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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (film)

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The Lord of the Rings:
The Two Towers

The Theatrical Poster for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Directed by Peter Jackson
Produced by Peter Jackson
Barrie M. Osborne
Frances Walsh
Written by Novel:
J. R. R. Tolkien
Screenplay:
Frances Walsh
Philippa Boyens
Stephen Sinclair
Peter Jackson
Starring Elijah Wood
Sean Astin
Viggo Mortensen
Ian McKellen
Andy Serkis
Music by Howard Shore
Cinematography Andrew Lesnie
Editing by Mike Horton
Distributed by - USA -
New Line Cinema
- non-USA -
Various distributors
Release date(s) December 18, 2002
Running time Theatrical:
179 min.
Extended Edition:
223 min.
Country New Zealand
United States
Language English
Budget $94 million
Preceded by The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Followed by The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
IMDb profile
Middle-earth Portal
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The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is a fantasy epic film, directed by Peter Jackson and based on the second volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's book The Lord of the Rings. It was released on December 18, 2002, with a running time of 179 minutes.

Following on from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, it intercuts three storylines, as Frodo and Sam continue their quest to destroy the One Ring in Mordor and meet Gollum, its former owner. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli come across the war torn nation of Rohan as well as the resurrected Gandalf, before fighting at the Battle of Helm's Deep, whilst Merry and Pippin escape capture and meet Treebeard, the tree-like giant.

The movie was very well received critically,<ref>The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Retrieved on 2006-12-02.</ref> although the adaptation was more controversial than the first film. It was an enormous box-office success, earning over $900 million worldwide, outgrossing its predecessor, and is currently the 5th most successful film of all time. The Special Extended DVD Edition was released on November 19, 2003.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The film begins with a flashback to the first film, as Gandalf slips off the Bridge of Khazad-dûm and fights the Balrog as they hurtle down. Frodo awakes from his memories and continues his journey in Emyn Muil with Sam, where they are confronted by Gollum, and they manage to tie him up with Elven rope. Sam wants to kill Gollum, but Frodo feels sorry for him. They make him take them to Mordor.

In Rohan, the Uruk-hai run with Merry and Pippin captive, with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli not far behind, following three days of running. They realize they are in Rohan, and Legolas realizes the Hobbits are being taken to Isengard. There, Saruman launches his attack on the country, and at the capital city of Edoras, King Théoden is weak because of the enchantments of his steward, Gríma Wormtongue, who was bought into the service of Saruman. Orcs freely roam the land and one band kills the king's only son. Théoden's nephew Éomer angrily realizes that Wormtongue has become Saruman's servant and furiously asks what the "promised price" was. When Wormtongue glances as Éomer's sister, Éowyn, Éomer angrily attacks Wormtongue. He is banished by Wormtongue for fighting back.

Frodo and Sam traverse the Dead Marshes, hiding from a newly seated Ringwraith on his Fell beast. They reach the Black Gate, only for Gollum to tell them there is a less risky path south. Merry and Pippin escape their captors due to Éomer's men, who in turn tells Aragorn of the slaughter, and the Three Hunters find their tracks to Fangorn Forest. There Merry and Pippin meet Treebeard and a White Wizard. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli discover this White Wizard is a reborn Gandalf, having sacrificed himself against the Balrog. They travel to Edoras on horseback, where they exorcise Saruman's hold on Théoden and kick out Wormtongue. Théoden is confronted with his dead son and open war, and decides to flee to Helm's Deep. Gandalf rides to find Éomer, and Éowyn gets to know Aragorn.

In Ithilien, Gollum gets rid of his dark side, and attempts to befriend Frodo and Sam. They also discover a battle and are abducted. Aragorn soon has to save the refugees from Saruman's Wargs. He falls off a cliff, and the survivors come to Helm's Deep griefstricken. In Rivendell, Arwen is convinced by Elrond that there is no more hope, and she leaves for the West. But Elrond ponders whether they should still help Men. Frodo and Sam arrive at Henneth Annun and meet Faramir, the younger brother of Boromir, who captures Gollum later on to learn of the One Ring. Faramir decides the Ring shall go to Gondor. In Rohan, Aragorn awakens, and as he rides back to Helm's Deep he sees Saruman's army: at least 10,000 strong. When he arrives, there is dismay, and 300 men, some too old or young, prepare for battle. At Fangorn Forest, Treebeard and other Ents hold a Council. Luckily for the Rohirrim, 200 Elves from Lórien arrive to help.

