Very unpopular opinion but I feel he was the weak link in the main cast. His whiny ass (compared to the books) annoyed the hell out of me and my family.
@@Ant82ish Even if you dislike the character himself as he was written for the movies, there's no denying the acting was flawless. Sean was incredible from his first scene to the last.
Ive always said that the "You bow to no one" scene...is the greatest scene of all time. There's so much weight behind the action of the newly crowded King of Gondor bowing to the hobbits whe gave everything. Hobbits who none really expected anything from. Its an incredible moment of humbleness and a perfect conclusion to the hobbits storyline
An excellent demonstration of WHY he will be the epitome of ALL that is "noble" in a King. Someone who is effectively the ruler of the world, kneeling & bowing to some "short, small town, farmers from the 'boonies'"? You know? "Unimportant 'nobodies'." And THEN declaring, "YOU bow, to NO ONE!" And EVERYONE knelt & bowed to THEM? Royalty, nobles, elves, dwarves, high ranking military officers, probably the ENTIRETY of Minis Tirith's "elites", ALL bowed! Because these unassuming, ordinary, "irrelevant", little people DESERVED it!
@@oakbridge4268 I know. But in the books there's a scene where Frodo and Sam mistake them for human teenagers because they're so tall. Just thought it was a funny thing to miss with all of the other details they got right.
'For Frodo' 'DEATHHH' 'I can carry YOU' 'You bow to no one' 'I am no man' This movie has the best freaking heroic and honourable moments in any movie ever.
May I add: "You shall not pass!" "For death and glory" "Not alone...ROHITHIM! To the king!" "Go back to the shadow!" "Fell deeds awake, now for wrath, now for ruin, and a RED DAWN!" What can men do against such reckless hate? "Ride out and meet them." "The Ents are going to war! It is likely we go to our doom. Last march of the Ents."
@@furtim1 and may I add to that as well: "If you let them go, your life will be forfeit." "Then it is forfeit." "I would have followed you my brother, my captain, my king."
"gondor has no king" "it only counts as one" "they will answer to the king of gondor" and most legendary "my precious .................... aaarrrggghhh"
I love the consistency of Legolas' weight throughout the trilogy, in the first movie he walks, barely leaving a footprint, on top of snow that is covering the rest of the fellowship up to their shoulders. So it makes sense that he can climb the thin wooden arrow shafts protruding from the oliphants legs without a worry
Arrow shafts could be up to half an inch thick and embedded relatively deeply in the oliphant's hide, so provided you grabbed them right next to the hide, they could support more weight than you might think.
When I was younger, I didn’t fully grasp why Frodo had to leave Middle Earth, and why, after suffering so much to preserve and save the place he loved, that he couldn’t adjust/be happy to be back. And then I went through things and ended up with PTSD. And I completely understood- and you can tell Tolkien did too, why sometimes you just can’t go back to the way things were. And now the ending that kind of confused me makes me feel all the emotions. One of the best trilogies of All Time.
@@desertfox55 Yup. It makes total sense that his ending says that there are things worth fighting for and you can save your country, but you can't go back to who you were before you went to war.
Funny little anecdote about the multiple endings: I saw this in theatres with my girlfriend at the time. We shared a giant order of root beer. I have a relatively strong bladder. She didn't. But she was also stubborn and wanted to see the movie to the end, at the credits. During the multiple endings, her squirming increased as her need to pee got worse. By the end, she was angerly whispering just loud enough for me to hear "Get on the boat, get on the boat, GET ON THE BOAT YOU FUCKING HOBBITS."
hahhahahaha the same thing happened to me. I ran to the bathroom once it ended basically mumbling, goddamn hobbits couldn't just wave goodbye like a sane person
I still say that out loud at work at least twice a day 😂 but yes I love/hate the look on Frodo’s face and Sam’s reaction when he says that. Powerful scene
@@lucasrodrigues-ew8ii Nah, man watch the extended cut, there the line is improved. He says "Im the lord of the rings return of the king extended edition"
A really subtle thing in this movie: Sam is the only character in the trilogy to ever just give the Ring to another person of their own free will. Even when Gandalf originally gives it to Frodo, he can't bring himself to just hand it to him. He just drops it on the floor to leave it for Frodo to pick up. Everyone else has to be at least somewhat forced to give up the Ring.
It also should be noted until Sam says he can carry the ring again, Sam didn’t know truly know the effect the ring has had to Frodo and how much Frodo needs to keep it. The ring plays on Sam’s care for Frodo to try to get same to keep and then take the ring. But in the second scene Sam never actually approaches Frodo and he asks if he could carry it the second time knowing he shouldn’t say it. Oh and Sam puts on the ring twice, kills a dude while carrying the ring and willingly says that he has the ring compared to Bilbo who actively try’s to keep it a secret from the Dwarves in the Hobbit. And Bilbo has only had it on for less than a day. Sam was passed out for hours, I think he had the ring on while he was sleeping so it is absolutely insane that he can say he has it, shows it, and only slightly hesitates to give up the ring. He was more resilient (in the short term at least) to the rings influence than Bilbo, though Frodo was far better than him at controlling the ring in the short term, middle term, and long term though succumbs at the last term.
@@meem6154 I don't think Sam ever puts on the ring. He just held it (by the chain) But still, it's a pretty neat moment that when Sam gives Frodo the ring, he briefly hesitates, but then hands it over. You can tell he really thought about keeping it for a moment there...but then willfully chose to let it go.
@@DreamyAileen I just read the Return of the King, but my memory is horrible so I can't contest you on that even though I still think it's wrong and that Sam did put on the ring.
The scene that always stood out to me is Eomer's gut-wrenching scream of terror when he and the others are looking for survivors after the battle and he finds his lifeless sister who he believed to be safe at home. Just a few second long, but still Karl Urban's best performance in this movie.
Can you explain the follow up? It seemed to show she’d died but was brought back to life. It’s the only part of the extended versions I’ve never understood……
@@liquidiced I completely understand PJ not adding this scene to the movies, but in the books (iirc) Eowyn and Faramir are struck down by the Black Breath of the Nazgul (apparently breathing on someone after not brushing your teeth for thousands of years causes paralysis), the same thing that happened to Frodo on Weathertop. It looks very similar to death, and if not treated it is fatal, but thankfully Aragorn was present with his ranger know-how. Aragorn crushes the leaves of an Athelas plant (like he did after Weathertop) and saves Eowyn and Faramir, leading to the two of them bonding while the others are at the Black Gate and Aragorn being a little more accepted as the king of Gondor due to a random saying Gondorians had, "The hands of a king are the hands of a healer."
@@imawaffle148 that is, a lot, to take in having not read the books! 😌 Can you tell me which book/chapter I can refer to in order to find the lead up and revelation to this?
@@liquidiced yeah, sorry lol. The parts where Faramir and Eowyn are injured is in the movies during their respective encounters with the Nazgul (The Siege of Gondor and The Battle of the Pelennor Fields respectively), but the specific chapters in Return of the King are The Houses of Healing and The Steward and the King. Had to break out the books for this one, been a little while since I read them.
17:36 This was actually explicitly confirmed by Tolkien himself in one of his letters. In that moment, in the place it was forged, the ring's power was so great that there was literally no one in all of creation, no one but the gods themselves and their creator, who could have brought themselves to willingly destroy the ring. Frodo didn't fail, he brought the ring further than humanly possible so that Fate could do what no mortal could.
One of my favourite little subplots of this movie is Pippin and Faramir's friendship, and Pippin talking about Faramir having a value of a "different kind". The kind this whole trilogy has been about; mercy, kindness, understanding. The value of knowing not to love the sword for it's brightness, but to love only that which it defends. It's extra sweet knowing that Pippin named his son Faramir & that there remained a great friendship between them for as long as they both lived.
I think my favorite understory is how Pippen's repeated stupid mistakes actually helped them time and time again even allowing them to win. He accidentally pushed a bucket and armored body down a well attracting the goblins. This leads to Gandalf's death and rebirth stronger than before. He touches the palantir endangering himself but learning important details of Saurons plan giving the heroes time to prepare. He swore his service to a clearly insane man when Gandalf told him to not speak. This put him in a position to alert Gandalf and save Faromir. He even had some clever moments. Telling Treebeard to head to Saurumon's tower which brought the Ents into the war and destroying one of Sauron's major assets.
Every single member of the fellowship was vital to it suceeding. And every event pushed it to success Boromir falling to the ring lead to frodo leaving the fellowship, saving everyone from succumbing to the ring eventually. Sam staying with Frodo, and thinking he was dead after shelob, saved Frodo and the ring from capture Gimli lead them into Moria, without him they just would have gone to the gap of Rohan. Aragorn's tracking experience and the whole king and ghost army stuff of course. Legolas, doesn't have anything specific, but his archery really helped in many places (In the books he scares off a Nazgul and Fellbeast with an arrow from Galadriel) Pippin had his errors that lead to benefits as you said. Merry came in with the assist to kill the Witch King (He had Eowyn by the throat before he stabbed him in the leg) Gandalf had a whole bunch of stuff of course And Frodo carrying the ring of course
Frodo's failure to throw the ring in the pit led to Gollum attacking him and finishing the job Frodo was supposed to do. I had some feelings when somebody pointed out that the third eagle sent to pick up Frodo & Sam would have picked up Smeagol if he had survived.
10:03 I love the look of disgust on Gandalf's face after he smacks Denethor in the face the first time. A perfect encapsulation of how fed up he is with him at that point.
@@starryagent9936 It was never about not knowing their motivations, it was all about character assassination. Their motivation, while understandable, is no excuse for how there characters were butchered.
the fact that this trilogy exists because of Tolkien's experience in WW1, to then involve an actual war hero from WW2, who was also the only member of the cast to have met Tolkien... truly amazing
@@sagesigman8269 He didn't claim that it's allegory, but it is hard to separate Tolkien's experiences in the front to how they may have influenced LotR.
@@veronicamcghie5238 Likewise The Dead Marshes being an expression of the waking nightmare of battlefields like The Somme. He might not have intended to specifically refer to his own, lived experiences, but they still emerged through his writing. Heck, even Beren meeting Luthien / Aragorn meeting Arwen was a kind of reflection of his happy memories of Edith - He went as far as to have the names Beren and Luthien engraved on his and Edith's shared gravestone.
