If I could make one little change to the lotr movies it would be including Sam choosing to spare Gollum’s life as he did in the book. To be fair Sam and Gollum have a MUCH rockier relationship in the movies so I see where it wouldn’t play well, but it seems such a crucial detail, it is sorely missed. Here’s the passage in question:
"Sam's hand wavered. His mind was hot with wrath and the memory of evil. It would be just to slay this treacherous, murderous creature, just and many times deserved; and also it seemed the only safe thing to do. But deep in his heart, there was something that restrained him: he could not strike this thing lying in the dust, forlorn, ruinous, utterly wretched. He himself, though only for a little while, had borne the Ring, and now he dimly guessed the agony of Gollum's shriveled mind and body, enslaved to that Ring, unable to find peace or relief ever in life again. But Sam had no words to express what he felt."
That said, there’s such a lovely repetition of the three ringbearers after Gollum each having the chance (and good reason) to kill him and each deciding not to. The world is saved due to the mercy and compassion of three little hobbits.
This is especially evident with Sam who has the most reason of all to hate Gollum. Gollum is the most pressing, immediate threat to Frodo and the fate of Middle Earth at large. He has lied to them, betrayed them, and tried to kill them. And yet... Sam lets Gollum live. Because now he, too, has felt the weight of the ring. For the first time, he feels empathy towards Gollum.
This compassion is what saves the world. Each ringbearer looked upon someone utterly destroyed by the ring and found it in themselves to forgive.
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