Boromir is a good man and a stalwart companion.
It needs to be said. I give Sean Bean a lot of credit for his performance in the movies, especially when you factor in the scenes that were cut from the theatrical edition. There's one where he's teaching Merry and Pippin the basics of swordplay, which shows him as a warm and generous person. There's also a flashback scene with him, Faramir, and Denethor, showing Boromir sticking up for his little brother when Denethor is being overly harsh with Faramir.
I very much regret that those scenes were cut from the regular version. In part, this is because they give some excellent characterization that adds a lot of depth to a truly complex character, much of which was lost from the films. And because those scenes are great examples of what a movie adaptation can do right. Both scenes are not in the books, but they are entirely true to the spirit of them and fit in perfectly with everything.
Here, he's still not convinced that the decision to destroy the Ring is the best one. He's not certain that the course Aragorn and Gandalf are setting is the wisest. But he accepts both, and is absolutely critical in the Fellowship surviving Caradhras.
It was on Boromir's advice that they brought wood with them, allowing them to get enough warmth to survive the night. And it was Boromir who took charge come the morning, literally forcing (with Aragorn's help) a way back through chest-deep snow. (“though lesser men with spades might have served you better,” he acknowledges.)
The movie shows Saruman summoning the snow, but there's no evidence of that. The general conclusion of the Fellowship is that it's malevolence from Caradhras itself.
There isn't a whole lot that happens in this chapter, but it's a worthy one. Mostly because it could have been titled “Boromir Saves the Day.”
Friday we go for a Journey in the Dark. Given that they don’t wear shoes, the Hobbits in particular are in grave peril of stubbed toes.
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