Note: Changes in graphics are due to this page's popularity outstripping server capacity. For the moment, I must rely on links to other websites. All observations are off the cuff (or glove), based on my careful examination of DVD footage and my own modest experience as an amateur archer. I use traditional equipment and techniques similar to those displayed in the film, and I shoot with medieval recreationists who use and make medieval and ancient styles of bows and arrows. However, I am not an expert, so please take these as informed opinions rather than fact.
ALSO: If you are reading this for tips, please remember that archery is not simply an art, but was invented and is designed to kill. It can cause serious injury or death to you or others. Please take lessons, please aim only at inanimate objects, and use my comments at your own risk.
~"Tinw," Tolkien fan since the year Bloom was born.

Contents

• The Gear

• Bow
• Arrows
• Quiver
• Safety equipment

• The Technique

• Stance
• Release
• Hand-to-Hand Combat
• Digital vs. Analog Archery

• The Stunts

If you don't want full spoilers, but just tips for where to watch, here's a partial list...
• Gates of Moria- two nice trick shots.
• Tomb of Balin- watch for perfect aim, Gimli-save, and of course the big one.
• Don't Run on the Stairs- this one's easy to spot. But watch what Legolas did on first switchback.
• Grand Finale- look for the 2-orc trick and the last four arrows he shoots. Especially the last:
• The Best Shot of All-- and you probably missed it. (Good thing he didn't, or there would be no King to Return).
...otherwise click on links or read to bottom of page.

Before we get to the shooting, let us examine the toys all archers love. Stage props? Trick bows? No, as far as I can see, the workmanship of the archery equipment is often as good as the metalsmithing for the edged weapons.

Gear

Legolas' original Mirkwood bow and arrows. Compare with Lórien gear at top of this page.

Bow...

• Design: Legolas' first bow, a recurve he brought from Mirkwood, is quite graceful in profile. Its head-on silhouette is plain; medieval and ancient bows usually lacked shaped handgrips. In Lórien, Galadriel gives him a new recurve whose detailing is exquisite. It's very rare to have carved decoration, because any weak point may result in catastrophic failure and a deadly shatter grenade effect! Aragorn's bow is apparently a "self bow", just a bent wand that looks as if he made it himself. The bows of Haldir's company, the Galadrim elves, are double recurves, and look similar to a South Indian model. Boromir's least favorite orc has a bizarre metal and horn(?) composite bow that looks vaguely Mongolian. I think Faramir's company has genuine longbows, a great technological innovation in the Middle Ages which could pierce even plate mail.
• Material: The Mirkwood bow is bent and shaped wood; a bowmaker who's created a replica claims it's hickory. Aragorn's and the Galadrim-bows look like real wood. It's rumored that Legolas' Lórien-bow was originally carved in wood, then cast in some tough flexible material, which would set my mind at ease about the actor's safety.

(Check out 1st and 3rd images, bottom row, for a look at Boromir's Least Favorite Orc drawing his bow.)

• Draw weight (pounds of pull): Speed, range, and to some extent accuracy depend on the force of release. But the strength and endurance required to draw a traditional bow (non-pulley-assisted) is not trivial. Imagine lifting a bound stack of newspapers by its string, using 3 fingertips, and then do it sideways, hold it steady and release it without shaking. Then do it again and again! Probably Legolas' bows are 30#-45#, standard weight for beginning to intermediate archers. If not for digital fx, the flat trajectory of his shots would mean he's pulling an impressive 60# or more!
• Bowstrings: I'm guessing sinew, from the slight fuzziness on close-up shots; application of beeswax helps slow down this fraying much like hair conditioner protects against split ends. I don't see evidence of reenforced servings (ends of the string that hook around the bow's tips), but in TTT you can see a nock-point, a small bead attached to the string as a guide for arrow placement.
• Paint job, decoration: Hard to say whether they're stained or natural colors. The Mirkwood bow is very dark, grip and tips painted with gold leaves and scrollwork. Legolas' second bow has organic shapes carved into it; I can't tell if there's any paint or varnish, but the light color of the "wood" is unusual. The Galadrim-bows are covered with thin flat metal spirals shaped like vines— I've never seen anything like that before. Aragorn's bow is appropriately utilitarian, as are those of Faramir's company.