Image:Helmsdeep-siege.jpg

The battle begins, and the Elves manage to hold the Uruk-hai at the wall, but it is blown up and they are killed during the ensuring attack in the breach. The Uruk-hai also manage to break the Gate despite Aragorn and Gimli's best efforts, and they fall back to the Keep. In Fangorn, Treebeard decides not to fight, but once Pippin takes him to the trees Saruman has cut down, he is filled with wrath. At Osgiliath, Faramir and the Hobbits are confronted with a Ringwraith. But at last, Gandalf, Éomer and 2000 Riders arrive to push back the Uruk-hai, the Ents flood Isengard and Sam and Faramir save Frodo from the Ringwraith's clutches. Sam narrates about how the story must go on, and Faramir frees them. Gandalf and company now know a full war is coming, and hope only rests with Frodo. But after his mistreatment by Faramir's men, Gollum considers betrayal.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Cast

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The following only appear in the Extended Edition:

  • Sean Bean as Boromir: Boromir died in The Fellowship of the Ring. He appears in Faramir's flashback.
  • John Noble as Denethor: Denethor is Steward of Gondor and father to Boromir and Faramir. His displeasure with Faramir leads him to take the Ring to Gondor.

In the Battle of Helm's Deep, Peter Jackson has a cameo appearance as one of the men on top of the Gate, throwing a spear at the attacking Uruk-hai. His children also cameo as young refugees in the caves behind the Hornburg, and Alan Lee and Dan Hennah also cameo as soldiers preparing for the battle. Philippa Boyens' son also cameos as Haleth, a boy Aragorn gives hope to.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Comparison from the source material

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The Two Towers did not begin as a film: instead parts of it were the conclusion to The Fellowship of the Ring, the first of two planned films under Miramax.<ref>20 Questions with Peter Jackson. Peter Jackson online transcript from Ain't It Cool News. Retrieved on 2006-10-24.</ref> However, as the two films became a trilogy under New Line, Jackson, Walsh and Boyens shuffled their scripts. The Two Towers is known as the most difficult of the Rings films to make, due to having neither a clear beginning nor end to focus the script on.<ref name="story">. (2003). From Book to Script: Finding the Story [DVD]. New Line. </ref> Nonetheless, they had a clear decision with making the Battle of Helm's Deep the climax, a decision affecting the whole story's moods and style.

The most notable difference between the book and the film is the structure. Tolkien's The Two Towers is split into two, one following the war in Rohan, the other on Frodo. The film omits the opening of the book, the death of Boromir, which was used for a linear climax at the end of The Fellowship of the Ring. Also, to create a linear film structure, the story was realigned to fit the timeline only described in the book's Appendices, which means the film climaxes with the Battle of Helm's Deep, whilst the tail ends of the Fellowship going to Isengard and Frodo's confrontation with Shelob were left into The Return of the King.

One notable change in plotting is that Théoden is literally possessed by Saruman, but in the book he is simply depressed and deluded by Wormtongue. Afterwards, Théoden is still unsure of what to do, and flees to Helm's Deep. In the book he rides out to war, and only ends up besieged when he considers helping Erkenbrand. Erkenbrand does not exist in the films: his character is combined with Éomer as the Rohirrim general who arrives with Gandalf at the film's end. Éomer himself is present during the entire battle in the book.

On the way to Helm's Deep, the refugees from Edoras are attacked by Wargs. The scene is possibly inspired by one in the book cut from The Fellowship of the Ring where it is the Fellowship who battle them. Here, a new subplot is created where Aragorn falls over a cliff, and is assumed to be dead. Jackson added it to create tension.<ref name="DWC">Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. (2003). Director/Writers Commentary [DVD]. New Line. </ref> This scene also chimes with a new subplot regarding Arwen, where she decides to leave Middle-earth after losing hope in the long-term possibilities of her love. Arwen's role is primarily in the book's Appendices, and never considers such an act.

A larger change was originally planned. Arwen and Elrond would visit Galadriel, and Arwen would accompany an army of Elves to Helm's Deep, to fight alongside Aragorn. During shooting, the script would change, due to writers coming up with better ideas to show the romance as well as poor fan reaction.<ref name="story" /> The new scene of Arwen leaving for the West was created, and the conversation scene remains, edited to a telepathic one.<ref>. (2003). Editorial: Refining the Story [DVD]. New Line. </ref> Nonetheless, one major change remained that couldn't be reverted: the Elven warriors fighting at Helm's Deep. However, Jackson looks upon the change as highly romantic and stirring that the Elves return to fight for the future of Middle-earth.<ref name="story" /> Some fans note that it ignores the name of the Last Alliance from the trilogy's prologue.

