I’ve mentioned before that I love the scene in Return of the King where Gandalf calls himself a “fool,” acknowledging that he and Pippin are a lot alike.....and that I also love how Gandalf and Pippin have the same basic character arc in ROTK-- Pippin struggling with his guilt over failing to save Boromir, Gandalf struggling with his guilt over failing to save Frodo.
This has been building up to my ULTIMATE Gandalf vs Pippin hot take:
In a way, Gandalf is to the White Council what Pippin is to the Fellowship.
Gandalf is reckless and “foolish” in a way that most of the other members of the White Council--Saruman, Galadriel, Elrond--are not. The hobbits think Gandalf is very wise, but a lot of the more powerful people in Middle Earth disagree.
Saruman literally calls him: “Gandalf the White-- Gandalf the fool!”
Denethor says: “You think yourself wise, Mithrandir, but for all your subtlety you have not wisdom.”
Theoden listens to Gandalf’s advice, but ultimately doesn’t trust his wisdom enough to take it.
And one thing I like in the Hobbit films is just how many “wise leaders who should know better” are dismissive of Gandalf-- King Bard, King Thranduil, King Thorin, and King Dain all roll their eyes at him.
And the White Council (with the exception of Galadriel) are the same--skeptical and dismissive of him.
And tbh it kinda makes sense that these people look down on Gandalf?
Because Gandalf DOES have a silly, mischievous, “foolish” side that the other major power players in Middle Earth don’t have. His occasional silliness makes him easy to look down on.
Saruman is in Orthanc coldly preparing for war, using his magic to create an army....
Meanwhile Gandalf is in the Shire at Bilbo’s birthday party, dancing with hobbits, and using his magic to blow smoke rings shaped like boats and set off little fireworks shaped like butterflies.
Gandalf is goofy and human in a way that the “wiser” people of Middle Earth aren’t. This allows those “wiser” people to easily mock him-- Saruman snidely commenting that “the love of the halfling’s leaf has clearly slowed your mind.”
I also think it’s interesting that Saruman tries to convince Gandalf to join Sauron by saying “it would be wise.” So many people look down on Gandalf’s wisdom/intelligence-- Saruman himself spent the previous scenes berating Gandalf for being an idiot-- so Saruman tries to present his offer as a chance for Gandalf to finally prove that he IS wise after all.
But Gandalf’s response is obviously just.“Fuck that, I don’t care if you think I’m wise.”
And Gandalf’s “foolishness” ultimately turns out to be the real wisdom, in the end?
In the books Gandalf says something like “we should trust now in friendship rather than wisdom,” and I think that’s his philosophy throughout the entire series. His friendship with Frodo is ultimately what saves Middle Earth.
And I think that’s what he and Pippin have in common-- their greatest strength isn’t *really* being powerful or clever, it’s their compassion and empathy.