Weapons of Haldir and the Galadrim. Compare with South Indian double recurve.

• Accessories: There are several things these bows do NOT have, useful accessories which have become so standard most archers have no idea they can shoot without them. The actors must master a great deal more to use traditional bows.
  • Arrowrest: A pin or shelf normally ensures a steady base from which to launch and more consistent aim.
  • Bowsight: Imagine driving a car whose width and length you don't know, without a speedometer. Even a millimeter of difference at release can translate to tens of feet or yards at the target. You can sight using the arrow or a reference point on the limb of the bow, but it's difficult, and so rare that even the craftsman of my bow refused to believe I didn't want a sight.
  • Shaped/padded handgrip: It's not just for comfort, which is a non-trivial issue since muscle fatigue ruins aim. This is another aid that increases consistency.
  • There is no sign of stabilizers, clickers, silencers, levels, kissers, peepers, pulleys, or intimidating-looking metal bits that improve accuracy, stability, consistency, and take most of the strain out of the draw. A scan of my links above will show you what most archers think is "normal". As far as I can tell, modern bows are made by Klingons.

Arrows.... handmade, NOT machined.

• Tips: Dare we dream they're hand-forged? Lean and mean, the metal heads on Legolas' arrows are narrower and longer than modern broadheads and a good shape for hunting. The Galadrim use elegant leaf-shaped tips with decorative (?) flanges. The tips are not simply glued or screwed on, as with modern arrows; the long metal "sleeves" covering the shaft are a type of socket used in ancient and medieval arrows. I have seen Roman arrowheads much like those Legolas uses.
(See images 5-7 in this gallery for close-ups of Galadrim arrowheads)

• Shafts: Straight, even, slightly shaped/tapered wooden shafts which I assume are hand-lathed. I haven't seen any warping, in spite of blatant evidence of arrow abuse. Wooden arrows are usually stained, varnished, and/or painted to protect them from moisture and make them easier-- or harder-- to see. Legolas' Mirkwood arrows are stained dark brown for camouflage, his Lórien arrows are painted a lovely sage green, orc-arrows are black, and the ones used by Haldir's company are an unstained, unpainted pale wood.
• Weight/spine: The heavier and stiffer the arrow, the more force is needed to get it moving, but very light arrows will wobble and lose momentum faster. Legolas' look typical of a 45# bow, as do the Galadrim's. Aragorn's arrows are surprisingly lightweight. The Uruk-hai arrows are almost like crossbow bolts: heavy, stiff, brutal, packing quite a punch.
• Nocks: Most arrows I've managed to glimpse, including Legolas' Lórien-arrows, appear to have attached nocks, which are plastic unless the prop team has come up with something unusual. The Mirkwood arrows could be hand-carved nocks, but this is rare, since besides the labor problems, the arrows tend to split from the nock

• Feathers: All feathers look real-- no plastic or synthetic. There's at least 3 different types of bird-feathers in use, instead of just goose-feathers. The long, beautiful white feathers on the Galadrim arrows are probably supposed to be swan. The colors of the Mirkwood arrows are muted earthtones: great hunting camouflage, but all but impossible to spot after shooting them. They are worn and a little ragged as if they've been in use a long time. Legolas' Lórien-arrows have diamond-shaped, faded-gold feathers probably meant to suggest mallorn leaves. Aragorn's arrows have small, ragged gray feathers. Goblin arrows are fletched with such wretched feathers they look like demonic feather dusters; again, brute force more than aerodynamics keeps them aloft. Boromir's Least Favorite Orc has better ones, but they're huge and heavy and frayed around the edges.
• Fletching technique: The first time I saw this film, I was only thinking one thing when they reached Lórien: "My gods, they're hand-wound!" Even among traditional-archery enthusiasts, this is very rare. It's hard enough to keep feathers tight and lined up in the correct configuration while gluing them. But before there was glue, people had to use thread and simply bind/wrap the feathers to the shaft. This process is laborious, exacting, and horribly difficult to do without causing the "vanes" of the feather to separate and be less aerodynamic. The fletcher must keep the feathers straight, separated from each other at exactly sixty degrees, perpendicular to the arrow, and not bunching up or bowing away from the shaft at any point. All the arrows I've been able to see are hand-wound, and in particular the gold threading on Legolas' Lórien arrows is exquisite.

