FAQ for
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) More at IMDbPro »

The following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags are used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for The Two Towers can be found here.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is based on the second book of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, written by the English academic and author J.R.R. Tolkien [1892-1973]. The other two books in the series (both movie and novel) are: (1) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and (3) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

It's "Requiem for a Tower," a remix by Simone Benyacar, Dan Nielsen, and Veigar Mairgersson of Clint Mansell's "Lux Aeterna" theme from from Requiem for a Dream.

Tolkien's original book ends with Frodo being captured after his encounter with Shelob. Frodo (Elijah Wood)'s journey in the film ends significantly before that. The filmmakers decided it would not be a good idea to intercut the climax of the Battle of the Hornburg with the encounter in Shelob's lair. They also point out that according to Tolkien's own timeline (which can be read in the back of The Return of the King), the encounter at Shelob's Lair doesn't happen until much later, and corresponds to the Siege of Gondor, which is portrayed in The Return of the King.

Several reasons. First of all, with no Shelob in this film, Frodo and Sam's journey needed a different climax. Secondly, in the book, Faramir is able to easily resist the lure of the Ring. The filmmakers felt this would contradict their central premise: that no one can resist the Ring. They also realized that the encounter with Faramir, the only human the heroes encounter in their journey, was the only opportunity they had to make the Ring a major issue in the middle film.

Yes, although it is shown as it occurs, instead of via Merry and Pippin recounting the events to the victors of the Battle of Helm's Deep. One small difference is that in the movie, the Ents throw rocks, while in the book they use their roots to split the stone. In both versions they use the river to wash away the filth of Saruman. In the book, Saruman is not killed in Isengard; he escapes, partly because Treebeard lets him get away, deeming Saruman harmless after the breaking of his staff. However, Treebeard had actually fallen prey to the power of Saruman's voice, the only weapon he had left to him. Saruman then takes over the Shire with Wormtongue. Wormtongue stabs him in the back, and Wormtongue is then killed by arrows shot by hobbit archers. A modified version of this scene is seen near the beginning of the Extended Edition of Return of the King, with the events transposed to Isengard.

The Ent attack on Isengard is not described in real-time in the book. The chapters devoted to Pippin, Merry and Treebeard come to an end when they arrive at Isengard. Their story is picked up later when the rest of the Fellowship arrives at Isengard after the Battle of the Hornburg and meet Merry and Pippin, who relate the siege of Isengard in flashback.

There was an ancient stairway that went from the bottom of the foundations of the mountain to the top of the mountain. The Balrog (having lived there for many, many years) knew the way up and Gandalf followed him. Peter Jackson states that there were initially plans to film the battle up the stairway but that budget considerations intervened.

Yes. One glaring example occurs when Eowyn (Miranda Otto) has found the King's son dead and has been followed by Gríma (Brad Dourif) to the Prince's room. She exclaims "Leave me alone, snake" and he replies "But you are alone. Who knows what you've spoken to the darkness in the bitter watches of the night when all your world seems to shrink? The walls of your bower closing in about you, a hutch to trammel some wild thing in?" Tolkien actually attributed those words to Aragorn as he spoke with Eomer, while Eowyn lay unconscious, newly brought from the field of battle into The Houses of Healing. They were words spoken between two people who loved her, not bitter hateful words from a twisted chamberlain. The love Eomer felt was as a brother, Aragorn's was that of a ruler for a subject, also a friend, yet no less feeling. Once he knew Eowyn realized he could never return her love, he was more at ease to express himself and how he felt for her, and the words he spoke to Eomer were to help him understand just why his sister would have ridden out with the Company as Dernhelm in what seemed to be the Last Ride of The Rohirrim.

After their bodies die, the spirits of dead Elves go to the Halls of Mandos in Valinor. After a certain period of time and rest that serves as "cleansing," their spirits are clothed in bodies identical to their old ones. Most never go back to Middle-earth and remain in Valinor instead; therefore, death holds no real fear to them.

In the film, Saruman refers to "the union of the two towers" - Orthanc (his tower) and Barad-dûr (Sauron's stronghold). In the book, this is far less clear; in a letter, Tolkien mentioned the two towers as being Orthanc and the Tower of Cirith Ungol, but felt this was misleading due to the opposition between Minas Tirith and Barad-dûr. Minas Morgul is also an important tower.

They are Easterlings, men from the far east of middle-Earth, beyond the Sea of Rhûn. They are allies of Sauron and the Orcs.

For its DVD release, extended versions of all three Lord of the Rings movies have been released, and for The Two Towers, the extended version features several scenes that had been cut for the theatrical release: for instance, the scenes of Faramir's past, which would better explain his behavior in the movies. These scenes, as well as many others which make the film closer to the original book, were integrated back into the movie in a "Special Extended Edition." These new scenes give more depth to the characters, explain their behavior and make the movie more rounded, deeper and more poetic. A detailed comparison, divided into two parts, with pictures can be found here (Part One) and here (Part Two).