Continuity mistake: When Bilbo is writing at his desk, in the first far shot, the book stand to his right has an assortment of papers on it. In the shot from behind, when he starts to say, "Concerning Hobbits," the papers on that book stand are arranged differently. In the shot after another Hobbit picks his ear, Bilbo stretches at his desk and the papers on the stand are arranged differently again. Later still, when he says, "Sticklebacks, where is that boy?" in this shot, the papers revert to the way they were in the other previous close-up shot from behind. In the next shot from behind too, the papers are arranged the same way as in the first far shot. (00:08:25)
Super Grover
Continuity mistake: During the prologue, in the first shot of Sauron's dismembered finger with the Ring on the ground next to Isildur, the bottom of the letters are facing the remaining finger. It is the line, "One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them." In the next close-up of the dismembered finger, when Isildur picks it up, the Ring is now on the finger upside down from the previous shot, with the bottom of the letters facing the cut side of the finger. The words, "One Ring to find them," can be seen in this shot. (00:04:00)
Continuity mistake: During the prologue, after Isildur cuts off Sauron's fingers, in the first side shot, Isildur, who is lying on the ground looks to his left at the Ring on the finger near him. His hair is on his face and nose. Then, in the very next front shot, *before* the wind gust from Sauron, he is still lying down and there is no hair on his face. (00:04:00)
Continuity mistake: During the prologue, when Sauron steps on Narsil, in the close-up shot of Isildur lifting the broken sword from below Sauron's foot, there are small stones around Narsil. In the shot just before, when Isildur reaches for Narsil, the sword has no small stones around it. (00:03:50)
Continuity mistake: During the prologue, after Sauron strikes Elendil, we see Narsil falling right at the corner of a dirtless, sandless smooth rockface and the sword has only some blood stains on it. When Isildur grabs Narsil, it is now in the middle of dirty, sandy rock, and the sword has dirt all over it now. (00:03:35)
Continuity mistake: During the prologue, in the close-up shot of Isildur coming and kneeling at his father's side, we see he removes his own helmet and lays it down above Elendil's head. Elendil's own helmet is lying to the left of his head. In the wide shot from above, there is now a helmet above Elendil's head and a helmet between Elendil and Isildur. There is no helmet to the left of Elendil's head. (00:03:40)
Continuity mistake: When Gandalf and Bilbo are outside Bag End we see the cloth topped table against the wall that has papers, packages and a candelabra on it. In the shots from outside, the table end closest to the front door is located right under the second decorative beam of wood on the wall, away from the inside archway. In the indoor shot when Gandalf and Bilbo come in, the table end is located right at the archway. (00:16:10)
Continuity mistake: After Gandalf arrives at Bag End, in the wide shots looking through the doorway of the kitchen, the white cloth on the mantle over the fireplace hangs twice the length as it does in the next close-up, when Bilbo says, "I can make you some eggs if you'd-" Then, while they're in the kitchen, the white cloth hangs longer again. (00:17:20)
Continuity mistake: In Bag End, as Gandalf goes towards the table with the map, the window bench to the left can be seen. On it lies a red blanket folded up up nicely. Later, when Bilbo is at the window looking out at the Sackville-Bagginses, the blanket isn't folded as it was before, and the book near the blanket has the papers on/near it arranged differently as well. (00:17:00)
Continuity mistake: Gandalf grabs Sam through the window, and just as he's throwing Sam down we see on the table's edge many books, papers, a candlestick and a plate. Yet in the earlier shot of the table, when Frodo comes from the kitchen holding the Ring and stands in the archway saying, "We never speak of it again," the corner of the table has a cutting board with bread, some papers and a candlestick showing. It is the same table and no one has touched the table. (00:39:40 - 00:42:15)
Continuity mistake: Frodo pours tea and begins talking with Gandalf in the kitchen. In Frodo's shots, the drape of the white cloth on the right side of the fireplace changes. In the shots where the white cloth is different there is also a sack on Frodo's left that is not there in other shots. Behind Gandalf, the white cloth that hangs from the hook on the hutch also changes its shape and length between the side, front and close-up shots. (00:38:00)
