Fans have tons of questions after the first screenings of Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers have taken place. An FAQ of sorts has shown up online that helps answer some burning questions for fans looking for answers. Please be warned, heavy spoilers are present below.

Does Faramir die? NO.

In my review, I mentioned that Faramir had sacrificed his life to release Frodo & Sam. I may have worded this incorrectly, but the moment in the film is still as heavy as I alluded to in my review.

In the movie, Faramir brings Frodo, Sam, & Gollum back to Gondor where Frodo and the ring are to be brought to Faramir's father, the host of Gondor. A struggle with Frodo & Sam occurs when Faramir tries to take the ring from Frodo. In a pivotal moment inside the walls of Gondor, during the fight against the Orcs (which we never really see), Sam screams at Faramir about how Boromir got corrupted, tried to take the ring from Frodo, and eventually died. This is where Faramir has a change of heart and decides to let the Hobbits go. This decision does not come without consequences as a captain of Faramir's men tells Faramir that if he does not bring Frodo and the ring to his father he will be punished by death. Faramir contemplates a decision and tells his men and the Hobbits that he sacrifices his life to Frodo and his mission.

After this, we don't see anymore of Faramir, which leaves his fate to be dealt with in Return Of The King.

Does Saruman die in The Two Towers? Does he get 'spiked'?

Saruman does not die in The Two Towers. The end of movie shows the Ents kicking the crap out of the Isengard Orcs, all as Saruman watches from the tower above. This is the last we see of Saruman in The Two Towers. No resolve, and no finishing of the Ent battle. I can only speculate that we'll see the demise of Saruman in the 3rd and final chapter. if he will be impaled on a spike like the rumors say, it is not known and no one will be able to tell by what commences in The Two Towers.

The Two Towers - the right towers?

There is much speculation here, even as Tolkien described the many towers of Middle-earth, there is no clear distinction as to what the two towers actually are. In the movie we are led to believe that the two towers are the alliance of Saruman's Orthanc, and Sauron's Barad-Duhr.

Can you clarify the Nazgul attack episode?

Many have written in about the Nazgul attack. I realize that Sauron is not supposed to know who has the ring, but from what was portrayed on screen at the end of The Two Towers, one can only come to believe that Sauron knows where the ring is.

At the end of the film, Frodo, not by his own will, is controlled by the ring somewhat and summoned to the top of a dwelling in Gondor. At the top of this dwelling, the Nazgul, riding the big black winged creature, hovers right in front of Frodo as Frodo is tranced by the power of the ring. The winged creature then comes within inches of grabbing the ring from Frodo until some men of Gondor shoot arrows into the creature causing it to falter and fly away. Frodo is then tackled by Sam who then tumbles down the steps of the dwelling which then knocks the trance out of Frodo.

How well is the conflict between the Mordor-Orcs and the Uruk-hai developed? Is there much talking or fighting?

This part of the story is completed with so many aspects of the book within the first 30 minutes of the book. Yes there is a 2 minute sequence where the Orcs and Uruk-hai do argue, but it is not lengthy at all. But, don't get me wrong, the scene is brilliant, and though it does not spend as much time in the scene as the book does, the scene in the movie does the book justice.

The Orcs start to get hungry and talk about fresh meat. They realize that the Hobbits are fresh meat. The Uruk-hai then stand in their way stating that the Hobbits are to be spared. One Orc lunges towards a Hobbit and the head Uruk-hai (must be Uglúk) chops off his head, then offers fresh Orc meat to the other Orcs as food! Then a bigger scuffle ensues as the Orcs and Uruk-hai are now upset with each other. Right then the Riders Of Rohan appear and start slaughtering them all. This is when the Hobbits escape into Fangorn Forrest. An Orc is right on their tail, calling for them. Then Hobbits then climb a tree which happens to awaken the almighty Treebeard. Treebeard then takes care of the pursuing Orc (who must be Grishnack) and squashes him like a bug.

Explain the Balrog fight sequence.

Many people have asked about this scene. To me this is one of the coolest scenes in the entire movie.

When Gandalf the White finally shows himself to Aragorn, Legolas, & Gimli in Fangorn forrest he recounts what happened to him after he fell in the mines of Moria. As the movie flashes back, we get to see the Balrog and Gandalf's decent into the black. After many cuts back and forth of the two fighting as they fall, the two end up on top of a mountain where they do battle with each other. From what looked like Gandalf summoning lightning from the sky, he harnessed the power to his sword and plunged it deep inside the Balrog. The Balrog then let out a high pitched shriek and fell to his death on the mountain side below. His flame gets put out, but we never really see what the Balrog looks like underneath the flame, as steam from the snow rises towards the camera and shields it from view.

