Gandalf the grey, also known as Gandalf the wise, has some of the most soulful, inspiring and memorable lines in the whole of theLord of the Ringstrilogy. This is his purpose in Middle Earth, his Istari mission, to guide the people against the darkness that wishes to consume them, and he does this by providing them hope and courage, when everything else seems futile. It is Gandalf who inspires Frodo to keep going on his quest, long after thewizard himself has fallen to the Balrog, and it is also Gandalf who inspiresFrodo and Sam to be kinder to Gollum, despite the creature appearing villainous.
However, many fans have noticed that in The Hobbit films, the most inspirational quotes and lines don’t tend to come from Gandalf, but from surrounding characters instead, including Bilbo, Thorin, Balin and surprisingly Bofur. The grey wizard seems strangely laking in his beautiful, sentimental wisdom that fans have grown accustomed to, and many fans feel that he is missing the most essential part of what made him Gandalf. When watching the Making Of’s there’s one particular scene inThe Hobbitthat was filmed, but not included in the final release, including evenin the extended editions, which definitely should have been kept in.
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The Battle of the Five Armies is traumatic in many ways, and there are many many lives lost in the fray, but the most lasting impact is the loss of Thorin, Fili, and Kili, the three direct descendants who are in line for the throne of Erebor. Not only is it a massive blow to the rebuilding of the kingdom, but it is also a terrible and painful death for the company who traveled with, worked alongside, and loved until the end, these three dwarves.
Bilbo is deeply affected by this loss, and carries it with him for the rest of his life,never finding love, never really allowing anyone close again until many many years later, when he adopts Frodo as his heir. But for such important and idolized characters, Thorin, Fili and Kili’s funeral is surprisingly brief in the films, with a horn blown by the new men of Dale, and a welcome to the new King under the Mountain, Dane. Originally, this scene was filmed to be much longer, but had to be pared down due to time constraints.
In the Making Of, fans can see the scene as it was meant to be, with Gandalf giving a touching and powerful Eulogy for the characters, which feels far more true to the scene, what the dwarves meant to him, and to Gandalf’s usual heartfelt, uplifting and emotionally-stirring character. Gandalf announces, in front of the room of Danes dwarves, each holding a light as their show of fealty, love and respect for the fallen: “The king has come unto his own, under mountain, under stone. Go now into the deep, unto Earth’s eternal sleep. Under mountain, under stone. Through all the lands, let it be known. The king is dead.”
These lines are powerful and moving, because they speak of the return to the soil and the earth that everyone must face one day, and they are especially significant for Thorin, who wanted nothing more than to be under the mountain, back in the home of his youth, which is where he will now stay forever, buried. The line “Go now into the deep” is indicative of the void after death, but also of Thorin, Fili and Kili’s willingness to push further, fight harder, and go far beyond where others would be prepared to go, and also of their deep love and ambition and desire to return to their once beloved kingdom. The speech is a nod of respect to Dane, but also an acknowledgement that Thorin will always be the true king, and thatnothing will ever be able to replace or overcome the griefthat is suffered by the loss of these three dear friends.
Even the fellow actors in the scene, who can be witnessed journeying around the three bodies in an emotionally choked silence, said that watching Ian Mckellen perform this Eulogy was a touching and emotive feeling, the actor delivered the lines so well, and they were so befitting of Gandalf’s character, that it made the emotions of the loss feel all the more real. It made them truly sympathize with their characters, and the shared trauma that they had all experienced during the battle. In many ways, fans feel it is a shame that these words of Gandalf’s didn’t make it into the final edition of the film, because they would have kept the grey wizard more in line with his traditional humble roots, and reinforced his character asthe guiding beacon of hope, even in the midst of this terrible tragedy.
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