Glorfindel - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Legolas in spandex · 04-08-2006, 02:45 PM

I am incredibly dissapointed that they just entirely removed Glorfindel in the movies. It was his horse, not Arwen's, and what happned to the cute little dinky bell?

Estelyn Telcontar · 04-09-2006, 06:52 AM

I'm moving this question to the Movies forum, since it is about Jackson's film version of LotR. Please check out the numerous other threads on this topic there to see what opinion others have posted.

Sir Kohran · 04-10-2006, 02:00 PM

Personally, I can't see Glorfindel working at all well in a movie like this.

Firstly, the idea of giving his role to Arwen isn't as bad as everyone says it is. The idea is still the same in the book - an Elf comes from Rivendell to help Frodo and his companions. Then the Elf takes Frodo to the Fords of Bruinen, where Frodo passes out as the Black Riders are swept away.

And it's a good way to introduce Arwen as a character - simply having her appear in Rivendell and have her in the same place for the next three films simply thinking of Aragorn would be rather boring. The scene gives her a bit of importance, too - she's not just a princess in the tower waiting for her prince to come; she can hold her own too.

Also, as a character Glorfindel's fairly redundant - he's just another male Elf warrior. In the films, we've already got Legolas, to a lesser extent, Haldir, and Elrond and Gil Galad in the prologue to show us how well male Elves can fight. Adding in yet another golden-haired Elf with a blade and a tendency to lay waste to the enemy would seem rather pointless - especially considering that he only appears in the first movie.

Now, I DO think it could have been done better. Did we have to have Arwen taking all of the glory? Gone are Frodo's words of defiance and Aragorn and the Hobbit's attack on the Wraiths from behind, driving them into the river. Instead Arwen does everything in the final confrontation, which doesn't seem right - these creatures have been built up throughout the last hour, and then they're defeated in a few seconds by a single character. I think Jackson could have handled this scene a lot better.

However, I don't mind this change overall - I think it was a hard choice for Jackson either way, and he did well enough under the circumstances.

Boromir88 · 05-05-2006, 10:21 PM

I agree with everything Sir Korhan says, well said. To add a few things...

Beside just introducing Arwen it sets up the whole love story background between the two. Which is important for the movies. Tolkien gives us a lot of the background in the Appendices (which Jackson ended up using a lot of it for his "love story") However, it's important to set up the background between the two early in the movie. Because for the most part in TTT and ROTK Aragorn is around Eowyn and Eowyn is trying to cozy up to him. Then when Arwen shows up at the end to marry Aragorn it may leave the audience going "who's this elf chick, why is she important, hasn't Aragorn been with this Rohan chick the whole time?" So, I think it's important to establish Arwen as an important character in the first movie, as it sets up the love story between the two, and people aren't caught so off guard at the end as to why Aragorn married Arwen.

I don't like the portrayal of XenaArwen in this scene, I think they should have left it as it was and have Elrond command the river and Gandalf add the white horse effect...but I am not bothered by the change of taking out Glorfindel and putting in Arwen who we will be seeing later on in the film, where Glorfindel more or less makes a one time appearance.

Rhod the Red · 05-06-2006, 03:13 AM

Yes, I wish they had Glorifindel. And Gildor!

Beanamir of Gondor · 05-09-2006, 06:51 PM

I'm happier that PJ just cut Glorfindel altogether, rather than giving him a pity part like poor Beregond. Three seconds of screentime?

Boromir88 · 05-09-2006, 07:01 PM

Beanamir, actually I think that picture the website shows is not Beregond. That guy is creditted as Irolas (they switched around the "o" and "r" for some reason). I'm pretty sure that's him, if he's the brown-noser and suck up to Denethor and the one that says
"It is as the Lord Denethor predicted. Long has he forseen this doom."
As well as other suck up Denethor lines. If that's him, then he's creditted as Irolas.

Edit:

Doing a google image search I could not find a movie photo of Beregond, but by searching for Irolas, this picture shows up:

Beanamir of Gondor · 05-09-2006, 08:17 PM

Well, that works, too. I googled it after reading your post, and came up with this. Granted, Imrahil wasn't all that crucial to the plot of Movie!LotR either, but still....

Either way.... they've all gone the way of poor Glorfindel.

Legolas · 05-12-2006, 11:23 PM

Glorfindel's part was one of my favourite scenes in The Fellowship of the Ring, my favourite volume of the story.

davem · 05-13-2006, 02:22 AM

I don't think its as simple as merely substituting one Elf for another. Only Glorfindel could do that particular job - driving back the Nazgul. I posted this on an earlier thread. The last paragraph is the part that deals with Glorfindel.

Letty · 05-26-2006, 06:35 PM

And why did Haldir have to die so absurdly?
And if PJ had included Arwen in the fellowshp,the twisting of the book would have been totally complete.

04-08-2006, 02:45 PM	#1
Legolas in spandex Wight Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 102	Glorfindel I am incredibly dissapointed that they just entirely removed Glorfindel in the movies. It was his horse, not Arwen's, and what happned to the cute little dinky bell? __________________ "I want to die in my sleep, like my grandfather... not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car."

