The chanted lyrics to the Balrog's music are in proper Khuzdul, Tolkien's Dwarvish, and they are singing essentially the last, desperate, terrified thoughts of the Dwarves who awakened the Balrog while digging before it slew them. The score is FULL of musical Easter eggs like that. The Elvish singing in the Rivendell theme is a gentle welcome and invitation to rest and relax and an assurance of safety in Imladris. The Elvish singing in the Lothlorien theme is by contrast a furious demand to know who dares trespass and bring evil into Lorien and a sharp warning that that place is protected by great power and one of the Three Elven Rings. The chanting in the Ringwraith theme is Aduniac, the ancient tongue of Numenor, and is basically saying all is hopeless, give up now, the Riders are upon you, Sauron's kingdom is inevitable, just give up and despair.
I've said it once, and I'll keep saying it: Whoever decided to make the Balrog sound like a roaring furnace instead of just giving it a regular roar is my hero. You can almost feel the heat blasting from its mouth and its body
@bendonoghue3433 yep, and then they played those sounds to another recorder inside an underground tunnel, to get real echoes. These movies had the perfect combination of practical and computer generated effects
Him being a horror director was weirdly important to these movies. I wonder if the Weinsteins saw that coming or if it's just a coincidence. There's just a lot of moments in these movies that are scary as hell. Great tension. Great monsters. Shelob, Gollum, the orcs, even the ghost stuff under the mountain is pretty good. Pippen knocking the skeleton over. "DRUMS... in the deep...." such a great horror director. EDIT: OH and the NAZGUL, lovely, great noises, great presence, like terrifying statues. Even their horses are upsetting.
Yes. THe entire Moria sequence made me fall in love with movies. I though that movie was over when they arrived at the door. We were almost at the 2 hour mark for the movie and 99% of movies would have ended there. But then shit just kept getting better and bigger. THey fought a giant squid, the Orcs, the Cave troll and the icing was the balrog appereance. We won't see anything like this again.
It depends on when Morgoth’s maiar servants actually turned to his side. My interpretation has always been that those who followed his discord in the Ainulindale are the ones who ended up following him physically later, like the balrogs and Sauron.
this sequence is the main reason FOTR is my favorite from the trilogy of PJ. I was lucky enough to watch this on opening night. I went blind. My mom was the one that read the book but I didn't know much about LOTR, just saw the trailer and the book my mom bought. Going blind as kid was the best experience, everything hit different. I was amazed, in awe, scared, emotional. It was a cinamatic miracle for sure!
Absolutely! An ancient, dwarven city in the mountains, overrun by evil goblins, with a small group of adventurers fighting their way through them, only to be confronted with an ancient demon they have to flee from, ending with a confrontation between that demon and a powerful wizard? And all of it being pictured in the most epic way possible? If that doesn't get you excited (at least as an enjoyer of fantasy stories), then nothing will.
@@Shritistrang One almost feels as though this entire scene, as written in the book, by JRR Tolkien, is the very scene that has inspired Dungeons & Dragons quests, as a whole! The entire scene in the movie just has that classic "D&D Boss Fight" feel to it!
The only thing I don't like about it, and literally every reactor asks this, is that in the movie it's portrayed as if the Fellowship could have saved Gandalf but didn't.
Love how shook Leoglas is when he hears its a Balrog. As a elf he know just how terrifying they are. Didn't expect half the fanbase to start debating below 🫶
I'm sure the other non-hobbits might have read about Balrogs in history books but Legolas would have had family members who would have fought and died against them during the destruction of Doriath and the War of Wrath.
@@dubugga For Men and Dwarves, the Balrog would have been a tale from so many generations ago it had the blur of a mere story. Legola's grandfather, and maybe his father, would have been alive during the First Age, and probably experienced these horrors firsthand.
One of my favourite moments from this sequence is Boromir's "give them a moment, for pity's sake!" which I think a lot of people miss on their first watch because they're still taking in everything that has just happened. And then his reaction after he gets shot down by Aragorn, immediately realising that Aragorn is right, and also noticing the way this scruffy ranger who walks at the back of the party is stepping up to lead, realising there could be a king of men under that dirty cloak after all. Sean Bean conveys all that in half a second. Legendary actor!
a favorite moment of mine is Legolas' reaction when he see the Blarog. His reaction is one of horrific realization that all of those bedtime stories are true.
The movies are over twenty years old now, and still a cineastic masterpiece. The whole Rings of Power show doesn't even come close to that scene alone.
