Adapting a fantasy series like J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings book series into three movies is no small feat. Somehow, Peter Jackson and his team were able to stay true to the source material while also creating a perfectly paced and wildly entertaining film series that is almost universally loved.
Despite telling the same story, The Lord of the Rings books and The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King movies are very different. There are so many changes. Some major events and characters were left out completely. Other times, another character steps in to replace another. Some events happen way out of order. Some important scenes in the book are cut way shorter, and some scenes in the movies weren't in the books at all.
And, it makes a lot of sense why Jackson had to make those changes. What works in a book doesn't always work in a movie for a variety of reasons. Pacing and narrative structure were probably the biggest reasons for the changes. Even though The Lord of the Rings movies are long, Jackson and Co. couldn't add everything.
So, let's talk about some of those important scenes and moments that didn't make The Lord of the Rings movies. For the record, I left out some of the great scenes that ultimately made the extended editions of the movies, including Mouth of Sauron, Gandalf meeting the Witch-king of Angmar at Minas Tirith, and others.
Frodo, Sam, and Pippin meet Gildor and the elves
Frodo's first interaction with elves in The Fellowship of the Ring happens long before Arwen rescues him after he was stabbed by the Morgul-knife on Weathertop. As Frodo, Sam, and Pippin try to flee the Shire, they come across Gildor and the elves. Gildor offers the trio of hobbits to spend the night in the forest under their protection and to keep them safe from the Black Riders.
While I understand why Jackson cut this interaction, it shows just how much of Frodo's journey was actually set in motion by others. They were alone on the road at times, but Gildor essentially saves Frodo from the Black Riders. Along the path to Rivendell, others, including Aragorn and Glorfindel, also answer the call to protect Frodo and keep the ring from falling into the wrong hands. This was just the first interaction among many.
Farmer Maggot saves Frodo, Sam, and Pippin
Many of the major changes in The Lord of the Rings movies happen early in the story. The stories begin very differently. Even Frodo's quest to leave the Shire and head to Bree doesn't play out in the same way. And, that's okay. It's much more exciting in the movies because it happens much more quickly.
Still, I do miss a crucial scene from the books, and that's the one that involves Farmer Maggot saving Frodo, Sam, and Pippin from the Black Riders. Farmer Maggot helps smuggle the hobbits to the Buckleberry Ferry in the books. It's a great risk for the hobbit to help out the adventurers, and it shows that not all hobbits are the grumpy crumudgeons who wish to be left alone, as we see in Jackson's movies.
Overall, I like the race to the Buckleberry Ferry in the movie better than this scene with Farmer Maggot, but I do wonder if they could have introduced his character in a different way that showed that level of sacrifice from some of the other hobbits to help out Frodo.
Tom Bombadil's time with the hobbits
Tom Bombadil is obviously the big character from The Lord of the Rings books that didn't make the movies. In the books, Tom rescues Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin from the Barrow-wights and Old Man Willow. Actually, he rescues them twice before saying farewell. It's a shame we didn't get to meet Tom Bombadil in the movie, but I understand completely why that had to be the case.
When you consider how Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin basically skip the Old Forest on their way to Bree, it makes sense why Tom is left out completely. We obviously get the setup with Bilbo, the ring, Gandalf, and the quest. Then, we get the chase with the Black Riders. Then, we get to meet Aragorn in Bree. If you add a pit stop with Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, you're cramming so many important scenes into the second half of the movie.
For those fans who wanted to meet Tom all these years, they finally got their chance in The Ring of Power season 2.
Glorfindel rescues Frodo
I already mentioned Arwen, but it's important to remember that in The Fellowship of the Ring, it was not Arwen who rescued Frodo from the Nazgul after he was stabbed. It's Glorfindel.
Basically, Glorfindel, one of the most powerful elves in this story, retrieves Frodo in a similar way to Arwen. While Arwen leaves Aragorn and the party behind, Glorfindel, I believe, leads them all the way to Rivendell, but the book does include that epic scene at the Ford of Bruinen, which sees the Nazgul washed away. In addition to saving the life of the ringbearer, it also buys the Fellowship some time to form.
