mike45

Starting with Frodo leaving the Shire to the destruction of the Ring at Mount Doom, just how much time did the entire adventure take?

wlmowery

Frodo, Sam and Pippin (Merry had left earlier with the last wag****** of Frodo's possessions) left Bag End on September 22nd. The hobbits returned from their quest in late October-early November of the following year (so 13 months elapse from start of quest to end of quest). The final defeat of Sharkey is on Nov. 3rd which is the official end date for the War of the Ring.

QuiGonJosh

Frodo says so at the end of the movie when he's talking while the camera's moving over the map of Middle Earth

RoyalTea

I finally decided to start reading the damn books.

In the movie, you'd think Frodo's quest starts soon after Bilbo's disappearance. Never would have thought that 17 years passed.

wlmowery

Yes, that's true. I think this was the one instance where the collapse timing of the movie makes the situation unclear. The only reference to significant passage of time between Bilbo's party and the beginning of the quest (ie. the 17 year period) is the major physical changes in Bilbo between his party adn the reunion in Rivendell pre-Council of Elrond....

Jason

The ring was destroyed on March 25, just over 6 months after Frodo's departure from Bag End.

DRG

Wow, I had no idea. I thought it was odd how Frodo acts so excited to see Bilbo, when Bilbo gives him the Sting. Maybe the DVDs need 'Pop-Up Time Passage Notes' for LotR dummies like me.

Brian Gentz

I had just imagined, that he looked so old to show that the ring was keeping him young, and since he no longer had it his age was moving alot more swiftly.

wlmowery

I think that is what most viewers perceive as the case. I took it the other way, in light of my knowledge of the books. Plus it fits better with the character of Gollum who, if the aging was as fast as suggested, would have died long before the events in FOTR as he had lost the ring 60 years prior and had several thousands of years of aging to catch up on....

QuiGonJosh

Christ...in the movie it was 13 months ok! Frodo says this near the end of the film over the shot of the map!

Seeker

It was 13 months in the books, too. (leave bag end to arrive back in bag end)


The 17 year discussion is different: the time from Bilbo disappearing to the time they leave Bag End.

QuiGonJosh

Well yeah...

Jason

Right, and when the go to the grey havens (4* years after the quest) Bilbo seems to have aged another 100 years. Actually, I thought they overdid the Grey Havens version of Bilbo, much like they overdid the enchanted Theoden.


* The movie said 4 years (I think) but in the book it was only 2 years.

Seeker

I agree the "final" Bilbo looked MUCH too old. I'd have preferred how he looked in Rivendell, + a few years added, but not as many as were in the movie.