He may have not meant to write it this way but when writing a story this deep you can not avoid putting yourself and your personal experiences into the narrative . Tolkien himself wrote in the prologue of the second edition of Lotr that none of his writings were inspired by anything he had lived through
I'm still trying to find a way to make that entire panning shot of the beacons lighting, from Gondor, all the way to Rohan, my computer's screensaver animation.
The Ride of the Rohirrim is my favorite theme in all of these movies. It starts as this woeful and melancholy filled melody, mourning the death and forgotten way of the Rohirrim, and ends with the return of a once great culture with horns triumphant throughout, and the strings played so loud its almost deafening
@@alexlewis510 I feel that. My wife and I just did a watch through of the extended eds, her first time viewing. So many beats that this movie hits. I think it’s one of a few masterpieces
Extra win when talking about the troll drummers at 8:48 is that they're beating the same 5/4 rhythm that was first introduced in the score with Isengard in Fellowship. It's an off-kilter cadence to march to, which gives a diagetic reinforcement to the twisted unnaturalness of the orcs.
A win that was missed that was always significant to me was the singular flower that bloomed on the white tree. It signified that King of Gondor was near. Not near in the sense of location but near in the sense that Aragorn had finally developed into the man he needed to be to make his rightful claim.
The scene where Éomer finds Éowyn in battlefield aftermath, and screams in despair at the sight of his fallen sister. That scene alone makes the extended worth it for me.
Another great thing about Frodo's arc is that in the Two Towers, when Sam says that Smeagol can't be redeemed, Frodo reacts violently, because he has to believe that he can save himself. But in Return of the King, he realizes that Sam was right, Frodo can't overcome the bearing of the Ring, he can never go back to who he was before he touched it. But he can learn to live with himself, his life goes on even if he can never completely free himself from the experience of the Ring, and that's what he accepts in the epilogue.
I’m glad you pointed out the absurdity of arguing over who is the “true hero”. This story is too big to be about any one character, and what’s more, all of the characters know that it isn’t just about them - they all know that they are just one player on a vast stage, but also that the role have have to play is still an important one and they must perform it to their utmost. Individual actions can change the course of history, but only if those individuals are willing to give their all for something bigger than themselves.
The "True Hero" is The Fellowship itself. THEY are the ones that saved Middle Earth. If even one of them is taken out of the equation. Sauron would've most likely won.
Aragorn is the absolute definition of a non toxic male character to look up to, since he shows bravery, kindness and respect to everyone, including female characters. And while being a badass, he isn't afraid to show his emotions towards those he cares about (the Cinema Therapy channel does a great video about him).
The whole Charge of the Rohirrims' scene from the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is probably the scene that will always give me chills for the rest of my life. From Rohan's horn echoing, to the entire army appearing, Théoden's speech and finally the charge itself, it's chills and chills again with a mix of awe, hope and sadness while feeling inspired and invigorated at the same time, every time. Nothing ever came close to the amount of raw emotional power this scene makes me feel.
Yes! I'd like to add the beacon scene as a sort of intro to that as well. Gondor (well, Pippin) calls for aid and IMMEDIATELY Rohan answers. They've seen the orc armies, they've faced them before, they received no support from Gondor, but they send 6,000 horses immediately to Gondor in this suicide mission. And it's not fair, it's not what's in their best interest, it's just selflessly doing the right thing because to them it is better to have fought and died than to have sat back and done nothing. Rohan's whole reaction to the battle, just the hope and the righteousness in the hopelessness of it all gets me every time.
Until I saw this scene in the cinema, I always thought that "breath taking" was a metaphor. This scene LITERALLY took my breath when I saw it for the first time. It still makes my eye wet very time I see it. Raw emotional power indeed!
No win for Sam finally approaching Rosie? It was the moment that broke the melancholy of the 4 friends on their return 7(barring Frodo in the long term.) As indicated by the shift to the more jaunty hobbit theme and helping his friends smile and laugh. Yes they've changed, for the worse *and* for the better. There is still love, still hope. I've always loved that moment.
Also, fun little fact for Grond; it was the name of Morgoth's mace. During the First Age, Morgoth was the Dark Lord and was warring with Elves. Sauron served Morgoth, making everything tie together. And, in a very great touch, it also gave us a version of a story that happened when the world was young with a human and elf falling in love
@@KadRSP It's almost as if there are 2 different words with 2 different meanings for a reason. It's almost as if Tolkien specified which character had which weapon.
Grond was said to make pits so deep that the only reason fingolfin lost the duel was because he tripped and fell into one of the pits and melkor (morgoth) stepped on him
I've always felt that the 'Making of . . . ' documentaries that accompanied the Extended Editions are as enjoyable to watch as the movies themselves. There's just so *_much_* in there, and you honestly get the impression that many of the people involved would happily have carried on working on those movies *_for FREE._* Talk about a once in a lifetime opportunity, right?
@@stickiedmin6508 The fact that so many of them (especially the fellowship actors!) were sitting together, laughing and telling stories, was fascinating all of it own. It's lovely to see such friendship.
A behind the scenes story is that while the entire cast and crew went home for Christmas break, one person stayed working on the destruction of Sauron's tower. They showed Peter what they got, and he loved it so much that was the shot they used in the film. It was also a one take shot.
The fact that my eyes were watering and my throat was tangled just from watching this video says a lot about the impact of this narrative. "For Frodo" gets me every single time. Every time a character looks up with teary eyes I get teary eyed. Truly the greatest epic in a few centuries.
Emotionally, I'm not one to rock the boat, during a film. But that final shot of the last Elven ship sailing off, toward the sunset, headed for the literal AFTERLIFE, with that soft, pure instrumental music quietly enhancing the scene... just DESTROYS me every time! Because it literally reminds me of every single funeral I've ever been to, and magnifies the emotional impact of each of those sad events.
@@spicysalad3013 That's what Valinor basically is. For Elves anyway. Since Elves are already immortal, they're not going there because they are dead, so it's a bit more complicated than that. But basically, it's where one goes to be immortal, not when one dies. In any case, nobody ever comes back from Valinor once they go there. It is heaven, where the Gods of Middle Earth, and the remaining Elder Peoples of the First Age, dwell. To go there is basically reserved for only the most "worthy," which is why Men aren't allowed there, unless, like Frodo Baggins, they are truly exceptional people. So maybe it's more accurately compared to a mythical location, like: Valhalla.
It makes me happy...and feel peaceful. Regarding the ships to Valinor: it was a special place made for elves. But humans and dwarves have their own version of the afterlife. Humans go to the Halls of Mandos with a big question mark afterwards, and the dwarves believe there is a part of those halls set aside for them. The idea is made physical, much as it is in ancient Norse culture.
@@jacob4920 Mortals still die in the blessed realm. It's called the undying lands because all the immortal beings RESIDE there, not because you become immortal when you go. Matter of fact more than likely Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, and Gimli go to the island of Tol Eressea that is within the blessed realm. Death is a gift given by the One God Eru Iluvatar and the Valar are unable to deny it. No one but Eru Iluvatar himself knows where the souls of men (and kindred species like hobbits) go when they die.
I'd like to point out that, in the book, Tolkien made a point to show that Theoden spoke "louder than any heard a mortal man before" and spoke of how the shield shone like the sun. In the movie, you get Theoden's speech which is like the book, but also the pure symbolism between the Rohirrim being the shield for the defenders of Minas Tirith and arriving with the rising sun. They couldn't do the shield aspect, so they went the calvary for it
The entire description of the charge in the books is poetry, and that so much is captured in the film. I particularly like the description "Eomer rode there, the white horsetail on his helm floating in his speed," and the viceral image of it. But nothing beats the description of Theoden. In relative full: Then suddenly Merry felt it at last, beyond doubt: a change. Wind was in his face! Light was glimmering.... But at that same moment there was a flash, as if lightning had sprung from the earth beneath the City. For a searing second it stood dazzling far off in black and white, its topmost tower like a glittering needle: and then as the darkness closed again there came rolling over the fields a great boom. At that sound the bent shape of the king sprang suddenly erect. Tall and proud he seemed again; and rising in his stirrups *he cried in a loud voice, more clear than any there had ever heard a mortal man achieve before*: "Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden! Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter! spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered, a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!" With that *he seized a great horn from Guthláf his banner-bearer, and he blew such a blast upon it that it burst asunder*. And straightway all the horns in the host were lifted up in music, and the blowing of the horns of Rohan in that hour was like a storm upon the plain and a thunder in the mountains. "Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!" Suddenly the king cried to Snowmane and the horse sprang away. Behind him *his banner blew in the wind, white horse upon a field of green*, but he outpaced it. After him thundered the knights of his house, but he was ever before them. Éomer rode there, the white horsetail on his helm floating in his speed, and the front of the first éored roared like a breaker foaming to the shore, but Théoden could not be overtaken. *Fey he seemed*, or the battle-fury of his fathers ran like new fire in his veins, and he was borne up on Snowmane *like a god of old*, even as Oromë the Great in the battle of the Valar when the world was young. *His golden shield was uncovered, and lo! it shone like an image of the Sun, and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his steed*. For morning came, morning and a wind from the sea; and the darkness was removed, and the hosts of Mordor wailed, and terror took them, and they fled, and died, and the hoofs of wrath rode over them. And then all the host of Rohan burst into song, and they sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them, and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the City.
Howard Shore's modulation of the Mordor theme to its relative major key when Baradur falls at the end is the very epitome of triumph - absolutely sublime! :)
19:26 I keep hoping someone will pick up on this scene - the first thing Frodo sees when he awakens is Gandalf, whom he never realized survived (or "came back") from the Balrog. Yet he starts smiling and laughing from joy. He probably thinks he's dead, but he's just so happy to be free of pain and darkness in that moment. He probably figures out that he survived once the others show up, but... wow.
Imagine being one of the extras in this movie, watching this video, and then right at 25:37, you realize... that's you. You're that guy. And then redemption from CinemaWins just a moment later! Pure relief.
I always loved the scene with Gandalf and Pippin during the battle and as the orcs are trying to invade to yet another level of Minas Tirith, when Pippin is afraid of what happens after death. And Gandalf tells him about the white shores... It is a piece of Tolkien mythology but at the same time, I always thought, it is like a grown-up comforting a child from the idea of death.
