The “other” elves – Elrond, Galadriel, Haldir and Celeborn – have startlingly different roles in film and book. Celeborn is mentioned in the book but not the film; Haldir is in the film but not the book. Elrond and Galadriel have a few scenes in the film, where they are mentioned only in passing in the book.

Elrond
Elrond is mentioned only once in the book, by Gimli, after the loss of Merry and Pippin in the chapter “The Riders of Rohan”: “It will be hard news for Frodo, if he lives to hear it; and hard too for the old hobbit who waits in Rivendell. Elrond was against their coming.” [3.II.]

In the film, however, he takes a more active role – once “talking” to Galadriel through mind speech, and appearing in several sequences of him and Arwen in Imladris. The Imladris scenes all have a feeling of loss, of melancholy – they almost seem dreamlike, Imladris shown in shades of purple and grey.

The first bit we see of Elrond is in a conversation between him and Aragorn, about Arwen’s fate:
Elrond: Arwen’s time is ending. Let her go. Let her take the ship into the west. Let her bear away her love for you to the Undying Lands. There it will be ever green.
Aragorn: But never more than memory.
Elrond: I will not leave my daughter here to die.
Aragorn: She stays because she still has hope.
Elrond: She stays for you. She belongs with her people.

I find this rather hard to tie up with book Elrond. In the book, he is sorrowful beyond understanding that Arwen is to stay in Middle-earth, but he does not – and would not – argue that she should leave with him, and abandon her growing love for Aragorn. This is a huge change in character, and I think, neither a good one nor a needed one.

The second section with Elrond again concerns Arwen and her decision to stay in Middle-earth. Again Elrond is changed from the books, but to give Peter Jackson some credit, this scene is absolutely beautiful.
Elrond: Arwen. Tollen i lû. *It is time.* I chair gwannar na Valannor. Si bado, no círar. *The ships are leaving for Valinor. Go now…before it is too late.*
Arwen: I have made my choice.
Elrond: He is not coming back. Why do you linger here when there is no hope?

No hope? Why would Elrond say such a thing when he has all along believed in Aragorn and his abilities? Why would he later take Andúril to him if there is no hope? Film Elrond seems as if he has already given up and lost interest in the lands of men.

And then he goes on to emphasise how awful the whole thing will be for Arwen – not really the most sympathetic way to treat your daughter …
Elrond: And there will be no comfort for you, no comfort to ease the pain of his passing. … But you, my daughter, you will linger on in darkness and in doubt as nightfall in winter that comes without a star. Here you will dwell bound to your grief under the fading trees, until all the world is changed and the long years of your life are utterly spent.
As unpleasant as that is, it does manage to sound rather Tolkien-esque. Lingering on in darkness, without a single star for guidance, would be a terrible situation for an elf. As would seeing the trees fade, all the while knowing that it was your own choice to endure this suffering for a brief flash of love …

Elrond is then seen one last time when Galadriel is “talking” to him.
Galadriel: In his heart, Frodo begins to understand…the quest will claim his life. You know this. You have foreseen it. It is the risk we all took. The time of the Elves is over. Do we leave Middle-Earth to its fate? Do we let them stand alone?
I have always considered this conversation a little strange – why suddenly discuss Elrond’s ability to foretell? It doesn’t help understand him, and it doesn’t mean much for the plot – the only thing I can see that it does is making him look even meaner – knowingly sending poor little hobbits off to their death!

Haldir

Haldir is only seen in the film, and really, he appears only to die in dramatic fashion in the Battle of the Hornburg. He turns up at Helm’s Deep with a company of elves bearing word from Elrond: “I bring word from Elrond of Rivendell. An alliance once existed between Elves and Men. Long ago we fought and died together. We come to honour that allegiance.”
After getting an unexpected hug from Aragorn and a more elf-like greeting from Legolas he tells Théoden that the Elves are proud to fight alongside Men once more. This presumably follows on from the earlier Elrond / Galadriel conversation.
As Haldir yells a retreat to his elves, he gets wounded, first on his arm by an Uruk, and then fatally hit on the back. He falls to his knees, and he dies in Aragorn’s arms.