Another change is the fact Treebeard does not immediately decide to go to war. It adds to the tension and Boyens describes it as making Merry and Pippin more than luggage.<ref name="DWC" /> Here the Hobbits make Treebeard see the full destruction, prompting anger. Another structural change is that the Hobbits meet Gandalf the White early on, possibly to clean up one of Tolkien's own mistakes, in that the Hobbits don't react to his return when they meet him following the destruction of Isengard.

The filmmakers' decision to leave Shelob for the third film meant that Faramir had to become an obstacle for Frodo and Sam.<ref name="story" /> In the book, he simply lets Frodo and Sam go after learning of the Ring's evil, in contrast to his brother. In the film, he ponders before deciding the Ring shall go to Gondor, and only after seeing how disastrous it almost becomes with the Nazgûl attack, does he let them go. Some fans felt the changes made Faramir a clone of his brother, although Boyens contends that it was done to keep the Ring menacing and Wenham himself, having not read the book, found the original character "dramatically dead".<ref name="story" /> Sam in his narration winks to the readers: "By all rights we shouldn't be here, but we are".

Finally, the meaning of the title itself, 'The Two Towers', was changed. While Tolkien considered several possible sets of towers<ref>Carpenter, Humphrey and Tolkien, Christopher (eds.) (1981). The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, #140 & #143. ISBN 0-395-31555-7.
Wayne Hammond & Christina Scull (1995). J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin, #178. ISBN 0-395-74816-X.</ref> he eventually created a final cover illustration<ref>Wayne Hammond & Christina Scull (1995). J. R. R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin, #180. ISBN 0-395-74816-X.</ref> and wrote<ref>Wayne Hammond & Douglas A. Anderson (1993). J. R. R. Tolkien: A Descriptive Bibliography. New Castle, DE: Oak Knoll Books, 92 (23 February 1954 entry). ISBN 0-938768-42-5.</ref> a note included at the end The Fellowship of the Ring which identified them as Minas Morgul and Orthanc. Jackson's movie, as well as its trailers and posters, instead names them as Orthanc and Barad-dûr, symbolic of an evil alliance out to destroy Men that forms the film's plot point.

Spoilers end here.

[edit] Production

[edit] Production Design

Main article: Production Design of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

When Alan Lee joined the project in late 1997, Helm's Deep was the first structure he was tasked to design. At 1:35 scale, it was one of the first miniatures built, and part of the 45 minute video that sold the project to New Line. It was primarily drawn from an illustration Lee had once done for the book, though fellow illustrator and designer John Howe suggested a curved wall. Used in the film for longshots, Jackson also used this miniature to plan the battle with 40,000 toy soldiers.<ref name="Big-atures">. (2003). Big-atures [DVD]. New Line Cinema. </ref>

As a pivotal part of the story, Helm's Deep was built at Dry Creek Quarry with the Gate, a ramp, and a wall with a removable section and the tower on a second level. Most importantly, there was the 1:4 scale miniature of Helm's Deep that ran 50 feet wide. It was used for forced perspective shots,<ref name="Design">. (2003). Designing Middle-earth [DVD]. New Line Cinema. </ref> as well as the major explosion sequence.<ref name="Big-atures" />

The film explores the armies of Middle-earth. John Howe was the basic designer of the forces of evil. The Uruk-hai were the first army approved by Jackson, and Howe also designed a special crossbow for the characters, one without the redundancy of opening to reload, the realization of an 18th century manuscript. Also created were 100 Elven suits of armour, with emphasis on Autumnal colours due to the theme of Elves leaving Middle-earth. 250 suits were made for the Rohirrim, which for Bernard Hill, even came with leather inside. Emphasized are horses and the sun, even into their swords, which took 3-6 days to forge.<ref name="Weta Workshop">. (2003). Weta Workshop [DVD]. New Line Cinema. </ref>

The Rohirrim's capital of Edoras took six months to build on Mount Sunday, with thatched roofs, but that was simply the exterior: the buildings doubled as offices and lunch halls. The army created a road to the location, whilst the interior was filmed at Stone Street Studios with tapestries designed by Lee, and Théoden's wooden throne created by his daughter.<ref name="Design" /> Hill endured heavy make-up for the possession scene where his skin was pulled back and released for increased wrinkles. Dourif shaved off his eyebrows and put potato flakes as dandruff in his hair for unnerving effect.