Yes, exactly. I always loved mythology because of that. They are stories we tell one another to make one another feel better about things that may not really make sense. Over time, we begin to believe it. I've always found that fascinating about people. I like Tolkien because of that. He understands people need and want culture, stories, and that's ultimately why humans are different.
And then . . the situation returns to the battle surrounding them. And Pippin and Gandalf say nothing, but ready their weapons and nod. This quite moment gives them both the strength they need to return to the battle one more time.
This is a movie I've rewatched so many time I've lost count and it never gets old, I can quote it by heart and the older I get the more it makes me cry in scenes like the Ride of the Rohirrim or Frodo's farewell.
I never really thought of the fact that Frodo never actually relinquished the ring, of his own doing and as it was stolen from him, and how that affected him moving forward!!!! I always just assumed he had a butt-load of trauma and PTSD to deal with, but considering the metaphysical hold the ring had on him, especially at the end there, it would almost be like a death of a loved one to him. An entity he felt deeply connected to, no matter how toxic that connection may be, just ripped from his world against his will. This is why I love this channel… Makes me ponder the subtle details I never thought to pay attention to before. 🤩👍🏻
Actually, that's heavily implied in the book, when Sam one evening finds Frodo laying on his bed and repeating as in a dream "It is gone forever and now all is dark and empty".
I have seen these movies more than twenty times but when the Rohirrim ride towards the Orks and you show like three seconds of it I feel my eyes tearing up. Never will there be another movie/trilogy that does that.
@@Nuneven The first time I cried in RotK was during the beacon scene, mostly because of the amazing, emotional music and powerful moment. By the time Frodo and the Hobbits arrived at the Grey Havens, I was sobbing, and I was still sobbing 20 minutes after the end credits, haha 😄
Theoden and the Rohirrim chanting Death is both a war cry and a defiance of evil as Sauron sought to corrupt death's original meaning of a place of eternal bliss and peace, to strike fear in the heart's of men. Death in Tolkien's universe is the gift to men to make their life more precious, and for them to pass on to another world. Also fun fact: The Rohirrim horseback actors are almost all women who came/brought their horses on set and went through makeup and costumes to all look like rough-Rohirrim born men!
@@Richard_Nickerson . . . and there's an entertaining myth about Viggo developing a particular fondness for one of those strapping, bearded horsewomen...
That, for me and other Tolkien fans I'm sure, messed it up for me. The cry of "Death!" was one of desperation, anger, and vengeance. It was the cry taken up first by Eomer after the death of Theoden and what seemed to him, the death of his sister, Eowyn. In that context, it Made Sense! To start off with that as a warcry from the beginning, really doesn't. In the OG story, they started with singing; they sang as they slew. You can read into its use in the movie to make it make sense, that's fine, but it is not the way in the real story.
@@stickiedmin6508 Because I've read the literature. When I say "Tolkien fans" I mean the fans of the Books, and not just those kids who got interested in the books because of the movies. There are a plethora of fans who absolutely HATED the movies when they first came out. If you were old enough back then, you might have read those same comments too! And when I say " other Tolkien fans" how can you be so dense to interpret that to mean "all" or "most" I don't hate the movies as much as some other Tolkien fans, but the movies could have been better if they stuck closer to the books, at certain parts.
Ride of the Rohirrim is still one of the most amazing and captivating moments i have ever seen in a movie. 8 hr's of movie build up to this moment. The stakes are high, the fall of Gonder seems imminent and unavoidable, everything looks to best lost... And then the horn, the sweeping shot, thousands of horsemen over the horizon, Theoden's speech, the music swells, the faces of the men, and then shouting DEATH as they charge and accept thier fate, ready to die for thier cause. I will still let out a tear or two whenever at this scene when i rewatch the trilogy.
If you notice, the Rohirrim (our experience of them, at least) starts in darkness; dank, dim halls with fear and despair the culprits. The turning point, which brought them back into the Light, so to speak, is the end of Helm's Deep, when Eomer leads the charge into the enemy-- "and the Sun rises." The Rohirrim are bright, beautiful, and have that air of innocence, even after all they have been through. It is their faithfulness to the promise between them and Gondor that starts the banishing of the dark clouds shielding the Orc army-- "and the Sun rises." I cry, too, at their terrible innocence, and their implacable resolve. And the Sun rises.
honestly, if this had been his only score for a film/film series, I'd still place him as the best composer in cinema history, or at least in modern cinema
12:50 I love how the sweeping beautiful music just cuts out suddenly as the horses impact the orcish line. To give you some time to really appreciate the impact of that cavalry charge.
I know it’s a reupload but I’m still as excited as I was the first time. It’s been a while since the original videos was released so these reuploads were a welcome surprise
I said this before but you missed one of my favorite wins in this movie. The horn of the Mumakil rider, one of the eeriest, off putting sounds ever put into film. Gives me chills every-time!
Same here…. especially when coupled with those eyeliner-enhanced Mumakhil crazy eyes and the slow, dawning “oh shit” look on Theoden’s face as the Oliphaunts slowly emerge in the background. Terrifying.
You have to realize that the battle of Helms Deep gives Theoden hope/courage that they are up to the task of helping Gondor. Not to mention that because Aragorn stood by him at Helms Deep he rides because his honor would ask him to repay the favor even if he must face death in the eye.
Into the West is, and forever will be, one of my favorite pieces of music. I love so many parts of this soundtrack and it really tugs on my nostalgia strings, I was a child when these were released. But Into the West will forever stand out.
Even watching this, still gave me chills down my spine every scene. This trilogy will stand the test of time 'til the end of time. A truly masterful work and a truly inspiring hero's journey that I will never get tired of seeing over and over again.
Our oldest cat, Ace, now age 21, earned his nickname "The Precious" from sitting with my husband and me through the entire Extended Version trilogy when we got it from the library. It was a great weekend.
"I go to my fathers, in whose mighty company I shall not now be ashamed." - King Theoden. RIP Benard Hill, you're a part of some of the brightest moments in my childhood thanks to this trilogy. Forever a legend
A moment that really gets me is when Aragorn is taunted by Sauron before he charges at the black gate. If you look behind him you can see that only Gandalf and Legolas understand what is being said while everyone else is staring at the army and they look concerned. Sauron basically is saying he will destroy him just like he did with his ancestors and is mocking men for their weakness and then when he turns back and smiles saying ‘for Frodo’ it’s him saying this is bigger than a legacy or redeeming my family line its just about my friend. Every single time I watch this film that puts tears in my eyes. This story is just simply magnificent
I agree this is one of the best trilogies/stories of all time. Everything was done to the best of each department. I especially want to point out when you clipped to a scene and the music would just kick in. Such power, and raw emotion, always sends overwhelming shivers of awesomeness.
OKAY! I checked down in the comments to see if anyone had pointed it out yet or not; the reason the orcs slaughter each-other in the 'tower' sequence is, canonically, because they stripped Frodo of all his possessions and found the Mithril Shirt. It is, as we've established, INSANELY VALUABLE - and the Orcs who said it should be delivered to the Eye got into a fight with the Orcs who insisted they should keep it. The fact that they were all stressed about the 'elf warrior who stabbed Shelob' also had them on edge already.
The timely arrival of Rohan is maybe one of my favorite single beats in the entire battle of Minas Tirith (if not the entire story), and its meaning and symbolism I think gets missed--even by Jackson, who did an amazing job which I in no way want to diminish. That said, in the books it happens right when Gandalf is about to face off with the Witch King. There's no 'deus ex machina save,' it's not rescuing Gandalf after his staff has been broken and he's been thrown from Shadowfax; the Witch King arrives, bringing terror with him, and the only two beings able to stand up against it are Gandalf upon Shadowfax. It echoes the moment earlier in the story where Gandalf says that there are some things against which he has not yet been tested. It's a set-up for them to have a confrontation--which is then interrupted when the horns of Rohan sound, and the Witch King wheels and leaves. They never have a direct interaction of power. We never find out which of them is stronger. And that's the point. It's not a story about great powers fighting great powers, it's a story about how the small, faithful actions of good people who aren't great powers become the movements of the world and fate which actually make the greatest difference. It's my one real change I'd make to the extended cut, if I could: remove any direct power interaction between the Witch King and Gandalf; have them face off, no one else able to stand up to the Witch King's terror, have dialogue exchanged like in the book, flame sword raises, have a couple of close-ups where we know this big epic fight is about to happen, upon which everything will depend... ...and then, "Horns, horns, horns. In dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the North wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last."
I agree with CinemaWins, and you, on this count. I really like your suggestion. The weird deus ex machina felt off, especially the Witch King shattering Gandalf's staff.
I imagine the “beacon lighting” job is part-time & volunteer. Like “hey sweetie, it’s the 22nd; I gotta go take over for Joe on beacon duty. Be back tomorrow after Kevin takes over.” 5:05
6:03 And there you missed the opportunity to give a win for the best use of a shaky camera in cinematic history. That shot is still one of my favorites and it will be. You feel like you are riding behind Gandalf and you look at the riders, the fields, the mountains and then...just like that....just like it's normal because it's just there, so majestic and epic: Minas Tirith. It's just a small scene, but still one of the best. And of course the score during this. But the score is somehting you can't give enough wins for.
Wow. After nearly 20 years and at least a dozen viewings, I still keep watching most of the credits: Annie Lennox's Into the West brings tears to my eyes every time. Thanks, CW.
17:20 It was explained by Tolkien in some of his letters that one of the characteristics of the ring is that it literally cannot be willingly destroyed by any being. The Ring's entire essence is grounded in domination, and he explained that no one would actually be able to destroy the ring of their own will, which is the actual reason Isildur failed to destroy it. In the books, Frodo actually gives in and uses the power of the ring to curse Gollum, declaring that if Gollum raised a hand against Frodo again, then he himself would be cast into the fires of doom. When Gollum attacks Frodo at the Crack of Doom and gets the ring back, that is exactly what happens.
Sam has always been my favorite character in the series. No matter what, he never stopped caring for his friends. He was an anxious, somewhat shy but goofy character. He finally found his courage early in Fellowship, and never gave up on the people he cared about. Also, Sean Aston is just an awesome person. It's like the Neville Longbottom story arch in Harry Potter. He was the real hero, but understated in the story by making him an underdog. Love it. Absolutely love it.
