Take a look at the unforgettable duel between two magicians, Gandalf and Saruman at the beginning of the “Ring Partnership” and the secrets of producing this mythical sequence.
We are in The Fellowship of the Ring, directed by Peter Jackson of the first part of the famous trilogy and adapted from the work of JRR Tolkien. Passing Isengard to inform Saruman about the possible return of the Dark Lord in the middle of the earth, as well as the reappearance of one of the seals, Gandalf begins to perceive certain problems in his head.
After a long discussion between the two magicians and the suspicious discovery of Palantir in Ortank Tower, no doubt will be allowed: Saruman is no longer going to fight Sauron. Worse! He even intends to team up for his business and offers Gandalf a hand in this venture.
The answer of the latter is not delayed: it is impossible to obey Mordor’s power and to betray his command. This final rejection, which does not really apply to Saruman, is then accompanied by a magical violent duel between the two sages.
Relatively short, but particularly eye-catching, this confrontation, in which two magicians send each other invisible spells with their wands, is still visually very convincing, even 20 years later. But how did this sequence come about?
As we are told in the audio commentary of the feature film, Ian McKellen and Christopher Lee, interpreters of Gandalf and Saruman, themselves took close-ups of the scene and left it to the stuntmen to do so. Performed the most acrobatic tricks:
“It’s a mix of actors and stuntmen falling on their backs”Recalls Ian McKellen. “But close, I’m. Here, I’m swimming. When Saruman was spinning on the ground, I was in a basket. My legs were tied with an invisible cable. (…) It was painful. We had a chiropractor, Steve Thompson, ready for my treatment. (…). “
Even if they were not given the most dangerous moves, the two actors did indeed shoot a few tricks, especially some of the fall of their characters, as Christopher Lee confirms:
“It took a while. We did a lot of things ourselves. We fell down. Not too high, but I fell many times. Until I saw the movie, I did not know what it would be like. It really looks., Really good.”
Note that this impressive duel, which ended in Saruman’s victory and Gandalf’s arrest, is not mentioned in the original works. Indeed, Tolkien’s paper simply explains that Gandalf declined the offer of his superior and, consequently, the latter was arrested.
(Re) Discover our video dedicated to Gandalf …
Source: allocine
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
