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Which parts of Middle-earth will we not see?

© Michael Martinez

Each week brings new revelations about Peter Jackson's films which cause die-hard Tolkien fans to gasp in shock and clasp their hands tightly over their ears, for many deem each departure from the script of Tolkien's imagination as an unbearable act of sacrilege. They know, in their hearts, that it's impossible for the movies to be faithful to the book. They realize that Tolkien didn't have movies -- let alone movies made according to late 20th century standards -- in mind when he wrote the story. The author patiently weaves his story on a loom larger than the boundaries of computer software, deeper than the pockets of New Line Cinema, and he lavishes exquisite detail upon events which may not even be mentioned in passing. Okay, nearly everyone knows by now that Bombadil is out. Gone is the Old Forest, the seductive Willow, Tom's water lillies, Goldberry's washing day, Frodo's troubled dream of Gandalf walking back and forth in Isengard, the sound of hoofbeats in the night, the terrifying journey through the fog-encrusted barrow downs. It's a hard cut, Mr. Jackson, but we know you had to make some choices. If we won't see the barrow downs, however, we will still see a great part of Middle-earth as Frodo and friends make a quick pit-stop in Bree long enough to meet Strider (presumably) and then off they go to Weathertop, where Elijah Wood will have to face five Nazgul on his own (or is Weathertop also gone, so that we must meet Arwen in the Trollshaws ere the Nazgul come storming down upon the Ford of Bruinen without much warning?). Enough. In two years these anguished words will be forgotten, consigned, perhaps, to the trash heap of deeply buried articles which an occasional Internet adventurer may discover through an obscure link or a fortunate (hopefully) result in some search engine. We can only lament the loss of our favorite scenes so much (especially when we know so little about what will be lost). But there are other parts of Middle-earth which cannot be explored, because they were not encountered in the book. Tharbad, for instance, should not be in the movies. Boromir passed through Tharbad (he lost his horse there), and the Nazgul did too. Saruman's ruffians (at least the Dunlendings and half-Orcs from Isengard) also probably passed through Tharbad. But the main characters of the story did not. Tharbad is a rather tragic place, I think. It was a thriving city once, home to soldiers from both Arnor and Gondor, and was probably founded long before Elendil and his people sailed away from Numenor. The name is Sindarin and means "crossway" (from thara + pata). In the Second Age (probably much of the Third Age) there was a great stone bridge across the river, and the road leading to the bridge rose up on great embankments on either side of the river. Probably on the western side of the bridge would have been quays (stone quays, to be sure) where ships and boats would come to port. The river was deep enough at least as far north as Tharbad that sea-going vessels could reach it, and in the early years the sea was the primary route of travel between Arnor and Gondor.

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