Glorfindel is also at the Council of Elrond, which we'll talk about shortly.
Personally, and this is no knock to Tolkien's work, I do love Jackson's version better. Introducing Arwen in this manner was perfect. There are simply too many important characters in this story, and getting to meet Arwen so early really helped launch the Aragron and Arwen love story that was so important.
The Council of Elrond
The Council of Elrond obviously happens in The Lord of the Rings movies, but it's not nearly as important, detailed, or impactful as it is in the books. According to Matt Civico, that part of The Fellowship of the Ring is literally 50 pages long. The whole book is roughly 400 pages, depending on the copy you're reading. In the extended edition of the movie, the full scene is like nine minutes, and it's mostly Boromir, Gandalf, and Elrond talking.
Look, I know that we don't need 50 pages of backstory dropped in our lap in a movie, but there are some very important revelations in those 50 pages that explain the ring's history, why it's important, and what must be done. Jackson did it much more succinctly, and no one really needs more than that, but I do feel like there are some very important moments that movie fans missed out on with this scene being as short as it is. And, it's still a huge scene in the movie, obviously.
Faramir turns down the ring of power
Faramir was obviously not cut from The Lord of the Rings movies, but his character is so much different in the movie than in the book. In the book, Faramir isn't someone with a little brother complex just trying to make his daddy proud, okay? He's one of the most well-spoken, noble characters in the full series.
In the movie, Faramir feels a lot like Boromir. He wrestles with the decision of what to do with the ring, with Frodo, and with Gollum. That's not at all what he is like in the book, and that is a bummer. The scene when Faramir turns down the ring is a special one in the books, and it's much different than what happens in the movies.
So, while I can't say Faramir himself was cut from the movies like a Tom Bombadil or Glorfindel, but the Faramir we know and love was certainly not part of this story.
When you look at The Two Towers and The Return of the King movies, Faramir provides some good conflict with Frodo and Sam. He also has some conflict with Denethor. And, that keeps the story from moving too quickly. If Faramir caught Frodo and Sam in the movie and was like, "You have the ring? Oh, please continue on your merry way," there's going to be a huge discrepancy in the amount of time we actually get to spend with Frodo and Sam. Their whole story in The Two Towers gets fleshed out a little more because of Faramir, which then pushes Shelob and some of their journey into Mordor to The Return of the King.
In the book, we see who Faramir really was through his conversations about prophecy, the ring, and the world. Faramir sees war as a means to an end in terms of protection. His brother, on the other hand, saw it as a means of projection. That dichotomy is very interesting.
Saruman in the Shire
Saruman's death in The Lord of the Rings books played out much differently than in the movies, when he died after the Ents took Isengard and Gandalf arrived. In the books, he survives a lot longer.
After Frodo and Sam tossed that little ring into the fires of Mount Doom, ending Sauron and the threat of Mordor, they still had to go home. Let's just say things were a lot different after they returned.
After being ousted from Isengard, Saruman decided the Shire would make a good home. He turns the hobbits against each other and takes over. Then, Frodo and Co. had to lead a rebellion against Saruman's control and free the hobbits of the Shire. So, after defeating Sauron basically single-handedly, Frodo and Sam had to conquer the Shire? No, thank you. I'm so glad Jackson ended his version differently than Tolkien did.
I enjoyed spending a little more time with the characters I loved in the significant part of the story after Frodo completes the Fellowship's mission, but it feels a little bit like an insult to injury. Now, I understand Tolkien's perspective on this, too. I believe he was referencing his experience watching how the world changed after serving the British Army in World War I.
Let's just say I liked Jackson's version of the ending a little better, but it would have been great to see the original ending, too.
Those are the scenes I missed in the Lord of the Rings movies. Again, Jackson's work is fantastic, and he made a lot of the right choices, but that doesn't mean we can't miss some of those great moments from the books.