Quiver...

A quiver is just a spot to stick things; it doesn't need to be much more than a wrapping paper tube with a cap on the bottom. Any detailing beyond a secure and stable form of attachment and enough reenforcement to protect the arrows is purely gratuitous.

Safety protection: not much.

Legolas is missing two vital items which elves would scorn but which mortals usually wear to avoid bruises and cuts.

• Glove for bow hand: Even with an arrow-rest raising the arrow half an inch above the archer's hand, feathers sometimes catch the top knuckle on release and leave industrial-strength paper cuts. The sight of an arrow resting on bare skin makes me wince.
• Finger protection for string hand: The string can wear through callouses and skin, cutting off circulation, and leaving blisters at the least.
• Bracers: His are the kind that help stiffen one's arm, and they should be fine as long as that inner edge doesn't catch the string. The other worry is that they don't cover his elbow, which is where most beginning archers collect bruises. The bracers do keep his shirt sleeve out of his string, which is important, because the tiniest snag on release can send the arrow dangerously out of control.
• Braids: Yes, they are actually safety equipment! Braids, hats, or hair barrettes are essential for keeping long hair out of the bowstring, for the same reason that sleeves are a problem.

Stance and Release: This He Can't Fake

So there Orlando Bloom stands, arrayed in the finest gear of the elves, hopefully with good callouses on his fingers. Now what part of this is he actually doing?

• The key to archery is consistency, and it's phenomenally harder to achieve without modern aids. Orlando Bloom doesn't need to worry about aim, but he has to have a smooth release and basic skills. The powers of the Computer Fairy are great, but it would look wrong if his arrows came wobbling off the string like a dying fish and then miraculously flew straight. Also, unless he's careful, they will need extra cameramen. So how's his form? This is where my amateur eye may miss something, but as far as I can tell...
• Stance? Glorious, at least when he has a moment to set his feet. Straight, the whole body parallel and in line with the arrow, shoulders over knees, eye very focussed and looking right down the shaft.
• Tilt! Without an arrow rest, the bow needs to be canted at a slight angle to keep the arrow securely resting on the knuckle. He gets some very dramatic-looking shots doing this.
  
• Head: He doesn't turn his head as much as I'd expect, but instead turns just enough that he can use both eyes to aim. I wonder if he has to do this to compensate for the extreme tilt he sometimes uses, or vice versa. Perhaps both are helping him prevent his jerkin's sleeve from catching his bowstring. (See the publicity shot at the top of this page for why he needs to worry about it).
• Arms: The parts that should be straight are straight, he's braced against the tension without straining, and joints are locked but not so stiff he's going to jerk when he lets go. His bow-hand isn't bending inward due to muscle fatigue. The forearm that's drawing is nicely aligned with the arrow-shaft. Instead of tilting from the hips, he sometimes raises his arm to aim high, which can shorten an archer's draw. That will change the arrow's release and require him to adjust his aim, but so long as he can compensate, the only drawback is that it shaves some yards off his maximum range.
  



• Anchor: Usually fixed and consistent; it looks like he's always pulling to a particular tooth. Anchor is where consistency is most vital. Unless you draw to exactly the same place, the arrow won't leave the bow at the same speed and angle, and you'll have to aim mostly on instinct rather than by visual cues. When moving, he sometimes draws under his chin or (while stair-surfing) overhead.
• Mouth: closed. Good. Minute changes in jaw position can shift face muscles enough that they disguise any reference point you're using on your face to anchor. A lot of people are never taught this.
• Eyes: Many archers have trouble keeping both eyes open, but he seems fine with that. Normally he sights straight down the shaft, unless he's moving and can't do so without risking poking an eye out.
• Release: He must let let go smoothly even though it feels to him like he's holding the leash of a determined labrador retriever with his fingernails; a millimeter of wobble at release translates to inches or even yards depending on target range. Even if the Computer Fairy Targeting Assist is engaged, the release is just as vital, because those shots are always bullseyes, and Bloom's job is to show why. Now and then I catch him doing a "pluck", where instead of just opening his fingers as if letting go of a piece of paper, he pulls his fingers back as if twanging the string. It's hard to avoid doing that. His follow-through has an flourish on the end which isn't so exaggerated as to screw up what he's doing.

