Wednesday, July 20, 2011

The World's Greatest Flint - Did You Notice It?

Recently I had the pleasure of spending a few quiet evenings watching Lord of the Rings Extended Edition again. Now this is a movie I've seen several times - a favorite - and I was shocked when it suddenly struck me that it features the greatest flint of all time.

The flint in question is at once visual and a basic continuity error in the telling of the story. It is not minor and is not one of those 'hidden in the background' errors (like some one facing one way in one shot and another way in a second shot). I will tell you that once you know what it is you'll slap your head and wonder why you never noticed it before.

As summer is a time that should allow for a bit of fun, I've decided to leave it as a 'quest' for any of you who want to look for it. If you think you know what it is, send me a comment. I moderate comments to avoid trolls (no pun), but I will post any and all serious guesses. If the flint is not guessed by the end of the month, I'll post the answer; if it is guessed, I'll concede the issue in the comments thread and amend this entry.

I'll give one hint - There, not there.

Happy hunting!

PS The flint in question has nothing to do with the attached video, but in the tradition of Fellowship of the Vuvuzelas, I thought you might enjoy it.






(For the uninitiated, a 'flint' is a mistake in continuity or a general error. The terms derives from a Harry Potter character who should have left the school after a certain 'year' but was still there the following 'year'. In some circles, the term has come to be used to indicate mistakes in movies and TV shows.)

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13 comments:

priest's wife - S.T./ Anne Boyd said...

I don't know what it is...but any excuse to watch the movie again is a great one---have you seen the photos of the dwarves in The Hobbit- VERY cool!

The Byzantine Rambler said...

No, I haven't seen them. Where are they to be found? (Don't say, "On the web....")

Anonymous said...

I am guessing it is the arrows in boromir when he gets killed. In one scene he has two in him then for a considerable length of time only one.

The Byzantine Rambler said...

Re Anonymous:

Good guess, but that's not it. (Actually, now I've got to go back and look at that one!)

Eric said...

My guess is when Merry and Pippin set off the dragon fireworks at Bilbo's party. They're in a tent full of things, cleaning dishes and what not, and once they set off the firework that soars into the air taking the tent with it, all of the dishes and everything have magically disappeared and all that is left is Merry and Pippin.

The Byzantine Rambler said...

Re Eric:

That's a good one, and one I frankly had not thought about. However, it's not the one in question. This is a much bigger flint. (much, MUCH bigger)

Anonymous said...

Flint? You mean there are lighters in LOTR? Now THAT would be a flint!

David of Rascia said...

I suppose it is the appearance of an Elven battalion at the Battle for the Hornburg.

Anonymous said...

During the end of the Fellowship, Sam remains in the water for an amazing long amount of time without drifting to the edge of the waterfall that is about twenty feet away. I do not think that is what you are referring to, but it struck me as an oversight the first time I saw it.

JJR

The Byzantine Rambler said...

RE: David:

The elvin contingent is not so much a flint as the producers/writers taking a liberty with the story; in this case, replacing the Dunadain's arrival while Aragorn, Theodan and company march to Dunharrow with representatives from Rivendell at the Hornburg.

The Byzantine Rambler said...

Re Anonymous:

Correct that Sam's under water forey was not the flint I had in mind. Actually, one might note that in that whole sequence the water appears to be flowing in the wrong direction. The Anduin flows north to south and the Fellowship have camped on the Western shore: therefore, the water should appear to flow from left to right. Come to think of it, perhaps that is why Sam doesn't drift to the falls - the current keeps pushing him away.

Anonymous said...

Could it be the Mouth of Sauron at the Black Gate? After Aragorn kills him (which, in my opinion, was the worst change in the movies), the gates begin to open. There is a scene where everyone is fleeing, but the body is not there.

Anyway, back to my dissertation on Byzantine history. :-)

JJR

The Byzantine Rambler said...

Re JJR: (Shouldn't that be "JRRT?")

You're close; very close.

 
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