LOTR Helm's Deep

Ok, so you're saying Gandalf shouldn't have ever announced a date for his return? Riding out to hopelessness, then Gandalf showing up uninvited, might have been a bit of a shock. I suppose it would be suspense rather than shock if you know Gandalf is going to show up, but something is impeding him, and you don't know if he's going to get there in time. But, the film "as is"pretty much plays it that way. The tide of battle at Helm's Deep is the clock ticking. Aragorn hopes* Gandalf is about to show up, but he doesn't *know it, and they're all about to die.

Actually, when I compare this to how it was played in the 1978 cartoon, I like the cartoon version better. The decision to ride out at dawn, full charge, was made that previous evening. With orcs slowly, gradually battering at the door. It's not going to break, all the men are in complete safety. But they're trapped like rats. They can only sit around and wait for the inevitable. So they decide to make a last stand, an act of utter defiance in the face of hopeless odds. They're doing it "to make such an end, as to be worthy of a song." This is robbed in the TT film, because it's a last minute decision when help has almost arrived anyways.

But, I was 'shocked' in the 1978 cartoon when Gandalf shows up. No reason to assume he's coming with a herd of horses, or coming at all. There's a negative to that: it makes "here comes the cavalry!" feel like quite a cliche. Quite a deus ex machina. Maybe we can't have our cake and eat it too? Either despair is total, or there's the foreshadowed hope of Gandalf showing up?

What's done in the TT film 'works'. I just like the message of the book better.

Also, honestly, I don't feel that Vigo delivered the "Ride out with me" line powerfully enough. Partly because he doesn't use the full line. He doesn't talk about being worthy of a song. Theodin does a few lines later. Why is Theodin getting all fired up about this death run now ? Only because PF&F wanted to remain 'somewhat true' to the book, rather than poaching Theodin's lines for Aragorn entirely. This is distracting for those of us who know the books and know what's going on.

I wonder if the split delivery weakens the moment if you don't know the books? I'm thinking it would be better as all Theodin's idea or all Aragorn's idea. But, maybe the action is happening quickly enough that this is nit-picking and really doesn't matter. You can get away with a lot of things if you keep the action pumping.
I dunno, Theoden's despair struck me as genuine. He thought he was doing the right thing leading his people to Helm's Deep. He thought he knew how to defend his keep. He thought the orcs would come for land and depart. Aragorn told him otherwise, and he retorts, "What would you have me do? The courage of these men hangs by a thread!" and really, his own courage as well, although perhaps we don't know that yet. When the battle starts to go well for them, Theoden laughs at what the orcs can do. "Is that the best you have, Saruman?!" Then the orcs' Olympic runner blows the *** out of the culvert, making Theoden's jaw drop. They're beaten back to the keep. He's wounded in battle at the doors. Few of his men remain and the doors are about to fall.

So you say Theoden should have remembered Gandalf is coming, and that this is a plot hole. I say it isn't, because Theoden didn't think much of Gandalf for awhile. Stormcrow, ill news bringer. Now, maybe that was just Saruman's poison in his ear and he's gotten over it. But I'd wager not. I'm saying, if you think it's a plot hole, I think it's plausibly covered. Also there's the simple heat of battle, and the reality that Gandalf is not there, whatever may have been promised.

It occurs to me now, that the Rohirrim never hole up in a cave, like they did in the book. Peter Jackson's approach does have the advantage of being continuous action. Everyone keeps fighting.
In the film, they clearly didn't have time to wait any longer, nor much to lose by charging. The orcs were at the gate of the keep, about to break through. Seen in that light, Aragorn's brainchild ain't so heroic. They could either fight in the halls of the keep or charge outside.

This is a departure from the book. In the book, they could have withstood siege in the caves until their food ran out. But they didn't want to go out like that. Seen in that light, maybe again it ain't so heroic. But to charge is a conscious, premeditated choice in the face of despair. They had to sleep a whole night on it, their last night.
Sure they would. War is not premeditated certainty.
What's your tangible solution to the problem then?

-- Cheers, www.indiegamedesign.com Brandon Van Every Seattle, WA

20% of the world is real. 80% is gobbledygook we make up inside our own heads.