The Squire Nit-picks The Lord of the Rings
Before I start, let me just say that I LOVE Peter Jackson’s movies of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’ve watched them over and over again during the past decade. The movies paint an incredibly rich tapestry, a world that I can immerse myself in. And every time I watch then again, I seem to spot something new. Over the years I’ve spotted continuity errors (Aragorn’s ring switches from one hand to the other, Legolas’s arrows are different colors, etc.) and absorbed details about the costumes (I <3 the costumes!) and dialog.
Unfortunately, this time I’m going to nit-pick. I blame this year’s things-I-noticed on my increasing knowledge of how things actually work that I’ve gleaned from my years as a squire and now a Landsknecht camp frau.
In the Two Towers, when the Warg riders attack the column marching towards Helm’s Deep, Aragron has his sword out as he leaps on the back of a Warg. We never see him sheath it. Yet after he falls off the cliff and washes up on the beach and the horse Brego nuzzles him back to consciousness, his sword is safely in its scabbard. How exactly did that happen?
In The Two Towers, there’s a beautiful scene when Gamling is armoring King Théoden and Théoden is speaking. “Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed like rain on the mountain, like wind in the meadow. The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. How did it come to this?” But Gamling is wearing gloves. He’d never be able to work the buckles on the armor with the thick gloves that he’s wearing.
And knowing what I know now about pike formations? The Uruk-hai should have won the battle of Helm’s Deep. The Rohirrim horse charge would have been utterly broken on that wall of pikes.
I have to pick the same nit with the Battle for Minas Tirith. They show the armies of Mordor setting for horse charge. And yet the Rohirrim overrun them. I think not.
During the horse charge at Minas Tirith none of the Rohirrim carries their shield. These shields are not going to do them any good hanging off the saddle horns.
Unfortunately, this time I’m going to nit-pick. I blame this year’s things-I-noticed on my increasing knowledge of how things actually work that I’ve gleaned from my years as a squire and now a Landsknecht camp frau.
In the Two Towers, when the Warg riders attack the column marching towards Helm’s Deep, Aragron has his sword out as he leaps on the back of a Warg. We never see him sheath it. Yet after he falls off the cliff and washes up on the beach and the horse Brego nuzzles him back to consciousness, his sword is safely in its scabbard. How exactly did that happen?
In The Two Towers, there’s a beautiful scene when Gamling is armoring King Théoden and Théoden is speaking. “Where is the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? They have passed like rain on the mountain, like wind in the meadow. The days have gone down in the West behind the hills into shadow. How did it come to this?” But Gamling is wearing gloves. He’d never be able to work the buckles on the armor with the thick gloves that he’s wearing.
And knowing what I know now about pike formations? The Uruk-hai should have won the battle of Helm’s Deep. The Rohirrim horse charge would have been utterly broken on that wall of pikes.
I have to pick the same nit with the Battle for Minas Tirith. They show the armies of Mordor setting for horse charge. And yet the Rohirrim overrun them. I think not.
During the horse charge at Minas Tirith none of the Rohirrim carries their shield. These shields are not going to do them any good hanging off the saddle horns.