I'm glad some people had the courage to watch that fiasco. I didn't, because I knew it was garbage, but enough did to give me sufficient insight to not waste any money or time on it, thanks! 🤣👍
@@wcthatcoconmuoi I know. You can't compare RoP to that masterpiece. Jackson wanted the movies as close as possible to the original material and even told the actors, to repeat a scene if the intonation of a sentence didn't felt right to him. RoP doesn't even seem to have quality control and don't care for the background of Middle Earth
@Anthyrion Apparently the creators of ROP wanted to be super accurate with the show, but were told to do their own thing with the material. Idk how true this is, but if so it's hard to blame the creators of the series.
That, and Frodo's look of hopelessness at the end of the scene, add great punctuation to it. Elijah Wood had to carry almost as much weight from this story as Frodo, and he succeeded.
Just one glimpse at the detail of the musical score - they found dozens of Maori and had them learn some Dwarvish language so they could do the chanting at Khazad-dum. Amazing work by Howard Shore and Peter Jackson.
The whole series was very big financial and arts win for New Zealand and the Maori people, if I remember right. Studio WETA particularly did the lion's share of the creature design, like the Balrog and wargs and Smaug himself.
Now you HAVE to do the intro to The Two Towers and Gandalf’s continued fight with the Balrog next. Now that you’ve done this scene, it is MANDATORY that you follow up with the rest of the fight, my friend.
Gotta say, i appreciate everyone's howls of anguish when the whip hits Gandalf. Relief, followed by horror, followed by shock, and lastly, grief. This was really fun to watch all the reactions simultaneously. Well done.
Damn you, Peter Jackson and Howard Shore. Even now, more than twenty years later, this scene never fails to make me cry. The combination of Frodo's reaction with the sad ethereal music as they flee from the mine is just perfect.
One of the greatest scenes in fantasy film ever. One of my personal favourite scenes in movie history. I absolutely adore the moment the Balrog first steps from the chasm of fire and "roars" at them, with the white hot glow in its mouth. Then when it "unfolds" next to Gandalf and its wings go out with its arms tensed... This scene is so perfect. Music, action, tension, CGI, actors... My god.
As someone who had read the novels many times before seeing the Jackson movies, the Balrog presentation was positively perfect. It matched my imagination from the text of FOTR to a T.
IKR? All three films have iconic scenes just like this one, multiple scenes really. This trilogy deserves to be called one of the best in cinema history
The absolute tip of prefection was the roar not being some big animal roar but an actual friggin blast furnace. They really should do a theatrical re-release of all these films.
7:04 during PopcornInBed's 2nd viewing (her sister's first) the absolute pain on her face is so sad. She closes her eyes just before the Balrog pulls Gandalf down.
Whenever Cassie says, "Ummmm ..." in a reaction I almost have to laugh. It is the perfect historical response for the entire human race when the world turns upside down, and the path ahead is beyond sight, if there even IS a path. I FEEL that Ummm myself.
9:19 - I've watched that Trilogy like a thousand Times and yet this very Moment always breaks me every Time I see it. Elijah Wood truly knows how to portray a Character's Feelings properly on so many Levels.
When you can see the heat radiating from the Balrog's mouth, that was the most awesome effect I've ever seen. I could feel it. As Gandalf makes his stand you can get just a glimpse of his true power. I like how it's subtle, not showy. It's just a perfect depiction of that crucial moment in the story.
Decades later and the Balrog still looks cool and badass as it did all those years ago. By the way, I really appreciate the moments in the video where you threw it back to the old format. Keeping them in front of the screen while throwing different reactors in at once before they faded away was fun to see instead of cutting away each time to show a different reactor. It was a nice touch.
@@YoureMrLebowski Correct. Think of the first time you posted the video about the telegrams from Saving Private Ryan. How all the reactors were coming and going but the scene was always front and center so we would never have to track it.
This is some of the greatest 10 minutes of cinema out there. Even watching this knowing that Gandalf makes it out in the end, it's still utterly gut-wrenching and makes me cry every time.
“Gandalf could be seen, glimmering in the gloom; he seemed small, and altogether alone: grey and bent, like a wizened tree before the onset of a storm.” I love this description so much ❤️ what an incredible scene. I imagine an old tree on a promontory by the sea as dark storm clouds approach. This tree has stood for decades and weathered many storms, and it will still be standing after this one.
