Gimli is a
dwarf of
Erebor and is the son of Gloin. He chooses to represent the dwarves on the
Quest much to the displeasure of the elf Legolas. He is stubborn, proud
and deadly with his axe and has a severe dislike of Elves, like all
Dwarves, but slowly warms to Legolas. His cousin Balin rules in the mines
of Moria and Gimli is very upset that Moria was been ravaged by Orcs and
beasts of worst natures such as the Balrog. He is a warrior at heart and
loves to do battle with Orcs. Gimli is played by John Rhys-Davis,
who is known for his work as Sallah in Indiana Jones, "There
is an energetic ferocity in the Dwarf."
Gimli
like Legolas and Aragorn start off in the Two
Towers as chasing the Uruk-hai that have taken the Hobbits captive - he
struggles a little to keep up with the long legged Elf and Man, "Three
days and nights without food or rest." He claims that he is "wasted
over cross country but deadly over short distances." He is surprised
when Legolas defends him when Éomer makes the comment that "I would cut
your head of Dwarf if it but stood but a little higher from the ground." He
follows Gandalf to Edoras and onto Helm's Deep - explaining to Éowyn that
dwarves don't spring from the ground and that there are female dwarves "That
are so alike in appearance to men that you don't even realise," prompting
a "Its the beards" comment from Aragorn. He has a little
trouble with the horse and falls off it a couple of times and then gets pinned
by Wargs and Warg riders in the battle.
He
joins Legoals on the battlement at Helm's Deep with the rest of the Elves (after
an embarrassing moment with an illadjusted mail shirt). Gimli comments to Legolas, as you can barely see his helmet over
the wall, "You could've picked a better spot." As the battle
starts the my favourite quote occurs (it balances out the fact that my favourite
book quote wasn't included - on the FotR Legolas Page)
between Gimli and Legolas: Gimli: "I can't see, what's happening?"
Legolas:
"Shall I describe it to you, or would you like me to
find you a box?" Prompting laughter from the short statured Dwarf.
Fans of the book will greatly revere the fact that Peter Jackson
put in the "scoring" of Orc kills between Legolas and Gimli, as the
battle starts Gimli yells to Legolas: "Legolas, Two." In which
the Elf replies: "I'm up to seventeen." Shoots two more Orcs
"Nineteen." Then we hear Gimli counting the number of Orcs that he
has killed as the camera pans around the battlement - a priceless LotR moment.
Gimli works with Aragorn to give King Théoden time to reseal
the gates on the entrance to the Keep. He even asks Aragorn to toss him across
with a comment "But don't tell the Elf." As dawn approaches
Gimli sounds the great horn of Helm's Deep as the King rides out into the
Uruk-hai army.
Gimli
is a little bit of the comic relief in this movie again but nowhere near as much
as in the previous movie but he is still present. He follows behind Legolas as
the company make their way to Isengard then to Edoras and onto Dunharrow and
when Aragorn means to travel the route through the mountains, Gimli insists on
coming with him, “We’re going with you lad,” to which Legolas adds,
“You know the stubbornness of dwarves.” When he reaches the gate to
Dimholt, Gimli stops, afraid to go any further but when Legolas enters he
remarks, “Awe, an Elf goes underground whilst a dwarf dares not. Awe I’ll
never live it down” and enters the pass. He is reluctant ally to the dead
folk and when Aragorn means to realise them he tries to convince him otherwise
thinking that they might turn against them. On the fields of Pelennor he
continues his counting game with Legolas and when the Elf brings down an entire
Oliphaunt remarks, “That only counts as one.”
When
Aragorn preposes that they march up to the Black Gate, “outnumbered,
certain death. What are we waiting for?” And when the Orcs comes streaming
out, “ I never thought I’d die fighting side by side with an Elf,”
“What about a friend?” “Aye I can do that.”
John had
this to say about his ‘adventures’ in his armour: “You see two people
carrying up a box with my armour, another two with my weapons, one with my
clothes and another with my helmet. They put it all on me and Peter says, ‘Now
run up that hill.’”
Any of the thumbnails
"Stupid
Elf..." |
Posing |
Growling |
RotK Preview |
Making Friends |
With a Dwarf |
Group in Moria |
Posing |
Camping |
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![](LotR/group_sm.jpg) |
![](LotR/twotowers/gimli01_sm.jpg) |
![](LotR/rotk/gimli1_sm.jpg) |
Scowling |
![](LotR/rotk/gimli2_sm.jpg) |
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