The White Council

Re: Bombadil again, Aaaaahhhh!!! (was Re: Legolas, the ladies man)

Tolkien and Inklings Discussion

: : While I see your points--and don't get me wrong, I love : : Bombadil--if someone, or series of events, were to be cut from : : the film (as a film made from the book, not a direct : : reproduction of the book) cutting Bombadil succeeds in 2 : : ways. The movie continues without any problems in : : understanding due to his absence (with just a minimal amount : : of cut-n-paste) and the screen time is reduced in a : : significant manner...

: But you introduce a significant problem to the storyline by cutting Bombadil (as I have repeatedly pointed out). How do the hobbits get to Bree after the Nazgul, without being overtaken by them? You have to change the storyline to make that work, and then you have to ask, how can they reach Bree AHEAD of the Nazgul -- i.e., how can hobbits on foot outrun the Nazgul on horseback if they are following the Road?

: It's a serious problem.

: : ...Removing others fail to achieve both at once. Myself I : : would love to see this stretched to 6 movies (along the lines : : of the 6 books) but I will settle for 3 well done films!

: Aragorn could be completely cut from the trip to Rivendell, saving tons of time, and no real problem in logic would be introduced. It would weaken his character, but not the story, to remove him from the Bree-to-Rivendell passage (especially as this may be a relatively short sequence anyway, interrupted only by the Weathertop scenes).

Wait a minute, you lost me. You argue that without Bombadil, one cannot plausibly explain how the hobbits can avoid the Nazgul from Crickhollow to Bree, then you assert that without Strider they COULD avoid the Nazgul from Bree to Rivendell? That simply makes no sense. Bombadil is easily removed from the story. One merely needs to also remove the difficulties experienced in the Old Forest and the Barrow Downs. Under this scenario, the hobbits could have lost their pursuers in the Forest (which did happen), but not run afoul of Old Man Willow or the Wight. They reach Bree, meet Aragorn, etc, etc. The only remaining plot point is the swords.

The argument that Bombadil's importance to the story can be judged by the reaction to reports of his absence is misleading. I can't even begin to imagine the howls of outrage that would accompany the removal of Aragorn from the story.

Bombadil IS important to the story. However, he is the most easily removed character because, while he is supreme in his own element, he has no effect on those who do not enter his demense.