View Full Version : shouldnt gandalf's sword glow? in the DVD
lilhobo
08-09-2002, 11:51 AM
cant they spend some time fixing??
Aeglos_Ohtar
08-09-2002, 04:41 PM
is it sopopse 2 glow!?!
Grond
08-09-2002, 05:05 PM
Originally posted by Aeglos_Ohtar
is it sopopse 2 glow!?! LOL... how long have you been a Tolkien fan good Aeglos_Ohtar?
Glamdring, Orcrist and Sting are all Elf-blades of Gondolin and all glow with a blue hue whenever Orc/Goblins are near. Except in the movie, it appears that only Sting glows when Orcs are near. When Gandalf draws Glamdring in the battle in Moria, his sword does not show the "glowing" characteristic. Another stupid and unwarranted variance from the book.
I guess they didn't want to have to explain Glamdring's backstory or confuse the audience with another glowing sword. Or maybe they really wanted Sting to seem special. Whatever it is, they should've made Glamdring glow anyway. Dumb change. I don't think the unaware in the audience would've been too distracted.
Grond
08-10-2002, 02:17 AM
Originally posted by PRH
I guess they didn't want to have to explain Glamdring's backstory or confuse the audience with another glowing sword. Or maybe they really wanted Sting to seem special. Whatever it is, they should've made Glamdring glow anyway. Dumb change. I don't think the unaware in the audience would've been too distracted. I agree... when the glowing characteristic was explained, they could have simply mentioned that it was made by the same smiths as Gandalf's sword, Glamdring. :(
No, once Gandalf first drew his sword there was no downtime for such an explanation before he fell.
No explanation would've been just fine. I think people would've worked it out -- "hmm..Frodo's sword glows, and so does Gandalf's...nobody else's does...Bilbo said Frodo's was made by the elves....GANDALF'S MUST BE ELVISH TOO!" Though I don't think all elvin swords glow, they'd be close enough to the truth.
BUT - I think the best thing to do would've been to throw it in when Bilbo gives Frodo Sting. He could've said "yes, made by the elves you know. **Gandalf has one like it.** The blade glows blue when orcs are about, and that's when you have to be extra careful."
Grond
08-10-2002, 04:48 AM
My explanation was horridly inadequate. I meant to say the same thing that you did PRH. When Bilbo gave Frodo his sword Sting, he could have said that it was related to Gandalf's. :)
lilhobo
08-10-2002, 10:06 AM
they were too busy correcting the car moving in the distance to correct it....
besides all the phantom menace fan would have seen a light sabre :D
Originally posted by Grond
My explanation was horridly inadequate. I meant to say the same thing that you did PRH. When Bilbo gave Frodo his sword Sting, he could have said that it was related to Gandalf's. :)
Gotcha. Great minds think alike.
Im thinkin they will probably explain alot more about that kinda stuff in the next movie.
Grond
08-11-2002, 04:02 AM
Originally posted by Javlynn
Im thinkin they will probably explain alot more about that kinda stuff in the next movie. How can you explain that a glowing sword isn't glowing. It is apparent that PJ just decided NOT to have Gandalf's sword exhibit this characteristic. I can't imagine that being explained in movie two or three. :)
I don't understand why they had to make this omission, but it's kinda small and I can live with it as long as they don't give Anduril the short shrift! (SMALL SPOILERS!: all indications are that they won't, albeit coming later it seems that it'll be played up more than in the book even)
Anamatar IV
08-11-2002, 04:42 PM
actually in my dvd there is one instant in the chamber of mazurbul where gandalfs sword does glow.
Grond
08-11-2002, 07:11 PM
Originally posted by alphack
actually in my dvd there is one instant in the chamber of mazurbul where gandalfs sword does glow. Please be so kind as to point out exactly where that instant might be. I played it frame by frame and can't find one instance where it occurs during the entire Chamber sequence. Frodo's glows all the time but I failed to see Glamdring glowing at anytime.
lilhobo
08-11-2002, 07:44 PM
Originally posted by Grond
Another stupid and unwarranted variance from the book.
i am gonna have to disagree here. i think they just dont know about it. maybe if some would just email PJ and alert hium to it for the 4 DVD set :D
Grond
08-11-2002, 08:27 PM
Originally posted by lilhobo
i am gonna have to disagree here. i think they just dont know about it. maybe if some would just email PJ and alert hium to it for the 4 DVD set :D ROFLMAO!! Gad, lilhobo, I've missed you!!!
