Adaptations
Gondor as it appeared during in Peter Jackson's film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings has also been compared to the Byzantine Empire, for numerous reasons. The production team noted this in DVD commentary, explaining their decision to include some Byzantine domes into Minas Tirith architecture and to have civilians wear Byzantine-styled clothing. The soldiers garrisoned in Minas Tirith are based heavily on the Byzantine infantry used up until the end of the First Crusade.
One main difference from the books can be seen in the heraldry of Gondor. In the books, the flag of Gondor under the Stewards was a plain white banner without device. In the movies, the flag of Gondor is the royal standard with the colors reversed (black tree, seven black stars, and a black crown on a white field). The banners carried by Gondorian cavalry and infantry are black pennants, with the White Tree and three white stars.
The geography of Jackson's Gondor differs significantly from the books. In the movie, Aragorn could see Pelargir from the exit to the Paths of the Dead, and Minas Tirith is much closer to Osgiliath. The land seems largely brown and uncultivated, while the books describe Gondor as fertile farming land with many houses and towns across the Pelennor and the area south of the White Mountains.
The warning beacons are not lit until Gandalf and Pippin arrive in Minas Tirith; they take matters into their own hands and light the first beacon themselves. The director's commentary questions the credibility of the remote beacons being continuously manned.
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