Continuity mistake: On the fields of Pelennor, when Pippin finds Merry, he rolls the large Orc off to Merry's side, but the Orc's long black hair is still beside the Hobbit's head. However, only in Merry's close-ups the Orc's black hair is gone. (00:49:10)
Continuity mistake: As Frodo and Sam walk by the cross-roads of the Fallen King, they pass the large severed stone head. The area around the head, including plants, branches, etc., differs between the two close-ups and the overhead shots. (Extended Edition) (00:51:25)
Continuity mistake: In the opening shot as Gandalf stands on the balcony at Minas Tirith the many buildings beside the balcony are shown. When Gandalf says, "If the garrison at Osgiliath falls, the last..." as he continues, "...defense of this city will be gone," the buildings beside the balcony are once again visible. To say that the buildings are completely different in the two shots would be a vast understatement! (This has absolutely nothing to do with camera angles. Extended Edition.) (00:52:10 - 00:54:30)
Continuity mistake: At Minas Tirith there is a wide shot of Gandalf on the balcony, and as he begins to cough while he smokes, Pippin lies in the bed behind him. Yet, in the very next close-up, as Gandalf continues to cough, Pippin now stands beside the bed, with his new Gondorian garments actually spread out on the made bed in front of him. Then, in later shots the unmade bed is perfectly visible. (Extended Edition) (00:52:10)
Continuity mistake: When Gandalf coughs and mockingly says, "Guard of the Citadel," two of the tall candles on the hanging ceiling fixture (not the wall fixture) are visible behind him now and in following shots too. When Gandalf says, "It's the deep breath before the plunge," those two candles, as well as the others on the ceiling fixture, are nearly entirely melted, though they are tall again in subsequent shots. (Extended Edition) (00:52:45 - 00:53:20)
Continuity mistake: On the balcony at Minas Tirith, when Pip hands Gandalf the cup of water, the large rug at the foot of the bed is clearly visible, as is the wood bench on the balcony. In following shots, including when Gandalf says, "This will be the end of Gondor as we know it," the bench's position very noticeably differs and the large rug is actually gone!! (Extended Edition) (00:52:55 - 00:54:15)
Continuity mistake: Whilst Sam runs up the stairs to rescue Frodo, before Shagrat makes off with the Mithril shirt, quite a few changes occur between the two consecutive shots. The larger hole in Shagrat's chain maille sleeve shrinks, his hair goes from flat and stringy to fuller and neater, the way he grips the shirt differs, and in the second shot he wears something reddish - which is seen through the chain maille tears, but in the previous shot it was black. (00:53:00)
Continuity mistake: Faramir and his men ride out of Osgiliath, and in the first wide shot their shadows are behind them. Thereafter as they ride, sometimes the shadow is directly below them, in front of them or to their left, and as Gandalf rides towards them, in one shot his shadow is in front of him to his left. Obviously filmed at different times of the day. (00:53:45)
Continuity mistake: In Minas Tirith, while Gandalf and Pippin speak on the balcony, the position and actual height of the chair beside the fireplace varies significantly, as does the position of the candle wall fixture which is attached to the wall, above the chair. (This has nothing to do with camera angles. Extended Edition.) (00:53:50 - 00:55:00)
Continuity mistake: When Frodo, Sam and Gollum reach the "dead city" of Minas Morgul, the stones, pebbles and dirt along the path and on the ground, below the Gargoyles, change in the consecutive shots. (00:55:40)
Continuity mistake: After Pippin swears his oath to Denethor, the Steward derides Faramir about disloyalty, and standing behind Faramir are four men (servants perhaps), seen in the far and close-up shots. When Faramir asks, "What would you have me do?" two of those four servants leave in this close-up. In the next far wide shot, as Denethor taunts, "Is there a captain here..." the same four servants are behind Faramir. Then as Faramir says, "...I had died and Boromir lived..." in this close-up, there are two servants again. (00:59:20)
Continuity mistake: As Frodo, Sam and Gollum begin to climb the stairs at Cirith Ungol, Sam asks, "Hey, what's in this tunnel?" then grabs Gollum and pushes him to the stone wall. In the wideshot, Gollum's back is noticeably up against a different part of the wall, than in the previous and following close-ups. (00:59:35)
Continuity mistake: Sam and Frodo wear the Orc armor and slide down the rocky terrain. After they spot the army of Orcs approaching the run off to the side and sit. In the next few wide shots the rocky area behind and around them is completely different. (Extended Edition) (01:00:45)
Continuity mistake: After Sam and Frodo slide down the rocky terrain wearing Orc armor, they run to the side and Sam's chin strap hangs down and is not buckled. Yet, in the very next shot and the following shots when the army of Orcs approach, the chin strap is tightly buckled. (Extended Edition.) (01:00:55)
Continuity mistake: As Gollum steals the lembas while Sam and Frodo are sleeping, Sam's sword lies under him, with the hilt near his face and his right arm over it. However when Sam opens his eyes the sword now lies near him. (01:02:00)
Continuity mistake: As Sam lies sleeping, Gollum sprinkles lembas crumbs on Sam's right side. 1st shot, the grey blanket completely covers Sam as Gollum begins to sprinkle it. 2nd shot, the blanket is at Sam's shoulder with a just a bit of cloak and sleeve showing. 3rd shot, the blanket is completely covering Sam's shoulders as the lembas is shown only on the blanket. Then Sam stands and the blanket is now on the ground (as mentioned in another mistake, there are no crumbs at all when he stands). Later, when Gollum accuses Sam in the 'framing' shot, the lembas crumbs are shown on Sam's cloak even though it was the grey blanket Gollum sprinkled it on earlier. (01:02:05)
Continuity mistake: When Gollum drops the lembas from the ridge, you see the leaf it was wrapped in fluttering away, and the wafers fall roughly straight down. However, when Sam finds it later, there are still lembas wafers wrapped in the leaf, along with a few lying around unwrapped. (01:02:15 - 01:40:20)
Continuity mistake: When Gollum accuses Sam of eating the lembas bread, the crumbs on his shoulder don't appear until the shot when Gollum brushes them away. (01:03:30)
Continuity mistake: At Cirith Ungol, in the close-up of Frodo's face as Sam says, "I can carry it for a while," Frodo has prominent black smudges under his eyes, on his cheeks and nose. In the preceding and following close-up shots of Frodo, the smudges on his face are not nearly as dark. (01:04:45)
Continuity mistake: When Pippin lights the beacon of Minas Tirith, the soldiers outpost and surrounding mountainside terrain differs between the close-up and wide shots. (01:05:00)
Answer: In the book, it absolutely was his birthday.
Brian Katcher
What chapter in the book where smeagol kills deagol?
DFirst1
The Fellowship of the Ring, chapter two 'The Shadow of the Past.'.
Brian Katcher