Does Arwen have some kind of deadly disease?

[Grey_Wolf]

"Arwen is dying"
Whatever does he mean?

I understand that in marrying Aragorn she relinquishes her immortality, but she doesn't die within a few days, does she?

[Lizra]

Ha ha! We're all dying!

[Arathorn]

heheh I'm dying to hear Philippa Boyens answer that question come the Extended Edition DVD!

I wonder what reason she'll give. I'm really curious..

[Lizra]

She (Arwen) gets no sympathy from me!

[Sister Golden Hair]

Originally posted by Grey_Wolf
"Arwen is dying"
Whatever does he mean?

I understand that in marrying Aragorn she relinquishes her immortality, but she doesn't die within a few days, does she?

Well, that is one of the more stupid elements they threw into the movie. They tied Arwen's life force to the Ring of Power, so now, coupled with her choice of mortality and the power of the Ring, she was dying, until the distruction of the Ring was completed.

That is so stupid to me. Why was her life force tied to the Ring? Why not Galadriel or Elrond? They had two of the rings of power. If they had to put such a stupid element in the movie, wouldn't they have been the better choices? But then again, why do that at all?

[Lizra]

Since I haven't seen the movie yet...."Really!"

Yup, sounds dumb! They have a poor track record when it comes to Arwen.

[Thuringwethil]

it made sense, but not a lot of it. It was just supposed to make it MORE SUSPENSEFUL OMG ARAGORN MIGHT NOT SEE HER AGAIN OMGOMGOMGOMG WAT IF THEY DONT DESTROY TEH RING !!11!! OMG

Something like that.

[Almie]

When I saw the movie my initial thought was that she was dying of sorrow. Elves can die because of great sorrow, and her forbidden love could have been the source of that sorrow.

That was what I thought, anyway, but I'm not sure if that was meant that way.

[Dúnedain]

Originally posted by Almie
When I saw the movie my initial thought was that she was dying of sorrow. Elves can die because of great sorrow, and her forbidden love could have been the source of that sorrow.

That was what I thought, anyway, but I'm not sure if that was meant that way.

Wow, that's actually a pretty good point, never thought og it that way...

[Bregalad]

I agree with Sister Golden Hair on this one. They tied Arwen's life force to the ring of power. In all the seven hells, why??? Did they think Aragorn needed some additional incentive to back the Frodo goes to Mt. Doom ploy? He seemed committed enough to me. Did they think, since they've made Elrond so anti-Aragorn, that he needed some reasoning to take the sword to Aragorn, since in the movie he didn't already have it? I thought this was unneccessary. Perhaps they wrote themselves into a corner with the changes and felt some explanation was needed.

[Khamûl]

I had this same question and someone explained it to me much the same way Almie did: If the Ring is not destroyed, then inevitably Sauron will get it. Aragorn will fight to the death, and if Sauron has the Ring, that pretty much means that Aragorn is meat. Arwen would be completely heartbroken about not being with Aragorn and die. It's an indirect thing.

However, after this was proposed to me, I watched the movie again. If this was the writers' intention, they should have made it clearer. It seems to me that because the Ring hasn't been destroyed, Arwen is dying. I seem to recall that while she's laying there, she says something along the lines of "I wish I could have seen him again." They really made it seem like she had a direct relationship to the Ring.

[Maciliel]

Hi folks (and HI! SGH!). I don't post here much, but I'm not new to Tolkien or the PJ movies.

Upon seeing the film the second time this element was not as jarring to me as it was the first time and in fact, even made sense.

In the scene where Arwen drops the book and then Elrond comes to her it seemed to me that this is the moment when her choice becomes fully manifest and her body becomes mortal. She seems to sense a change within herself, which is why she drops the book. Elrond comes and also seems to notice the change in her. He takes her hands with such concern and comments that they are cold and realizes that indeed his beloved daughter will never sail unto the West--she is bound by the Choice of Luthien.

At the moment she assumes mortality, Arwen's fate becomes truly tied to the Ring in the way that it is for all mortals and that it would not be if she were an Elf. And if Aragorn, Frodo and the forces of good do not prevail, she will live out whatever might be left of her mortal life in a world consumed by evil. And this without the hope of ever being reunited with her family in Valinor, or they with her--a future of unimaginable heartbreak for Elrond and her family.