I've always been impressed at how well Jackson was able to translate sooooo many passages like this to film. The one you just described is a perfect example
That gut-wrenching scream from Frodo gets me EVERY. TIME. You can FEEL the emotions--pain, shock, horror, disbelief--in that one word. Fun fact for a bit of levity: the scene where Legolas grabbed Gimli by the beard was an actual unscripted moment. The makeup, beard, prosthetics, etc that John Rhys-Davies wore took so long to apply, and he apparently disliked having to sit for so long to have it applied; also, there was some kind of misjudgement or mistake involving the true distance of how far the jump would be (I could be mistaken on the exact details, maybe someone else might have more specific info) so Orlando Bloom grabbed the first thing he could, which was of course, the beard, and that was why Rhys-Davies knee-jerk response was "NOT THE BEARD!" lol. Peter Jackson liked it so much though that he kept the shot in the film. Which is why we, the fans, get to have that random chuckle in the middle of such a harrowing scene. 🙂
@@morbidangel2424 Great question, because he pulled that scream out from under his toenails lol! That and that singular tear trailing down his cheek while having that grief stricken look in his eyes; it was like his entire soul was ripped out, leaving only the shell of who he was. Elijah Wood did an incredible job 👏🏽.
Davies was also apparently allergic to the prosthetics, so having to wear them day in and day out was literally painful, and if stories are to be believed, actually made him hallucinate from time to time.
Truly one of the most epic moments in cinematic history. That said, I can't help remembering a more lighthearted aspect of the actual production of the scene. Shortly after the first part of the trilogy was released, Ian McKellen was giving an interview about his experience giving his "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" line. The object he was actually looking at, above and behind the camera, was a tennis ball on a stick. He said that one of the jokes he would do between takes was to say the line, in the same intense tone, as "YOU SHALL NOT BOUNCE!"
I love how Gandalfs last thought is of his companions before he let's go of the ledge. Like, "You guys go save the world. Dunno of I'll see ya again, but right now ... I got a fire demon to kill. Okay, flame face, you and me now! Let's go!" Tolkien was a badass writer.
I loved Gandalf's line in The Two Towers, when he tells of how he finally killed the Balrog: "I struck down my foe and smote his ruin upon the mountaintop." Probably the most badass line Tolkien ever wrote.
@@txlyons2937 "We fought far under the living earth, where time is not counted. Ever he clutched me, and ever I hewed him, till at last he fled into dark tunnels. They were not made by Durin's folk, Gimli son of Glóin. Far, far below the deepest delving of the Dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things. Even Sauron knows them not. They are older than he. Now I have walked there, but I will bring no report to darken the light of day. In that despair my enemy was my only hope, and I pursued him, clutching at his heel. Thus he brought me back at last to the secret ways of Khazad-dûm: too well he knew them all. Ever up now we went, until we came to the Endless Stair.' 'Long has that been lost,' said Gimli. 'Many have said that it was never made save in legend, but others say that it was destroyed.' 'It was made, and it had not been destroyed,' said Gandalf. 'From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak it climbed, ascending in unbroken spiral in many thousand steps, until it issued at last in Durin's Tower carved in the living rock of Zirak-zigil, the pinnacle of the Silvertine. It was there that I cast him down, and smote his ruin upon the mountainside." The Two Towers, Book 3, Chapter 5.
@@_semih_ In fairness, that was a battle that lasted DAYS, and took place at just about every type of terrain/location/altitude during that time! Gandalf would have rightly been POOPED after such a struggle, that after he finally killed the thing, he probably just died of a heart attack, seeing as he had the body of an old man the entire time!
@@jacob4920 I wrote a long reply but my comment disappeared... Well I will summarize it... There is a big mistake within your message. The Balrog technically wasn't killed by Gandalf. He died by falling off Zirag-Zigil not by Gandalf's sword! As his last chance to defeat Balrog, Gandalf pushed the Balrog off the cliff of Zirag-Zigil otherwise the Balrog would've killed him with ease. (Because at this point the Balrog also regained his flame back. Before this he was like a creature of slime). Falling off a place and dying is a very common theme/fate for the Balrogs in Tolkien's world.
What I love so much about this is how Gandalf is too humble to believe he's ready to go up against a balrog. After all this time, he still doesn't understand that HE, not Saruman, was set this task because he needed to see that he could do it. And when he finally turns and answers the challenge, he invokes not himself, not Nienna, but GOD HIMSELF. He was always humble--and oh, Tolkien always placed humility above all other virtues but somehow made it badass!
