A Comparison of the Original Text of J.R.R. Tolkien's THE LORD OF THE RINGS (1954) and the Images in the Two Film Versions of it: Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings (1978, animated) and Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring (2001) and The Two Towers (2002).

Every attempt has been made to find similarities between the two films. Cases where the two film versions agree with each other, but differ from the published novels have also been noted.

The information below contains spoilers. If you have not read the novels or seen the movies, stop reading now.

1. A Long Expected Party

"'PROUDFEET!' shouted an elderly hobbit from the back of the pavilion. His name, of course, was Proudfoot, and well merited; his feet were large, exceptionally furry, and both were on the table."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

The image of Proudfoot in the Two Films is almost identical. Peter Jackson states that his version was an homage to the earlier film. Both films closely match the description in the novel.

"My first introduction to the Lord of the Rings was when I saw the Ralph Bakshi cartoon film in 1978. And even though our movie obviously is stylistically very different and the design is different, there is one shot which I regard as my homage to the cartoon, because it did inspire me to want to read the book, and that's the shot of Proudfoot shouting, 'PROUDFEET!' where I deliberately copied the angle that Ralph Bakshi used which I thought was brilliant."
- Peter Jackson, in the audio commentary to Fellowship of the Ring

2. Three Is Company

"The riding figure sat quite sill with its head bowed, as if listening. From inside the hood came a noise as of someone sniffing to catch an elusinve scent; the head turned from side to side of the road."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

The image of the Black Rider is almost identical in both films, but neither one agrees with the novel. "Three Is Company" is the title of the chapter, not "Four Is Company". The three who should be hiding beside the road are Frodo, Sam, and Pippin. Pippin is a Took, and the Tooks live near Hobbiton. Merry lives farther to the east near the Brandywine river, on the edge of the Old Forest. Sam and Pippin are hiding in a hollow beside the road, while Frodo is hiding in a different spot, a patch of tall grass behind a tree.

"Just in time he threw himself down in a patch of long grass behind a tree that over-shadowed the road. Then he lifted his head and peered cautiously above one of the great roots."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

The Old Forest, In the House of Tom Bombadil, and Fog on the Barrow-Downs are 3 chapters from the novel that are in neither film.

3. At the Sign of the Prancing Pony

"He had a tall tankard in front of him, and was smoking a long-stemmed pipe curiosuly carved. His legs were strectched out before him, showing high boots of supple leather that fitted him well, but had seen much wear, and were now caked with mud. A travel-stained cloak of heavy dark-green cloth was drawn close about him, and in spite of the heat of the room he wore a hood that overshadowed his face; but the gleam of his eyes could be seen as he watched the hobbits."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Both versions adhere closely to the novel. Peter Jackson's version of Strider wears long pants and has a tankard of ale beside him.

A word of warning to men who wear kilts or short skirts in taverns. Be careful when you are sitting with your legs stretched out in front of you, showing off your bare thighs. Especially if you are wearing "high boots of supple leather". You might draw attention to yourself.

4. Strider

"Suddenly I shivered and felt that something horrible was creeping near: there was a sort of deeper shade against the shadows across the road, just beyond the edge of the lamplight. It slid away at once into the dark without a sound. There was no horse."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Were they being chased by four with five waiting at the Ford, or were they being chased by five with four waiting at the Ford? In either case, the scene with the Ringwraiths attacking the Hobbits' empty beds never happened in the novel. Merry had a close encounter with a Black Rider at Bree, nothing more.

5. A Knife in the Dark

"Even as he swooned he caught, as through a swirling mist, a glimpse of Strider leaping out of the darkness with a flaming brand of wood in either hand."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

6. Flight to the Ford

"Dimly Frodo saw the river before him rise, and down along its course there came a plumed cavalry of waves. White flames seemed to Frodo to flicker on their crests and he half fancied that he saw amid the water white riders upon white horses with frothing manes."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Both films include the horse figures within the waters of the river Bruinen. Elrond controls the waters, but the white riders among the waves were created by Gandalf's magic. Neither film mentions the elf lord Glorfindel, who escorted Frodo and company to the Ford of Bruinen. Glorfindel appeared to Frodo, who was wounded with a Morgul-knife, as a shining white figure while all his other companions appeared dim and shadowy. Glorfindel and Aragorn attacked the Black Riders from behind, driving them into the flood.

7. The Council of Elrond

"'So it was that when summer waned, there came a night of moon, and Gwahir the Windlord, swiftest of the Great Eagles, came unlooked-for to Orthanc; and he found me standing on the pinnacle. Then I spoke to him and he bore me away, before Saruman was aware.'"
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

The Eagles were looking for Gandalf because they had a message from Radagast the Brown to deliver to him. Radagast was the only one who knew that Gandalf had gone to Orthanc to consult with Saruman. Radagast does not appear in either film.

8. The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm

"Diving under Aragorn's blow with the speed of a striking snake he charged into the Company and thrust with his spear straight at Frodo. The blow caught him on the right side, and Frodo was hurled against the wall and pinned."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

It was a great orc-chieftain clad in black mail who wounded Frodo in the Chamber of Mazarbul. Bakshi has an orc in ragged furs throw the spear at Frodo, while Jackson has Frodo attacked by a cave troll instead.