What on Middle Earth is he doing with those knives?

Most people say archery isn't possible in hand-to-hand combat. Bows get tricky at very close range, since the arrow comes off the string at tremendous force and actually starts out bent, taking a few feet to straighten out its path and stabilize. Even without that problem, drawing and aiming takes extra space. Your targeting window is constrained. Firing and reloading takes longer than swinging most weapons. You've got a long thin piece of wood and a string just begging to be snagged, cut, broken, or grabbed. This does not stop Legolas, who hits targets at 3 feet as well as 300 yards. However, he's just as liable to be using those knives, and sometimes he's switching between them awfully quickly.

How? It takes time to swap from a two-handed weapon to anything else, and a bow is fragile, and you can't just jam it in your pocket. Legolas is undaunted by the laws of physics on this point, however. Why isn't he clipping his bowstring, snapping the bow, or dropping it? How is he able to get an arrow nocked so quickly after he slices and dices? It's not all done by strategic camera cuts!

I finally realized the function of those sheaths built into the quiver, with long-handled knives braced at exactly the right angle. He can reach back and pull an arrow. He can reach back and pull a knife. He can reach back holding a knife, stow it, and snag an arrow in the same smooth movement. If, mind you, he is incredibly, incredibly precise, and knows exactly where everything is without having to see it, even while it's shifting against his back. A slip sheathing a knife at speed means he chops up his quiver, his arrows, his clothes, or himself.

Analog vs. Digital Archery: What Part of This Is the Actor Really Doing?

And here, alas, is where Orlando Bloom ends and the computer begins. Or does it? To his credit, he did not merely learn enough to make his release and form look smooth. He actually learned enough to be a competent archer (and to shoot from horseback, which is a rare skill even among archers). There's a brief interview of him on the DVD at the range where he trained, and while his bullseye might have been a lucky shot, his form looks fine, and he's got a lovely grouping on the target at about forty yards. Bullseyes are gratifying, but grouping and consistency are the real demonstration of skill.

Actually, it's an interesting question how much the actor's shots are doctored, and I wish I could answer it more definitively. Most of his shots demonstrate the Computer Fairy Targeting Assist, with which the Fellowship could have defeated Sauron if they only knew of Legolas' secret powers. However, his final sequence of arrows look to me like real ones that have simply been sped up. And his very last shot, where we get an excellent close-up of the arrow and follow it from draw to the snap-jerk-wobble of impact, looks amazingly real.

Stunt Archery in the Age of the Computer Fairy:
When and what to look for while watching FOTR

[1:28 Chapter 27] Gates of Moria:

• As Frodo is flapping about in the gooey grasp of Calimari Surprise, Legolas runs out and shoots a second tentacle right next to Frodo's head, which was trying to grab him more securely. Legolas, this is not a ring-shoot. Be careful!
• Boromir yells for help as he and Aragorn lunge out of the water with the Watcher right behind them. Legolas obligingly sends an arrow whizzing past the heads of Aragorn and Boromir, missing them by mere inches, and slows the beastie long enough for them to reach solid ground. §§§

[1:36 Chapter 29] Tomb of Balin fight:

Otherwise known as "the battle where Boromir actually remembers he owns a shield."

But he's still not human, because his aim isn't shaken in the slightest when he's angry or speed-shooting. See the orc that just leapt high in the air and spun dramatically? Bang, nailed between the eyes on the way down.

• The Boss Fight is signalled by a loud boom, and a troll who only staggers for a second when hit by Legolas' arrow and Gimli's throwing axe. Time to get serious.
• Gimli gets knocked to the ground when Balin's tomb is smashed. (Poor Balin!) Legolas breaks off from knife-fighting, turns, and whips off a classic stunt to save him: the double-arrow shot. It's extremely difficult to get the release right, because there's nothing on a bow to keep extra arrows from slipping and falling. The arrows tend to go off in different directions. No problem for Legolas; he does some subtle fingerwork with his bow-hand to steady the top arrow and yank his finger out of the way as the arrows come off the string. In yet another "Glad 'ee don't miss" shot; both arrows skim over Gimli's head before knocking the troll off its feet. §
• Next up: troll-surfing. Now, lest you think shooting point-blank straight down into a large target is child's play, consider: the troll's bucking like a bronco, and its brain is the size of a pea. Unfortunately Legolas forgot to take into account the latter. I would also note that bows are not designed for shooting straight down; chances of jabbing the back of the arrow into your own gut are high. Trust me on this.
  