I. LOVE. The LOTR Trilogy, and this entire sequence is my favorite in the entire series, fullstop. I will never get tired of how well paced it is, how from the moment the goblins scatter, you IMMEDIATELY feel nothing but uncertainty and dread. It's like your gut is telling you, "Oh shit, NOW what?!", a sentiment poetically summed up by Boromir's quote, "What is this new devilry?", spoken like a determined warrior ready to face a new threat despite his uncertainty. Then Gandalf says it. "A Balrog. A Demon of the Ancient World." And the look of pure horror that comes over Legolas as he hears these words sells the moment perfectly. He's an elf, he knows exactly what Balrogs are, the kind of threat just one poses, and how many of his kind fell to this Ancient Evil. And then Gandalf says the last thing anyone would want to hear in that moment. "This foe is beyond any of you. RUN!!" And thus begins the most intense sequence ever shown in a fantasy film. The entire chase has you on edge, the unknown danger of a Demon hot on their heels, with the clear and present danger of Goblin archers worsening matters, and the realization the place is falling apart the closer the monster gets. When the monster finally shows itself, it's a moment of true horror. It's not just a demon and a monster, but it's MASSIVE, a living nightmare straight out of the darkest pit of hell, with a roar like a blast furnace and the heat to match it. The chase reaches maximum intensity, the monster being RIGHT THERE, and everyone is now running for their very lives, across a terrifyingly narrow bridge where one wrong step leads to death in a near-bottomless pit, with Gandalf last in line. Then Gandalf gives us the most badass standoff in movie history. Turning around halfway across and facing this beast in defiance, telling it, "You cannot pass!!" It's a moment that has everyone on the edge of their seat, wondering, "What is he doing?!", enhanced by the Balrog's response, straightening up and flaring itself up as though puffing its chest, a wordless way of it saying, "Alright, old man, let's dance." And every single line Ian McKellen utters in this scene as Gandalf gives me CHILLS. "I am a Servant to the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor! The Dark fire will not avail you, Flame Of Udun!" And the moment Gandalf blocks a flaming sword the size of a bus is one of jaw-dropped awe, with even the Balrog stunned and roaring with anger, met with a defiant, "Go back to the shadow!" The Balrog simply flares its nostrils as though scoffing and brings out its whip, as though saying, "No, I don't think I will!" And then the most epically-delivered line in the entire Trilogy: "YOU! SHALL NOT! PASS!!!!" BOOM!!! Gandalf lays down the LAW to this Demon, not just denying him passage but telling him the outcome of this encounter. The Balrog charges, and the bridge falls, taking it right back down to the depths below. And just when you think it's over, the whip cracks, and catches Gandalf's leg. The collective shock and horror from the reactors perfectly summarizes how everyone felt seeing that, The realization Gandalf might actually die. And even in that moment, Gandalf only cared about everyone else, telling them, "Fly, you fools!!" before finally losing his grip and falling into the pit with the demon. It's a heartbreaking moment of horror, shock, denial, pain, and grief, summarized by Frodo's gut-wrenching, "NOOOOO!!!!!" After all that, just when it looked like everyone would make it, they lost the most powerful member of the Fellowship. The solo vocal that follows, that mournful wail of a melody, perfectly conveys the utter pain of this loss. So well done, so well put together. All three of these movies are absolute works of cinematic art, but this entire sequence start to finish is easily the best in my opinion. I love seeing the emotions I just described play out in these reactors, and I felt it with them all over again as though watching the scene for the first time again. Very well made compilation, and I make no apologies for the wall of text. That's how much these movies mean to me!!
I never could read the books as a kid. My step brother was really into them, as was my father. Seeing my father lean forward in the cinema seat, and sheer fear on his face, but also trembling in excitement, he knew what was about to come forth. My first time knowing about a Balrog, and I felt what he did, just as much. I swear after seeing this scene, he talked about it for hours after the film, to the point I think my step mother starting thinking these things actually exist in the world.
@@wskylar21 The great Elizabeth Fraser, better known previously as the unique voice of legendary '80s indie/dreampop band the Cocteau Twins. Though her most widely-known vocal might well be as guest on trop-hop pioneers Massive Attack's iconic 1998 hit Teardrop, a phenomenal song. Look it up!
It never fails. No matter how many times I see this scene, even knowing how the rest of the movies go, watching Gandalf fall, hearing Frodo scream, watching the other hobbits sob with grief, all of these other people reacting starting to shed tears as well because they don't know how the story ends... It gets me too. It gets me every time. I'm not crying, it's just raining inside.
That's funny. I have seen each lotr reaction video of all these people. To see them like a crowd in the cinema freaking out while watching one of the most epic scene in film history is another level. 😂
Thanks Lebowski! This is, for me, the most powerful sequence in the entire trilogy. The leadup and reveal of the Balrog is perfect and the actual look is intense and terrifying. Everyone nails the sense of loss when Gandalf falls. And Aragorn's leadership comes to the front in mustering them to push on past their grief as there's work to be done and the danger is still present. Amazing!
