Really interesting history write-up! I also enjoyed how you talked about fans' reactions during the time - as someone who was definitely not old enough then to be a part of a fandom, I forget that having the extended options weren't a given, and the movies weren't something completed to reflect on after the fact but something to actually have discussion (and fears of it being inaccurate) around.
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.
Oh, thank you! Yeah, I only recently found out about the Dracula homage, it was really cool. I do wonder though if the rift was a real thing or maybe a little overblown - some BTS materials show them hanging out talking about the extended cut having the scene, plus Lee apparently did attend one of the premieres, in Copenhagen I think.
Really interesting history write-up! I also enjoyed how you talked about fans' reactions during the time - as someone who was definitely not old enough then to be a part of a fandom, I forget that having the extended options weren't a given, and the movies weren't something completed to reflect on after the fact but something to actually have discussion (and fears of it being inaccurate) around.
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.
Oh, thank you! Yeah, I only recently found out about the Dracula homage, it was really cool. I do wonder though if the rift was a real thing or maybe a little overblown - some BTS materials show them hanging out talking about the extended cut having the scene, plus Lee apparently did attend one of the premieres, in Copenhagen I think.