‘The Lord of the Rings’: How the Films Created One of Gollum's Sneakiest Moments

Gollum was one of the most dangerous villains in ‘The Lord of the Rings’, not because of his physical strength but due to his ability to deceive and manipulate. Much like Sauron, Gollum used psychological tactics, knowing that Frodo and Sam needed his guidance into Mordor. He skillfully switched between his two personas, the vicious Gollum and the pitiable Sméagol, to gain Frodo’s sympathy while antagonizing Sam. Gollum's patience paid off after weeks of accompanying the hobbits, waiting for the right moment to reclaim the One Ring for himself.

In Peter Jackson's films, ‘The Two Towers’ and ‘The Return of the King’, Gollum’s treachery is portrayed well, with the latter movie adding a key scene not present in J.R.R. Tolkien's novel. In this added scene, Gollum frames Sam for eating the last of the hobbits' food supply by throwing away the lembas bread and sprinkling crumbs on Sam's cloak. 

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This incident causes tension between Sam and Frodo, with Frodo believing Gollum’s deceitful accusation and pushing Sam away. This deviation from the book raised tension before the final act but was controversial among some Tolkien purists and casual fans.

After being separated from Frodo, Sam fought his way through Mordor to rescue him, eventually defeating Shelob and saving Frodo from Orcs. In contrast to the film, Tolkien’s novel shows that Sam and Gollum argued but did not separate Frodo and Sam, and the accusation about lembas never occurred. Sam’s harsh words solidified Gollum’s betrayal, and in the book, Frodo and Sam faced Shelob’s lair together. 

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While the movie’s changes painted Frodo in a negative light and briefly separated Sam from him, it amplified the emotional stakes and highlighted the One Ring’s corrupting influence, making their reunion even more powerful.

–Farheen Ali