QWhy are there so many different accents in this movie?
AGandalf and Elrond, and others, come from a different place and, in a sense, a different time. They're meant to speak differently. As for some of the other characters, in the days before mass communication, regional accents varied more. The film glosses over class differences which would be readily understood, e.g., Bilbo and Frodo are of a different social class than Sam. In many places today, your "gardener" (or landscaper) would speak as you do and probably send his kids to the same school. In Tolkien's world this would not have been the case. Merry and Pippin are actually in Frodo's social class but they either picked up or affected more "countryish" accents.
ANot really. Tolkien described them as "relatives" of the race of Men. Elsewhere he describes them as a "variety" or separate "branch" of humans. The main differences are that hobbits are much shorter (typically a little over a metre / 3'6" in height); do not grow facial hair; live longer (they only "come of age" at 33 and have a life expectancy of around 100), and their feet are covered in fur and have hard leathery soles (so they do not need shoes).
QWhat is the story behind the Dead Marshes? What happened there in the past?
AThe Dead Marshes is the ancient battlefield of the Battle of Dagorlad between the Last Alliance and the forces of Mordor, where many of the fallen were laid to rest. Over time, the battlefield became marshes, which swallowed up the dead, though their bodies could still be seen floating in the water.
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