10 Things Peter Jackson Wants You To Forget About The Hobbit

6. The Dwarves Forgot About The Light Of Durin's Day

The Dwarves were working under a tight deadline; they had to get to Erebor by Durin's Day if they wanted to be able to open the secret door. According to the runes on the map, the last light of Durin's Day would shine on the keyhole and allow them to unlock the hidden door, thereby re-entering Erebor with a lower likelihood of being detected by Smaug. They reached the mountain right on Durin's Day but were discouraged when the sun set without highlighting the keyhole. Bilbo alone did not give up hope, and he was the one who realized that the last light of Durin's Day was the moonlight. How did the Dwarves not realize this? Durin's Day was the first day of the Dwarves' New Year, the most important day on their calendar. It makes no sense that they would not be aware of what the last light really was. This contrasts sharply with the book; the Dwarves knew about the light of Durin's Day (here it is distinguished as the day when the last moon of autumn and the sun are in the sky together) and knew what was required to find the keyhole. Having the Dwarves be so ignorant of one of their most important holidays was nothing more than an attempt to create more intrigue and drama in a movie that already had plenty of both.