During the 2002 film adaptation of theTwo Towersby Peter Jackson, Frodo, Sam and Gollum are captured by Faramir of Gondor, and his band of Rangers, whilst they are distracted bythe sound of the Oliphaunt, also known as Mumakils. Faramir orders his men to take the hobbits captive, and they are gagged and blindfolded on the way to his secret lair, where he later learns of their possession of the One Ring of power, and their quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom where it was created. But what is this hide-out he takes them to, and why is it so important?
The answer lies within the band of Rangers themselves. Faramir is not trusted by his fatherDenethor, the Steward of Gondor, and feels that his father isn’t doing enough to fortify the kingdom, and protect the people of Minas Tirith. He therefore takes it upon himself to gather a group of loyal followers who would go with him to patrol the borders for spies and allies of the enemy. They call themselves the ‘Rangers of Ithilien.’
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When they first find the hobbits skulking around in the undergrowth, they assume them to bein league with the evil Sauron, which is why they take them hostage. The hidden glen that they use as their base is a secret spot that they have chosen for themselves, which was originally founded by an earlier Steward of Gondor and is strategically located to give them a great vantage point of the lands, but also the least chance of being discovered by Denethor and his men, who might try to put a stop to their operation.
Henneth Anun, which can be translated to mean ‘Window of the Sunset’ in the common tongue, is so named by the Rangers because of the waterfall that runs over the entranceway to the cave. Only when the light shines in very specific directions can the opening be seen, hence its comparison to a door or window. The waterfall runs into a glistening pool, and this is the pool in which Gollum, unfortunately, decides to go fishing. The audience comes across the scene at the same time as Frodo, who has been woken from sleep to witness Gollum’s trial in a sense.Gollum, who used to be a type of Hobbitthat loves the water, is innocently singing along to an old riverfolk tune, bashing a fish against the rock for his supper, completely unaware of the archers with their arrows pointed at him from all sides. Faramir warns Frodo ‘To enter the forbidden pool bears the penalty of death.’
To manyLord of the Ringsfans, this punishment seems extreme and harsh, and there can only be two explanations for it. The first is that it is in fact forbidden, and those who enter will be executed in case they should discover the entrance, and reveal the whereabouts of the hide-out to unwanted ears. The second is that the pool is not actually forbidden, but Faramir has concocted this as a rouse, a test of sorts, to see Frodo’s reaction to the possibility of his men slaughtering Gollum. This would be a cunning plan on Faramir’s behalf, and would also explain why he wakes the hobbits and gives them the chance to save their guide, rather than just shooting Gollum as soon as he is discovered in the clear waters.
Based on Frodo’s pleas for mercy, Faramir learns that Frodo has a conscience, and also that he is telling the truth about their mission and Gollum’s part in it. He takes the opportunity to interrogate the poor creature, whocurrently takes the form of Smeagol, which unfortunately results in his split personality Gollum coming back. They feel betrayed by Frodo, believing that he let Faramir’s rangers hurt him, which ultimately leads to Gollum splitting Frodo and Sam up. He achieves this by pretending that Samate all of the Lembas bread, which he actually threw over the winding stairs of Cirith Ungol. With Frodo and Sam torn apart from one another by Frodo’s suspicion, Gollum leads the Ring-bearer to the lair ofShelob the spider demon, in the hopes that she will kill him.
However, this encounter is a good thing in many ways, because Faramir passes the test of resisting the alluring voice of the ring, and lets it go, something that his brother Boromir could not do when he wasa member of the fellowship. It also means that when Faramir then sees Pippin in the Citadel of Minas Tirith, he recognizes him as a halfling, and is able to inform him and Gandalf that Frodo and Sam are alive and have passed through that way not long ago. It is a beacon of hope for the fellowship, and gives them the strength and courage that they need to win their remaining battles and complete their quest.
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