‘But they will answer to the KING OF GONDOR’ and then that score, goosebumps every single time. Perfectly encapsulates that there is still hope and Aragorn is ready to claim his throne.
I couldn't help but chuckle at that Christopher Lee fact at the end about backstabbing. At that point of life, career, and LOTR, he had literally done all of the sidequests, lol.
I do feel the scene where Aragorn releases the the ghost soldiers from their debt is an underrated scene. The man could have tried to use them in the final battle to balance the odds, but recognizes that it was his ancestors clinging to power that led to this whole mess, releases them and goes to fight anyway.
Sam carrying Frodo, Legolas and Gimli declaring themselves as friends, everyone sacrificing themselves for the Hope of Frodo making it..... not a dry eye in the house
They've always sort of hinted at the idea that the ring has a kind of awareness to it. Almost borderline sentience. I like to think that the only reason that the ring was able to overtake Frodo at the end was because it had its back up against the wall. It knew it was close to destruction and, in a last ditch effort, put everything it had into getting Frodo to stop.
I love that you always highlight the scores whenever possible :') The LotR soundtrack is just so good and it's always nice to actually hear someone talk about their appreciation of it. Love your videos, thank you for all the positivity you bring to the internet
4:25 Often overlooked, Gandalf hasn't had access to pipeweed up until reuniting with Merry and Pippin. I don't recall if it's mentioned in the books, but I always presumed he must have gotten some from Pippin who was given "the last of the longbottom leaf".
20:02 I love the reference to, in my own opinion, an underrated scene in the movie. I relate to it from coming home from deployments. Its just the 4 of them because theyve been through so much and talking amongst themselves because no one would fully grasp the weight of what they experienced. The feeling of loneliness in the fact that you know a select few people will understand and relate to you personally. Its a powerful scene especially when its a freshly back home moment but your mind cant help but be back in the thick of it all. Tolkein and Peter Jackson really grounded that feeling of "i guess this is it"
The part that always broke my heart was when Merry and Pippin are separated for the first time. Pippin not realizing until the last moment, staring at his friend, and calling to Merry just as Gandalf spurs Shadowfax on always makes me tear up.
I really just wanted to say how much I look forward to these episodes. Especially the (LOTR). My life has had some crazy turns lately and it’s been a bit rough but these last two weeks looking forward to these three episodes has helped so much and have given me the little escape that I’ve needed. Thank you for all your work. As I’m sure you know it helps a lot of us and we appreciate it and you.❤
What really brings me to tears is the moment after the Ring is destroyed, when Sam and Frodo crawl up on that rock as lava flows around them.. there, at the end of everything... as Frodo, first in a very long time in pure darkness and despair, can finally remember the good things in life again... _"I can see the Shire..."_ And Sam mourns the life he will never get to live (or so he believes). _"Rosie Cotton dancing. She had ribbons in her hair. If ever I were to marry someone, it would have been her. It would have been her."_ ... as he just breaks down crying (Sean Astin's performance is unmatched in that scene in particular)... It's the utter heartbreak of that scene... They have won, succeeded, but it's over for them. They saved the world, but not for themselves. Instead of triumph and celebration, it's a somber scene of mourning that unspeakable loss, and simply waiting for the end, together... Ughh, man! 😢
25:49 THAT LOOK GETS ME EVERY TIME Whether you headcanon Frodo and Sam's relationship as platonic or romantic, THAT is a look of pure love and affection and these actors are phenomenal
Look, im all for representation in movies but Frodo and sams relationship is NOT romantic in any way. They are extremely great friends and are practically brothers by the end, and that makes it better because they truly do decide to work together and go through hell and back just due to their own “brotherhood” and a will to do what’s right in the world.
@@AceBallon3721 yes! These movies I think do an incredible job of filling in a big gap in media which is close, vulnerable friendships, specifically between men.
@@AceBallon3721 Your opinion is valid and you have a big point, but I'm just saying I don't have a preference HOW people view them, and I also think that that love is there. Is it platonic? That's up to you. I could go either way. The point I'm trying to make is, no matter what kind of love you see it as, it's there.
I think when LotR is made by a staunch Catholic WW1 veteran who was considered conservative even during that time who's whole favorite and most well known story consistently showcases the evil of corrupting something good... that we can safely assume frodo and Sam aren't gay.
@@spiffygonzales5899 There are plenty of ways for men to feel and express love for each other without encroaching upon the dreaded and fearful 'gay,' don't worry.
Рік тому+3
I love that he gave like 30 wins to the Rohirrim charge alone. EPIC
One of my favourite moments in the movies is in the Extended Cut where Faramir is letting Frodo and Sam go through the tunnels at the end of Two Towers when he's talking to Sam and says "The Shire must truly be a great realm, Master Gamgee. Where gardeners are held in such high esteem." Because his world is of warriors and kings being the ones held up high, and the idea of a simple gardener being a position of prestige speaks to what he thinks the world could be like, could be better to be more like the Shire in that way.
A nice touch is the look on the rohirims faces when confronted with the seige on Minas Tirith. It's not just the realisation of the enormous odds against them but for the first time they understand why Gondor couldn't help them at Helms Deep.
Don't fret! EGA The Batman Part 2 will be published tomorrow!
Do Schindler list
Love your content
wait is this a reupload
Fret I will not. Thank you CinemaWins
Please do Prey!!
I truly believe Sean Astin deserved a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Return of the King. His performance was incredible!
And he literally was the best support
Even though they literally swept the Oscars that year, I think Peter Jackson would agree. Heck, he'd probably give up one of his Oscars for it
Very unpopular opinion but I feel he was the weak link in the main cast. His whiny ass (compared to the books) annoyed the hell out of me and my family.
@@Ant82ish Even if you dislike the character himself as he was written for the movies, there's no denying the acting was flawless. Sean was incredible from his first scene to the last.
@@Ant82ish A rightfully very unpopular opinion not gonna lie.
Ive always said that the "You bow to no one" scene...is the greatest scene of all time. There's so much weight behind the action of the newly crowded King of Gondor bowing to the hobbits whe gave everything. Hobbits who none really expected anything from. Its an incredible moment of humbleness and a perfect conclusion to the hobbits storyline
It's also something that only Aragorn would have thought of, in his position.
An excellent demonstration of WHY he will be the epitome of ALL that is "noble" in a King.
Someone who is effectively the ruler of the world, kneeling & bowing to some "short, small town, farmers from the 'boonies'"? You know? "Unimportant 'nobodies'." And THEN declaring, "YOU bow, to NO ONE!"
And EVERYONE knelt & bowed to THEM? Royalty, nobles, elves, dwarves, high ranking military officers, probably the ENTIRETY of Minis Tirith's "elites", ALL bowed!
Because these unassuming, ordinary, "irrelevant", little people DESERVED it!
My only nitpick is that all the Hobbits were the same size. Merry and Pippin should be taller after drinking that Ent Drought.
@@RitsusDarlingGirl They eventually grew to be the tallest of the hobbits. Over the years that is.
@@oakbridge4268 I know. But in the books there's a scene where Frodo and Sam mistake them for human teenagers because they're so tall. Just thought it was a funny thing to miss with all of the other details they got right.
'For Frodo'
'DEATHHH'
'I can carry YOU'
'You bow to no one'
'I am no man'
This movie has the best freaking heroic and honourable moments in any movie ever.
May I add:
"You shall not pass!"
"For death and glory"
"Not alone...ROHITHIM! To the king!"
"Go back to the shadow!"
"Fell deeds awake, now for wrath, now for ruin, and a RED DAWN!"
What can men do against such reckless hate? "Ride out and meet them."
"The Ents are going to war! It is likely we go to our doom. Last march of the Ents."
@@furtim1 and may I add to that as well:
"If you let them go, your life will be forfeit." "Then it is forfeit."
"I would have followed you my brother, my captain, my king."
"gondor has no king"
"it only counts as one"
"they will answer to the king of gondor"
and most legendary
"my precious .................... aaarrrggghhh"
Forth Eorlingas!
And in the RoP, we have Galadriel saying: You haven't seen what I have seen :d
I love the consistency of Legolas' weight throughout the trilogy, in the first movie he walks, barely leaving a footprint, on top of snow that is covering the rest of the fellowship up to their shoulders. So it makes sense that he can climb the thin wooden arrow shafts protruding from the oliphants legs without a worry
Arrow shafts could be up to half an inch thick and embedded relatively deeply in the oliphant's hide, so provided you grabbed them right next to the hide, they could support more weight than you might think.
I just wish that him scaling the falling bridge in The Hobbit was half as believable. Maybe it's those dumb contact lenses...
@@RiKSh4w oh god I forgot that happened
@@Captain_Yata What? What happened? Someone make a new movie? I don't think so, i have no memory of that shit.
/s
@@Razzlion In one of the Hobbits (I think it was the third one) Legolas jumps on falling rocks to cross a gap and it looks absolutely ridiculous
When I was younger, I didn’t fully grasp why Frodo had to leave Middle Earth, and why, after suffering so much to preserve and save the place he loved, that he couldn’t adjust/be happy to be back.
And then I went through things and ended up with PTSD. And I completely understood- and you can tell Tolkien did too, why sometimes you just can’t go back to the way things were. And now the ending that kind of confused me makes me feel all the emotions. One of the best trilogies of All Time.
“You don’t mean that” 😢 fighting for what you love but Frodo could never go back because of the fight. Tragic really
True. I just learnt that this year too.
*hugs*
Tolkien was a ww1 veteran who lost several friends during the war too
@@desertfox55 Yup. It makes total sense that his ending says that there are things worth fighting for and you can save your country, but you can't go back to who you were before you went to war.
Funny little anecdote about the multiple endings:
I saw this in theatres with my girlfriend at the time. We shared a giant order of root beer. I have a relatively strong bladder. She didn't. But she was also stubborn and wanted to see the movie to the end, at the credits. During the multiple endings, her squirming increased as her need to pee got worse.
