time warp

[Elvishmouse]

In the movies, Faramir lets Frodo and Sam go after they proved they can barely hang on to the Ring when presented with a Nazgul. First off, he never was supposed to have taken them to Osgiliath. Second off, he lets them go after they show they can't handle the Ring. What? Don't let them go when they prove themselves OK and then release them when they're weak? Third off, after he lets them go, the trio (Sam, Frodo, Gollum) go to Minas Morgul and see an army leaving. That army is the army going to attack Osgiliath in the books. Frodo couldn't possibly be present for the attack and later be present for the army's departure from Minas Morgul. What's up with that?

[Eruadan]

A lot of the events that happen in the books were moved around in the film to create a movie that everyone could follow, and new plot lines were devised to strengthen (or weaken) certain characters. Faramir taking them to Osgiliath was part of the journey created for the movie version of Faramir. The book version of Faramir was a strong character that resisted the Ring from the start and refused to pick it up, let alone touch it. PJ and Philippa Boyens thought this contradicted the statement they were trying to create (the ring is too evil and powerful and corrupts people who wield it). So in turn they make all this new material for Faramir, so he goes on this small journey where he initially wants to bring the ring back to Minas Tirith, realizes he really wouldn't be able to handle this any better, and then lets the hobbits go. And you end up at the same place, just a little further on.

I wouldn't really worry too much about the timelines either. They tried to cross events as close as possible with one very important aspect in mind: It still had to be a good movie that people who hadn't read the book could follow. The army that left from Minas Morgul at that time might have been heading to Osgiliath in the book at that moment, but they made it seem as if it was headed to Osgiliath in the movies too. Only at a point where Faramir had let the hobbits go, and was still trying to hold the city. Remember there's a second wave of attacks that starts at night when the orcs cross the river and carries on to the next day when the Gondorians flee to Minas Tirith, and the Nazgul try to run them down as they cross the Pelennor Fields. So movie wise it still fits in, because they never say that that army was the one that was supposed to be going to Osgiliath before Frodo and Sam left.

[FRODOFAN]

Don't let them go when they prove themselves OK and then release them when they're weak?

I had a thought on this... When he lets them go, he has seen that Sam is a brave companion and loyal too. It was more as if he knew he had to let them go, saw that the ring was evil, and saw that there was hope for their quest too.