I mean, the Balrog was falling into the canyon, so there wasn't the need to fall down and continue fighting him.The Balrog wasn't able to fly, his wings looks almost destroyed, ruined, and this wouldn't grant him the chance to fly back on the bridge and kill the Fellowship.
Anyway i appreciate what happens, cause the fight during their fall into the cave under Moria was outstanding
I'm sure Gandalf had a lot of good reasons, but I don't know what they are. One may have been it was time for someone else to take charge of the Fellowship. He knew that sooner or later Aragorn was going to have to, so he wanted him to go ahead and get the experience? Also, I think Gandalf knew what he had to do in Middle earth, and I think he knew it wasn't his time. Therefore, he was ok with falling because he knew he was going to come back. He probably knew he was going to come back more powerful too.
But I wouldn't know
__________________ "I want to give you, whatever you need. What is it you need? Is it within me?"
I agree with Suzuka, but I'd suggest he did know he would come back more powerful, that he knew this was something that needed to happen for them to win the war of the ring.
You are probably thinking of the movie version. In the book, the Balrog's whip pulls him down without him having the chance to hang on the cliff for a second.
In the movie, Gandalf lets go of the bridge for the reason that PJ probably thought it would be more dramatic, sad, and heroic. With all the Fellowship watching and Boromir holding Frodo back with the latter screaming "NOOOooooOO!" with its haunting sad music as Aragorn looks bewildered then dodges an arrow or two, and...ok, I think I'm getting a bit carried away, but the point I'm trying to make is that PJ was going for the dramatic.
Anyway, don't think I'm faulting PJ for the way he played the scene. I mean...
...would be hard to pull off to say the least. It's easy to imagine Gandalf's dialogue "Fly you fooooooooooollllsssss!!!",--the last sounds trailing off as he falls -- as silly.
PJ also probably wanted to demonstrate that this is not about two guys trying to get away from one another and save their own skin, but two Mighty Opponents trying to wipe each other out. When the balrog falls, he wanted to take Gandalf with him, and the latter doesn't "fly the coop" so to speak. He -- like the balrog earlier -- goes after him.
Not to mention the another possible reason that it was the heat of the cliff that caused Gandalf to let go. I mean, the fact that the Balrog has been standing and showing off his whip on it must have made it hot enough to fry eggs on.
did none of you think that he did something noble and dropped to actually fight and try to kill the Balrog. Do you know the damage that balrog could do if sauron called him out, or if he one day decided to go out anyway? Gandalf went down to finish it off because it was the greater cause? What would you do, fall and try to finish off the last of one of Melkor's creations, leaving the hobbits in the capable hands of he heir of Isildur, the son of the steward and Gondors greatest warrior, an elf from Lorien, the most intensly guarded stronghold in middle earth, and a dwarf from the family which assisted Gandalf 60 years before, or climb back up and leave the balrog alive to wreak havoc on middle earth and the next innocent party it comes across
I think gandalf fell, not because he wanted to, but because the Barloq had to be destroyed. It was the creature that pretty much divided the Eastern and southern halves of Middle Earth. I think Gandalf felt that if the Barloq went on "living" then the "evil" in middle earth would never have been gotten rid of. He was pretty much the only guy that could kill it and he did what he had to.
Also, I dont think Gandalf knew he was going to come back. As you all may know, the "white" wizard is just one higher than "grey". Coming back to life was a reward but I think it's wrong to assume that he EXPECTED to come back. and just said "what the hell! I'll jump in! I mean, I'm coming back to life anyway..."
He fell because he was dillusional and couldnt hold on. His mental state can be clearly seen when he tells the fellowship to fly, even though for the 55 years he has known frodo and the many years he has known aragorn, neither they nor the rest of the company actually HAVE wings. But gandalf must have thought they did, and thus dropped because he thought he could fly back up.
According to the "Fellowship of the Ring" book, Gandalf was pulled off the bridge by the Balrog's whip as it fell. He had no choice in the matter, plus, Gandalf said to Frodo that "even the wise do not know all ends". Though referring to Gollum, it revealed that his fall in Khazad-dum was the plan of a much higher power--Illuvatar. The hidden theme in LOTR was that everything that happened, did so for a reason. Gandalf fell, because he was meant to--it was part of Illuvatar's plan. That was why he returned as Gandalf the White.
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Feb 21st, 2005 10:39 PM