The film also provides a look at Mordor and Gondor, in terms of Frodo and Sam's story. The Barad-dûr is seen fully in a tracking shot, a design which Howe called a mockery of Gothic Cathedrals. He and Lee fully created the Black Gate, though a typo in the script made the miniature into two.<ref name="Big-atures" /> The Rangers and Osgiliath, the ruined city reflecting London during the Blitz.<ref name="Filming">. (2003). Cameras in Middle-earth: Filming The Two Towers [DVD]. New Line Cinema. </ref> The set on a backlot was based around a bridge and reused some of Moria.<ref name="Design" />

[edit] Principal Photography

The Two Towers shared principal photography with The Fellowship of the Ring and The Return of the King between October 11th 1999 to December 22nd 2000. Scenes in Rohan were shot early on, and Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom and John Rhys-Davies' scale double Brett sustained many injuries. Mortensen broke his toe for when he kicks an Orc helmet when he find the remains of the Uruk-hai and believes Merry and Pippin to be dead: this take is the one in the finished film. Bloom fell off his horse and broke his rib, whilst Brett dislocated his knee. All three spent two days of pain for the running sequence with these injuries.<ref name="Filming" />

Afterwards, they went on for three months filming the Battle of Helm's Deep. John Mahaffie handled most of the nightshoots. Mortensen got his tooth knocked out during the nightshoots, and Bernard Hill also got his ear slashed.<ref name="Filming" /> Nonetheless, the 700 extras had fun, insulting each other in Māori<ref>. (2003). Warriors of the Third Age [DVD]. New Line Cinema. </ref> and improvising scenes, such as the Uruk-hai stamping their spears before the battle begins.<ref name="Filming" /> They did get annoyed by the craftsmanship of the Art Department: the Gates were too reinforced for the Battering Ram scene.<ref name="Design" /> Mortensen greatly respected the stunt team, and headbutting them became a sign of respect.<ref>. (2003). Warriors of the Third Age [DVD]. New Line Cinema. </ref>

Wood and Astin were joined by Serkis on April 13 2000.<ref>Serkis, Andy (2003). Gollum: How we made Movie Magic. Harpercollins, pp.24. ISBN: 0618391045.</ref>

[edit] Special Effects

For The Two Towers, Weta Digital doubled their staff<ref name="Digital">. (2002). Weta Digital [DVD]. New Line Cinema. </ref> of 260.<ref>. (2003). Weta Digital (The Fellowship of the Ring Appendices) [DVD]. New Line Cinema. </ref> In total, they would produce 73 minutes of digital effects with 799 shots.<ref name="Digital" /> The film would feature their first challenge in creating a battle scene, as well as creating two digital characters who needed to act rather than be a set piece, unlike the previous film's Cave Troll and Balrog.

[edit] Gollum

Image:Two Towers-Gollum.jpg

Weta began animating Gollum in late 1998 to convince New Line they could achieve it. Andy Serkis "played" Gollum by providing his voice and movements on set, as well as performing within the motion capture suit later on. His scenes were filmed twice, with and without him. Originally Gollum was set to solely be a CG character, but Jackson was so impressed by Andy Serkis' audition tape that they used him on set as well.

Gollum's CG model was also redesigned during 2001 when Serkis was cast as Sméagol, Gollum's form before he is cursed by the One Ring, so as to give the impression Andy Serkis as Sméagol transforms into the CG Gollum. The original model can still be glimpsed briefly in the first film. So over Christmas 2001 the crew proceeded to reanimate all the previous shots accordingly within two months. Another problem was that the crew realized that the cast performed better in the versions of the film with Serkis. In the end, the CG Gollum was rotoscoped and animated on top of these scenes. Sometimes due to Gollum not being human, they fully animated some shots such as him crawling upside down. Serkis's motion capture animated the body whilst animators did the head. Gino Acevedo supervised realistic skin tones, which took four hours per frame to render.<ref>. (2003). The Taming of Smeagol [DVD]. New Line Cinema. </ref>

[edit] Treebeard

Whilst Gollum took four hours per frame to render, Treebeard took forty-eight.<ref name="Digital" />

[edit] Score

Main article: Music of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy

The musical score for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was composed, orchestrated, and conducted by Howard Shore, who also composed the music for the other two films in the trilogy.

