I always loved the aspect of Gandalf, Saruman and the rest of them being somewhat detached from the world around them. They don't really belong in the affairs of men and elves and the like, and I think that that is very well reflected in the books, and in the movies. Saruman breaks the credo by getting too involved, by meddling, and Gandalf, though he does help, does not really interfere majorly in what is supposed to be the victory of the human race.

I just love The Silmarillion. Such a rich, rich history there. It amazes me every time how immersed Tolkien was not only in his writings, but in the world itself. Almost as if he lived there half the time, and as he was a writer, I suppose that is very likely, metaphorically. ^_^