Timescales - a bit of a mess

Gerbil · 01-13-2002, 10:51 PM

Have just had a thought about the film.
Is it me or does the chronology of the film make absolutely no sense whatsoever?

Now I know that PJ condensed Frodo getting ready to leave and making it to Rivendell from about 8 months to errr..... it looks like about 3 days

But the silly fool didn't condence the parallel storyline at all. Gandalf leaving -> Gandalf going to Isengard -> Saruman building army / changing Isengard -> Gandalf escaping.

I just can't see how it all fits into the storyline at all. Not such a big deal, I've never questioned it until now. But just doesn't work.
Let's see..... it is a 40 day journey approximately on foot from Rivendell to the Gap of Rohan. By horse, maybe half that (it's not the flatest of country!). Going from Hobbiton direct to Isengard is about 150% of the Rivendell -> Isengard journey on my map, so that would be about 30 days by horse (I have a road marked down on the map for this route, but didn't Tolkien say all the main roads had fallen into disrepair?).

I can't imagine Saruman's work being less than a month (how DID he dig those huge holes???) so that means Frodo's journey and sickness must have taken well over 2 months. All I can assume is that Frodo was poorly for nearly 7 weeks! Not likely

On anothe rnote, when Strider is leading the hobbits to Rivendell, during the scene where Pippin is asking about second breakfast etc. (which must mean it's the first morning from Bree) there's snow on the ground. Where the heck did that come from? It's the only scene in that part of the film with it in, and there's no high ground between Bree and Rivendell anyway!

Assuming that in theory they follow the route taken in the book, they'd pass near the weather mountains, of which the name might be a clue, but Amon Sul (at end of these mountains) was supposedly as high as the surrounding mountains (making it a good vantage point for the Palantir that was kept there until Angmar overthrew it). In the film it's not really that high at all, so it doesn't make sense, and I've tried to be accomodating!

Lightice · 01-14-2002, 12:06 PM

If I remember correctly, mentions in the movie tell, that time to reach Rivendell from Shire was two weeks in movie.
Too short time, yes, and to me it felt odd, that the ringwraiths decided to have a little holiday at Hobbiton to let Frodo escape and then start the hunt.

01-13-2002, 10:51 PM	#1
Gerbil Elf Lord Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: London, UK Posts: 797	Timescales - a bit of a mess Have just had a thought about the film. Is it me or does the chronology of the film make absolutely no sense whatsoever? Now I know that PJ condensed Frodo getting ready to leave and making it to Rivendell from about 8 months to errr..... it looks like about 3 days But the silly fool didn't condence the parallel storyline at all. Gandalf leaving -> Gandalf going to Isengard -> Saruman building army / changing Isengard -> Gandalf escaping. I just can't see how it all fits into the storyline at all. Not such a big deal, I've never questioned it until now. But just doesn't work. Let's see..... it is a 40 day journey approximately on foot from Rivendell to the Gap of Rohan. By horse, maybe half that (it's not the flatest of country!). Going from Hobbiton direct to Isengard is about 150% of the Rivendell -> Isengard journey on my map, so that would be about 30 days by horse (I have a road marked down on the map for this route, but didn't Tolkien say all the main roads had fallen into disrepair?). I can't imagine Saruman's work being less than a month (how DID he dig those huge holes???) so that means Frodo's journey and sickness must have taken well over 2 months. All I can assume is that Frodo was poorly for nearly 7 weeks! Not likely On anothe rnote, when Strider is leading the hobbits to Rivendell, during the scene where Pippin is asking about second breakfast etc. (which must mean it's the first morning from Bree) there's snow on the ground. Where the heck did that come from? It's the only scene in that part of the film with it in, and there's no high ground between Bree and Rivendell anyway! Assuming that in theory they follow the route taken in the book, they'd pass near the weather mountains, of which the name might be a clue, but Amon Sul (at end of these mountains) was supposedly as high as the surrounding mountains (making it a good vantage point for the Palantir that was kept there until Angmar overthrew it). In the film it's not really that high at all, so it doesn't make sense, and I've tried to be accomodating! __________________ Gerbil gerbil@theburrow.co.uk

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01-14-2002, 12:06 PM	#2
Lightice Elven Warrior Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 192	If I remember correctly, mentions in the movie tell, that time to reach Rivendell from Shire was two weeks in movie. Too short time, yes, and to me it felt odd, that the ringwraiths decided to have a little holiday at Hobbiton to let Frodo escape and then start the hunt.