The funeral song Éowyn sings during her cousin Théodred's entombment in the Extended Edition is styled to be a traditional song of the Rohirrim, and has lyrics in their language, Rohirric (represented by Old English). The song does not appear in the book, and the tune is a variation upon a theme of the rímur Icelandic folk tradition; it can be heard as part of track 7 in the 1999 recording of a musical version of the Edda by Sequentia.<ref>Sequentia, Edda - Myths from medieval Iceland, Deutsche Harmonia Mundi, 1999</ref>

[edit] Awards and critical opinion

  • Academy Awards
  • American Film Institute: Digital Effects, Production Design, Movie of the Year
  • Apex Awards: Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Viggo Mortensen), Best Production Design, Best Original Song Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Make-up
  • 2003 Art Directors Guild: Best Production Design (Period or Fantasy feature Film)
  • Australian Film Awards: Best Foreign Film
  • British Academy Film Awards: Best Costume Design, Best Special Visual Effects, Orange Film of the Year (voted on by the public)
  • Broadcast Film Critics Association: Best Digital Acting Performance (Gollum)
  • Central Ohio Film Critics: Best Cinematography
  • Cinemarati Awards: Best Film, Best Ensemble Cast, Best Director (Peter Jackson), Best Film Editing
  • Dallas Fort Worth Film Critics: Best Director (Peter Jackson)
  • Empire Awards: Best Picture
  • Golden Satellite Awards: Outstanding Motion Picture Ensemble, Best Visual Effects
  • Golden Trailer Awards: Best Action Trailer
  • Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hairstylist Guild Awards: Best Character Makeup, Best Character Hair Styling, Best Special Makeup Effects
  • Hugo Award (World Science Fiction Society): Best Dramatic Presentation - Long Form
  • International 3-D Awards (computer graphics industry): Best Feature Film VFX (Weta)
  • Kansas City Film Critics: Best Director
  • Las Vegas Film Critics: Best Director (Peter Jackson), Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects
  • MTV Movie Awards 2003: Best virtual performance (Gollum)
  • Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards [1]: "Best Picture", "Best Ensemble Acting", "Best Screenplay Adapted from Another Medium", "Best Cinematography", "Best Production Design", "Best Visual Effects", and "Best Makeup" "Gollum's Song", the theme played during the end credits, won the award for "Best Original Song". The song was written by Howard Shore and sung by the Icelandic singer Emiliana Torrini.
  • Rotten Tomatoes Awards: Best Film
  • Saturn Awards: Best Fantasy Film, Best Costume (Ngila Dickson), Best Supporting Actor (Andy Serkis)
  • Visual Effects Society Awards: Best Special Effects, Best Effects in Art Direction, Best Visual Effects in Photography, Best Models and Miniatures, Best Performance by an Actor in an Effects Film, Best Character Animation in a Live-Action Feature Film, Best Compositing and Visual Effects in an Effects-Driven Film
  • Followers of the Oscars predicted that the movie had a poor chance of winning Best Picture, because it received no other nominations in the major Oscar categories (Director, Actor and Actress, Supporting Actor and Actress and Screenplay). This proved to be true, though the film did win the Academy Award for Visual Effects. It was speculated that the Academy was biding its time for the concluding film, The Return of the King, to be released so that they could honour Peter Jackson for creating such a successful and acclaimed film trilogy. The third film was awarded 11 Oscars in 2004.

[edit] Cultural allusions

The film features a reference to an Evil Dead film. As Wormtongue wonders how Saruman's latest invention (a bomb) will bring down Helm's Deep, Saruman immediately grabs his arm which holds a candle. In the same scene, they walk to a balcony where Saruman sends his 10,000 strong army to Helm's Deep. The camera pulls back to reveal the numerous Uruks and their spears, similar to Triumph of the Will.

