The Legolas Detail You Never Noticed In LOTR
Many would argue that Peter Jackson's live-action Lord of the Rings movies are some of the best fantasy films of all time. They successfully brought to life a fantasy world on a massive, awe-inspiring scale, and that's part of the reason both casual viewers and die-hard J.R.R. Tolkien fans alike continue to appreciate the series. The Lord of the Rings films aren't just known for their epic battles and iconic imagery, but also for how faithful they are to Tolkien's source material.
While certain things from the books were, inevitably, left out of the Lord of the Rings movies, the trilogy is generally regarded among Tolkien fans as being a very successful and faithful adaptation of the author's original work. Jackson and his team were committed to bringing Tolkien's story to life in as faithful a manner as possible, and as a result, there are a number of details sprinkled throughout the three films that were clearly included just for book readers to notice and enjoy.
Lord of the Rings had Legolas barely sink into the snow in The Fellowship of the Ring
One of those details comes in the form of a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment in Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring when the film's titular group is trying to make its way through Caradhras in a blizzard. As dedicated fans recently pointed out in a Reddit thread, most of the fellowship is shown trudging knee- and waist-deep through the snow on the mountain. Meanwhile, Orlando Bloom's Legolas walks on top of the snow without sinking into it at all.
This is a reference to a moment in the Lord of the Rings books when Frodo notes Legolas' ability to walk over the snow without making much of an impression on the snow itself. In the book, it is written that Frodo "noticed as if for the first time, though he had long known it, that the Elf had no boots, but wore only light shoes, as he always did, and his feet made little imprint in the snow."
While the moment itself is pretty small and easy to miss, it's just a further testament to how detail-oriented Jackson and his team were during the making of the three films. The scene isn't just a fun reference to the books, but another example of how successfully the Lord of the Rings films managed to bring Legolas' unique Elf traits and skills to life.