• After this, Legolas vanishes for a while and everyone else gets to be heroic. If only they had his Computer Fairy on their side! All it ever does for them is smash them against walls, floors, and occasional sharp pointy objects. Boromir will especially come to rue this fact. Note the nice collection of elf-arrows and Gimli's throwing axe in the troll when it's making Frodo's life difficult.
  
• In the end, Legolas scores the kill, but even more gratifying is the fact that the Boss Fight is won not by brute force, but teamwork. Gimli and Gandalf distract it, Pippin stabs it, and Legolas, who can evidently hold his draw longer than most archers without getting arm-fatigue, waits for it to bellow so that he can shoot up through its mouth and up into its brain, without punching through and killing Pippin. Another "Glad 'ee don't miss" shot which the hobbit was unfortunately not in a position to appreciate. §
• Non-archery detail on the way out: While sprinting, Legolas looks up before you know what's coming, apparently the only one to get wind of the orcs in the ceiling before they come swarming out. Everyone else is concentrating on the path ahead, the pursuit behind them, and running.

[1:44 Chapter 30] Don't Run on the Stairs:

In which Legolas has to catch many people much smellier than himself.

• Good thing 'ee don't slip, either: After Legolas saves Boromir from plummetting to his death, they all go charging down the steps. By the first switchback the party is spread out about 15 feet vertically. Watch closely and you'll see Legolas leap over the side of the switchback and take a sickening drop — on horribly steep stairs, yet— to wind up close to Boromir before they hit the next snag. Boromir's not a clumsy idiot: he's just loaded with a chainmail coat, shield, and great sword, plus he's a big guy. Momentum is not his friend. §
• Legolas winds up assisting Gandalf, Boromir, Gimli, and Aragorn in their jumps, but he also gets one more gratuitous stunt shot in which we get to follow his arrow all the way up to a target several hundred yards away. Insanely good aim at a range beyond that of some crossbows proves, once again, that Legolas is not human. Aragorn also manages to lob at least one up there, which is doubly impressive considering his little bow.
• That's the last archery for a while, but there's a fun detail as a result of this scene. Legolas arrives in Lórien with only three arrows left, yet has the guts to pull one on the elves who ambush them. He's not stupid; Legolas Math will be explained later.

Kill Your Darlings:

Alas, Legolas does not get to bring down a flying Nazgűl in the dark. I am sorry that scene was cut. But his archery in the last battle makes up for it.

[2:09 Chapter 37] Final battle:

In which Boromir discovers that the Computer Fairy is not his friend, and Legolas demonstrates that 1 + 1 = 1 for especially sharp values of 1.

• Where did Legolas get his apparently unlimited ammo? The Extended DVD shows him paddling away from Lórien, and piled behind him in the boat are at least nine sheafs plus his quiver. The Galadrim apparently decided, after he had the gall to pull an arrow on them with only three left, that he needed refills.
• I think Aragorn was justified in being "late" in the next movie, considering how long it took Legolas and Gimli to give him a hand with fifty-odd orcs. Eventually they arrive, and Legolas runs in shooting the orcs surrounding Aragorn, in yet another demo of the Secret Mantra. I can't walk and chew gum, let alone sprint and shoot orcs.
• Legolas Math: One of his arrows in this scene goes through 2 orcs. Is that a 120# longbow? I'll be over here in this bunker.
• More Legolas Math: Jam arrow into an orc's eye, nock and reuse it on next target. Legolas, being a nature-lover, believes in recycling. Repeatedly slamming an old arrow into a concrete floor proved this does not snap the shaft, much to my surprise.
• After Boromir's heroic arrival rushing in to save Merry and Pippin, start watching closely as soon as he scores a kill with a throwing knife. The next camera cut shows Legolas' last great moment; after that the story belongs to Boromir, Aragorn, and the Hobbits.
• It's what brought me out of the seat most the first time I watched this movie, and it's easy to miss. Legolas shoots 3 arrows in 3 seconds, and of course, kills an orc with every shot. It's fun to watch, listen, and count the time between the lightning bolts! (I hear there's six on the extended DVD). Alas, he then takes several seconds to line up his final shot. Personally, I would have taken, say, a couple weeks of test rounds before trying that one.
  