[edit] DVD release

The theatrical edition of the movie was released on DVD on August 26, 2003. The DVD was a 2-disc set with extras on the second disc. This was intended to be a simultaneous worldwide release, but some British stores began selling the DVDs on Friday August 22 because it was a Bank Holiday weekend, much to the ire of the film's UK distributor, which had threatened to withhold advance supplies of subsequent DVD releases.<ref>"UK video stores jump the gun on 'Rings'", IMDb - Studio Briefing, 2003-08-27. Retrieved on 2006-10-29.</ref>

The Two Towers followed the precedent set by its predecessor by releasing an Extended Edition (222 minutes) with new editing, and added special effects and music. This version was released on DVD November 19, 2003 along with four commentaries and hours of supplementary material. One of the additional scenes features Sean Bean and John Noble, who do not appear in the theatrical version, in a flashback in which brothers Boromir and Faramir are seen together with their father, Denethor. This is available on a 4-disc DVD set, with the movie on discs 1 and 2 including four audio commentaries by the crew and actors, and extensive bonus material on discs 3 and 4. There is also a "Special Edition" DVD package containing the 4-disc set, a sculpture of Gollum, a booklet about the process of designing Gollum for the movie and a short DVD documentary on the process of designing collectible sculptures based on the movies' characters and artefacts.

On August 29, 2006, a Limited Edition of The Two Towers was released. This Limited Edition contains two discs. The first is a two-sided DVD (also known as DVD-18) that contains both the Theatrical and Extended editions of the film. At the beginning of each side of the disc, the viewer can choose which version to watch. The second disc is a bonus disc that contains a new behind-the-scenes documentary.

In December, 2003 there were also limited back-to-back theatrical releases of the extended versions of The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, followed by premieres of The Return of the King — in all 10 hours and 32 minutes long.

[edit] Additional scenes

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The opening is extended. After Frodo wakes up, there is a scene of Frodo and Sam descending a cliff with the help of the Elvish rope. The title now appears over a panoramic shot of the hills. There is a brief shot of Frodo and Sam huddled under their cloaks during a rain storm, with Gollum following. After his taming, Gollum debates whether to take the hobbits to Mordor or not.

Merry and Pippin have more scenes. It is made clear that there are two groups of orcs, one from Mordor and the other from Isengard, setting up the eventual fight. It is also made clearer they think they have the Ring. When Merry and Pippin meet Treebeard, he takes them to his home, and recites poetry that puts the hobbits to sleep. They also learn more of Entish culture, drinking a draught that makes them grow taller, are rescued from a rogue tree (echoing their encounter with Tom Bombadil and Old Man Willow in the original The Fellowship of the Ring) and learn of the Entwives, and just how slow they are at the Entmoot.

Gandalf's reappearance is longer, identifying himself as what Saruman might have been. Legolas notes that the Elves taught the trees to talk and Gandalf predicts that Merry and Pippin will rouse the Ents. During the ride to Édoras, they camp for the night, and Gandalf and Aragorn discuss the coming war and Frodo's quest.

There is more drama within Edoras. Éomer has some more scenes, such as finding Théodred at the Fords of Isen and brings him back to Édoras. When he is banished, he is presented by Wormtongue with a banishment order signed by King Théoden. There is a brief funeral scene for Théodred which includes Éowyn singing.

Later, after Aragorn stops Théoden from killing Wormtongue, he extends his hand to Gríma. Gríma spits on it and then runs off. This leads to a later scene with Saruman where he scoffs at Isildur's Heir. Another new scene has Aragorn calming Théodred's horse Brego and sets him loose, setting up his rescue later on. During the exodus, Théoden tells Aragorn about Éowyn. She serves Aragorn a vile-looking stew during the trip, he graciously manages to swallow a spoonful, and he tells her his remarkable age.

Faramir has more scenes. There is extra dialogue when he captures Sam and Frodo, emphasizing his dislike of war. When Frodo and Sam are brought to Henneth Annûn, they are told that Boromir's cloven horn was found. Faramir then remembers seeing Boromir's funeral boat passing him on the river. This leads to an extended flashback of Boromir and Farmair reclaiming Osgiliath from Mordor. Denethor (their father) expresses his disappointment with Faramir and then sends Boromir to Rivendell to claim the Ring. Faramir's men also beat up Gollum after catching him. One visual that was added was Minas Tirith in the background as the Rangers see Osgiliath burn, not present in the theatrical cut due to potential confusion over whether it was Helm's Deep.

The ending of the film is extended. After Treebeard discovers the destroyed part of the forest and sounds the alarm, thousands of Huorns depart to join the battle at Helm's Deep. When the Orcs retreat, they find a "forest" waiting to destroy them. We also find out who won the orc-killing contest between Gimli and Legolas. After the destruction of Isengard, Merry and Pippin discover a rich larder of food, including a supply of pipeweed. Faramir shows Frodo and Sam a way out of the city, and realizes that Gollum's secret route is Cirith Ungol and advises Frodo not to take it, threatening Gollum and setting up the eventual betrayal.

