Original artwork, not a still
Nobody tosses a dwarf.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Gimli is the proud dwarf who cannot be treated as luggage, and the line is a laugh in the middle of the film's darkest chase, with the Balrog arriving seconds later. It became a joke about small people refusing to be handled. The film pays it off in The Two Towers, when Gimli swallows his pride and asks to be thrown after all, and the quote now covers any refusal of help made at the worst moment.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingShow the scene
In the Mines of Moria, the Fellowship has found the dwarves dead and is hunted by orcs and a cave troll. They race down a stairway toward the Bridge of Khazad-dum, and at a gap in the stair Aragorn makes to throw Gimli across. Gimli refuses and says nobody tosses a dwarf, then jumps on his own and almost falls to his death. The joke became a running one: in The Two Towers, Gimli asks Aragorn to throw him across a gap and begs him not to tell the elf.
Sources (3)
- IMSDb: The Fellowship of the Ring scriptMoria stairway sequenceReference checked
- Wikipedia: Dwarf-tossingSection on The Lord of the RingsReference checked
- Wikipedia: The Fellowship of the RingPlot summaryReference checked
Context reviewed