Gandalf draws his sword? How does he do that when in LOTR we saw it go flying over the edge of the bridge into the abyss before he ever fell himself?

Gandalf actually catches up to his sword as it was falling with him. This is how he's able to stab the Balrog as they fall into the abyss.

How long is the battle at Helm's Deep really?

As rumor had it, the Helm's Deep battle was to take 45 minutes! This is not the case. The battle at Helm's Deep is about 20 minutes long, if that. It is the climax of the film, and does stretch into the end of the film, but the actual battle takes about 20 minutes. BUT, within the Helm's Deep battle we do cut back and forth to the other side stories as well, so that might make the sequence appear longer then it actually is.

Where people might be confused with a 45 minute length is the time that the fellowship and the people of Rohan actually spend in Helm's Deep. Many scenes happen in Helm's Deep before the battle even starts.

How exactly does Haldir die, and what is the role the elves play at Helm's Deep?

Haldir is sent to Helm's Deep with his troops by a decision made by Galadriel and Elrond. Haldir leads the group to helm's Deep and is welcomed whole heartily by the fellowship. His death comes on the walls of Helm's Deep as he is struck by an Uruk-hai axe. Aragorn ends up cradling him as he passes. For a character we really didn't get to know in Fellowship, the emotional impact is high when Haldir passes.

Does the Ent Battle (Storming of Isenguard) take place during the night or the day? I always imagined it took place during the day!

The battle takes place during the day, right at the end of the film. You see all of Isengard lit up and Ents trashing the place and the Orcs in it!

Is there any mention of the sword Anduril (which should have been re-forged in the first movie) does it finally make an appearance in the Two Towers? Is there any indication that Arwen is rebelling against Elrond to go find Aragorn and bring him the sword?

No reforging takes place in The Two Towers. The sword is not even mentioned in the movie. Arwen DOES NOT bring the sword to him.

Update: This occurs in the extended DVD of "Fellowship". In one of the opening sequences, Aragorn is shown looking on his mother's grave in Rivendell. Elrond approaches him, and they have a conversation in Elvish. Part of that conversation is Elrond talking about the sword Anduril, and how it can be reforged. Later in the film when Aragorn has need of his sword, you will see that it is indeed Anduril. I have yet to see "The Two Towers", as I am going to see it today, but I have no doubt that Aragorn is still using Anduril in this film.

Thanks to 'Pywhacket'

How about the humorous chapter of Flotsam and Jetsom at Isengard? Is there any part of that in the movie?

Nope. This sequence is not present in the movie at all. Maybe we'll see something of it when we finally get an extended release on DVD.

Is Eowyn the LADY of the book, or does Arwen still take precedence?

A very good question indeed. I think everyone will have different opinions about this, but the way I saw it, Arwen was still the only lady for Aragorn. While Eowyn was portrayed as a powerful influence on the men of Rohan, every time Aragorn showed interest in her his thoughts drifted back to his love for Arwen. And even though Arwen only appears in the film as flash backs, and dream sequences, she still had the same impact on Aragorn as she did in the first movie. But, like I said, I feel that most people will have different opinions on this matter.

Does Arwen look into Galadriel's mirror? What does she see?

This doesn't happen in The Two Towers. The only thing that happens that alludes to the future of the story is a a sort of flash forward dream sequence in which Arwen sees herself next to Aragorn's graveside, grieving for Aragorn's mortality, and her immortality.

Is Arwen among the elves that come to the aid of Rohan or is she never *physically* present in the main movie plot?

As mentioned before, Arwen is never physically in the movie. Arwen only appears in flash backs, flash forwards, and dream like sequences. The only time she might even be considered physically part of the movie is when Aragorn awakes by the river bed after plunging into the water in the battle with the Warg riding Orcs. A mist-like Arwen appears and kisses Aragorn on the lips which eventually wakes him from slumber.

Another scene, in which I'm not too sure if it was meant as a flashback or a present situation is a scene that commences with Arwen and her father, Elrond. Elrond tries to convince Arwen that their love would never work with Aragorn being mortal and Arwen being immortal. This is when we get to see the aforementioned sequence of seeing Arwen grieving by Aragorn's graveside in the future.

No, Arwen does not make her way to Helm's Deep with the other elves in the movie. Arwen's main presence in the movie is to show the strong loving bind her and Aragorn and, and nothing more.

I heard they added a sex scene between Arwen and Aragorn, please tell me this is not true!

Nope. Not true at all. The only thing we see between Aragorn and Arwen is some light romantic kissing.