Legolas might have the single best reaction to Gandalfs death. A lot of the reactions from the rest of the fellowship are expected, but when Aragorn tells Legolas to get the Hobbits up, Legolas is literally in a state of shock. Its the only moment in the entire trilogy where we see him vulnerable like this
8:25 legolas is in complete shock, because even more than himself, as an elf, he thought gandalf to be a truly immortal being, incapable of dying, so Legolas is processing death of a similar seemingly immortal being for the first time in his long life.
It's likely given his nature that he is very inexperienced with loss and grief. His confusion opposed to the Hobbitses deep anguish is a wonderful touch.
Gandalfs true name is Olórin of the Maiar. He’s been around since the dawn of time. He is truly immortal. It’s the same with Sauron and Saruman who are also of the Maiar. Sauron sided with Melkor (Morgoth) the first Dark Lord as his Lieutenant throughout the wars of the ages prior up until Melkors banishment to the void. Melkor and Sauron’s defeat is only really their inability to interact with Arda. They still exist and are spiritually alive.
Aragorn's face of disbelief after Gandalf falls. His ducking of arrows still flying as he is the last to leave is just great. Then the high notes of the boys choir as they leave Moria is heartbreaking.
I also like how him ducking arrows shows us why they didn't run over to help Gandalf right away. They were still being shot at. And personally I believe Gandalf let himself go because he knew he didn't have the strength to pull himself up. They have been fighting and RUNNING for quite a while. BUT, if he held on, they would have had hope and ran down to help him. So he let go, to get them to run out.
It's remarkable how composed he is. He met Gandalf when he was 25. He knew him for nearly his entire life. His heart must be shattered. But he knows he can't show it right now. He's just become the leader. His voice doesn't tremble, his eyes aren't sad, he's getting his gear together and speaking with strength. It's time to go.
True. In fact, now that I own the extended version on Blu-ray I have been able to appreciate even more the amount of work and passion used to create this masterpiece trilogy, which after more than twenty years has not aged at all. It seems like it was filmed the day before yesterday....
I was thinking the other day I'd love to see some of these reactors react to the bts stuff. I'm sure there's even some highlight reels people cut together if they dont want to watch eight hours of Kiwis talking about how heavy dollies are.
6:31 - they don't really explain this well in the book but Gandalf is Maiar, which is like an angel, however he is in human form and is limited in how much of his powers he can use, still if anyone can take on a Balrog of Morgoth its him... also Morgoth was Basically Salroun's bigger even more dangerous boss, though he was defeated long ago.
1:56, the fear in Legolas's eyes. As an Elf, he knows what they are capable of...the stories of the War of Wrath where half of Middle Earth was destroyed(Beleriand continent sunken) , the fall of Gondorlin in the flames of the servants of Morgoth.
Gonna need boromirs last stand, gandalfs return, the battle of helms deep, theodans speech, fall of the witch king, aragorns speech, the destruction of the ring, and crowning of the king lol
Hell yeah! Boromirs last stand or theoden merry and eowyn against the witchking of angmar. These are the one of the most emotional secens... They make me cry till today and i have seen them like 100.times
The Uruk Hai carrying the torch to the wall to detonate the bomb. Watching humans and Elfs decimated in the blast, then be swarmed by the enemy....That scene was just a gut punch (and I knew it was coming).
*THAT'S THE ONLY* problem with the balrog and this sequence. It's actually cooler and more impressive than Sauron and his downfall at the end of Return of the King. Or anything else in the three films.
For those who haven't read the Silmarillion, there actually is a lot more to it. When Morgoth was around, and Sauron was merely one his servants (he shapeshifts and runs away from people, Sauron wasn't really a big thing compared to Morgoth, he starts fucking around when Morgoth was exiled) battles were WAY more horrific. That's 1 Balrog (assumed to be the last one), the elves fought battles with HUNDREDS of balrogs.
The Silmarillion is canon, and in the canon, there were never more than 7 or 8 balrogs. The Lost Tales treats balrogs like orcs and has hundreds of them. Totally inconsistent with the LOTR and the actual canon.
Great job. Made me cry all over again! I like the way you popped people in and out instead of showing each group react to the same scene over and over like most compilations are done. Much better approach! Now more!
I love this. And to know that Feänor fought several Balrogs at once , by himself, until he ultimately died of his wounds after their leader Gothmog jumped in the fray.
The greatest of the Elves born in Valinor were virtual demigods. If the likes of them still walked Middle-Earth Sauron would have been defeated, even with the One Ring.
