Not a Tolkien quote: "You shall not pass!"

It is one of the most iconic lines in film history and has transcended its medium, becoming a well-loved phrase and a meme (Opens in a new window).

Please accept my apologies for this video link heavy post but given the nature of the medium we have to follow the rule: Show, don't tell!

It has become such a widespread legend that LGBTQIA+ icon and activist Sir Ian McKellen has been using it when visiting schools to entice pupils into learning:

And yes, it has become something of a humourous introduction as with his appearance at the Oxford Union (do scroll to the 00:50 mins mark):

However, this is not how 'Film Gandalf' starts off his battle with the Balrog in Khazad-dûm. The first line he says is indeed: "You cannot pass (Opens in a new window)."

Here is the full quote from The Fellowship of the Ring, Bk II, Chp 2, The Bridge of Khazad-dûm:

‘You cannot pass,’ he said. The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. ‘I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass.’

The Balrog made no answer. The fire in it seemed to die, but the darkness grew. It stepped forward slowly on to the bridge, and suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and its wings were spread from wall to wall; but still Gandalf could be seen, glimmering in the gloom; he seemed small, and altogether alone: grey and bent, like a wizened tree before the onset of a storm.

From out of the shadow a red sword leaped flaming.

Glamdring glittered white in answer.

There was a ringing clash and a stab of white fire. The Balrog fell back and its sword flew up in molten fragments. The wizard swayed on the bridge, stepped back a pace, and then again stood still.

‘You cannot pass!’ he said.

With a bound the Balrog leaped full upon the bridge. Its whip whirled and hissed.

‘He cannot stand alone!’ cried Aragorn suddenly and ran back along the bridge. ‘Elendil!’ he shouted. ‘I am with you, Gandalf!’

‘Gondor!’ cried Boromir and leaped after him.

At that moment Gandalf lifted his staff, and crying aloud he smote the bridge before him. The staff broke asunder and fell from his hand. A blinding sheet of white flame sprang up. The bridge cracked. Right at the Balrog’s feet it broke, and the stone upon which it stood crashed into the gulf, while the rest remained, poised, quivering like a tongue of rock thrust out into emptiness.

With a terrible cry the Balrog fell forward, and its shadow plunged down and vanished. But even as it fell it swung its whip, and the thongs lashed and curled about the wizard’s knees, dragging him to the brink. He staggered and fell, grasped vainly at the stone, and slid into the abyss. ‘Fly, you fools!’ he cried, and was gone. [my emphasis]

Nowhere in The Lord of the Rings does Gandalf utter the words You shall not pass. So how did McKellen get to say these words?

In an interview with the UK's Graham Norton Show of June 14th, 2019, he said (please jump to the 32:00 mins mark):

"Just for the nerds and hobbits among you. It is not 'You shall not pass'. Tolkien didn't write that. He wrote 'You cannot pass'. And I got it wrong but... I am rather stuck with it now."

Given the fact that in modern day films scenes are only rarely done in one continous shoot - particularly with CGI heavy films like the Lord of the Rings film trilogy - you can easily explain why McKellen started out with the correct "You cannot pass" but changed in another take to "You shall not pass".

And don't forget - if we trust in GameSpot's list of things we supposedly never knew (Opens in a new window) about the film trilogy the actors were looking at ping pong balls on a stick at the time as nobody knew what the Balrog would look like in the final cut.

It might be time to revisit the Extended Edition additional material for this.

And no, I do not believe that any of the suggestions in this forum (Opens in a new window) may have been behind the change in detail made: neither the Battle of Cable Street (Opens in a new window) nor 'They shall not pass (Opens in a new window).' But that may be an idea for another time.

P.S. There is a rendition of this scene by Sir Ian McKellen with the right words, by the way...

This post was published a week early to my Steady members.