Do they show the scenes where Aragorn leaves Rivendell and he and Arwen are talking/holding each other? In a recent trailer, one scene has him sitting on a couch with Arwen looking out over Rivendell with her back to him....

This happens in a dream sequence. It's something that does not actually happen, but only in a dream. As the people of Rohan and the fellowship make their way to Helm's Deep, Aragorn has a dream of himself and Arwen together in Rivendell. In the dream Aragorn even says "this is only a dream" in which Arwen goes to comforting him.

Does Boromir appear in the film, even if its just a flashback?

Boromir does not appear at all in The Two Towers.

Do we see Shelob at all?

Shelob is only hinted to by Gollum at the end of the movie. Gollum figures he'll lead the Hobbits to "her" and have "her" do the killing for him. Then he can take back the ring that he so loathes for.

Does the film have any beheadings like Strider Vs. Lurtz in the first film?

Oh yes. Be prepared, many beheading fall upon the unlucky orcs and Uruk-hai throughout the film.

How is the Oliphaunt? Is that whole battle sequence cool?

The sequence is very cool indeed. Sam and Frodo watch from a distance as the Oliphaunts and their men are attacked by the men of Gondor.

Did the movie have a preview for Return of the King?

No. Due to the nature of the screening, no trailers were shown before the movie. The lights went down and the magic started. I don't think that there will be a trailer for Return Of The King for months due to the fact that post production on the movie is still in the early stages.

Is the theater version the full movie or was it cut down like the first movie was. If so, will they release an extended version on DVD like the first?

This movie, like Fellowship Of The Ring, had tons of footage that had been shot for it. I remember reading recently that there WILL BE an extended DVD cut of The Two Towers, just like we have with Fellowship.

How long is the finished film?

As previously stated in early reports by us and other websites, The Two Towers runs 2 hours, 59 minutes, and 9 seconds!

One thing I've heard no mention of (but am looking forward to) is the passing of Frodo, Sam, and Gollum through the Dead Marshes. Is this included, and if so, how does it stand up, visually, to Tolkien's writing?

The dead marshes..are, well, beautiful! Actually, they are exactly how I pictured them in the book. Very swamp like, with fires burning all around, and dead bodies floating under the surface of the water. Frodo actually looks "into the eyes", which Gollum advises against, and ends up falling in. He is then almost pulled down by the likes of the spirits that reside in the water. Very creepy stuff. A justice to the way Tolkien described in the book.

How does the Palantir play into effect, some early rumors were that Saruman would get wizard-kebabbed and the Palantir would fall down with him. Since Saruman doesn't die, it being such a big part in the book, is the Palantir exchange of owners similar in the movie?

Sorry to say, but the Palantir doesn't even makes it's way into the film at all. I think we might have seen one brief shot of Saruman consulting the Palantir, but that's about it. The Palantir gets thrown out of Orthanc by Wormtongue, but this does not happen in the film...at least in The Two Towers. We might see this scene at the beginning of Return Of The King.

Were there any moments that, like in the Fellowship, the music, and the given circumstance wrenches your emotions, like that of Gandalf's fall, or Sam and Frodo's boat sequence?

Yes! Very much so! In being a huge fan of movie scores, this one topped the year off for me! It is absolutely brilliant! Howard Shore has outdone himself this time around. The cues were perfect, and the recap of themes that were present in Fellowship don't play TOO strongly, which makes The Two Towers more of it's own movie, rather then just a sequel. The music was beautiful.

Was the Legolas and Gimli Uruk-hai killing contest included in the film?

Yes! This scene has been included and it's great...especially for fans of the book!

One of the scenes took place during Helms Deep where Aragorn threw Gimli at an Uruk-hai during the battle? Is there any truth to this?

Actually yes, but this is one thing I want to leave unspoiled. I think fans will get a kick out of the events that lead up to this point. I'm going to leave this one up to the fans to see for themselves. Everyone will realize why once they see the scene...

How does Treebeard sound?{@@@newline@@@}{@@@newline@@@}Very cool. With John Rhys-Davies, who plays dwarf Gimli also voicing that of the almighty Treebeard, you'll hardly be able to tell that they are the same. A lot of effects are put onto his voice to make Treebeard extremely menacing to all life forms. He sort of reminded me of the giant turtle in the middle of The Never Ending Story, another great fantasy film.

To get a small sample of Treebeard's voice, click on over to The One Ring.net where they are hosting some audio files from the Treebeard toy that talks!

Does Sam use his Elven rope that "unties itself"?

Yes, but only to tie Gollum up after they first encounter him. No untying happens onscreen.

Does Sam hit Gollum with a pan? If so, when?