Anamatar IV
08-11-2002, 08:32 PM
Originally posted by Grond
Please be so kind as to point out exactly where that instant might be. I played it frame by frame and can't find one instance where it occurs during the entire Chamber sequence. Frodo's glows all the time but I failed to see Glamdring glowing at anytime.
There is one point when he is first drwing his sword that it glows blue for a very small amount of time. Since there wasnt any light in the chamber it couldnt be just a flash of light.
lilhobo
08-11-2002, 08:44 PM
Originally posted by Grond
ROFLMAO!! Gad, lilhobo, I've missed you!!!
well cheerio ol mighty grond. Nice to be missed :D Might have to revive some old sparring threads from way back when ;)
As for the light, it might have just been the light on Balin's tomb, reflecting. Someone go back and see where that light came from anyways
Grond
08-11-2002, 09:02 PM
I just reviewed Gandalf unsheathing Glamdring in the Tomb again and I see no light. There is definately no bluish hue like Sting exhibits. Glamdring and Sting are supposed to have the same attributes.
Talarion
08-11-2002, 10:14 PM
Speaking of swords, can elvish swords glow other colors? I only remember the blue but I think it would be rather nifty to see a red glowing sword :)
Thorin II
08-12-2002, 01:23 PM
Just for you newbies and non-fans, Elves have had a lasting hatred of Orcs since who knows when. Most elvish swords have an affinity to cleave Orcish flesh just a bit better than others. It's common lore, not a Tolkien theory, that Elves hate Orcs with a vengeance.
Thorin the Second.
Anamatar IV
08-12-2002, 05:12 PM
Originally posted by Thorin II
Just for you newbies and non-fans
I think its funny you said that since you yourself are indeed a newbie.
Grond
08-12-2002, 05:28 PM
Originally posted by alphack
I think its funny you said that since you yourself are indeed a newbie. Surely good Thorin II was meaning newbies to the works of Tolkien and not newbies to the forum.
For those interested, the entire explanation of the reasons that there is such enmity between the races of the Elves and the Orcs can be found in The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and The Histories of Middle-earth series of books, all written by J. R. R. Tolkien and edited and compiled by his son Christopher Tolkien. :)
JustKenneth
08-12-2002, 05:39 PM
Originally posted by alphack
There is one point when he is first drwing his sword that it glows blue for a very small amount of time. Since there wasnt any light in the chamber it couldnt be just a flash of light.
Ah, the explanation is obvious then. Gandalf's sword just needs recharging.
Talimon
08-13-2002, 12:17 AM
That's the ticket!!! ;)
Thorin II
08-14-2002, 11:41 AM
Originally posted by Grond
Surely good Thorin II was meaning newbies to the works of Tolkien and not newbies to the forum.
Thanks Grond :D i should have said that in my post!
Thorin the Second.
Legolas_lover12
08-15-2002, 02:23 AM
i think it should've glowed. it wouldn't be that hard to explain.
Anduril Avenger
08-16-2002, 06:48 PM
Of course it should glow. But maybe two glowing swords would be too much to explain, but certainly not hard to do if Lucas can have multiple light sabers in a scene.
Anamatar IV
09-05-2002, 12:29 AM
well actually...it isnt really supposed to glow:
The only time it is ever described as glowing blue is after Gandalf slays the Great Goblin.
"He took out his sword again, and again it flashed in the dark by itself. It burned with a rage that made it gleam if goblins were about; now it was bright as blue flame for delight in the killing of the great lord of the cave." ~ The Hobbit, Chapter 4
It never even once in any tolkien book said gandalfs sword glowed other than that,
Anduril Avenger
09-05-2002, 12:58 AM
Read your quote again...
""It burned with a rage that "made it gleam if goblins were about"", in other words any goblins... it was just brighter here after slaying the Great goblin.
Anamatar IV
09-05-2002, 01:05 AM
read every single book where gandalf is mentioned. Tell me...does it ever say that his sword glows?