Celeborn & Galadriel

Celeborn is mentioned in the book, in two places, but does not appear at all in the film. Both references concern Fangorn Forest, with Aragorn and Pippin both mentioning Celeborn’s warnings to them about the wood.

Galadriel is mentioned a number of times in the book, by a number of people – Gimli, Treebeard, Legolas, Gandalf, Sam, and Frodo. While most of these are simple mentions in passing, one bears more importance.

The first of these occurs in the Golden Hall, when Gandalf sings of her beauty and power:
“In Dwimordene, in Lórien
Seldom have walked the feet of Men,
Few mortal eyes have seen the light
That lies there ever, long and bright.
Galadriel! Galadriel!
Clear is the water of your well;
White is the star in your white hand;
Unmarred, unstained is leaf and land
In Dwimordene, in Lórien
More fair than thoughts of Mortal Men.”
[3.VI.]
What better way to describe her presence and position than an accolade sung by a Maia?

In the film, however, Galadriel simply resumes her narrator function, having one long mind-conversation with Elrond, envisioning what is to come in the film.
“The world is changed; I can feel it in the water, I can feel it in the earth, I can smell it in the air. The power of the enemy is growing. Sauron will use his puppet, Saruman, to destroy the people of Rohan. Isengard has been unleashed. The Eye of Sauron now turns to Gondor, the last free kingdom of Men. His war on this country will come swiftly. … The young captain of Gondor has but to extend his hand take the Ring for his own, and the world will fall. It is close now. So close to achieving its goal. For Sauron will have dominion over all life on this Earth even unto to the ending of the world. The time of the Elves is over. Do we leave Middle-Earth to its fate? Do we let them stand alone?”

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Related Information
Related Books vs. Movies-articles:
- Celeborn and Galadriel by atalante_star
- Haldir, Rumil and Orophin by atalante_star
- Elrond Peredhil by atalante_star

- 3.06.*a Evenstar by Figwit
- 3.06.*c Breath of Life by Figwit
- 3.07. The Battle of Helm's Deep atalante_star


Interesting Links:
Our Character Gallery has separate sections devoted to Elrond, Galadrieln, Haldir and other Elves.

It also has the screencaps of the theatrical version, as well as the extended edition.

A transcript of 'The Lord Of the Rings: The Two Towers' can be found in our Film Fun & Facts section.

A summary of 'The Lord Of the Rings: The Two Towers' can be found in Elrond's Library.

You can also check out some pictures of Cate Blanchett, Craig Parker and Hugo Weaving in our Cast & Crew Gallery or read a short biography of these actors in our Film, Fun & Facts section.

Take a look at how some artists saw the Elves in The Two Towers:
- Elrond and Arwen by ponine21
- Elrond, Lord of Rivendell by Gynlin_Leigh
- Elrond by Gregory
- Elrond by Gwyllion
- Elrond by Nellas of Doriath
- Elrond by Ryuuri
- Elrond by Soraco

- A sketch of Haldir by lady_lucrecia
- Haldir by aliang
- Haldir by Gwyllion
- Haldir by Gregory
- Haldir by Oni-chan
- Haldir by Soraco
- Haldir by Soraco

- Galadriel, Lady of Lothlórien by Michael Green
- Galadriel by Gwyllion
- Galadriel by Maura Boldi
- Galadriel by Sandrine Gestin
- Galadriel by Hope Hoover
- Galadriel by Soraco

- A Love that Will Last by Ryuuri
- Lord Celeborn by Lady_Telperion
- Celeborn by Gwyllion
- Celeborn by Soraco


Looking for something more creative - you may find it here:
Preview the Haldir Chatskin here.

Preview the Elrond Theme here.

Preview the Geladriel's Glade Theme here.