatedly. He was "thrown down" and then Isildur cut off the Ring. Then Sauron, of his own choice, abandoned his body. He did not die because the Ring was cut off; he did not really "die" then at all. He just made a "strategic retreat" from his body to await another day.

[ July 24, 2002: Message edited by: Kuruharan ]