  (Gallery: second column, six rows down, wide-angle view): Legolas takes up orc collecting while Aragorn takes up getting the stuffing beat out of him.
  
  
• Reality check: A speed-shooting addict, I get 6-7 arrows off in 30 seconds, about half in the kill zone on an unmoving target at 20 yards. I've seen an Olympic-class archer loose 14 arrows mostly on-target in 30 seconds, at peak performance. Aiming isn't the big problem; getting an arrow out of a quiver and onto the string is the problem. There's even more speed-shooting in TTT; count to yourself when arrows are being fired to enjoy it properly.

THE GRAND FINALE §

It's in plain sight, but things are moving so fast you just don't have time to think about it.

While Legolas was plinking away at lightspeed, he could hardly fail to be aware that Aragorn was having a spot of bother with an Uruk-hai. It's strangling him and slamming him against a tree, which blocks Legolas from doing much about it. Aragorn manages to draw his knife, at which point his opponent swings him around trying to snap his wrist with one hand and his neck with the other. In the process the orc steps away from the tree. Legolas sees his chance, steps forward, and shoots an arrow partway through the orc at nearly point blank range. Aragorn regains his feet and goes charging off to help Boromir.

You don't even think about it when you see it. But if you recall Legolas Math and the orc kabobs a few minutes ago, you will realize that Aragorn should have been killed by the arrow that saved him. That shot didn't look spectacular, but it was impossible. How'd 'ee do dat?

All Legolas had to do was know exactly where that orc was about to be, exactly what density it was, and, most importantly, exactly how much force would be required for an arrow to cover the distance, skewer the orc, and stop before it went through Aragorn too. And then, somehow, he had to adjust his release so that he was using only a fraction of his bow's power.


The ultimate shot: no margin for error.

So there's the last real Legolas Moment, and a perfect summary of his character. Although he's a king's son, he's not one of the big players (see my "Prince Among Equals" article for the complete scoop on Legolas in the books), but rather, serves as a support for his friends. In the movie, Legolas is the quietest person in the Fellowship, tends to stay in the background, and usually steps forward only when acting as look-out, or to rescue one of the strong characters caught in a split-second moment of vulnerability. As an elf he doesn't rely on brute force, but rather agility and speed, focus and an uncanny awareness of physical space. And for all that he occasionally shows distress or anger, at times like this, when Aragorn is in mortal danger and extreme duress, the elf is patient, picking off orcs while waiting for the right opening, then taking that extra second he needs to get the shot right. There's not a flicker of doubt in those eyes that he can do it-- it's a look of pure concentration. While he's not singing elven ballads or climbing trees, that is an image of Legolas that fits the character Tolkien envisioned.

To me, while Balrogs and great thundering armies clashing at the foot of Mt. Doom are thrilling and glorious to behold, it's the use of FX to slip in subtle details like this that are the real gems. The miracle will only be registered in the subconscious of 99% of the viewers. Why bother? For those who try to pay attention with elven-sight as well as human.

And so, fellow archery buffs, next time you get out your FotR DVD ...let me finish... be an elf and think about the little things you see but don't notice. And when Legolas does this last glorious shot, say the words Aragorn must be thinking as he catches his breath: "Good thing 'ee don't miss."

---

Men pilinn lín. Le cű vín.
"We are your arrows. You are our bow."

Elvellyn (elf-friends) have stopped by since 2/26/03

Legal Stuff: The Fellowship of the Ring and the characters, events, items, and places therein are trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien Enterprises. Peter Jackson's film adaptation of FoTR is © 2002 New Line Productions, Inc. Copyrights and trademarks for the books and films are held by their respective owners and their use is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Law.

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