Continuity mistake: Frodo is getting ready to leave Bag End - Gandalf says "Travel by day, and stay off the road" and hands Frodo his walking stick. The black grip on the walking stick that Gandalf hands to Frodo is close to the top of the stick. In the next shot, the walking stick that Frodo takes hold of has a black grip that is way lower from the top of the stick. Each actor filmed individually. (00:41:50)
Continuity mistake: After finding Sam under the window Gandalf throws Sam on the table. In some shots Sam's shoulders are at the edge of the table and in some, it's not. Under Sam's shoulders on the table in some shots, there are assorted papers that change position and in two shots no paper at all. In the shot from the front, where Gandalf is slamming Sam down, the candle shown is much shorter than the candle shown in the other shots. (00:42:25)
Continuity mistake: Frodo is in the kitchen packing apples and other food for his journey to Bree. Frodo asks Gandalf, "And the Ring will be safe there?" Behind Frodo, to his right, the window and table in the next room are seen. The chair near the table, is not the same chair that is next to that table in all the rest of the shots of the area. The window is shut, but when Gandalf and Frodo are soon in there it is open when Sam isn't "dropping no eaves." It cannot be assumed that Sam would have opened the window. The existence and arrangement of books and papers on the window bench also differs. (00:41:30 - 00:42:15)
Continuity mistake: At Bag End, when invisible Bilbo reappears in the hallway, we see books on the shelf of the coat tree. As Bilbo leaves Bag End, he opens the front door, again we see books on the shelf of the coat tree. In both of these shots, the amount and arrangement of books differ. (00:25:40 - 00:28:30)
Continuity mistake: At Bag End, the table opposite the fireplace with the two oval portraits changes in the variety and arrangement of all the objects on it, seen in shots that are supposed to take place right after each other. In the first shot, when Bilbo packs and then takes his bag off the table, we see what is on the table. The second shot, when Gandalf stands to confront Bilbo to leave the Ring, the table is seen to his right and we see what is on the table. The third shot, when Gandalf sits by the fireplace and waits for Frodo to come back from the party, the table is to his left and again we see what is on the table. The objects differ in every shot. (00:26:20 - 00:30:15)
Continuity mistake: In the shot just after Saruman is communicating with the palantir, Saruman is sitting at his desk. On his desk in the foreground is one candelabra, with a black short vase next to it. In the next shot from behind Saruman we see the candelabra and black vase, but we also see the thin candles of a second four stem candelabra on the desk. Do not confuse those four thin even height candles with the broad pillar candles under the window in the next front shot of Saruman. (01:09:05)
Continuity mistake: Up on Weathertop, Aragorn throws a flaming torch at the Nazgul, and it hits him in the face, and there are flames inside the hood. In the next shot, the flames are on the outside of the hood, shoulder and sleeve, but there are no flames inside the hood, where they were in the previous shot. In this shot too, the stick from the torch shown is shorter than before. In the next shot, the flames are inside the hood again and the stick is much longer. (01:14:25)
2nd Jan 2004
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Continuity mistake: At Edoras, as Éowyn says, "Now the Wildmen are moving through the Westfold, burning as they go, rick, cot and tree," Aragorn and Gimli sit at a table across the room. In this shot, the candle on their table has drippings going down the side of the candle. When Aragorn says, "You have two thousand good men..." the candle is taller and does not have those drippings. Aragorn says, "Open war is upon you..." and the candle now has more drippings than in that first shot. (01:27:35)
2nd Jan 2004
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Continuity mistake: In the stable at Edoras, Éowyn gives the saddle to someone, then starts to walk towards Aragorn, and her long hair is spread out all around her shoulders. Cut to the close-up shot, and her hair is now parted at the neck, hanging straight down in front and back. When Aragorn walks away, her hair is all around her shoulders again. (01:31:40)
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