I think this happens during their first encounter with Gollum as well. Gollum attacks Frodo to snatch the ring, and both Sam and Frodo commence beating Gollum to the ground. I think Sam might have used his frying pan to mellow Gollum out.

Does any of the Fellowship use their Elven cloaks to camouflage themselves?

Yes. Frodo and Sam hide from the men who serve Sauron at the black gates of Mordor.

Does Faramir take Frodo and Sam all the way back to Minas Tirith, or do they just get as far as the ruins of Osgiliath?

As I remember, I think Faramir told them that he was bringing them to the ruins of Osgiliath, but I am not 100% sure on this. It seems to make sense that this is where Faramir brought them as the city was in shambles, but it was also under attack.

Is Gollum caught at the Forbidden Pool of Henneth Annûn?

Yes. It's straight from the book...Frodo denies having anything to do with Gollum, and right before he is about to be shot down, Frodo tricks him into following him...which eventually leads to Gollum's capture by Faramir's men.

Do the Huorns show up to "mop up" the escaping Uruk-hai after they are routed by Gandalf and the Rohirrim at the end of the Battle of Helm's Deep?

No. This is not shown onscreen. The last we see of the Helms Deep battle is when the Riders Of Rohan return to their king with Gandalf The White.

Does Treebeard really bring Merry and Pippin to Gandalf? If so, does Gandalf reveal his identity to them onscreen?

Yes. Treebeard advises the Hobbits that he must consult The White Wizard as to who they were. We then see Merry and Pippin's reaction to the wizard, but the wizard's identity is shielded from the audience.

Do we see Theodred's death at the Fords of Isen?

No. We don't see this happen. The battle is still being waged by the Ents against Orthanc as the movie ends.

Are the Southrons and Easterlings racially different in appearance than the men of Gondor and Rohan?

I think this is the idea, but it was hard to tell a they had so little screen time. The men serving Sauron looked like they might have had a darker skin tone then that of the men of Rohan, but they were wearing full armor, including helmets with masks, and a line of black eye liner around their eyes.

Does the Two Towers have the universal moral and human values that Fellowship had? Or is The Two Towers is just the fantasy epic adventure with a good plot that everybody is talking about?

I think the filmmakers knew what the ultimate theme of Tolkien's books were, and it shows up on film. The entire movie we feel a strong quality of caring for all living things in Middle-earth, and we see that is what our heroes are fighting for.

Do they explain the story behind Gollum, you know, the whole Smeagol/Deagol thing?

Nope. Seems like we might see some of this in Return Of The King. The only thing that The Two Towers alludes to is when Frodo reminds Gollum of who he really is..Smeagol, a Hobbit like creature, way back when. Gollum becomes perplexed by this and start to remember...

How much do we see of Eowyn? Since her full part doesn't come until ROTK, do they add anything with her?

Eowyn fans can rejoice because her character is very prominent in this film. She seems to be sort of a leader of the people of Rohan. I think this is why Aragorn takes a liking to her.

We have seen pictures of Theodred, but no mention of him in any review...where is he?

We see Theodred dead in his bed as Wormtongue tries to corrupt the innocence of Eowyn. No compassion is felt at all from Wormtongue as he realizes that Theodred is dead. After Gandalf release Theoden from the possession of Saruman, he is left with the fact that his son has passed away, and grieves for him at the family tomb with Gandalf.

Do we see Shelob in The Two Towers?

I thought for some reason I had answered this one before, but maybe not because I received e-mail after e-mail about. As any TheOneRing.net junkie would know, NO WE DO NOT SEE SHELOB IN THE TWO TOWERS. At the end of the film Frodo and Sam are being lead by Gollum to a secret entrance into Mordor...in a bit of a side bar, Gollum has another inner battle with himself where he convinces the "good" Smeagol to lead the nasty little Hobbits to "her"...referring to Shelob who we'll see at the beginning of Return Of The King!

Do any of the flashbacks show Aragorn and Arwen's very first meeting? and...I know that Aragorn keeps thinking of Arwen, but do his "feelings" for Eowyn make him seem unfaithful, even in thought?

No flashbacks show the couple's first meeting. Sorry. As far as the Aragorn feeling unfaithful, yes, at least that's the way I took it. Every time he showed interest in Eowyn we'd get a flashback of Arwen.

Does he look mean because he tries to steal the ring from Frodo? Or he is kind, looks wise and good?

Faramir is a leader of his men, aiming his aggression at the likes of Sauron. He is very strong and stern in the film, but it's expected as he is very stressed out by war. He cares not for the Hobbits and their business, and he really shows no kindness in the film until the end, but this is expected of him as all he wants to do is use the ring to destroy the evil. We all know this is not possible.