Spoilers end here.

The original cut lasted 2:59. The extended edition lasts 3:43.

[edit] 9/11 "controversy"

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, an Internet troll using the alias Klerck posted a facetious online petition to have Peter Jackson change the name of the film The Two Towers due to its coincidental name associated with the Twin Towers. <ref>"Twin tower lobby calls for Tolkien title change", The Times, December 12, 2002.</ref> In part, the petition read: "The title is clearly meant to refer to the attacks on the World Trade Center. In this post-September 11 world, it is unforgivable that this should be allowed to happen. The idea is both offensive and morally repugnant."<ref>Online petition vows to ban The Two Towers. Ananova (via Internet Archive) (2002-10-20). Retrieved on 2006-07-21.</ref>

However, this is impossible, as the book was published with the title The Two Towers in the mid 1950s.

The petition mocked films such as Spider-Man and Collateral Damage, which were edited after 9/11 to remove elements that might be a painful reminder of the attacks, as well as the tendency of many at the time to make accusations of exploiting the memory of the attacks.

Reporting about the petition, the Los Angeles Times added:

But it wasn't just Web surfers who had issues. Earlier this year, New Line proposed making its New York premiere of The Two Towers a benefit similar to the one held for The Fellowship of the Ring, which raised $300,000 for the Twin Towers Fund. But the organizations they approached got cold feet.
"Apparently, they thought the name of the film was too close," said New Line head Robert Shaye. There was, he said, a conversation about changing the film's name. "Not going to happen," he said flatly.<ref>Mary McNamara. "Holiday Sneaks; Fantasy, driven by reality; The makers of the second instalments of 'Harry Potter' and 'Lord of the Rings' face even greater expectations. [HOME EDITION]", Los Angeles Times, November 3, 2002.</ref>

[edit] References

<references />

[edit] External links


 

v • d • e</span> 

Volumes: The Fellowship of the Ring • The Two Towers • The Return of the King
Films: The Fellowship of the Ring • The Two Towers • The Return of the King
Animation: J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings • The Return of the King (TV)
Radio: The Lord of the Rings (1955) • The Lord of the Rings (1979) • The Lord of the Rings (1981)
Characters: Frodo • Sam • Merry • Pippin • Bilbo • Gandalf • Aragorn • Legolas • Gimli • Boromir • Sauron • Saruman • Arwen • Elrond • Galadriel • Théoden • Éomer • Éowyn • Wormtongue • Faramir • Denethor • Gollum • Witch-king • Treebeard • Tom Bombadil
Miscellanea: Adaptations of The Lord of the Rings • Themes in The Lord of the Rings • The Lord of the Rings in popular culture • Works inspired by The Lord of the Rings • The Lord of the Rings video games
Related works: The Hobbit • The Adventures of Tom Bombadil • The Silmarillion • Unfinished Tales • The History of Middle-earth • The History of The Lord of the Rings • Bilbo's Last Song • The Children of Húrin


Films Directed by Peter Jackson
Bad Taste • Meet the Feebles • Braindead • Heavenly Creatures • Forgotten Silver • The Frighteners • The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring • The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers • The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King • King Kong • The Lovely Bones
bs:Gospodar prstenova: Dvije kule

da:Ringenes Herre - De To Tårne (film) de:Der Herr der Ringe: Die zwei Türme (Film) es:El señor de los anillos: Las dos torres (película) eo:La Mastro de l' Ringoj: La Du Turoj (filmo) fr:Le Seigneur des Anneaux : Les Deux Tours (film) it:Le Due Torri (film) he:שר הטבעות: שני הצריחים (סרט) lb:The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Film) lt:Žiedų Valdovas: Dvi Tvirtovės nl:The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers ja:ロード・オブ・ザ・リング/二つの塔 pl:Władca Pierścieni: Dwie wieże (film) pt:The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers ru:Властелин колец: Две крепости (фильм) sq:The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers fi:Taru sormusten herrasta: Kaksi tornia (elokuva) sv:Sagan om de två tornen (film) tr:Yüzüklerin Efendisi: İki Kule (film) zh:指环王:双塔奇兵

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