By the end, she was angerly whispering just loud enough for me to hear "Get on the boat, get on the boat, GET ON THE BOAT YOU FUCKING HOBBITS."
hahhahahaha the same thing happened to me. I ran to the bathroom once it ended basically mumbling, goddamn hobbits couldn't just wave goodbye like a sane person
I'm laughing because that was also me.
Are you still with her?
Sounds like a very solid Gordon Ramsay quote.
@@rithvikmuthyalapati9754 No, we broke up a few years later. Not that that's relevant for the anecdote.
“For Frodo…” gives me chills everytime
The speech before the battle too!
Mines just the ride of rohirrim theme :P
Dude that scene Vigo draws every molecule of water from my eyes every time I see it
Not a battle cry. More like a personal conviction.
The moment where Frodo says, “The Ring is mine” still gives me chills.
When frodo say to sam Im the lord lf the rings return of the king, that shit slaps
I still say that out loud at work at least twice a day 😂 but yes I love/hate the look on Frodo’s face and Sam’s reaction when he says that. Powerful scene
@@lucasrodrigues-ew8ii Nah, man watch the extended cut, there the line is improved. He says "Im the lord of the rings return of the king extended edition"
Bunch of orks up here 👆🙃
It’s ringin time!
A really subtle thing in this movie: Sam is the only character in the trilogy to ever just give the Ring to another person of their own free will. Even when Gandalf originally gives it to Frodo, he can't bring himself to just hand it to him. He just drops it on the floor to leave it for Frodo to pick up. Everyone else has to be at least somewhat forced to give up the Ring.
Based Sam
It also should be noted until Sam says he can carry the ring again, Sam didn’t know truly know the effect the ring has had to Frodo and how much Frodo needs to keep it. The ring plays on Sam’s care for Frodo to try to get same to keep and then take the ring. But in the second scene Sam never actually approaches Frodo and he asks if he could carry it the second time knowing he shouldn’t say it. Oh and Sam puts on the ring twice, kills a dude while carrying the ring and willingly says that he has the ring compared to Bilbo who actively try’s to keep it a secret from the Dwarves in the Hobbit. And Bilbo has only had it on for less than a day. Sam was passed out for hours, I think he had the ring on while he was sleeping so it is absolutely insane that he can say he has it, shows it, and only slightly hesitates to give up the ring. He was more resilient (in the short term at least) to the rings influence than Bilbo, though Frodo was far better than him at controlling the ring in the short term, middle term, and long term though succumbs at the last term.
@@meem6154 I don't think Sam ever puts on the ring. He just held it (by the chain)
But still, it's a pretty neat moment that when Sam gives Frodo the ring, he briefly hesitates, but then hands it over. You can tell he really thought about keeping it for a moment there...but then willfully chose to let it go.
@@DreamyAileen I just read the Return of the King, but my memory is horrible so I can't contest you on that even though I still think it's wrong and that Sam did put on the ring.
@@meem6154 Oh you mean in the books? That I don't know. I thought we were talking about the movies
The scene that always stood out to me is Eomer's gut-wrenching scream of terror when he and the others are looking for survivors after the battle and he finds his lifeless sister who he believed to be safe at home. Just a few second long, but still Karl Urban's best performance in this movie.
Wish I could like this over and over . I thought the exact same thing.
Can you explain the follow up? It seemed to show she’d died but was brought back to life. It’s the only part of the extended versions I’ve never understood……
@@liquidiced I completely understand PJ not adding this scene to the movies, but in the books (iirc) Eowyn and Faramir are struck down by the Black Breath of the Nazgul (apparently breathing on someone after not brushing your teeth for thousands of years causes paralysis), the same thing that happened to Frodo on Weathertop. It looks very similar to death, and if not treated it is fatal, but thankfully Aragorn was present with his ranger know-how. Aragorn crushes the leaves of an Athelas plant (like he did after Weathertop) and saves Eowyn and Faramir, leading to the two of them bonding while the others are at the Black Gate and Aragorn being a little more accepted as the king of Gondor due to a random saying Gondorians had, "The hands of a king are the hands of a healer."
@@imawaffle148 that is, a lot, to take in having not read the books! 😌
Can you tell me which book/chapter I can refer to in order to find the lead up and revelation to this?
@@liquidiced yeah, sorry lol. The parts where Faramir and Eowyn are injured is in the movies during their respective encounters with the Nazgul (The Siege of Gondor and The Battle of the Pelennor Fields respectively), but the specific chapters in Return of the King are The Houses of Healing and The Steward and the King. Had to break out the books for this one, been a little while since I read them.
17:36 This was actually explicitly confirmed by Tolkien himself in one of his letters. In that moment, in the place it was forged, the ring's power was so great that there was literally no one in all of creation, no one but the gods themselves and their creator, who could have brought themselves to willingly destroy the ring. Frodo didn't fail, he brought the ring further than humanly possible so that Fate could do what no mortal could.
Also, Frodo and Bilbo showed mercy to Gollum, despite everything. So, in the end, Gollum accidentally destroying the ring is rewarding that mercy
You will never be a woman
So they shouldve asked Tom Bombadil to come along
One of my favourite little subplots of this movie is Pippin and Faramir's friendship, and Pippin talking about Faramir having a value of a "different kind". The kind this whole trilogy has been about; mercy, kindness, understanding. The value of knowing not to love the sword for it's brightness, but to love only that which it defends. It's extra sweet knowing that Pippin named his son Faramir & that there remained a great friendship between them for as long as they both lived.
That's so wholesome I never knew he called his son Faramir
I met a toddler named Faramir a few years ago. He'd be 8 or so now. I hope he still likes donuts 😄
I think my favorite understory is how Pippen's repeated stupid mistakes actually helped them time and time again even allowing them to win.
He accidentally pushed a bucket and armored body down a well attracting the goblins. This leads to Gandalf's death and rebirth stronger than before.
He touches the palantir endangering himself but learning important details of Saurons plan giving the heroes time to prepare.
He swore his service to a clearly insane man when Gandalf told him to not speak. This put him in a position to alert Gandalf and save Faromir.
He even had some clever moments. Telling Treebeard to head to Saurumon's tower which brought the Ents into the war and destroying one of Sauron's major assets.
Every single member of the fellowship was vital to it suceeding. And every event pushed it to success
Boromir falling to the ring lead to frodo leaving the fellowship, saving everyone from succumbing to the ring eventually.
Sam staying with Frodo, and thinking he was dead after shelob, saved Frodo and the ring from capture
Gimli lead them into Moria, without him they just would have gone to the gap of Rohan.
Aragorn's tracking experience and the whole king and ghost army stuff of course.
Legolas, doesn't have anything specific, but his archery really helped in many places (In the books he scares off a Nazgul and Fellbeast with an arrow from Galadriel)
Pippin had his errors that lead to benefits as you said.
Merry came in with the assist to kill the Witch King (He had Eowyn by the throat before he stabbed him in the leg)
Gandalf had a whole bunch of stuff of course
And Frodo carrying the ring of course
All of the Hobbits had some amazing moments throughout the trilogy
And all because they just happened to be stealing Farmer Maggett's crops on a particular day, in the Shire...
Frodo's failure to throw the ring in the pit led to Gollum attacking him and finishing the job Frodo was supposed to do. I had some feelings when somebody pointed out that the third eagle sent to pick up Frodo & Sam would have picked up Smeagol if he had survived.
The doctrine of Felix Culpa comes to mind.
Then again, Tolkien was a Catholic, so sure, why not?
10:03 I love the look of disgust on Gandalf's face after he smacks Denethor in the face the first time. A perfect encapsulation of how fed up he is with him at that point.
He's basically like "Ok buddy, I've had it with you."
Yes, but the character assassinations of Faramir and Denethor were among the worst parts of the film.
@@Elurin You have that right. Jackson deserves a punch in the mouth for how he depicted those two.
@@Elurinthe Two Towers extended edition clears up their motivations.
@@starryagent9936 It was never about not knowing their motivations, it was all about character assassination. Their motivation, while understandable, is no excuse for how there characters were butchered.
Return Of The King is an absolute masterpiece. A grand finale of awesomeness
You rang
the fact that this trilogy exists because of Tolkien's experience in WW1, to then involve an actual war hero from WW2, who was also the only member of the cast to have met Tolkien... truly amazing
Tolkien hated alegory and rebutted the idea that LOTR was an alegory for WW1 explicitly. Check your facts
@@sagesigman8269 He didn't claim that it's allegory, but it is hard to separate Tolkien's experiences in the front to how they may have influenced LotR.
@GUILLE832 Tolkien can complain about allegory all he wants but you don't write Frodo's ending without having lived some things
@@veronicamcghie5238
Likewise The Dead Marshes being an expression of the waking nightmare of battlefields like The Somme.
He might not have intended to specifically refer to his own, lived experiences, but they still emerged through his writing.
Heck, even Beren meeting Luthien / Aragorn meeting Arwen was a kind of reflection of his happy memories of Edith - He went as far as to have the names Beren and Luthien engraved on his and Edith's shared gravestone.
He may have not meant to write it this way but when writing a story this deep you can not avoid putting yourself and your personal experiences into the narrative . Tolkien himself wrote in the prologue of the second edition of Lotr that none of his writings were inspired by anything he had lived through
“Sméagol lied” is such an amazing “twist” such a well delivered line
Yeah. You think Smèagol is the nice one but they're both the bad one. And it was always gonna take an accident to destroy the ring.
The beacon score is one of my favorite in film. It really builds inside you like a fire giving a visceral feel to the “hope is kindle” line.
I'm still trying to find a way to make that entire panning shot of the beacons lighting, from Gondor, all the way to Rohan, my computer's screensaver animation.
it's even better and more grand and hopeful for the soundtrack version
The Ride of the Rohirrim is my favorite theme in all of these movies. It starts as this woeful and melancholy filled melody, mourning the death and forgotten way of the Rohirrim, and ends with the return of a once great culture with horns triumphant throughout, and the strings played so loud its almost deafening
Among a sea of great music, it is a gem.
@@andurilcuivie I just love the way it tells it’s own story. So great
It's so amazingly powerfull.
