The Unusual Chimneys
In the capital of Rohan, Edoras, things seem to run a little differently than in the rest of Middle-earth. At least, you get this impression if you take a closer look. In The Two Towers, the camera repeatedly shows the city on the hill amidst a stunning landscape.
In one shot, the camera flies towards Edoras, and we see Éowyn standing before the gates of the throne room. Curiously, smoke is coming from several chimneys of the houses below. However, not as it should. The smoke is moving backward, meaning it is not leaving the chimneys but flying into them.
This film mistake is easy to explain: The scene was shot with a helicopter or a drone, and in editing, it was decided to reverse it. The camera doesn’t pull away from Edoras, as the scene was originally filmed, but flies toward the city. However, this trick had the disadvantage that the smoke flows in the wrong direction. Let’s just hope that the residents inside the mentioned houses are doing well…