Do we see Frodo struggling against the effects of the Ring? He is aware of what the Ring is doing to him? How does he even fall into the trap of a trance (during the Nazgul scene) in the first place?

Oh yes, Frodo is aware of what the ring is doing to him, and Sam is even more conscious of it. Frodo struggle with the ring the whole entire movie, and you'll even see that in a few scenes where Frodo turns against Sam.

Does Faramir take the Hobbits to Osgiliath (the city on the river) or to Minas Tirith-where Boromir was going?

Not being 100% positive, I think I can safely assume that Osgiliath was the place that Faramir took the Hobbits.

I was wondering if Hama' s denying the Fellowship entrance into the Golden hall is in?

Yes! This is in, but they don't take Gandalf's staff! That's what allows him to exorcise Saruman from Theoden!

Did Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli meet Merry and Pippin among the ruins of Isengard? Or did they never find out what happens to the two hobbits?

The fellowship NEVER reunites in the movie. We don't get that far along onscreen.

Do we get to see more of Legolas's bow action, and how much does Gandalf the White actually fight?

Oh man. Legolas is the baddest...well, I won't say, but trust me. Legolas was my favorite in this film, and fans of the blonde haired elf...this movie is for you! Gandalf doesn't much at all. I think there are a few scuffles here and there, but he really doesn't fight until the end of the film at Helm's Deep, and even then it's in slow motion for about 5 seconds.

Is the stewed rabbit scene in?

Oh yes my friends, the conies are present, and it's sort of used as comic relief between Gollum & Sam. Gollum wants to know what the heck Sam is doing to his precious catch!

When watching the commentary about Fellowship of the Ring, Jackson mentioned that a lot of the cuts to the film were done to make the first movie more "Frodo-centric." So who is the Two Towers primarily focused on? Is that really obvious that this character is the "star" of the film?

No real stars in this film as the movie keeps pace all the way through. If I had to pick, I would say the focus lends itself heavily to Aragorn through most of the film until the end when we turn our attention back to the ring bearer.

Is the scene with Merry and Pippin at the storeroom in Isengard, from the Decipher Card, shown in the film?

Nope. Most likely we're looking at seeing this in the next film.

Exactly what does Elven blood look like? Is it red like human, or silver like the unicorn in Harry Potter? Or is it a totally different color?

Wow. Very good question, but unfortunately, I can't remember. This means that we didn't see Elven blood at all, OR the night and the rain at helm's Deep covered this up. There might not have been much blood spilled onscreen as well I know the filmmakers probably wanted to do everything they could to keep a PG-13 rating!

When the Riders of Rohan give Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas horses do Gimli and Legolas ride on the same horse as in the book?

Yes they do! And it's a great scene when it happens too. Exactly how I pictured it when I read the book.

Are there more trolls in TTT?

Yes! They doing some grunt work in the film! No fighting...just grunt work.

Is it ever told just how many men and elves defend helm's deep against the 10,000 Uruk-hai?

Before the elves show up, they claim to have 200 men, but they make it really dramatic as they show YOUNG boys getting ready for the battle as well. After the elves show no number is given. Trust me...the Uruk-hai are VERY overwhelming, even at dawn when Gandalf shows up!

Are there any scenes that focus just on Sam like in the books?

Yes, very much so. Frodo is weakening under the spell of the ring. Sam steps up to the plate to handle certain dilemmas.

I'm curious as to when and how Frodo pulls Sting on Sam. Can you explain more?

After the encounter with the Nazgul is when Frodo pulls Sting on Sam. Controlled by the power of the ring, Frodo because very impatient with all of the going-ons around him.

I thought Frodo and Sam were pretending to be asleep and then grab Gollum as he climbs down, but if Gollum pounces on one of them, did he actually catch them off guard?

In the movie, both Hobbits are sleeping...not pretending as in the book. This is why they are caught off guard...BUT, it's like they knew Gollum was coming sooner or later!

I wanted to know how long the battle between the Ents and the Orcs of Isengard is? Do the Ents scream and hurl chunks of Earth as contained in the book?

The battle of the Ents lasts onscreen for only a few minutes, but it is very cool! The Ents scream, fight, stomp, smash, hurl rocks, and actually get lit on fire by them mangy Orcs!

Does the movie show the breaking of Sarumans staff, and the Palintir?

No, we end the Isengard stuff with the Ent battle. As I mentioned before, I think this will be saved for the beginning of Return Of The King.

Stay tuned later this week when we do our official book to film comparison! Thanks to Matt Enright for all the Return Of The King help, and thanks to all that contributed to the FAQ!