Circles, Machines, Wheels...

(LOTR extended version spoilers within) My dad-in-law, Jack, and father of the great Merlin was telling me about the death of Saruman scene in the extended version of "Return of the King". Since the Scouring of the Shire chapter isn't included, Jackson decided to have the death occur in Orthanc preceding the finding of the Palantir. Basically, Wormtongue stabs him and he falls out a window in the tower. But then he lands on a water-wheel and is subsequently submerged by its motion. I still have to watch the scene for myself, but I want to comment on it anyway. This news delighted me since I'm still stuck on the circle vs. cross, ring vs. sword motif. It would seem that Saruman was incredibly impressed with his own accomplishments in the world of machinery and that turned out to be his undoing. It was at least the insult added to the injury of his death. He built all his contraptions and devices in imitation of Sauron's and it more closely resembed a "small scale model" of Barad-dur rather than any type of competition. His perception of invulnerability turned out to be a microcosm of Sauron's folly as well. This scene illustrates this well, maybe even better than the "canonical" version we have in The Two Towers book.