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The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Movie Discussion: The Lord of the Rings:
I never understood the bed stabbing scene in FOTR

boldog
Rohan


Jun 26 2015, 4:08am

Post #1 of 13 (7256 views)
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I never understood the bed stabbing scene in FOTR Can't Post

Are the nazgul actually stabbing anyone? I don't see why they would travel all the way from Morgul, go through the trouble of tracking Frodo, and then stab empty beds!! CrazyCrazy
Maybe they were taking their anger out on the poor beds Laugh

Azog and Bolg. That is all I can say.............


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Jun 26 2015, 4:46am

Post #2 of 13 (7222 views)
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They were tricked. [In reply to] Can't Post

The idea is that the beds were made up to look occupied and the Black Riders were fooled until they attacked the bedding. I think that the scene is (at least in part) a tribute to a sequence in Ralph Bakshi's LotR.

"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock


Gandalf the Green
Rivendell

Jun 26 2015, 1:59pm

Post #3 of 13 (7185 views)
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uhm [In reply to] Can't Post

Are you being serious or...?


Misty Mountain Hop
Rivendell

Jun 26 2015, 4:16pm

Post #4 of 13 (7175 views)
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But how did they know that particular room was "occupied" by Frodo and Co.? [In reply to] Can't Post

Did they detect a scent? Did they pull out the log book and see what room Frodo (Mr. Underhill) was staying in?

What made them think that they were in those beds vs somewhere else?

Edit: Was that the room that Frodo was last wearing the ring? Maybe they were simply drawn to the ring?

"Only, you've never done a hard day's work." - Merry

(This post was edited by Misty Mountain Hop on Jun 26 2015, 4:17pm)


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Jun 26 2015, 4:22pm

Post #5 of 13 (7168 views)
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Spies? [In reply to] Can't Post

We know that there were at least a couple of spies around in the persons of Bill Ferny and his Southron (or Half-orc) friend. One of them probably noted what room the hobbits were placed in and informed on them.

"At the end of the journey, all men think that their youth was Arcadia..." - Phantom F. Harlock


Bracegirdle
Valinor


Jun 26 2015, 5:51pm

Post #6 of 13 (7153 views)
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Bad rap [In reply to] Can't Post

“When do WE get some consideration? Just doin’ our job!”

They were frustrated at not capturing The Ring back in the Shire,
sniffed their way to Bree and decided to do some late night vandalism in the form of slash, stab, rip, and slice, of some sheets and pillows.

They never did like Barliman anyway, and called him a “chubby little jabber-mouth”. CoolCool

Boromir looked in surprise at Bilbo, but the laughter died on his lips when he saw that all the others regarded the old hobbit with grave respect. Only Glóin smiled, but his smile came from old memories.
-JRR Tolkien


moreorless
Gondor

Jun 26 2015, 8:36pm

Post #7 of 13 (7137 views)
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Not mentioned directly of course but hints.. [In reply to] Can't Post


In Reply To
We know that there were at least a couple of spies around in the persons of Bill Ferny and his Southron (or Half-orc) friend. One of them probably noted what room the hobbits were placed in and informed on them.


We don't see anything mentioned specifically but there is clearly a hint with a suspicious looking guy.

Besides that of course the film gives the impression that the Nazgul have a much clearer idea of where Frodo is when he wears the ring so it might just be natural to look in the bedrooms of the inn where they saw him.


(This post was edited by moreorless on Jun 26 2015, 8:38pm)


tgshaw
The Shire

Jun 27 2015, 12:25pm

Post #8 of 13 (7085 views)
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"Hobbit-sized rooms" [In reply to] Can't Post

Even in the movie, it's noted that there are specifically "hobbit-sized rooms" at the Prancing Pony (or is that just in the extended version?). It would make sense to look for the hobbits there.


The idea of the "disguised" beds isn't spelled out in the movie, but it's so clear in the book that I never really thought about it.


And, yes, I'd say a Bakshi homage in that scene.


Eruonen
Half-elven


Jun 27 2015, 5:03pm

Post #9 of 13 (7066 views)
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Agree, the ring use in the Inn was a beacon of sorts and the spies who reported their [In reply to] Can't Post

presence.


AshNazg
Gondor


Jun 29 2015, 5:10pm

Post #10 of 13 (6971 views)
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Windows facing North and close to the ground... [In reply to] Can't Post

"Do not go to your rooms! They are sure to have found out which those are. The hobbit-rooms have widows looking north and close to the ground. We will all remain together and bar this window and the door"

Nob (a hobbit working in the Prancing Pony) then uses old clothes, a bolster and a woollen mat to create decoys in the unoccupied hobbit beds.

I agree the movie does not make this very clear. When I first saw it, before reading the books, I was fairly confused and thought maybe it was a dream or something. But on repeat viewings I eventually figured it out.


(This post was edited by AshNazg on Jun 29 2015, 5:11pm)


AshNazg
Gondor


Jun 29 2015, 5:31pm

Post #11 of 13 (6966 views)
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In short, the pillows were decoys. [In reply to] Can't Post

The pillows were arranged in the beds to make them look occupied, so the Nazgul attacked thinking the pillows were hobbits.

It's one of those plans that seems like a good idea at the time "lets make decoys!" but when you think about it, you wonder what it achieves. I think until this point the Nazgul don't even know if they're chasing the right hobbits. The rumours and spies in Bree would have been the first red-flag and then finding the decoys in the beds is when the Nazgul learn that these are definitely the right hobbits, and that the hobbits are aware that they're being hunted.

I suppose the concept is that if the Nazgul found empty beds they might search the rest of the inn or Bree looking for the hobbits. But when they find decoys they assume the hobbits have left in the night and are no longer in Bree, so they move on.


(This post was edited by AshNazg on Jun 29 2015, 5:33pm)


the 13th warrior
Rivendell


Jun 30 2015, 8:52pm

Post #12 of 13 (6917 views)
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Think the Black Riders were complaining about room service??? [In reply to] Can't Post

Hello Brace,

Or perhaps they felt the hotel occupancy tax was too high?

Or that smoking was allowed in the Common Room?

Or they wanted to show how Led Zeppelin treated their hotel suites?

Could be any number of things.....

The 13th Warrior, Left Field Caliphate
"From the scroll rooms of Gondor...."


adt100
Rohan


Jul 3 2015, 9:45am

Post #13 of 13 (6847 views)
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I thought it was fairly obvious the first time I saw it... [In reply to] Can't Post

I hadn't read the book at that point but it seemed pretty clear to me. The typical movie 'they've placed pillows under the sheets to make them look occupied then snook out' trick. I really liked the visual trick they played too.

The Nazgul were drawn to the ring when Frodo had it on in the Prancing Pony, there were dodgy looking folk, 'spies' and that's he room they were staying in. Nothing complicated about it surely?

 
 

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