04-09-2006, 06:52 AM	#2
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	I'm moving this question to the Movies forum, since it is about Jackson's film version of LotR. Please check out the numerous other threads on this topic there to see what opinion others have posted. __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

04-10-2006, 02:00 PM	#3
Sir Kohran Wight Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: England, UK Posts: 178	Personally, I can't see Glorfindel working at all well in a movie like this. Firstly, the idea of giving his role to Arwen isn't as bad as everyone says it is. The idea is still the same in the book - an Elf comes from Rivendell to help Frodo and his companions. Then the Elf takes Frodo to the Fords of Bruinen, where Frodo passes out as the Black Riders are swept away. And it's a good way to introduce Arwen as a character - simply having her appear in Rivendell and have her in the same place for the next three films simply thinking of Aragorn would be rather boring. The scene gives her a bit of importance, too - she's not just a princess in the tower waiting for her prince to come; she can hold her own too. Also, as a character Glorfindel's fairly redundant - he's just another male Elf warrior. In the films, we've already got Legolas, to a lesser extent, Haldir, and Elrond and Gil Galad in the prologue to show us how well male Elves can fight. Adding in yet another golden-haired Elf with a blade and a tendency to lay waste to the enemy would seem rather pointless - especially considering that he only appears in the first movie. Now, I DO think it could have been done better. Did we have to have Arwen taking all of the glory? Gone are Frodo's words of defiance and Aragorn and the Hobbit's attack on the Wraiths from behind, driving them into the river. Instead Arwen does everything in the final confrontation, which doesn't seem right - these creatures have been built up throughout the last hour, and then they're defeated in a few seconds by a single character. I think Jackson could have handled this scene a lot better. However, I don't mind this change overall - I think it was a hard choice for Jackson either way, and he did well enough under the circumstances. __________________ 'Dangerous!' cried Gandalf. 'And so am I, very dangerous: more dangerous than anything you will ever meet, unless you are brought alive before the seat of the Dark Lord.'

05-05-2006, 10:21 PM	#4
Boromir88 Laconic Loreman Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: USA Posts: 7,518	I agree with everything Sir Korhan says, well said. To add a few things... Beside just introducing Arwen it sets up the whole love story background between the two. Which is important for the movies. Tolkien gives us a lot of the background in the Appendices (which Jackson ended up using a lot of it for his "love story") However, it's important to set up the background between the two early in the movie. Because for the most part in TTT and ROTK Aragorn is around Eowyn and Eowyn is trying to cozy up to him. Then when Arwen shows up at the end to marry Aragorn it may leave the audience going "who's this elf chick, why is she important, hasn't Aragorn been with this Rohan chick the whole time?" So, I think it's important to establish Arwen as an important character in the first movie, as it sets up the love story between the two, and people aren't caught so off guard at the end as to why Aragorn married Arwen. I don't like the portrayal of XenaArwen in this scene, I think they should have left it as it was and have Elrond command the river and Gandalf add the white horse effect...but I am not bothered by the change of taking out Glorfindel and putting in Arwen who we will be seeing later on in the film, where Glorfindel more or less makes a one time appearance. __________________ Fenris Penguin

05-06-2006, 03:13 AM	#5
Rhod the Red Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: May 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 257	Yes, I wish they had Glorifindel. And Gildor! __________________ Head of the Fifth Order of the Istari Tenure: Fourth Age(Year 1) - Present Currently operating in Melbourne, Australia

05-09-2006, 06:51 PM	#6
Beanamir of Gondor Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: the Shadow Gallery Posts: 276	I'm happier that PJ just cut Glorfindel altogether, rather than giving him a pity part like poor Beregond. Three seconds of screentime? __________________ The answer to life is no longer 42. It's 4 8 15 16 23... 42. "I only lent you my body; you lent me your dream."

05-09-2006, 07:01 PM	#7
Boromir88 Laconic Loreman Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: USA Posts: 7,518	Beanamir, actually I think that picture the website shows is not Beregond. That guy is creditted as Irolas (they switched around the "o" and "r" for some reason). I'm pretty sure that's him, if he's the brown-noser and suck up to Denethor and the one that says "It is as the Lord Denethor predicted. Long has he forseen this doom." As well as other suck up Denethor lines. If that's him, then he's creditted as Irolas. Edit: Doing a google image search I could not find a movie photo of Beregond, but by searching for Irolas, this picture shows up: __________________ Fenris Penguin Last edited by Boromir88; 05-09-2006 at 07:04 PM.

05-09-2006, 08:17 PM	#8
Beanamir of Gondor Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: the Shadow Gallery Posts: 276	Well, that works, too. I googled it after reading your post, and came up with this. Granted, Imrahil wasn't all that crucial to the plot of Movie!LotR either, but still.... Either way.... they've all gone the way of poor Glorfindel. __________________ The answer to life is no longer 42. It's 4 8 15 16 23... 42. "I only lent you my body; you lent me your dream."

05-12-2006, 11:23 PM	#9
Legolas A Northern Soul Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Valinor Posts: 1,847	Glorfindel's part was one of my favourite scenes in The Fellowship of the Ring, my favourite volume of the story. __________________ ...take counsel with thyself, and remember who and what thou art.

05-13-2006, 02:22 AM	#10
davem Illustrious Ulair Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: In the home of lost causes, and forsaken beliefs, and unpopular names,and impossible loyalties Posts: 4,240	I don't think its as simple as merely substituting one Elf for another. Only Glorfindel could do that particular job - driving back the Nazgul. I posted this on an earlier thread. The last paragraph is the part that deals with Glorfindel. __________________ “Everything was an object. If you killed a dwarf you could use it as a weapon – it was no different to other large heavy objects."

05-26-2006, 06:35 PM	#11
Letty Animated Skeleton Join Date: May 2006 Location: Canada Posts: 48	-- And why did Haldir have to die so absurdly? And if PJ had included Arwen in the fellowshp,the twisting of the book would have been totally complete. Last edited by Letty; 05-26-2006 at 08:43 PM.