Grond
09-05-2002, 01:19 AM
Well, there is this which is also from the Hobbit and it directly precedes the quote you provided. from The Hobbit
...Suddenly a sword flashed in its own light. through the Great Goblin as he stood dumbfounded in the middle of his rage. He fell dead, and the goblin soldiers fled before the sword shrieking into the darkness. Seems to glow to me. And, of course, there is your quote.from The Hobbit
It burned with a rage that made it gleam if goblins were about;
Anduril Avenger
09-05-2002, 01:22 AM
The quote you used says it glows..., the quote from Grond says it glows and it is inferred when Gandalf tells Bilbo about Sting, Orcrist and Glamdring all being of the same heritage. I'll find the reference and get back to you.
Anamatar IV
09-05-2002, 01:23 AM
well that was one instant when he was slashing a goblin KING. The KING of all goblins. Ofcourse that would make it glow but when hes just killin regular orcs does it ever glow?
Grond
09-05-2002, 01:46 AM
Anamatar IV, sorry but you are busted. from The Fellowship of the Ring, A Journey in the Dark
Gandalf walked in
front as before. In his left hand he held up his glimmering staff, the light
of which just showed the ground before his feet; in his right he held his sword Glamdring. Behind him came Gimli, his eyes glinting in the dim light as he turned his head from side to side. Behind the dwarf walked Frodo, and he had drawn the short sword, Sting. No gleam came from the blades of Sting or of Glamdring; and that was some comfort, for being the work of Elvish smiths in the Elder Days these swords shone with a cold light, if any Orcs were near at hand. Behind Frodo went Sam, and after him Legolas, and the young hobbits, and Boromir. In the dark at the rear, grim and silent, walked Aragorn.Thanks to Ancalagon for finding the quote for me.
Anamatar IV
09-05-2002, 02:36 AM
but how do you know that it wasnt talking about just sting (im gonna prove you wrong one of these days grond:mad: ) And Gandalfs sword glowed white mostly in the hobbit. In the mazarbul scene it does appear white some times. Look right after the battle as gandalf approached the "dead" frodo.
Grond
09-05-2002, 04:15 AM
Originally posted by Anamatar IV
(...im gonna prove you wrong one of these days grond:mad: )LOL.... I am proven wrong every single day Anamatar IV. If you doubt me, go find a one word post thread or the singles bar thread where I am trying to explain the rules of the forum to some of the other members.... they're ready to lynch poor young Tal and me. :);)
Talimon
09-05-2002, 08:44 AM
Just to add some input, I don't know if it really matters whether the sword glows or not, since it's never introduced. Yeah, sure, it's a missing detail, but until you mentioned it it never even crossed my mind. I mean, if you were to ask me point blank, "Does Glamdring glow?", obviously I'd say yes, though it would be more due to my knowledge of "The Hobbit" then any memories of LotR. In terms of the movie itself, though, it's not a crucial detail. When it will really matter is when PJ makes "The Hobbit" (at least he better). That plot point could be somehow mended, I assume, either by never introducing Glamdring at all or by having it lost by Gandalf at some point or another (much perfer the former, personally). Or by just leaving it to the audience to fill in the gaps. It wouldn't be the first time it's been done in movie history. There are fat gaps between all 5 Star Wars movies (excluding the gaps between Episdoe II and IV, obviously). It never hurt anyones view of the movies. That's because the details are there to complement the story, not the other way around. God forbid we have a film where the only reason there is a plot and charachters to begin with is so that we can have a list of details mentioned.
Grond
09-05-2002, 02:42 PM
I agree with Talimon... the issue of Glamdring glowing or not is a non-starter for me as well. PJ's focus was on Sting and Frodo. Gandalf's character had real substance already and PJ did a great job with him. Frodo's character needed a little glowing sword to enhance his believability and characterization. :p
Anduril Avenger
09-05-2002, 04:13 PM
Thanks Grond for posting the quote from FOTR, I went home last night and found that one also. In addition, to more from the Hobbit, in chapter Over Hill and Under Hill, He took out his sword again, and again it flashed in the dark by itself. and then later ... and found Globlin-cleaver and Foe-hammer shining cold and bright right in their astonished eyes and in the next chapter Riddles in the Dark, Bilbo draws his swordNow he drew it out. It shone pale and dim before his eyes. "So it is an elvish blade, too," he thought:
So all in all the elvish blades glow.
However you are correct that it is not a big deal in the movie, just a little nuance that could have been tucked in.
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