Well of course screentime doesn't mean that much of it doesn't build on his character. Meeting the ruined Saruman on the road or his final confrontation with Frodo are important to his character.
“Saruman rose to his feet, and stared at Frodo. There was a strange look in his eyes of mingled wonder and respect and hatred. 'You have grown, Halfling,' he said. 'Yes, you have grown very much. You are wise, and cruel. you have robbed my revenge of sweetness, and now I must go hence in bitterness, in debt to your mercy. I hate it and you! Well, I go and I will trouble you no more. But do not expect me to wish you health and long life. You will have neither. But that is not my doing. I merely foretell.”
Saruman was once great and that's an important fact glosssd over by the movies. They do not address the tragedy of his fall. For even as he fell, he was constantly in doubt, fearful and indecisive, and he considered repenting multiple times. In Unfished Tales Tolkien talks of how Saruman met with the Witch-king at one point and there's one version of the story I find very intriguing:
"In C, on the other hand, the Black Riders arrived at the Gate of Isengard while Gandalf was still a prisoner in the tower. In this account, Saruman, in fear and despair, and perceiving the full horror of service to Mordor, resolved suddenly to yield to Gandalf, and to beg for his pardon and help. Temporizing at the Gate, he admitted that he had Gandalf within, and said that he would go and try to discover what he knew; if that were unavailing, he would deliver Gandalf up to them. Then Saruman hastened to the summit of Orthanc - and found Gandalf gone. Away south against the setting moon he saw a great Eagle flying towards Edoras.
Now Saruman's case was worse. If Gandalf had escaped there was still a real chance that Sauron would not get the Ring, and would be defeated. In his heart Saruman recognized the great power and the strange "good fortune" that went with Gandalf. But now he was left alone to deal with the Nine. His mood changed, and his pride reasserted itself in anger at Gandalf's escape from impenetrable Isengard, and in a fury of jealousy."
Well of course screentime doesn't mean that much of it doesn't build on his character. Meeting the ruined Saruman on the road or his final confrontation with Frodo are important to his character.
“Saruman rose to his feet, and stared at Frodo. There was a strange look in his eyes of mingled wonder and respect and hatred. 'You have grown, Halfling,' he said. 'Yes, you have grown very much. You are wise, and cruel. you have robbed my revenge of sweetness, and now I must go hence in bitterness, in debt to your mercy. I hate it and you! Well, I go and I will trouble you no more. But do not expect me to wish you health and long life. You will have neither. But that is not my doing. I merely foretell.”
Saruman was once great and that's an important fact glosssd over by the movies. They do not address the tragedy of his fall. For even as he fell, he was constantly in doubt, fearful and indecisive, and he considered repenting multiple times. In Unfished Tales Tolkien talks of how Saruman met with the Witch-king at one point and there's one version of the story I find very intriguing:
"In C, on the other hand, the Black Riders arrived at the Gate of Isengard while Gandalf was still a prisoner in the tower. In this account, Saruman, in fear and despair, and perceiving the full horror of service to Mordor, resolved suddenly to yield to Gandalf, and to beg for his pardon and help. Temporizing at the Gate, he admitted that he had Gandalf within, and said that he would go and try to discover what he knew; if that were unavailing, he would deliver Gandalf up to them. Then Saruman hastened to the summit of Orthanc - and found Gandalf gone. Away south against the setting moon he saw a great Eagle flying towards Edoras.
Now Saruman's case was worse. If Gandalf had escaped there was still a real chance that Sauron would not get the Ring, and would be defeated. In his heart Saruman recognized the great power and the strange "good fortune" that went with Gandalf. But now he was left alone to deal with the Nine. His mood changed, and his pride reasserted itself in anger at Gandalf's escape from impenetrable Isengard, and in a fury of jealousy."
edited 26th Dec '13 6:00:16 PM by Nikkolas