The Deleted Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers Scene That Would Have Changed Everything
Peter Jackson did not have an easy task when he set out to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien's massive, dense novels into three feature-length films. Each "Lord of the Rings" movie is approximately three hours long, so they are plenty lengthy before you even consider the extended editions, which add another two hours to the trilogy's total run time. However, there are nuances in those deleted scenes that are lost on anyone who's only seen the theatrical cuts.
Take Boromir (Sean Bean), for example. He has the worst reputation of all members of the Fellowship of the Ring because he tries to forcefully take the ring from Frodo (Elijah Wood). He's also the only Fellowship member to permanently die by the end of the story, thus making his short stint defined by that one mistake. Despite that, his presence is continually felt through Aragorn's (Viggo Mortensen) character development — as he wears a piece of Boromir's armor — and his brother, Faramir (David Wenham), who comes into the ring's story in "The Two Towers."
One deleted scene from "Two Towers" actually gives more context to Boromir's character and changes plenty of viewers' opinions of him.
Boromir's father ordered him to bring the ring back
The scene, which is included in the extended edition of "Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers," is actually a flashback to when Boromir and Faramir had last seen each other, after recapturing the city of Osgiliath from Sauron's forces. Boromir gives a rousing victory speech to their army, but then his father, Denethor, the Steward of Gondor (John Noble), pulls him aside for an important discussion.
Denethor believes the ring has been found because Elrond has called a meeting in Rivendell — the same one that births the Fellowship, where we first meet Boromir. To Boromir, Denethor expresses concern over the elves having such a weapon and emphasizes that Gondor must acquire the ring to fight Sauron. Gondor, crucially, is the closest kingdom to Mordor — where the evil Sauron resides — and thus has been the first line of defense in keeping the orcs from expanding into the rest of Middle-earth.
With a touch of both irony and heartbreak from our knowledge of Boromir's fate, Denethor picks Boromir to go to Elrond's meeting because he doesn't think the ring will corrupt his eldest son. As the scene plays out, it's evident that Boromir doubts his father's plan and doesn't want to go. In fact, Faramir offers to go in his stead, but Denethor denies him. "Bring me back this mighty gift," Denethor says, and a close viewing reveals that Boromir repeats Denethor's wording and arguments at the council meeting in "Fellowship of the Ring."
The scene explains Boromir and Faramir's motivations
Ultimately, this scene highlights that Boromir was reluctant to get the ring, but was under pressure to take it for two reasons: to protect his people and to please his father. "Fellowship of the Ring" emphasizes that Boromir is doubtful they'll be successful in destroying the ring — cue the "One does not simply walk into Mordor" sound bite — and wants it to defend Gondor. It's the ring that corrupts Boromir and tricks him into thinking Frodo will betray them to side with Sauron. However, before this scene, we did not know of his father's influence on his motivations, which adds another layer to his character.
Plus, this flashback illustrates the close relationship between the brothers with how Boromir stands up for Faramir as their father disparages him. All in all, it shows how good of a person Boromir is, free of the narrative weight he carries in "Fellowship of the Ring" and the corruption wrought on by traveling with the ring.
It also gives an explanation for Faramir's behavior. In the books, Faramir is never tempted by the ring, so many fans were disappointed by his portrayal in the films: After finding Frodo, Faramir shows interest in the ring and decides to take it to Gondor. The deleted scene, however, comes right before that moment and shows that he wants to prove himself to his father and earn the same admiration Denethor gives Boromir.
Many fans think this scene should have made the theatrical cut. YouTube user Andrew Wang commented under a video of it, writing, "They really shouldn't have cut this scene. Without it, Boromir just seems like some impulsive a**hole. This scene really humanizes him." User Catzilla wrote, "It completely explains the relationship between these three men in five minutes." Alas, four hours is a long time to sit in a theater.