@@danieldickson8591 its not true. In the first age Sauron made and entire High-Elven garrison of Tol-Sirion to flee in terror and despair just by his dark mere presence lol. It required Eru's direct intervention to diminish Sauron and make him vulnerable to the mortals. Before that even Manwe's fiery lightning strike couldn't harm Sauron
@@danieldickson8591 At least one of them did still walk middle-earth during the time of LOTR: Glorfindel. He singlehandedly killed a Balrog while defending his fleeing companions during the Fall of Gondolin. Such a shame he was written out of the movies.
This trilogy looks fresh and new 24 years later. Unbelievable well made it was. The flight to the bridge is one of the most intense sequences ever. This cast is so good. You see all of their emotions flowing across their faces. The weight suddenly on Gandalf. Legolas' fear because he knows from Elvish history all about Balrogs. The Hobbits with fear and confusion. Boromir and Aragorn fearful but clearly ready to stand their ground to the death. And as the whole thing plays out the pressure never let's up. The stairs collapsing while under fire. The pounding chant, the horns in the orchestra. And then the Balrog which has been built up this whole time. And it does not disappoint. That was a jaw dropping moment in the theater. Almost exactly as I had pictured it in my head for decades. And then the lain, anguish and tears. Disbelief from Legolas who doesn't have much experience with loss, and to lose Gandalf.
7:24 Don’t you worry, folks. Gandalf is about to unleash himself against Durin’s Bane (Balrog) offscreen, and thus, have the battle of his life. In other words: Gandalf’s most epic moment ever!
this is so well put together. we get all their reactions for the scenes without actually having to rewatch the scenes over and over. great job with this.
This is, hands down, the best video editing I’ve seen in a reaction video. In particular, the sequence when the balrog first appears, the sequence of cuts to the reactors is very well executed.
I went to a screening of this movie in a concert hall where a full orchestra played the music live. I was on the side terrace of the hall, and I wondered why the seats next to me were empty. Just before the movie started, a male choir took the empty seats. Can you imagine how that sounded when the choir sang right next to me in Dwarfish during the flight over the bridge? I will never forget that as long as I live.
"Give them a moment for pity's sake!" I think this part really informs Boromir. He has real empathy for his friends and his people which the ring twists into fear and dread.
We must understand the severity of this scene to the fellowship to the hobbits they just lost a Grandfatherly person but to Legolas and Aragon it was like seeing Jesus fall man .
A truly legendary movie! I'm sure many of the viewers will also watch it with their children and even with their grandchildren! It's a pity that such films are no longer being made nowadays!
At this point in the theater in 2001 you could tell who had read the books and who hadn't. All the folks who hadn't read the books were audibly shocked, where the ones who knew the story were like "yeah he's going off to whoop some ass right now."
The expression on Legolas' face when he hears the word 'balrog' is that of an Elf who fully expects to die in the next few minutes. It says 'oh f***' far better than anyone saying that ever could. There doesn't seem to be either a Saltire or Union Jack flag here, but FWIW I'm from Scotland.
yeah it's one of those subtleties in the movies that you catch on your 2nd, 5th, 20th viewing or whatever. I've heard people say that Orlando Bloom might have been the weakest actor of the main fellowship; I disagree. I don't think there WAS a weakest. These movies were cast incredibly well. It's honestly just plain stupid how well Jackson got his actors to play their parts. The buy-in from the cast is completely and wonderfully obvious. They loved this shit
Love the way Peter showed how each individual expressed themselves with grief individually as it fits each character at the end of that scene. Great directing.
This was an excellent video to see all the various reactions. I still remember my first viewing of this film and getting a huge lump in my throat during that soloist @ 7:45.
Its worth remembering legolas is nearly 3000 years old at this point. Which is why it pans to him when Gandalf says "a demon of the ancient world". The elves fought armies of the buggers
If you enjoyed this you'll enjoy *Boromir's Departure | LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring*
ua-cam.com/video/XEfMK9b0Ups/v-deo.htmlsi=e0wuOaJYtWZ_YG_5
Could you post the reaction where The White Wizard returns?
@@RazKob33 i don't know when but i will.
@YoureMrLebowski
Hopefully soon. Gandalf arrival to Helms deep is another one.
Always lovin' the epic power of Howard Shore.
@@YoureMrLebowski Thanks, would be great
The music is so perfect in the scene. The Lament for Gandalf is an instant tearjerker.
Contrasted with the beautiful landscapes and the slow motion images of grief on the faces of the characters. Simply amazing.
The chanted lyrics to the Balrog's music are in proper Khuzdul, Tolkien's Dwarvish, and they are singing essentially the last, desperate, terrified thoughts of the Dwarves who awakened the Balrog while digging before it slew them.
The score is FULL of musical Easter eggs like that.