Idk why but EVERY SINGLE TIME the violin starts playing my eyes get all watery and I start to cry lol. Even in this video it hit me lol
@@alexlewis510 I feel that. My wife and I just did a watch through of the extended eds, her first time viewing. So many beats that this movie hits. I think it’s one of a few masterpieces
Extra win when talking about the troll drummers at 8:48 is that they're beating the same 5/4 rhythm that was first introduced in the score with Isengard in Fellowship. It's an off-kilter cadence to march to, which gives a diagetic reinforcement to the twisted unnaturalness of the orcs.
Thank you!
Howard Shore is always a win. 🏆
@@stickiedmin6508
Always
A win that was missed that was always significant to me was the singular flower that bloomed on the white tree. It signified that King of Gondor was near. Not near in the sense of location but near in the sense that Aragorn had finally developed into the man he needed to be to make his rightful claim.
I honestly believe that in 50 years this is still one of the best movies ever made by humanity.
Oh without a doubt
💯
The scene where Éomer finds Éowyn in battlefield aftermath, and screams in despair at the sight of his fallen sister. That scene alone makes the extended worth it for me.
Yup
Wait EOWYN DIES???
@@DanyelAzamor-lh7yg She got better
Another great thing about Frodo's arc is that in the Two Towers, when Sam says that Smeagol can't be redeemed, Frodo reacts violently, because he has to believe that he can save himself. But in Return of the King, he realizes that Sam was right, Frodo can't overcome the bearing of the Ring, he can never go back to who he was before he touched it. But he can learn to live with himself, his life goes on even if he can never completely free himself from the experience of the Ring, and that's what he accepts in the epilogue.
I’m glad you pointed out the absurdity of arguing over who is the “true hero”. This story is too big to be about any one character, and what’s more, all of the characters know that it isn’t just about them - they all know that they are just one player on a vast stage, but also that the role have have to play is still an important one and they must perform it to their utmost. Individual actions can change the course of history, but only if those individuals are willing to give their all for something bigger than themselves.
The "True Hero" is The Fellowship itself. THEY are the ones that saved Middle Earth. If even one of them is taken out of the equation. Sauron would've most likely won.
*_"CinemaWins is never late nor is he early. He makes a video about LoTR precisely when he means to."_*
Aragorn is the absolute definition of a non toxic male character to look up to, since he shows bravery, kindness and respect to everyone, including female characters. And while being a badass, he isn't afraid to show his emotions towards those he cares about (the Cinema Therapy channel does a great video about him).
Good kisser too.
(I've heard)
@@stickiedmin6508 From Pippin?
@@breaden4381
Apparently, it's something that's quite *_widely_* known . . .
@@breaden4381 From the horse.
"You bow to No one" is still my favorite movie line/moment of all time. First time I ever cried for something that wasn't sad.
It's right up there, for me, with Mulan's father tossing aside her gifts and hugging her when she returns home.
The whole Charge of the Rohirrims' scene from the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is probably the scene that will always give me chills for the rest of my life. From Rohan's horn echoing, to the entire army appearing, Théoden's speech and finally the charge itself, it's chills and chills again with a mix of awe, hope and sadness while feeling inspired and invigorated at the same time, every time.
Nothing ever came close to the amount of raw emotional power this scene makes me feel.
Yes! I'd like to add the beacon scene as a sort of intro to that as well. Gondor (well, Pippin) calls for aid and IMMEDIATELY Rohan answers. They've seen the orc armies, they've faced them before, they received no support from Gondor, but they send 6,000 horses immediately to Gondor in this suicide mission. And it's not fair, it's not what's in their best interest, it's just selflessly doing the right thing because to them it is better to have fought and died than to have sat back and done nothing. Rohan's whole reaction to the battle, just the hope and the righteousness in the hopelessness of it all gets me every time.
in the book Tolkien specifies that Theoden grabs one of the horns and blows it so hard that it "bursts asunder".
Until I saw this scene in the cinema, I always thought that "breath taking" was a metaphor. This scene LITERALLY took my breath when I saw it for the first time. It still makes my eye wet very time I see it. Raw emotional power indeed!
Agreed, there are so many moments in this trilogy that give me goosebumps but NOTHING compares to their charge. It's sublime.
No win for Sam finally approaching Rosie? It was the moment that broke the melancholy of the 4 friends on their return 7(barring Frodo in the long term.) As indicated by the shift to the more jaunty hobbit theme and helping his friends smile and laugh. Yes they've changed, for the worse *and* for the better. There is still love, still hope. I've always loved that moment.
I love that too! Love is always a win.
A truly inclusive Win video would be at least 100 hours. 🙂
@@glitterspray
I'd watch.
Sean Astin was robbed of an Oscar in this trilogy
7:02 Faramir's voice here quivering against his tears like a dam about to break always hits home. I get choked up every time.
Also, fun little fact for Grond; it was the name of Morgoth's mace. During the First Age, Morgoth was the Dark Lord and was warring with Elves. Sauron served Morgoth, making everything tie together. And, in a very great touch, it also gave us a version of a story that happened when the world was young with a human and elf falling in love
Morgoth's warhammer*
Sauron had the mace
@@Richard_Nickerson yeah. Just got them confused
@@Richard_Nickerson I mean, what is a warhammer but a more advanced mace? It is a hunk of metal you use to smack someone.
@@KadRSP
It's almost as if there are 2 different words with 2 different meanings for a reason. It's almost as if Tolkien specified which character had which weapon.
Grond was said to make pits so deep that the only reason fingolfin lost the duel was because he tripped and fell into one of the pits and melkor (morgoth) stepped on him
This movie really shows that every single person working on it REALLY cared. This wasn't thier job, it was thier passion.
I've always felt that the 'Making of . . . ' documentaries that accompanied the Extended Editions are as enjoyable to watch as the movies themselves.
There's just so *_much_* in there, and you honestly get the impression that many of the people involved would happily have carried on working on those movies *_for FREE._*
Talk about a once in a lifetime opportunity, right?
@@stickiedmin6508 same
@@stickiedmin6508 The fact that so many of them (especially the fellowship actors!) were sitting together, laughing and telling stories, was fascinating all of it own. It's lovely to see such friendship.
A behind the scenes story is that while the entire cast and crew went home for Christmas break, one person stayed working on the destruction of Sauron's tower. They showed Peter what they got, and he loved it so much that was the shot they used in the film. It was also a one take shot.
The fact that my eyes were watering and my throat was tangled just from watching this video says a lot about the impact of this narrative. "For Frodo" gets me every single time. Every time a character looks up with teary eyes I get teary eyed. Truly the greatest epic in a few centuries.
Emotionally, I'm not one to rock the boat, during a film. But that final shot of the last Elven ship sailing off, toward the sunset, headed for the literal AFTERLIFE, with that soft, pure instrumental music quietly enhancing the scene... just DESTROYS me every time! Because it literally reminds me of every single funeral I've ever been to, and magnifies the emotional impact of each of those sad events.
Wait, that's the afterlife?
@@spicysalad3013 That's what Valinor basically is. For Elves anyway. Since Elves are already immortal, they're not going there because they are dead, so it's a bit more complicated than that.
But basically, it's where one goes to be immortal, not when one dies. In any case, nobody ever comes back from Valinor once they go there. It is heaven, where the Gods of Middle Earth, and the remaining Elder Peoples of the First Age, dwell.
To go there is basically reserved for only the most "worthy," which is why Men aren't allowed there, unless, like Frodo Baggins, they are truly exceptional people. So maybe it's more accurately compared to a mythical location, like: Valhalla.
It makes me happy...and feel peaceful.
Regarding the ships to Valinor: it was a special place made for elves. But humans and dwarves have their own version of the afterlife. Humans go to the Halls of Mandos with a big question mark afterwards, and the dwarves believe there is a part of those halls set aside for them. The idea is made physical, much as it is in ancient Norse culture.
@@jacob4920 Mortals still die in the blessed realm. It's called the undying lands because all the immortal beings RESIDE there, not because you become immortal when you go. Matter of fact more than likely Bilbo, Frodo, Sam, and Gimli go to the island of Tol Eressea that is within the blessed realm.
Death is a gift given by the One God Eru Iluvatar and the Valar are unable to deny it. No one but Eru Iluvatar himself knows where the souls of men (and kindred species like hobbits) go when they die.
I think the Grey Havens is the most relaxing music possibly ever written, at least ever written for film
I'd like to point out that, in the book, Tolkien made a point to show that Theoden spoke "louder than any heard a mortal man before" and spoke of how the shield shone like the sun.
In the movie, you get Theoden's speech which is like the book, but also the pure symbolism between the Rohirrim being the shield for the defenders of Minas Tirith and arriving with the rising sun. They couldn't do the shield aspect, so they went the calvary for it
The entire description of the charge in the books is poetry, and that so much is captured in the film. I particularly like the description "Eomer rode there, the white horsetail on his helm floating in his speed," and the viceral image of it. But nothing beats the description of Theoden. In relative full:
Then suddenly Merry felt it at last, beyond doubt: a change. Wind was in his face! Light was glimmering....
But at that same moment there was a flash, as if lightning had sprung from the earth beneath the City. For a searing second it stood dazzling far off in black and white, its topmost tower like a glittering needle: and then as the darkness closed again there came rolling over the fields a great boom.
At that sound the bent shape of the king sprang suddenly erect. Tall and proud he seemed again; and rising in his stirrups *he cried in a loud voice, more clear than any there had ever heard a mortal man achieve before*:
"Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden!
Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter!
spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered,
a sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!
Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!"
With that *he seized a great horn from Guthláf his banner-bearer, and he blew such a blast upon it that it burst asunder*. And straightway all the horns in the host were lifted up in music, and the blowing of the horns of Rohan in that hour was like a storm upon the plain and a thunder in the mountains.
"Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!"
Suddenly the king cried to Snowmane and the horse sprang away. Behind him *his banner blew in the wind, white horse upon a field of green*, but he outpaced it. After him thundered the knights of his house, but he was ever before them. Éomer rode there, the white horsetail on his helm floating in his speed, and the front of the first éored roared like a breaker foaming to the shore, but Théoden could not be overtaken. *Fey he seemed*, or the battle-fury of his fathers ran like new fire in his veins, and he was borne up on Snowmane *like a god of old*, even as Oromë the Great in the battle of the Valar when the world was young. *His golden shield was uncovered, and lo! it shone like an image of the Sun, and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his steed*. For morning came, morning and a wind from the sea; and the darkness was removed, and the hosts of Mordor wailed, and terror took them, and they fled, and died, and the hoofs of wrath rode over them. And then all the host of Rohan burst into song, and they sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them, and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the City.
