- Speaking of unnecessary, why is PJ trying to ship Gandalf and Galadriel? Isn't she already married to Celeborn?
- Speaking of Galadriel...
This scene, while some might think it cool, makes zero sense to me. Why is Galadriel becoming all scary in this scene? Is it because she's using Nenya? If so, then why is she turning scary-looking? And WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT IN FRONT OF SAURON? Especially since the Three Rings of the Elves were supposed to be HIDDEN! And why is she wielding the Phial of Earendil? Is that what she's using to banish Sauron? If so, why is she turning scary-looking? The Silmarils, from whence the Phial gets its light, are not evil, and I read nowhere that they were ever tainted by Morgoth or Sauron. It just feels like more of PJ making Lothlorien elves (especially Galadriel) scarier than they were in the books.
About Galadriel and Gandalf, I know that there is a general 'shipping mania' on the Internet and among 'geek' fans, as you wrote, but I honestly and personally don't see anything ambiguous between them; they only tried to portray the special relationship that exists between these two great characters, a relationship (let's call it 'platonic interest' or 'friendship' in the deepest sense of the word) that is present and has its reasons also in the almighty and universal lore
Galadriel probably met and knew Olórin (the name of Gandalf in Valinor as a Maia) in Valinor, when she used to attend the Gardens of Lórien of the Vala Irmo during the Years of the Trees, and Olórin was indeed a Maia of the People of Irmo; then, in the Third Age, even though the infinite memories of Gandalf as an angel were concealed in his own mind by the Valar, Galadriel has always had a very deep and special relationship with him, because she already 'knew' him and Gandalf was the only Istar that she completely trusted and appreciated the most, knowing really well his brave and pacific nature and wisdom, the reasons he was sent to Middle Earth by the Valar to contest the power of Sauron, and Gandalf was probably naturally 'benevolent' towards her, because she is the only trace left in Middle Earth of the Light of Valinor.
I think we can say that we have solid evidences of that in the books, when she says that she would have wanted Gandalf at the head of the White Council, when she sings her famous lament for the wizard, and when she shelters him and gives him white clothes after his rebirth in the World
And, speaking about the films, the scenes of the White Council and, especially, the ones of Galadriel and Gandalf together, were very dear to Philippa Boyens and mostly created by her; so, I feel we have to trust her good intentions
Speaking about the appearance of Galadriel in BOTFA, I feel I have written a ton of posts about it both here, on ModDB and Youtube, but this difficult matter doesn't really have an absolute explanation, unless PJ gives us a clear answer
So, instead of writing pages and pages about the pure lore, I will try to answer you according to very film lore and script, because this is the most reasonable way, I think, otherwise we should consider all the Hobbit trilogy as innacurate and wrong
1. Let's start with saying that I agree with you, I would have preferred a bright and 'angelic' concept, in line with the nature of Galadriel and her powers
And this was, I read, the initial idea of Philippa Boyens, but, as for many other elements of all the Hobbit trilogy, the 'grotesque' view and style of Guillermo del Toro influenced everything and somehow 'forced' PJ's hand to even give the films a general dark, grotesque, ironic and 'creepy' tone, having been him also a director of splatter horror films.
I think, nevertheless, that some traces and hints of the previous concept of Galadriel have still remained and are still visible.
For example, when she orders Radagast to flee from Dol Guldur and goes 'GO!' or when she turns back to her normal form after the banishment of Sauron (a fast photogram).
2. According to the script of the film, the energy and strength of Galadriel were constantly being drained by the evil atmosphere of Dol Guldur and the powers of Sauron, darkening her and her ethereal aura.
She also, during the banishment, takes a form that it's meant to show the connection between her and the Water (Nenya); and that's why, also for the reasons stated in the previous point, that she becomes a ghostly, dark and blue mermaid with seaweed clothes, totally not suitable and in contradiction with the phial she's holding and its meaning, but at the same time, quite cool and interesting.
3. Galadriel taking a dark and terrible form has somehow become a canon of PJ films, even if it is not very much lore accurate; in LOTR, though, she still takes a dark and terrible form, but she's also majestic and beautiful at the same time (as Tolkien describes the scene in the books), the true definition of the
'Sublime'.
She also wears a silver armour, symbolising her royal and fiery nature (I obviously prefer the LOTR concept
)
4. About the hidden Three Rings and the fact that Galadriel openly shows and uses Nenya, we have to consider that some important scenes of the Dol Guldur sequence were cut off (thing that I didn't like at all).
In the EE we will probably see Sauron interrogating the chained Gandalf about the Three Rings and their bearers, the Three Rings being openly shown and used and a confrontation between Galadriel and Sauron (while Elrond and Saruman are still fighting, after the flight of Gandalf and Radagast) in which Galadriel will take a bright form and will confront Sauron speaking in Black Speech, openly showing and using Nenya.
WETA's concept:
Hope I helped you
Galadriel is my favourite character, can't you tell?