Who doesn’t remember the scene where Gandalf confronts the Balrog and shouts “You cannot pass”? An iconic moment that actually comes from a forgetfulness of Ian McKellen
It is about to celebrate a quarter of a century as one of the most important film sagas in history.: released between 2001 and 2003, the trilogy The Lord of the rings by Peter Jackson is full of iconic scenes and images that will remain in the memory of fantasy fans and lovers of JRR Tolkien’s books forever and we could say that all – or most – of its characters have, at least, a moment or a certain phrase with which we will always remember you. One of those that immediately comes to mind when you think about the character.
In the case of Gandalf, this certainly applies to the famous Khazad-dûm bridge scene, which takes place in the first film of the trilogy that adapted Tolkien’s material, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. In it, the magician makes his companions advance while trying to stop the demon Balrog, standing in front of him like a guardian.
When the Balrog, armed with a flaming sword and a flaming whip, attacks Gandalf, the iconic character rests his left hand on his staff and points his sword at the monster: “You cannot pass!”
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However, what many fans don’t know is that what is perhaps the most famous line the wizard utters in the entire trilogy is actually a mistake made by Gandalf actor Ian McKellen.
An error that can only be realized by those who see the film in its original version and who have not only read Tolkien’s books in English, but have also internalized them word for word.
Although Peter Jackson placed great importance on remaining faithful to the source material down to the smallest detail, in Gandalf’s scene he exclaims “You shall not pass!” (You cannot pass!) By mistake, when he actually should have said “You cannot pass!” (You can not pass!). However, Jackson liked the British actor’s improvised version so much that he simply left it in the film. Of course, this makes no difference in the Spanish dubbing.