@@Freelancer4tehwin just something about that og Tolkien writing man. Thanks for posting this
@@Freelancer4tehwin There is no film to match that!
10:59 Cate Blanchett as Galadriel has the most beautiful and encouraging smile I've ever seen.
Her eyes smile. So lovely!
Howard Shore's modulation of the Mordor theme to its relative major key when Baradur falls at the end is the very epitome of triumph - absolutely sublime! :)
19:26 I keep hoping someone will pick up on this scene - the first thing Frodo sees when he awakens is Gandalf, whom he never realized survived (or "came back") from the Balrog. Yet he starts smiling and laughing from joy. He probably thinks he's dead, but he's just so happy to be free of pain and darkness in that moment. He probably figures out that he survived once the others show up, but... wow.
In the book I think Sam says something like, "Is everything sad going to come untrue?" :)
Dude, you know that a composer is good, when 3 seconds of a song is enough to give chills.
Imagine being one of the extras in this movie, watching this video, and then right at 25:37, you realize... that's you. You're that guy.
And then redemption from CinemaWins just a moment later! Pure relief.
I know. lol
I always loved the scene with Gandalf and Pippin during the battle and as the orcs are trying to invade to yet another level of Minas Tirith, when Pippin is afraid of what happens after death. And Gandalf tells him about the white shores... It is a piece of Tolkien mythology but at the same time, I always thought, it is like a grown-up comforting a child from the idea of death.
Yes, exactly. I always loved mythology because of that. They are stories we tell one another to make one another feel better about things that may not really make sense. Over time, we begin to believe it. I've always found that fascinating about people. I like Tolkien because of that. He understands people need and want culture, stories, and that's ultimately why humans are different.
And then . . the situation returns to the battle surrounding them. And Pippin and Gandalf say nothing, but ready their weapons and nod.
This quite moment gives them both the strength they need to return to the battle one more time.
And Gandalf knows of what he speaks! You can seen in his expression that he's speaking from memory.
This is a movie I've rewatched so many time I've lost count and it never gets old, I can quote it by heart and the older I get the more it makes me cry in scenes like the Ride of the Rohirrim or Frodo's farewell.
I'm feeling a bit teary just half way through a video about it😁👍
The film perfectly encapsulates the spirit of comradery, honor and hope how can one who doesn't see this not get emotional? 👍👍
I never really thought of the fact that Frodo never actually relinquished the ring, of his own doing and as it was stolen from him, and how that affected him moving forward!!!! I always just assumed he had a butt-load of trauma and PTSD to deal with, but considering the metaphysical hold the ring had on him, especially at the end there, it would almost be like a death of a loved one to him. An entity he felt deeply connected to, no matter how toxic that connection may be, just ripped from his world against his will. This is why I love this channel… Makes me ponder the subtle details I never thought to pay attention to before. 🤩👍🏻
Actually, that's heavily implied in the book, when Sam one evening finds Frodo laying on his bed and repeating as in a dream "It is gone forever and now all is dark and empty".
I have seen these movies more than twenty times but when the Rohirrim ride towards the Orks and you show like three seconds of it I feel my eyes tearing up. Never will there be another movie/trilogy that does that.
The ending credits of this movie were one of the few times I've ever cried in the cinema 😊
I bawled like a baby when the ship carrying Frodo disappears into the sunset. So I didn't quite make it to the credits. lol
For me it starts when Gandalf turns back and says, "It is time, Frodo."
@@Nuneven The first time I cried in RotK was during the beacon scene, mostly because of the amazing, emotional music and powerful moment. By the time Frodo and the Hobbits arrived at the Grey Havens, I was sobbing, and I was still sobbing 20 minutes after the end credits, haha 😄
@@LiliCanal Oh, yeah, the beacons scene is amazing.
Into the West makes me tear up and sends chills down my spine every time. And it's not just because it's almost right after the Grey Havens departure.
The Charge of the Rohirrim still gives me goosebumps and hype and teary eyes due to the sheer epicness.
Theoden and the Rohirrim chanting Death is both a war cry and a defiance of evil as Sauron sought to corrupt death's original meaning of a place of eternal bliss and peace, to strike fear in the heart's of men. Death in Tolkien's universe is the gift to men to make their life more precious, and for them to pass on to another world.
Also fun fact: The Rohirrim horseback actors are almost all women who came/brought their horses on set and went through makeup and costumes to all look like rough-Rohirrim born men!
They're not ALL women, just the vast majority are women.
He also mentioned that in TTT video, iirc.
@@Richard_Nickerson
. . . and there's an entertaining myth about Viggo developing a particular fondness for one of those strapping, bearded horsewomen...
That, for me and other Tolkien fans I'm sure, messed it up for me. The cry of "Death!" was one of desperation, anger, and vengeance. It was the cry taken up first by Eomer after the death of Theoden and what seemed to him, the death of his sister, Eowyn. In that context, it Made Sense! To start off with that as a warcry from the beginning, really doesn't. In the OG story, they started with singing; they sang as they slew. You can read into its use in the movie to make it make sense, that's fine, but it is not the way in the real story.
@@Elurin
What makes you so 'sure' you speak for other Tolkien fans?
I kinda think you're in the minority here Dan . . .
@@stickiedmin6508 Because I've read the literature. When I say "Tolkien fans" I mean the fans of the Books, and not just those kids who got interested in the books because of the movies. There are a plethora of fans who absolutely HATED the movies when they first came out. If you were old enough back then, you might have read those same comments too! And when I say " other Tolkien fans" how can you be so dense to interpret that to mean "all" or "most" I don't hate the movies as much as some other Tolkien fans, but the movies could have been better if they stuck closer to the books, at certain parts.
Ride of the Rohirrim is still one of the most amazing and captivating moments i have ever seen in a movie.
8 hr's of movie build up to this moment. The stakes are high, the fall of Gonder seems imminent and unavoidable, everything looks to best lost... And then the horn, the sweeping shot, thousands of horsemen over the horizon, Theoden's speech, the music swells, the faces of the men, and then shouting DEATH as they charge and accept thier fate, ready to die for thier cause.
I will still let out a tear or two whenever at this scene when i rewatch the trilogy.
If you notice, the Rohirrim (our experience of them, at least) starts in darkness; dank, dim halls with fear and despair the culprits. The turning point, which brought them back into the Light, so to speak, is the end of Helm's Deep, when Eomer leads the charge into the enemy-- "and the Sun rises."
The Rohirrim are bright, beautiful, and have that air of innocence, even after all they have been through. It is their faithfulness to the promise between them and Gondor that starts the banishing of the dark clouds shielding the Orc army-- "and the Sun rises."
I cry, too, at their terrible innocence, and their implacable resolve.
And the Sun rises.
No matter how many times I've seen this movie I always find myself weeping uncontrollably throughout the last 45 minutes of the film
Basically, yeah. Same.
Box of tissues every every time.
Howard Shore cannot be credited enough for this movie, best music in a production ever, hands down.
I don't know, Star Wars comes pretty darn close.
@@Elurin John Williams writes the best hooks, but his ability to bring a world to life isn't close to shore
@@drkirbkennethkirby7634 yeah, but I still like the Star Wars soundtrack, even if Williams isn't as good as Shore (or Zimmer, imo)
honestly, if this had been his only score for a film/film series, I'd still place him as the best composer in cinema history, or at least in modern cinema
12:50
I love how the sweeping beautiful music just cuts out suddenly as the horses impact the orcish line. To give you some time to really appreciate the impact of that cavalry charge.
My absolute favourite movie of all time.
Same here. One of the masterpieces ever made
I know it’s a reupload but I’m still as excited as I was the first time. It’s been a while since the original videos was released so these reuploads were a welcome surprise
I said this before but you missed one of my favorite wins in this movie. The horn of the Mumakil rider, one of the eeriest, off putting sounds ever put into film. Gives me chills every-time!
Contrasted with the horns of Rohan you hear a moment later as they re-form their line to meet the new enemy
Same here…. especially when coupled with those eyeliner-enhanced Mumakhil crazy eyes and the slow, dawning “oh shit” look on Theoden’s face as the Oliphaunts slowly emerge in the background. Terrifying.
It is an incredibly refreshing time to watch you positive and uplifting videos. Thank you for your incredible analysis and dedication.
You have to realize that the battle of Helms Deep gives Theoden hope/courage that they are up to the task of helping Gondor. Not to mention that because Aragorn stood by him at Helms Deep he rides because his honor would ask him to repay the favor even if he must face death in the eye.
I love how the opening to Fellowship basically is background that prepares us for this movie, but doesn't spoil the surprise
I just finished watching the trilogy with a friend who had never seen these films. They seem to just get better each time I watch them
Into the West is, and forever will be, one of my favorite pieces of music. I love so many parts of this soundtrack and it really tugs on my nostalgia strings, I was a child when these were released. But Into the West will forever stand out.
Even watching this, still gave me chills down my spine every scene. This trilogy will stand the test of time 'til the end of time. A truly masterful work and a truly inspiring hero's journey that I will never get tired of seeing over and over again.
Our oldest cat, Ace, now age 21, earned his nickname "The Precious" from sitting with my husband and me through the entire Extended Version trilogy when we got it from the library. It was a great weekend.
"I go to my fathers, in whose mighty company I shall not now be ashamed." - King Theoden.
RIP Benard Hill, you're a part of some of the brightest moments in my childhood thanks to this trilogy. Forever a legend
A moment that really gets me is when Aragorn is taunted by Sauron before he charges at the black gate. If you look behind him you can see that only Gandalf and Legolas understand what is being said while everyone else is staring at the army and they look concerned. Sauron basically is saying he will destroy him just like he did with his ancestors and is mocking men for their weakness and then when he turns back and smiles saying ‘for Frodo’ it’s him saying this is bigger than a legacy or redeeming my family line its just about my friend. Every single time I watch this film that puts tears in my eyes. This story is just simply magnificent
I agree this is one of the best trilogies/stories of all time. Everything was done to the best of each department.
I especially want to point out when you clipped to a scene and the music would just kick in.
Such power, and raw emotion, always sends overwhelming shivers of awesomeness.
