hungrywing
Full Member
Ok i'm asking my SUUUUPER-ultra fan buddies. They're probably going to roll their eyes and say duh.I have never read the books, but one of the criticisms I have heard from book fans about the movies is that, in the book, the ghost army never was able to fight, it only frightened the army in the ships enough so that they fled and never reached Minas Tirith.
However, the ghost army was then released and also never fought at Minas Tirith, unlike in the movie where they basically saved everyone from destruction. Instead, again, not sure of the details as I have never read the books, the ghost army forcing the army in the ships to flee actually ending up allowing Aragon to bring an army from Gondor to fight at Minas Tirith by way of the ships that were abandoned.
From what I remember that’s pretty accurate. The Dead army help Aragorn intercept the corsairs coming up in river from Harad, then it’s job done for them. Aragorn then sails up the river to the battle with some of the southern lords of Gondor and surprises the feck out of everyone.
(edit) also, as above, the chapter where Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn recount their journey through the mountains is really fecking great.
So basically Tolkien handled the DEM way better than the movies, but the movies did a pretty decent job as well.That's exactly how it is in the books, yes. It's a lot more impactful that Sauron's main army is defeated by men, ordinary men for the most part.
The stone falls while they pass and is seen as an omen that is then used to show/alter the characters' inner resolve? Or it fell there 'long ago' and is used to do the same (aka - 'it's a sign we should go no further')?In the books the dead men are pitch black shadows and the journey through the mountains to summon them terrifies Aragorn's companions. His fearlessness alone drives them on. When they emerge from the southern side they pass by a huge stone that "fell from the sky". It's never referred to again but that little detail always fascinated me.