9. The Bridge of Khazad-Dûm

"His enemy halted again, facing him, and the shadow about it reached out like two vast wings. It raised the whip, and the thongs whined and cracked. Fire came from its nostrils. But Gandalf stood firm."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Both films give the Balrog literal wings instead of a vast shadow which surrounds it. A later passage in the novel mentions the wings a second time, so both interpretations of whether or not a Balrog has wings seem valid. Bakshi gives the Balrog a lion's head, though his mane does not seem to be on fire, while Jackson emphasizes the fiery aspect of the Balrog.

10. The Mirror of Galadriel

"Down a long flight of steps the Lady went into a deep green hollow, through which ran murmuring the silver stream that issued from the fountain on the hill. At the bottom, upon a low pedestal carved like a branching tree, stood a basin of silver, wide and shallow, and beside it stood a silver ewer."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

The Elves of Lothlórien glow in both movies.

11. The Great River

"Upon great pedestals founded in the deep waters stood two great kings of stone: still with blurred eyes and crannied brows they frowned upon the North. The left hand of each was raised palm outwards in gesture of warning; in each right hand there was an axe; upon each head there was a crumbling helm and crown. Great power and majesty they still wore, the silent wardens of a long-vanished kingdom."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Again, both films are almost identical to the description in the novel.

12. The Taming of Sméagol

"Gollum began to scream, a thin, tearing sound, very horrible to hear. He writhed, and tried to get his mouth to his ankle and bite the rope. He kept on screaming."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

13. Treebeard

"Holding the hobbits gently buy firmly, one in the crook of each arm, Treebeard lifted up first one large foot and then the other, and moved them to the edge of the shelf. The rootlike toes grasped the rocks. Then carefully and solemnly, he stalked down from step to step, and reached the floor of the Forest."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

14. The White Rider

"He lifted up his staff, and Gimli's axe leaped from his grasp and fell ringing on the ground. The sword of Aragorn, stiff in his motionless hand, blazed with a sudden fire. Legolas gave a great shout and shot an arrow high into the air: it vanished in a flash of flame."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

15. The White Rider

"'Long I fell, and he fell with me. His fire was about me. I was burned. Then we plunged into the deep water and all was dark. Cold it was as the tide of death: almost it froze my heart.'"
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

The similarity of the images from the Two Films is remarkable.

16. Helm's Deep

"'Then at night fresh forces came over the river against our camp. All Isengard must be emptied; and Saruman has armed the wild hillmen and herd-folk of Dunland beyond the rivers, and these also he loosed upon us.'"
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

We learn of Saruman's treachery indirectly. Gandalf has talked about it. The quote above is spoken by Ceorl, a survivor of the Battle of the Fords of Isen. Both movies have a scene where Saruman rallies his forces at Isengard and delivers a speech from the tower of Orthanc. In both film versions, Gríma Wormtongue is at Saruman's side, rather than being at Edoras. The Bakshi film seems to have Wormtongue in both Isengard and Edoras simultaneously, while the Jackson version has Wormtongue return to Isengard after being cast out of Edoras.

17. The Passage of the Marshes

"Then Frodo and Sam, staring at the sky, breathing deeply of the fresher air, saw it come: a small cloud flying from the accursed hills; a black shadow loosed from Mordor; a vast shape winged and ominous. It scudded across the moon, and with a deadly cry went away westward, outrunning the wind in its fell speed."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

18. Shelob's Lair

"'We'll see, we'll see,' he said often to himself, when the evil mood was on him, as he walked the dangerous road from Emyn Muil to Morgul Vale, 'We'll see. It may well be, O yes, it may well be that when She throws away the bones and the empty garments, we shall find it, we shall get it, the Precious, a reward for poor Sméagol who brings nice food.'"
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

Gollum reveals his plan, which has only been hinted at, through a flashback in Book IV Chapter 9 (Shelob's Lair). Both movies have Gollum deliver a monologue at an earlier point in the narrative, where he foreshadows later events by saying either "She might help us" (Ralph Bakshi version) or "She could do it" (Peter Jackson version).

19. Helm's Deep

"Down leaped Shadowfax, like a deer that runs surefooted in the mountains. The White Rider was upon them, and the terror of his coming filled the enemy with madness."
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

Gandalf returns to Helm's Deep accompanied by Erkenbrand. Erkenbrand is returning to his own fortress of Helm's Deep, to which his king has fled, leading a thousand foot soldiers from the Westfold. In both movies, Gandalf returns with an army of Horse Riders. Peter Jackson has Gandalf accompanied by Éomer instead of Erkenbrand. In the novel, Éomer has been fighting alongside the forces gathered inside Helm's Deep during the entire battle.

"Behind him, hastening down the long slopes, were a thousand men on foot; their swords were in their hands. Amid them strode a man tall and strong. His shield was red. As he came to the valley's brink, he set to his lips a great black horn and blew a ringing blast."
"'Erkenbrand,' the Riders shouted. 'Erkenbrand!'"
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

Thus ends Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings and the second of the three films in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The battle of Helm's Deep is over and Frodo and Sam are headed towards the Crossroads. In other words at the ends of Book III Chapter 7 (Helm's Deep) and Book IV Chapter 6 (The Forbidden Pool). The last 4 chapters of both books will have to wait for the sequel.