Why 'The Battle of Five Armies' is Not a Part of Peter Jackson's Hobbit Trilogy

Often ruminated over by fans of J.R.R. Tolkien's works, the inclusion or exclusion of certain pivotal scenes from the The Hobbit has sparked numerous debates. One such episode under scrutiny is 'The Battle of Five Armies,' which some deemed a missed opportunity for Peter Jackson's The Hobbit trilogy. This article delves into the reasoning behind Jackson's decision to exclude this epic battle, examining its implications and the broader narrative structures at play.

Context and the Original Source Material

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, which was published in 1966, concludes the book sequence and features a climactic battle between dwarves, elves, men, orcs, and wargs. However, the presence of the Eagles is not considered an 'army' in the strict sense of the term. According to The Hobbit, the battling forces are:

My Early Perspective on 'The Battle of Five Armies'

As someone who initially read The Hobbit around 50 years ago, I found the inclusion of 'The Battle of Five Armies' to be somewhat perplexing. It felt like a long and unnecessary epilogue, interrupting the climax of the book and leading to a subpar resolution. This view is shared by many, and seems to suggest that Tolkien may have needed a good editor to streamline his narrative, ensuring a more coherent and satisfying conclusion.

Why 'The Battle of Five Armies' Was Excluded

Misunderstandings often arise over the inclusion or exclusion of specific chapters in the Hobbit trilogy. Some fans were disappointed by the absence of 'The Scouring of the Shire,' a chapter that delves into the aftermath of the main story and the Hobbits' return home. This chapter is crucial as it highlights that the victory over Sauron did not eradicate all evil in Middle-earth, leaving the Hobbits to face their own challenges.

Screenwriter's Reasoning

According to Peter Jackson, the decision to exclude 'The Battle of Five Armies' was driven by practical considerations of the multi-film adaptation. Jackson stressed that each film in the series had to maintain its own narrative arc, leading up to its own climax. J.R.R. Tolkien had originally created The Lord of the Rings as a single-volume work, but the publishers of the time opted to release it in three parts, each of which had to be commercially successful.

The structure of individual films in the Hobbit trilogy adhered to this principle. For instance, The Fellowship of the Ring builds to the breaking of the fellowship, a climax that mirrors the book's structure. Similarly, The Two Towers concludes with a significant battle, but Jackson made changes to this sequence for cinematic reasons. Finally, The Return of the King leads to the destruction of the One Ring, with these climaxes being the expected outcomes for each film.

Scouring of the Shire and Narrative Flow

The scene that supporters of the book wished to see in the films is referred to as 'The Scouring of the Shire.' This chapter, while important, details the Hobbits' return to their homeland and the challenges they face after the defeat of Sauron. Given the structure of the Hobbit films, which required each part to have its own climax, Jackson and his team decided that this denouement should be a separate film to maintain the structure of three standalone movies.

The Battle of Five Armies and Its Impact

Excluding 'The Battle of Five Armies' from the Hobbit films did have some impact on the narrative. Had Jackson made Return of the King with a similar structure, viewers would have seen the fall of Sauron, the celebrations, and the journey back to the Shire before entering the climactic scene involving the Scouring of the Shire. However, Jackson believed that this sequence would have felt anti-climactic if tacked on to the earlier parts of the film. The film's structure was designed to build up to the final scenes of Return of the King, leaving more room for the subsequent scenes of resolution in the Shire.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the decision to exclude 'The Battle of Five Armies' from Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy was a strategic choice made to maintain the structure of three standalone films. While some fans might have preferred to see this pivotal battle in the films, the reasoning behind the decision aligns with the need to produce a coherent and climatically satisfying narrative. Whether one agrees with Jackson's decision or not, it's a testament to the complex task of adapting any form of literature into the medium of film.