Movie Villains

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December 30, 2003

Gollum

Many years ago, two little friends found themselves by a river, as was their usual place, but it was there that they found something extraordinary. Or rather, quite precious. Smeagol (Andy Serkis) was once just "one of the river folk." As it is, though, he became another in a long line of beings seduced by The One Ring, the Ring of Power. To possess it, he murdered one person and retreated into the shadows from all of the rest. Over many years in exile, Smeagol transformed into a hideous creature, into the one called Gollum. He would remain underground until the Ring was discovered by a hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins and taken away.

Bilbo's nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood) would inherit the Ring, and with it a terrible burden: bring it to Mount Doom to be destroyed. He would accept his role as Ringbearer, but he would also bear the weight of the world on his shoulders. In time, Frodo and his companions - the Fellowship of the Ring - would soon discover another thing in common: they were being followed by Gollum. This pathetic, frightened creature had been beyond the Black Gate and back, but the fires of Mordor and the torture he endured could not keep him from seeking out the Ring once again. The Ring's power is tied to the evil Sauron, who once wielded its power with great alacrity and mercilessness, and that evil had seeped into Gollum and corrupted him.

Eventually, Gollum tried to steal the Ring, but he would be captured by Frodo and his most trusted friend, Sam (Sean Astin). Heading for Mordor but unable to find the way, they allowed Gollum to show them how to get there. Frodo showed mercy, something rarely shown to this creature, and soon a softer, sensitive side emerged in Gollum. Poor Smeagol had been buried beneath the ghastly creature known as Gollum, and Smeagol trusted Frodo, calling him master. However, Sam didn't trust Gollum, certain the villainous side in him would rise again.

Sam was right. In time, Gollum would return and prey on Frodo's growing paranoia, turning Frodo against Sam and leading the Ringbearer into a terrible trap. Gollum hoped that Shelob, the giant spider of Mordor, would capture Frodo and eat him up, allowing to grab the Ring for himself. Frodo was able to avoid the spider at first and escaped its lair. Outside, he fought with Gollum and wound up knocking him over a cliff toward certain death. However, Shelob would return and paralyze Frodo, but it couldn't finish him off as Sam returned to valliantly defeat it and drive it away. From there, the Hobbits would continue their journey toward Mount Doom.

Death is never certain, however, especially to a creature as wretched as Gollum. Somehow, he survived his fall and met the hobbits atop Mount Doom. There, he fought Frodo and Sam again. This time, he succeeded in reclaiming the Ring for himself, biting off Frodo's finger to get it. Clutching it in his grasp, Gollum once again held his "precious" close, the Ring remaining the only important thing in his awful life. This held true to Gollum's end, as Frodo threw him into the fires of the mountain. Gollum clutched the Ring and held it aloft as he perished in flames. In the end, he was the last to bear the Ring, so in that, Gollum did everything he set out to do.

Posted by Destro at December 30, 2003 09:35 AM