Lord of the Rings Fellowship of the Ring Movie/Book Questions

[crookeddy]

So I just rewatched Fellowship, and have some questions about the movie. I'll start with the one that bothers me the most -

When Gollum is first spotted by Frodo, Gandalf tells Frodo that he was captured by Mordor, tortured and said two words: "Baggins and Shire".

How could he possibly know these details?

 

[Admiral Archer]

I believe in the book, the dialogue between Gandalf and Frodo regarding Gollum was all part of the One Ring exposition in Bag End, and NOT in Moria. It was a lot more expansive, and involved Gandalf explaining that he and the Mirkwood wood elves eventually tracked Gollum down, and interrogated him about where he had been and what he had been doing, and it is from Gollum himself that Gandalf learns that Gollum had gone to Mordor and been captured by Sauron's forces, then eventually set loose. In the book, it is also later revealed (during the Council of Elrond, if I am correct) that Aragorn also assisted Gandalf and the wood elves in tracking Gollum. There is a whole fan film called "The Hunt for Gollum" that is based on this part of the story.

Hope this helps!

 

[crookeddy]

I believe in the book, the dialogue between Gandalf and Frodo regarding Gollum was all part of the One Ring exposition in Bag End, and NOT in Moria. It was a lot more expansive, and involved Gandalf explaining that he and the Mirkwood wood elves eventually tracked Gollum down, and interrogated him about where he had been and what he had been doing, and it is from Gollum himself that Gandalf learns that Gollum had gone to Mordor and been captured by Sauron's forces, then eventually set loose. In the book, it is also later revealed (during the Council of Elrond, if I am correct) that Aragorn also assisted Gandalf and the wood elves in tracking Gollum. There is a whole fan film called "The Hunt for Gollum" that is based on this part of the story.

Hope this helps!

Thanks totally forgot this part!

 

[crookeddy]

Does anyone know if the travel depicted in the movie is accurate to the Middle Earth map? It seems that Gandalf gets to Saruman and back to Rivendell pretty quickly, while the road to Mordor is very very long...

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

Does anyone know if the travel depicted in the movie is accurate to the Middle Earth map? It seems that Gandalf gets to Saruman and back to Rivendell pretty quickly, while the road to Mordor is very very long...

Saruman was in Orthanc, not Mordor, and it looks to be a lot closer - as the giant eagle travels. Anyway, people have occasionally claimed the timings for travel in the books are also inconsistent. It's not the sort of thing that bothers me personally unless it's outrageously incorrect.

ETA: Also, Shadowfax is pretty speedy.

 

[crookeddy]

This one is more about Two Towers, but do they ever explain why Gollum doesn't age to death once he loses the ring? Also why is he hurt by elvish stuff?

 

[fireproof78]

This one is more about Two Towers, but do they ever explain why Gollum doesn't age to death once he loses the ring? Also why is he hurt by elvish stuff?

Likely due to his own life essence being drawn out and "stretched" by the Ring. His body would still wind down over the course of time as fitting his kind.

As for Elvish things, likely due to his long exposure to the evil of the One Ring, good things became distasteful and bad to him.

 

[BK613]

Does anyone know if the travel depicted in the movie is accurate to the Middle Earth map?

The movies do a fair job in physically following the map: The only hiccups come from changes like going to Osgiliath or loosing the horses at the Paths of the Dead.

 

[Mytran]

The films follow the map, but travel time seems much reduced overall

 

[Draculasaurus]

Saruman was in Orthanc, not Mordor, and it looks to be a lot closer - as the giant eagle travels. Anyway, people have occasionally claimed the timings for travel in the books are also inconsistent. It's not the sort of thing that bothers me personally unless it's outrageously incorrect.

ETA: Also, Shadowfax is pretty speedy.

I seem to remember some passages in the books that vaguely implied that Shadowfax was supernaturally fast.

 

[Asbo Zaprudder]

I seem to remember some passages in the books that vaguely implied that Shadowfax was supernaturally fast.

There is an apposite quote at the following link:
http://www.henneth-annun.net/bios_view.cfm?SCID=128

Over the plains Shadowfax was flying, needing no urging and no guidance. Less than an hour had passed [since leaving Dol Baran], and they had reached the Fords of Isen [about fifteen miles away] ...

'How fast is he going?' asked Pippin. 'Fast by the wind, but very smooth. And how light his footfalls are!'

'He is running now as fast as the swiftest horse could gallop,' answered Gandalf; 'but that is not fast for him. The land is rising a little here, and is more broken than it was beyond the river.'
The Two Towers, LoTR Book 3, Ch 11, The Palantír

According to www.speedofanimals.com:

The gallop averages 40 to 48 kilometres per hour (25 to 30 mph). The world record for a horse galloping over a short, sprint distance is 88 kilometres per hour (55 mph).

Perhaps Shadowfax can sustain 55 mph over long distances rather than just short ones.

 

[theenglish]

Saruman was in Orthanc, not Mordor, and it looks to be a lot closer - as the giant eagle travels. Anyway, people have occasionally claimed the timings for travel in the books are also inconsistent. It's not the sort of thing that bothers me personally unless it's outrageously incorrect.

ETA: Also, Shadowfax is pretty speedy.

I think the answer is magic--Shadowfax seems not to tire as a horse should. In the appendices to the books there is quite a detailed timeline.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

If the books (or movies for that matter) were literally 1:1 as far as descriptive to travel time, it would have taken 50 books.