How Many Black Riders?

[LutraMage]

I've frozen the DVD and counted several times, but each time I can only see Eight Black Riders chasing Arwen & Frodo to the Fords - surely I must be mistaken???:confused: Has anyone else noticed this?

(Sorry if this has already been remarked upon before).

[HobbitChick88]

I heard somewhere that the ninth Ringwraith, the Witch king, was waiting at the ford and he joined them there. Someone might correct me on that, but I think that's right.

[Lady of Rohan]

Hmm.... I never noticed that before (never really looked before). I know that when (at the beggining) they are talking about the nine rings for mortal men and then show the picture, there are nine.

[Elf Girl]

There were 5 riders chasing Strider and the hobbits, and 4 waiting in ambush at the ford. I don't know why you could only see eight. I never counted. :confused:

[Salquënòrëwen]

Well, it's another reason to watch FOTR again!!! ;) :p :D

[Cirdan]

In the movie there are only 7 chasing Arwen and eight at the ford. I guess one was home sick that day.

[Rosie Gamgee]

I have a LOTR poster (which I got for FREE because it was one of the display ones in a department store [much more durable and it will be more valuable in years to come- not that I'd get rid of it.]), and at the bottom it has- besides the words 'Coming on DVD and VHS August 6 2002':D -, the Ringwraiths at the Ford of Bruinen, and I can only count eight in the picture.
P.S. Didn't somebody in the director/screenwriter commentary on the EE of FOTR say that the ninth one joins them at the Ford?

[gimli7410]

who knows PJ always does things his way:p

[Ruinel]

hmmmm... if I might offer a suggestion: read the book. ;) :D

[LutraMage]

Quote from Elf GirlThere were 5 riders chasing Strider and the hobbits, and 4 waiting in ambush at the ford. I don't know why you could only see eight. I never counted.
Quote from Ruinelhmmmm... if I might offer a suggestion: read the book.

Yes, well having read the book more than thirty times (thanks Ruinel:p) I agree with Elf Girl that the Book has five riders chasing Frodo (although not Strider, Glorfindel and the hobbits, who come up behind the riders) and four waiting in ambush at the Ford who try to cut Frodo off. But in the film PJ doesn't follow the book and has apparently all the riders chasing Arwen & Frodo, so why leave just one of the nine out?

Maybe, as HobbitChick88 says, the intention was to have the Witchking ambush them at the Ford, but it was later decided to cut that out of the film. But even at the Ford there only appear to be 8 riders (thought it is hard to count them as the camera angles constantly change) and certainly, even in the extended DVD version, there is no sign of a 9th rider waiting at the Fords.;)

[Cute_Elfik]

It was really only eight riders!!!I do not know where was the last...and it isn't all......Arwen said that five of them were something like injured and didn't follow them.Why is that!?...Or am I don't get her right!?(It is a posobility!....so don't pay attention)
And when the riders where just going where is the ring....they also were only eight!:)

[Elf Girl]

Arwen: There are five wraiths behind you. Where the other four are, I do not know...

[Spock]

I believe when they got to the fjord, the ninth joined them as he's the one who spoke and against whom the waves rose.

[LutraMage]

Could be Spock, could be. It just seems strange that they didn't show him waiting, or joining with the others. Ah, I guess it will just have to remain one of life's little mysteries - unless one of you guys gets some insider information. :)

[Cirdan]

Originally posted by Spock
I believe when they got to the fjord, the ninth joined them as he's the one who spoke and against whom the waves rose.

Nope. I went frame by frame. No late comers or Vikings :p

[Jonathan]

Originally posted by Cirdan
Nope. I went frame by frame. No late comers or Vikings :p :D Vikings in the fjord :D

[LutraMage]

Originally posted by Jonathan
:D Vikings in the fjord :D Jonathan, did you really say that?!?!?!? Groan:p

[IronParrot]

There are nine chasing Arwen.

I very clearly remember it - the defining frame is when they chase her across the open plain, and are in triangular formation.

[Cirdan]

Well, I check it frame by frame on the DVD and there are only eight.

[Elf Girl]

Originally posted by IronParrot
There are nine chasing Arwen.

I very clearly remember it - the defining frame is when they chase her across the open plain, and are in triangular formation.
Sorry, only eight. Count 'em yourself:

[Spock]

Well, I had to go look for myself. The trianglular persuit counted 8. At the ford when they draw their swords it's easy to count -8-. When they are mid stream and almost upon Frodo, as the waters begin to rush down and in just one frame, it appears there are 9. Most frustrating especially since the book says: "At the top of the bank the horse halted and turned about neighing fiercely. There were Nine Riders at the water's edge below...."

[Elf Girl]

Is this what you refer to?

[Cirdan]

There are only eight in that picture (I've got that frame up on the TV). Besides, would it be lamer if the number varied from frame to frame?

Also, did you notice that on the way to the ford Frodo has something like orange oatmeal in the corners of his eyes and then it's gone by the time they get to the ford?

[Cirdan]

Ahhh... I was wrong. The frame where the nine are just drawing their weapons clearly shows nine blades.

[Elf Girl]

http://www.quintessentialwebsites.com/lordoftherings/movieshots/fotr_b1c12_scene4.htm

http://www.quintessentialwebsites.com/lordoftherings/movieshots/fotr_b1c12_scene3.htm

[Spock]

Originally posted by Elf Girl
Is this what you refer to?

No it isn't. Forward a couple more seconds. It's the very last frame before the water takes them. They're much closer to the elf rider and you can see what appears to be nine.

I do agree in all other frames there are eight. It's just that I can understand the confusion after looking closely at these scenes once again frame by frame on the dvd.

http://www.quintessentialwebsites.com/lordoftherings/movieshots/riders_seeing_flood_tn.jpg is the one you shared, it's immediately after that. Anyway you get the idea.

[Elf Girl]

Yup, I know. I get them from Quintessential. I might find it difficult to forward a few more seconds, as I own neither a television nor the DVD, nor the video.

[Feanor9]

There's supposed to be nine wraiths. Maybe in the movie there was only eight. Another mystery added to LOtR:confused:

[olsonm]

Originally posted by Cirdan
Also, did you notice that on the way to the ford Frodo has something like orange oatmeal in the corners of his eyes and then it's gone by the time they get to the ford? I think it's green actually. That shows up twice in the EE. Once just after Sam's line; "Look Frodo, Mr. Bilbo's trolls." and again in the scene you mention: the intentionally (seemingly) surreal moment when a Black Rider's hand reaches out for Frodo.

This may have been an inconsistency in the make-up; a change of plans they hoped no one would notice. Or it may have been an attempt to visualize something more psychological. That it only reappears in the surreal scene mentioned above may lend credence to this possiblity.

[anarion]

I didn't count the nazgul that were present, i was too busy wondering why Arwen was there in the first place.

[JCL2]

9 nazgul total

[legolialis]

no offence but i can't believe you actualy counted! lol it's kinda funny. but then again I love movie bloopers.