Time to fix Gandalf versus the Witchking

[obloquy]

Originally Posted by CSteefel

I certainly disagree there. Why would Aragorn be able to drive off five of the Nazgul, including the Witch King, when Gandalf cannot deal with the WK by himself after he has returned to ME with much enhanced powers? And Gandalf himself drives off nine of the Nazgul on Weathertop. The movie basically misses most of the point of Gandalf's return as the White Rider, making the encounter with the WK at the gates even less believable. This is not all that long after Gandalf has broken the staff of Saruman, which is possible only with these expanded powers...

It's fine for the movie because the movie establishes its own rules and hierarchy. Gandalf is not an incarnate demigod, while the Witch-King has to be elevated to fill Sauron's role as Chief Villain. The idea conveyed in the movie is that the WK is now (RotK) effectively invincible and clearly enhanced over his FotR iteration. Perhaps PJ misunderstood the same obscure letter the rest of you did. In any case, the scene works for the movie because the movie made what took place possible by minor adjustments in all the material that preceded it.

Olorin is said to be afraid of Sauron, which makes sense, but the WK is a different story.

Obviously you're correct about Olorin being immeasurably greater in power than the WK, but there is no Olorin in the film, only Gandalf. "Gandalf" has not been established as a primeval spirit who knew Sauron as a peer before Middle-earth existed. He's just a cranky old wizard who is sometimes impressive, but clearly not up to dealing with the WK.

Now Tolkien does say somewhere that the Witch King has been invested with new powers, presumably transferring some of his own power on to the WK.

You misunderstand and misrepresent Tolkien.