The Lord of the Ringstrilogy set a gold standard for fantasy films. While the epic story of good versus evil has aged well in almost every way, but it has a distinct lack of women. Only three female characters play an important role in the story. Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), Arwen (Liv Tyler), andÉowyn (Miranda Otto)all make a considerable impression, but they make up a tiny percentage of the overall characters, andArwen’s role was already made drastically bigger than in the books.
In the years since, The Lord of the Rings franchise has tried to correct this issue, adding Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) toThe Hobbitand makingThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim’s main character Hèra (Gaia Wise). Even the Amazon Prime series,The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,centers on a young Galadriel (Morfydd Clark). Yet, in the original trilogy, there are more women on screen than you may realize. When Éowyn disguises herself as a man, she isn’t the only woman to fight for Rohan because whenever Éomer (Karl Urban) leads the Riders of Rohan to battle,the warriors onscreen are mostly women.
The Riders of Rohan Included Women in The Lord of the Rings
As the conflict escalates inThe Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, the main characters become allies with Rohan and their army, known as the Riders of Rohan. This is just one group of extras necessary for the epic spectacle of the films, but in this case, all the Riders of Rohan required one specific skill: horseback riding. The Rohirrim are known for using cavalry in battle, so when it came to bringing the nation to life, the film needed skilled horse riders. Certainly, they found that, but the extras ofThe Two TowersExtended Editionreveal that the Riders of Rohan are not what they appear. Rather than being a group of men, as the film presents, it turns out,most of the Riders of Rohan were women with fake beards.
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The need for expert riders limited the options for extras, and hoping to find riders with their own horses narrowed their search further. As it turns out, more women could be found than men, soThe Lord of the Ringshired them.Aragorn actorViggo Mortensenexplained, “There’re some very good woman riders in New Zealand, and it’d be silly not to take advantage of them.” So, use them, they did.The Lord of the Ringsput these horseback riders through makeup to give them fake beards, turning the women into men of Rohan, allowing the film to include the best riders available butstay true toJ. R. R. Tolkien’s book.
The Female Riders of Rohan Make Éowyn’s Story Ironic
Though largely consisting of female actors, the Riders of Rohan are male within the story, doing little to balance the scales. The truth changes the conversation slightly, though it is limited by how well-hidden the fact is. This is not exactly the representation thatThe Lord of the Ringshas since been careful to include. However, the choice for the Riders of Rohan to be men despite the cast was intentional as it benefits Éowyn. Other female warriors would disrupt her story. Éowyn isKing Théoden’s (Bernard Hill)niece and the sister of the Riders of Rohan’s leader. But, unlike her brother, she is not allowed to defend her people, a fact she will not accept. Disguising herself as a man, Éowyn joins Rohan’s forces in theBattle at the Black Gateand slays theNazgûl’s leaderas she tears off her helmet and declares, “I am no man.” Éowyn’s deception is necessary because women are not allowed to fight, so female Riders of Rohan wouldn’t exactly make sense. However, the filmusing women to play the Riders of Rohan adds a layer of irony to Éowyn’s storyas she, like the actors, disguises herself to join the battle.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron’s new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towersis available to stream on Max.
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