The Reason Frodo Never Spoke to Legolas May Be Much Darker Than You Thought
"And my bow," said a pointy-eared Elvish princeling. But these are the only words the main characters shared with each other, so what is the problem between the hobbit hero and a Mirkwood dweller?
Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies brought to life the epic story of Frodo Baggins and his journey to destroy the One Ring, and introduced us to a host of memorable characters, including the elf Legolas.
However, fans of the books may have noticed that the hobbit and the elf never speak in the films, despite sharing several scenes together.
The first reason may be a matter of personality. Frodo is portrayed as a reserved and introspective character, while Legolas is more outgoing and extroverted.
It's possible that they simply don't have much in common and don't feel the need to engage in conversation with each other.
The hobbit didn't talk much with Gimli or Boromir either.
Of course, this could be a cultural difference between Halflings and Elves. Hobbits are portrayed as simple and down-to-earth, while deathless beings are more ethereal and otherworldly.
This theory is supported by the fact that Frodo had some chats with other members of the Fellowship who were more like him, such as Merry and Pippin.
Some may think that there are more symbolic reasons for the lack of communication. Fans have suggested that the two characters represent different aspects of the human psyche.
Frodo is seen as the embodiment of the ego, while Legolas represents the id. In this metaphor, the struggle between these two parts of the self is absolute clear.
But the darker reason may lie in PJ's understanding of the universe he was trying to create.
If the director was thinking about the future, he knew that The Hobbit would later delve into a story between Bilbo and the Mirkwood Elves.
Frodo grew up hearing stories of his uncle, who had come a long way from the Shire to the Lonely Mountain.
He met the most terrible creatures, but these forest pointy-eared beings even locked his dwarf friends in a dungeon for the rest of their lives and treated them very rudely.
This may have been the reason why Frodo disliked Legolas, the Prince of Mirkwood, although the hobbit was very polite to other Elves.
While fans of the books may miss their conversations in the movies, the trilogy still captures the essence of their characters and their struggles.
And who knows? Maybe one day, we'll see a director's cut of the extended edition that includes the missing scenes between Frodo and Legolas.