[OT] [I mean totally OT] Re: What can you "new"

[Christopher Wright]

Andrei Alexandrescu wrote:
> Christopher Wright wrote:
>> What bomb? There was no bomb at Helm's Deep.
>>
>> I seem to recall a bomb in the movie, but that was pointless frippery.
> 
> Well I'm not sure we're talking about the same battle. The one I talk 
> about takes place during the night; at the end, as the sun rises, 
> Gandalf rides down the ravine with reinforcements and saves the situation.

Same battle.

> The bomb created a large breach in the wall and was a turning point in 
> the battle. Without it, I don't think the assailants could have made 
> much progress.

In the book, the defenders were doing extremely well, but no matter how 
well they did, the end result was guaranteed.

The orcs going through a culvert is a mark of their ingenuity and ardor. 
Replacing it with a crude bomb was a disservice to the orcs -- and by 
extension, to their enemies.