Gee, the message I got from it is that no matter how hard you work to accomplish something, it all comes down to some random screw-up.

LOTR is a redemptive mythos. And redemption requires a redeemer as an outside source of the "conclusion". Not chance, but a preconcieved choice by someone "outside" the struggle.

From Dark Horizons

LOTR: The Return of the King: The Chicago Sun-Times talked with Elijah Wood and director Peter Jackson about the third film which they indicate will be longer than the last two: Jackson says "It will be as long as it needs to be. The third is my favorite one in the trilogy. It's almost biblical and makes me cry. It's about incredible courage and the last part of it is just mind-boggling". Wood's attitude runs along similar lines (fancy that!): "The third movie has always been my favorite. I've seen moments from it and they just break my heart. You've grown to care about these characters and they lose quite a lot in the process of the third movie. Frodo, Sam, Gimli, Legolas and Aragorn will never be the same". Meanwhile UK comedians French & Saunders might appear on the DVD of the third film according to Ananova. Finally a pic of Andy Serkis as 'Smeagol' in the film is up at the actor's official site. Thanks to 'Everyone's Snogging Dominic Monaghan'.

Ian McKellan's official site also mentions that part about the "French and Saunders" parody perhaps being included on the dvd.

Strange how far this thread has gone off topic. I hope PJ doesn't end ROTK on a down note. One like FOTR would be fine, but TTT was a very somber mood.

So was this outside force going to make sure it all turned out OK even if no one did anything at all?

Would the outside force have made everything OK if the people of Middle Earth had not set out to physically destroy the ring but instead sat around in prayer groups and held hands and sang Kumbaya and prayed and chanted for deliverance real hard?

Was it necessary that they undertake the actual quest (as they did) to gain deliverance courtesy of the outside force? If they just did their best would that make it certain the outside force would make the quest succeed somehow?

Whatever, the people "inside" the story obviously were never certain that if they just tried hard enough some outside force would ensure their success.

Just curious about the details of the redemptive mythos.

In essence, yes.... Though my understanding of the Tolkien mythos would have precluded the actions above. It is essentially focused chance. It is best summarized by Gandalf in FOTR when he tells Frodo that "Bilbo was meant to find the ring. And that means that you also were meant to have it. And that is a comforting thought."

A more detailed understanding of Tolkiens cosmology (the plan for his fictional reality) is obtained through knowing his full backstory. In the end, all is preordained and preconcieved, but not without flaw. This is very similar to traditional Christian cosmology.

While I always hesitate to recommend the reading of the Silmarillion to anyone, if you are interested in how fate and predestination play into Tolkien's world view for his created reality, then you should at least read the opening section (less than 50 pages long I believe, so just sign it out at the local Library or go to B&N and sit down and read it over an hour) of the Silmarillion (the Song of the Ainur).

Oh well, guess a debate on who Aragorn might get with in the end is feeble to say the least.

If I were him and a menage a trois was not an option, I would take Eowyn.

Here's a shot of Ms. Otto in a candid but beautiful moment, (love the teeth!).

Regarding Eowyn:

Thanks for the correction. I'd totally forgotten about that (and, to be honest, still don't quite remember it ).