So last night I was up till 2:30am finishing off LOTR and I was amazed at how cool the 'scouring of the shire' was. This was only my second time through the books, my last time reading them was like 10 years ago so I had forgotten about that section. Regardless, I had no idea of the extent the shire got messed up! Enslaved hobbits, deforestation (omg they cut down the party tree!) demolishing hobbit houses, imprisonment, factories billowing black smoke (!)...pollution.

Most surpizing was how some of the hobbits turned on each other - though most turned out to be completely unheroic and allowed themselves to be reduced to slaves.

The scene where the hobbits outsmart the wildmen/halforcs and surround them was a stiring one. I sure wouldn't want to be surrounded by a mob of angry, foaming from the mouth, 3 foot tall, hobbits brandishing pitchforks and clubs. Scary indeed.

Anyway, I can see why it was cut from the movie...it would add alteast another 40mins :D

The scouring was a great way to sum up the journey of the hobbits though...from a meek race of furry footed gardeners to mighty warriors. Or something like that. ;)

[ 04-20-2004, 12:00 PM: Message edited by: esquire ]

Maybe they can make a movie called, "The Scouring of the Shire", as a follow-up to this trilogy. I'd pay, wouldn't you?

I didn't like that they cut out the Scouring of the Shire.

The whole point, IMO, of the scouring was to show that the adventuring Hobbits actually had become warriors! Sure, the movie had some places where we got to see them fight. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to make them believable as warriors, IMO.

Especially Frodo, who didn't get to do a thing! One of my most memorable scenes from reading the LOTR is when Frodo stabs the cave Troll in the foot with his sword. Yet this wasn't in the movie!

I know it's a small gripe, but it gets me mad anyway.