It seems like an important part of the plot. The emptiness is palpable and questionable. Thank you for your passionate, insightful, and compelling take on this. I'm as passionate about the differences in The Last of Us games and show and could write novels about that universe all day if I could. Haha.
Great summary of the factors contributing to the scene being cut from both The Two Towers and The Return of the King and arguments for why it should have been included. I too was confused at the time of the film's release by Saruman not appearing either in this scene or later in a Scouring of the Shire scene and was pleased to see it on the Extended Edition DVD release. But while I understand where Jackson and company were coming from, I agree with you that the theatrical version is the poorer for not including it and see why it caused a rift between Lee and Jackson for a time.
I also enjoy the fact that Saruman's death by impaling in this scene is a conscious homage to Lee's portrayal of Dracula! A neat intertextual connection between his roles.
It seems like an important part of the plot. The emptiness is palpable and questionable. Thank you for your passionate, insightful, and compelling take on this. I'm as passionate about the differences in The Last of Us games and show and could write novels about that universe all day if I could. Haha.
Great summary of the factors contributing to the scene being cut from both The Two Towers and The Return of the King and arguments for why it should have been included. I too was confused at the time of the film's release by Saruman not appearing either in this scene or later in a Scouring of the Shire scene and was pleased to see it on the Extended Edition DVD release. But while I understand where Jackson and company were coming from, I agree with you that the theatrical version is the poorer for not including it and see why it caused a rift between Lee and Jackson for a time.
I also enjoy the fact that Saruman's death by impaling in this scene is a conscious homage to Lee's portrayal of Dracula! A neat intertextual connection between his roles.