24 Years Later, The LOTR Scene Peter Jackson Called His ‘Biggest Nightmare’ Is Still a Masterpiece

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As a huge fan of Peter Jackson‘s Lord of the Rings trilogy, I’ve always been fascinated by the sheer scope of the project. It wasn’t just about filming; a ton of work went into prepping everything beforehand. Jackson, along with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, had to painstakingly transform Tolkien’s massive novel into three workable scripts, and some parts were real challenges. You’d think the biggest hurdles would be epic battles like the one on the Pelennor Fields, or emotionally charged moments like Sam’s speech, but surprisingly, it was a seemingly straightforward scene that caused the most trouble: the Council of Elrond.

The Council of Elrond scene might seem straightforward – it’s a discussion among the main characters about what to do with the One Ring, and Tolkien provided a lot of source material. However, director Peter Jackson surprisingly called it the most difficult part of writing the script for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Fran Walsh agreed it was a challenge, and Philippa Boyens, while saying other parts were harder, acknowledged the scene was problematic. Despite these difficulties, Jackson, Walsh, and Boyens successfully navigated the complexities of bringing the Council of Elrond to life.

The Council of Elrond Was One of The Lord of the Rings’ Longest Scenes

Okay, let’s talk about the Council of Elrond. Honestly, my biggest issue with that sequence wasn’t the story itself, but the way it moved. It felt a little sluggish at times. Peter Jackson actually addressed this on the commentary, explaining…

There was a risk the story could stall after reaching Rivendell. The challenge is that Frodo successfully delivers the Ring, and it feels like a natural conclusion. It’s hard to see where the story goes from there, as he’s already accomplished his main goal.

Rivendell was just the beginning for Frodo Baggins; his real journey involved carrying the One Ring across Middle-earth to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom. However, the story didn’t reach that point until after the Council of Elrond, so director Peter Jackson included a brief conversation between Gandalf and Elrond beforehand to build suspense and keep the audience engaged.

The discussion revealed the One Ring couldn’t stay in Rivendell because both Sauron and Saruman were hunting for it, and the Elves couldn’t fight a war on two sides. Elrond suggested Frodo would be a good person to carry the Ring, as he had already shown courage. This gave viewers unfamiliar with the story a sense of what was to come. However, the length of the Council of Elrond posed a challenge. Because movies need to move faster than novels, director Peter Jackson had to cut out many details from Tolkien’s original story.

To keep the movie at a reasonable length, some scenes were completely cut, like the Dwarves’ stories. Others, such as the moment Saruman’s evil intentions are revealed, were moved to the beginning. Even after making these changes, director Jackson still had to remove more footage. For example, Gandalf’s recitation of the Ring-verse in Black Speech only appears in the extended version of The Fellowship of the Ring. The Council of Elrond scene, lasting around eight minutes, was also significantly shortened compared to the book.

The Council of Elrond Assembled The Lord of the Rings’ Main Cast

The Council of Elrond scene wasn’t just too long; it also had too many characters, which director Peter Jackson described as a major issue. The scene had to introduce new characters alongside familiar faces like Gandalf and Aragorn. Simply stating their names and backgrounds felt too boring, according to writer Philippa Boyens. Jackson thought about including a party beforehand to introduce Boromir, Legolas, and Gimli more naturally, but worried it would slow down the already carefully paced Rivendell sequence.

Rather than complex backstories, the Council of Elrond highlighted a single defining moment for each new character. For example, Boromir advocated using the One Ring against Sauron, Legolas stood up for Aragorn’s claim to the throne, and Gimli impulsively attempted to destroy the Ring with his axe. Tolkien’s original story featured additional characters like Erestor, Galdor, and Glóin, but the film focused on the three heroes who would eventually form the Fellowship to keep the narrative clear.

Jackson went on to explain that filming the Council of Elrond was no easier than scripting it:

When filming a conversation, a common rule is to avoid having characters look at each other across an imaginary line. This prevents confusing shots. It becomes especially difficult to manage this ‘line crossing’ when you have a large group of people interacting, as it’s hard to track who’s speaking to whom and ensure everyone is looking in the right direction.

Solving the challenges of this scene didn’t require any shortcuts – Jackson and his team just needed to meticulously track each character’s movements. Victoria Sullivan, the film’s continuity supervisor, was crucial to this process, and Boyens called her a “hero” when it came to maintaining consistency. All the effort spent on the Council of Elrond scene was valuable, as it set the stage for the epic journey that followed. Luckily, the creators of The Lord of the Rings had the time and resources to refine the script until even difficult scenes like this one were just right.

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2025-11-08 20:14