The Elvish singing in the Rivendell theme is a gentle welcome and invitation to rest and relax and an assurance of safety in Imladris.
The Elvish singing in the Lothlorien theme is by contrast a furious demand to know who dares trespass and bring evil into Lorien and a sharp warning that that place is protected by great power and one of the Three Elven Rings.
The chanting in the Ringwraith theme is Aduniac, the ancient tongue of Numenor, and is basically saying all is hopeless, give up now, the Riders are upon you, Sauron's kingdom is inevitable, just give up and despair.
I've said it once, and I'll keep saying it: Whoever decided to make the Balrog sound like a roaring furnace instead of just giving it a regular roar is my hero. You can almost feel the heat blasting from its mouth and its body
I believe it’s a combination of the air jetting from a blast furnace and a cinder block being dragged across concrete. It’s amazing.
@bendonoghue3433 yep, and then they played those sounds to another recorder inside an underground tunnel, to get real echoes. These movies had the perfect combination of practical and computer generated effects
I wonder if it gets a sore throat regularly? I bet it has to eat lots of ice cream.
Literally, if a furnace had a mind, that would be the sound of its rage.
agreed. it has an almost mechanical industrial sound to it. makes it so much more unsettling
When the highest level character in the party says run
You run!
Without questioning.
when the wizard in your group in charge of evacuation is OOM .... RUN !!!! lol
To be honest... they should have run/hide the moment the goblins scrammed!
yeah, then he gets the solo kill and the massive xp and loot. Gandalf's a shrewd, cold sumbitch ;)
@@molonlabe1509😂
Peter Jackson said this scene was the heart of the trilogy for him, or at least one that defines his work on the movies. Excellent work.
Him being a horror director was weirdly important to these movies. I wonder if the Weinsteins saw that coming or if it's just a coincidence.
There's just a lot of moments in these movies that are scary as hell. Great tension. Great monsters. Shelob, Gollum, the orcs, even the ghost stuff under the mountain is pretty good. Pippen knocking the skeleton over. "DRUMS... in the deep...." such a great horror director.
EDIT: OH and the NAZGUL, lovely, great noises, great presence, like terrifying statues. Even their horses are upsetting.
Yes. THe entire Moria sequence made me fall in love with movies. I though that movie was over when they arrived at the door. We were almost at the 2 hour mark for the movie and 99% of movies would have ended there. But then shit just kept getting better and bigger. THey fought a giant squid, the Orcs, the Cave troll and the icing was the balrog appereance. We won't see anything like this again.
What a miracle of masterful filmmaking. Everything aligned perfectly to bring about these masterpieces, and the magic has not repeated since.
The scary thing is.....this balrog was most likely one of Gandalf's friends before JRR's version of Satan rebelled.
That would have been long before Middle-Earth was even created. Both are "Maiar". The Balrogs got twisted into their form and served Melkor.
deep stuff
It depends on when Morgoth’s maiar servants actually turned to his side. My interpretation has always been that those who followed his discord in the Ainulindale are the ones who ended up following him physically later, like the balrogs and Sauron.
Its possible, but given that the Wizards didn't arrive until eons later, we can't be sure they were of the original generation.
@@Outside85 ? They are undying spiritual beings born before the beginning of time.....
The entire Moria sequence is probably one of the best overall scenes of any movie in history 😊
Bloody right. Watching this in the theater was epic.
this sequence is the main reason FOTR is my favorite from the trilogy of PJ. I was lucky enough to watch this on opening night. I went blind. My mom was the one that read the book but I didn't know much about LOTR, just saw the trailer and the book my mom bought.
Going blind as kid was the best experience, everything hit different. I was amazed, in awe, scared, emotional. It was a cinamatic miracle for sure!
Absolutely! An ancient, dwarven city in the mountains, overrun by evil goblins, with a small group of adventurers fighting their way through them, only to be confronted with an ancient demon they have to flee from, ending with a confrontation between that demon and a powerful wizard? And all of it being pictured in the most epic way possible? If that doesn't get you excited (at least as an enjoyer of fantasy stories), then nothing will.
@@Shritistrang One almost feels as though this entire scene, as written in the book, by JRR Tolkien, is the very scene that has inspired Dungeons & Dragons quests, as a whole! The entire scene in the movie just has that classic "D&D Boss Fight" feel to it!
The only thing I don't like about it, and literally every reactor asks this, is that in the movie it's portrayed as if the Fellowship could have saved Gandalf but didn't.
Love how shook Leoglas is when he hears its a Balrog. As a elf he know just how terrifying they are.