That "For Frodo" part will always give me chills and make me wanna run into hell with Aragorn
OKAY! I checked down in the comments to see if anyone had pointed it out yet or not; the reason the orcs slaughter each-other in the 'tower' sequence is, canonically, because they stripped Frodo of all his possessions and found the Mithril Shirt. It is, as we've established, INSANELY VALUABLE - and the Orcs who said it should be delivered to the Eye got into a fight with the Orcs who insisted they should keep it. The fact that they were all stressed about the 'elf warrior who stabbed Shelob' also had them on edge already.
The timely arrival of Rohan is maybe one of my favorite single beats in the entire battle of Minas Tirith (if not the entire story), and its meaning and symbolism I think gets missed--even by Jackson, who did an amazing job which I in no way want to diminish. That said, in the books it happens right when Gandalf is about to face off with the Witch King. There's no 'deus ex machina save,' it's not rescuing Gandalf after his staff has been broken and he's been thrown from Shadowfax; the Witch King arrives, bringing terror with him, and the only two beings able to stand up against it are Gandalf upon Shadowfax. It echoes the moment earlier in the story where Gandalf says that there are some things against which he has not yet been tested. It's a set-up for them to have a confrontation--which is then interrupted when the horns of Rohan sound, and the Witch King wheels and leaves. They never have a direct interaction of power. We never find out which of them is stronger. And that's the point. It's not a story about great powers fighting great powers, it's a story about how the small, faithful actions of good people who aren't great powers become the movements of the world and fate which actually make the greatest difference. It's my one real change I'd make to the extended cut, if I could: remove any direct power interaction between the Witch King and Gandalf; have them face off, no one else able to stand up to the Witch King's terror, have dialogue exchanged like in the book, flame sword raises, have a couple of close-ups where we know this big epic fight is about to happen, upon which everything will depend...
...and then, "Horns, horns, horns. In dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the North wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last."
I agree with CinemaWins, and you, on this count. I really like your suggestion. The weird deus ex machina felt off, especially the Witch King shattering Gandalf's staff.
I imagine the “beacon lighting” job is part-time & volunteer. Like “hey sweetie, it’s the 22nd; I gotta go take over for Joe on beacon duty. Be back tomorrow after Kevin takes over.” 5:05
R.I.P. to Bernard Hill. Hail, Theoden King! Also...Sean Astin deserved an Oscar nomination for this movie. Just so sublime.
I thoroughly and wholeheartedly appreciate the Dr. Walter Bishop shout out @4:01. Fringe is a very underrated show.
6:03 And there you missed the opportunity to give a win for the best use of a shaky camera in cinematic history. That shot is still one of my favorites and it will be. You feel like you are riding behind Gandalf and you look at the riders, the fields, the mountains and then...just like that....just like it's normal because it's just there, so majestic and epic: Minas Tirith. It's just a small scene, but still one of the best. And of course the score during this. But the score is somehting you can't give enough wins for.
Wow.
After nearly 20 years and at least a dozen viewings, I still keep watching most of the credits: Annie Lennox's Into the West brings tears to my eyes every time.
Thanks, CW.
17:20 It was explained by Tolkien in some of his letters that one of the characteristics of the ring is that it literally cannot be willingly destroyed by any being. The Ring's entire essence is grounded in domination, and he explained that no one would actually be able to destroy the ring of their own will, which is the actual reason Isildur failed to destroy it. In the books, Frodo actually gives in and uses the power of the ring to curse Gollum, declaring that if Gollum raised a hand against Frodo again, then he himself would be cast into the fires of doom. When Gollum attacks Frodo at the Crack of Doom and gets the ring back, that is exactly what happens.
Sam has always been my favorite character in the series. No matter what, he never stopped caring for his friends. He was an anxious, somewhat shy but goofy character. He finally found his courage early in Fellowship, and never gave up on the people he cared about. Also, Sean Aston is just an awesome person. It's like the Neville Longbottom story arch in Harry Potter. He was the real hero, but understated in the story by making him an underdog. Love it. Absolutely love it.
‘But they will answer to the KING OF GONDOR’ and then that score, goosebumps every single time. Perfectly encapsulates that there is still hope and Aragorn is ready to claim his throne.
I couldn't help but chuckle at that Christopher Lee fact at the end about backstabbing. At that point of life, career, and LOTR, he had literally done all of the sidequests, lol.
After watching this video I read the details of Christopher Lee's WW2 service record. Holy Smokes!!! he got around!!
That Mouth of Sauron character is SO GOOD. I am genuinely GENUINELY in love at how he performs, the smile, the voice, the costume.
I do feel the scene where Aragorn releases the the ghost soldiers from their debt is an underrated scene. The man could have tried to use them in the final battle to balance the odds, but recognizes that it was his ancestors clinging to power that led to this whole mess, releases them and goes to fight anyway.
I hold your oathes fulfilled. Amazing moment.
@@ridensroom6957t😂😮😊ei😢😮😮p😅😊
😊e😮🎉😮
Sam carrying Frodo, Legolas and Gimli declaring themselves as friends, everyone sacrificing themselves for the Hope of Frodo making it..... not a dry eye in the house
They've always sort of hinted at the idea that the ring has a kind of awareness to it. Almost borderline sentience. I like to think that the only reason that the ring was able to overtake Frodo at the end was because it had its back up against the wall. It knew it was close to destruction and, in a last ditch effort, put everything it had into getting Frodo to stop.
16:20 I think you forgot a few zeroes after that 1 for Sam's "But I can carry you!"
I love that you always highlight the scores whenever possible :') The LotR soundtrack is just so good and it's always nice to actually hear someone talk about their appreciation of it. Love your videos, thank you for all the positivity you bring to the internet
@16:23
I get misty eyed when I see Merry and Pippin bolt off before anyone else even thinks of taking a step...
"Yes. I wish that" such a heartbreaking line, and also a line I quote nearly everyday in various contexts😅
4:25 Often overlooked, Gandalf hasn't had access to pipeweed up until reuniting with Merry and Pippin. I don't recall if it's mentioned in the books, but I always presumed he must have gotten some from Pippin who was given "the last of the longbottom leaf".
David Winham is such an awesome actor. His eyes and voice were expressing all the emotions Faramir felt from his father's responses.
20:02
I love the reference to, in my own opinion, an underrated scene in the movie. I relate to it from coming home from deployments. Its just the 4 of them because theyve been through so much and talking amongst themselves because no one would fully grasp the weight of what they experienced. The feeling of loneliness in the fact that you know a select few people will understand and relate to you personally. Its a powerful scene especially when its a freshly back home moment but your mind cant help but be back in the thick of it all. Tolkein and Peter Jackson really grounded that feeling of "i guess this is it"
The number of truly awesome actors in these films is absolutely mind-boggling.
I would have to go back to something like Lawrence of Arabia to find a similar awesome-actor-heavy film.
The part that always broke my heart was when Merry and Pippin are separated for the first time. Pippin not realizing until the last moment, staring at his friend, and calling to Merry just as Gandalf spurs Shadowfax on always makes me tear up.
I really just wanted to say how much I look forward to these episodes. Especially the (LOTR). My life has had some crazy turns lately and it’s been a bit rough but these last two weeks looking forward to these three episodes has helped so much and have given me the little escape that I’ve needed. Thank you for all your work. As I’m sure you know it helps a lot of us and we appreciate it and you.❤
What really brings me to tears is the moment after the Ring is destroyed, when Sam and Frodo crawl up on that rock as lava flows around them.. there, at the end of everything... as Frodo, first in a very long time in pure darkness and despair, can finally remember the good things in life again... _"I can see the Shire..."_ And Sam mourns the life he will never get to live (or so he believes). _"Rosie Cotton dancing. She had ribbons in her hair. If ever I were to marry someone, it would have been her. It would have been her."_ ... as he just breaks down crying (Sean Astin's performance is unmatched in that scene in particular)... It's the utter heartbreak of that scene... They have won, succeeded, but it's over for them. They saved the world, but not for themselves. Instead of triumph and celebration, it's a somber scene of mourning that unspeakable loss, and simply waiting for the end, together...
Ughh, man! 😢
I know this is random but one of my favorite random moments in this movie is here at 14:53. The orc just standing dropkicks another orc 😂🤣
25:49 THAT LOOK GETS ME EVERY TIME
Whether you headcanon Frodo and Sam's relationship as platonic or romantic, THAT is a look of pure love and affection and these actors are phenomenal
Look, im all for representation in movies but Frodo and sams relationship is NOT romantic in any way. They are extremely great friends and are practically brothers by the end, and that makes it better because they truly do decide to work together and go through hell and back just due to their own “brotherhood” and a will to do what’s right in the world.
@@AceBallon3721 yes! These movies I think do an incredible job of filling in a big gap in media which is close, vulnerable friendships, specifically between men.
@@AceBallon3721 Your opinion is valid and you have a big point, but I'm just saying I don't have a preference HOW people view them, and I also think that that love is there. Is it platonic? That's up to you. I could go either way. The point I'm trying to make is, no matter what kind of love you see it as, it's there.
I think when LotR is made by a staunch Catholic WW1 veteran who was considered conservative even during that time who's whole favorite and most well known story consistently showcases the evil of corrupting something good...
that we can safely assume frodo and Sam aren't gay.
@@spiffygonzales5899
There are plenty of ways for men to feel and express love for each other without encroaching upon the dreaded and fearful 'gay,' don't worry.
I love that he gave like 30 wins to the Rohirrim charge alone. EPIC
One of if not the best film scores ever
One of my favourite moments in the movies is in the Extended Cut where Faramir is letting Frodo and Sam go through the tunnels at the end of Two Towers when he's talking to Sam and says "The Shire must truly be a great realm, Master Gamgee. Where gardeners are held in such high esteem." Because his world is of warriors and kings being the ones held up high, and the idea of a simple gardener being a position of prestige speaks to what he thinks the world could be like, could be better to be more like the Shire in that way.
The final ending is all about Sam saying years later, "I'm home". He had a lot to process before he could really say it and feel it.
A nice touch is the look on the rohirims faces when confronted with the seige on Minas Tirith. It's not just the realisation of the enormous odds against them but for the first time they understand why Gondor couldn't help them at Helms Deep.