And if Aragorn falls, and they are never married, there is an even greater chance that she will die alone and in great torment. Elrond had already had his wife sail West before him because she could not endure the memory of her torment by Orcs in the Redhorn Pass. It is unbearable to him that Arwen might also suffer such a fate, but never have the opportunity to come to Aman and be made whole once more. Aragorn must succeed.

I thought Hugo Weaving did an outstanding job of portraying Elrond. When he gives the bride away at the end, the expression on his face speaks volumes as they say.

Despite the fact that no one knows what happens to Men when they die, if Arwen and Aragorn are married, it strengthens the possibility that theirs is a bond that might persist beyond their passing. Her capacity for estel is

My husband however, had not read the books and loved the first two movies so I was curious about his response. He found Elrond's statement a little disconcerting--but he accepted it. He said, "There is a whole world of information about ME that I don't understand--I just figured that was one of those things." BUT--guess what? At the end of the third film, he turned to me with the tears still wet on his cheeks and said he understood why I spent so much time in Middle Earth. He is going to read the books! He's been asking me all kinds of questions. Add one to the growing list of Tolkien nerds, ah, fans!

Sorry for the long post. I'm generally, ah, fulsome, in my responses.

[Falagar]

Congrats with your husband!

I think I'll have to see the movie once more to see if I notice the 'change'...
SF-Fandom forum, right?

[Sister Golden Hair]

Welcome back Maciliel. Stick around this time.

[Elfhelm]

Hey maciliel, that's a great explanation. If Arwen is now as mortal as a human, her fate, like the fate of mankind, is tied to the One Ring.

[squinteyedsoutherner]

I think people are putting too much effort into explaining what is, at it’s core, nothing more than a stupid addition (one of many in these films) in this case, to add new tension in the love department of the script since previous tensions have been resolved now that we know she didn't take the ship.

I argued in another thread that I think in some way that scene with Arwen was meant to show she had become mortal (although it's not exactly clear). That would be fine if it were just left at that. However the addition of the “she is sick, she is dying” thing is out of place regardless of whether she is mortal at this point or not. No one else in movie Middle-earth (mortal or immortal) is “sick and dying” because of the ring; no one else’s immediate health is bound to the ring (except Frodo's).

If that indeed is what Elrond is saying than he could have told Aragorn she has made her choice and she is now a mortal, and her fate is now tied to the fate of men, and what awaits her in death (whenever that may be) he does not know. That would have made sense to both Tolkien and non Tolkien fans. What he did say does not make any sense because it would mean that everyone in ME that is mortal is dying, and that is a story element that has not been used anywhere else in the film.

Further, the whole notion that the war is in some way tied to the concept of ending the race of men is itself another one of those pointless additions which is completely undercut by the fact that a huge portion of Sauron’s army are “men”.

[Lizra]

Yes...all mortals are dying, the moment we start living....we also start dying. Big deal! Ring schming....

[Earniel]

....and thus quoteth the High Priestess of Doo Dah.

Basically we can come up with whatever explanation we like. Still, personally, I think they made it needlessly more difficult that they could have.

[Sminty_Smeagol]

I thought that Elrond was freaking out because Arwen was mortal lol like all mortals are dying and that she was dying and hes just stupid and worried. but then the whole 'i wish i could have seen him one last time' thing... *rolls eyes* are you sure she was actually literally dying? Because that happened in one of his dreams didnt it?

[Maciliel]

I'll admit I found the whole "Arwen is dying...Her fate is now linked to the Ring" thing very jarring the first time I saw the film. However, the second time around, since I was expecting it, it wasn't so bad. Don't think it was necessary though.

The scene between Elrond and Arwen is wonderful in any case.

Originally posted by Falagar
Congrats with your husband!

I think I'll have to see the movie once more to see if I notice the 'change'...
SF-Fandom forum, right?

Yep!

Well I'll try to stick around Sister GH, oh fellow Finrod fan. I keep meaning to get involved in the Sil project, but you folks are sure getting down there. Go you Silmarillies!