Didn't expect half the fanbase to start debating below 🫶
*Legolas
I'm sure the other non-hobbits might have read about Balrogs in history books but Legolas would have had family members who would have fought and died against them during the destruction of Doriath and the War of Wrath.
Probably like one of those scary bed time stories he heard growing up. Our equivalent of the boogeyman but x 10.
I mean most of the greatest Kings of Elvenkind met their doom at the end of the Balrogs whips and blades.... just seems like good sense to me lol
@@dubugga For Men and Dwarves, the Balrog would have been a tale from so many generations ago it had the blur of a mere story. Legola's grandfather, and maybe his father, would have been alive during the First Age, and probably experienced these horrors firsthand.
Whoever put the Steps Chant lyrics deserves a reward.
It won Best Original Score at the Academy Awards, along with 11 other wins.
@@dustinwilson4815It won pretty much everything they have an award for - and deserved all of them.
except for acting@@V3x0r
The lyrics are in Khuzdûl and sung by a Maori chorus.
@@dustinwilson4815
_Return of the King_ alone won 11 Oscars.
One of my favourite moments from this sequence is Boromir's "give them a moment, for pity's sake!" which I think a lot of people miss on their first watch because they're still taking in everything that has just happened. And then his reaction after he gets shot down by Aragorn, immediately realising that Aragorn is right, and also noticing the way this scruffy ranger who walks at the back of the party is stepping up to lead, realising there could be a king of men under that dirty cloak after all. Sean Bean conveys all that in half a second. Legendary actor!
yep - Sean Bean is one of the best actors out there - my wife loves him - (of course that may not be all because of his acting skills...) 😜
He Is Sharpe
Yes I've always said this myself too. So subtle but brilliant with so much going on
a favorite moment of mine is Legolas' reaction when he see the Blarog. His reaction is one of horrific realization that all of those bedtime stories are true.
@@MiqlintockI see what you did there from over the hills and far away
The movies are over twenty years old now, and still a cineastic masterpiece. The whole Rings of Power show doesn't even come close to that scene alone.
I'm glad some people had the courage to watch that fiasco. I didn't, because I knew it was garbage, but enough did to give me sufficient insight to not waste any money or time on it, thanks!
🤣👍
@@tyree9055 I only "watched" it over some critic channels. I refuse to give Amazon my money for that crap
Don't ever bring that show to compare to this , "rings of power" 🤮🤮🤮
@@wcthatcoconmuoi I know. You can't compare RoP to that masterpiece. Jackson wanted the movies as close as possible to the original material and even told the actors, to repeat a scene if the intonation of a sentence didn't felt right to him.
RoP doesn't even seem to have quality control and don't care for the background of Middle Earth
@Anthyrion Apparently the creators of ROP wanted to be super accurate with the show, but were told to do their own thing with the material. Idk how true this is, but if so it's hard to blame the creators of the series.
The “NOOOOOOO” from Frodo literally pierces my heart every time
If only Darth Vader in Episode 3 could have done that "NOOO" with this quality.
Well said
That, and Frodo's look of hopelessness at the end of the scene, add great punctuation to it. Elijah Wood had to carry almost as much weight from this story as Frodo, and he succeeded.
that it takes until the end of the last movie for him to see Gandalf again is also heartbreaking
@@V3x0r Ummm... Vader's cry was robotic... How the fuck is it going to sound like this?
Just one glimpse at the detail of the musical score - they found dozens of Maori and had them learn some Dwarvish language so they could do the chanting at Khazad-dum. Amazing work by Howard Shore and Peter Jackson.
The whole series was very big financial and arts win for New Zealand and the Maori people, if I remember right. Studio WETA particularly did the lion's share of the creature design, like the Balrog and wargs and Smaug himself.
That's awesome trivia thanks! Plus I know it must be true cos you didn't say fun fact.
Now you HAVE to do the intro to The Two Towers and Gandalf’s continued fight with the Balrog next. Now that you’ve done this scene, it is MANDATORY that you follow up with the rest of the fight, my friend.
up
This is a most excellent idea.
And immediately after by Gandalf's return.
Bro made it mandatory for him 💀💀
@@slayer0235and THEN King Theodens restoration scene!
Gotta say, i appreciate everyone's howls of anguish when the whip hits Gandalf. Relief, followed by horror, followed by shock, and lastly, grief. This was really fun to watch all the reactions simultaneously. Well done.
Just saying "when the whip hits Gandalf" is the same as watching it for the first time.
Damn you, Peter Jackson and Howard Shore. Even now, more than twenty years later, this scene never fails to make me cry. The combination of Frodo's reaction with the sad ethereal music as they flee from the mine is just perfect.
One of the greatest scenes in fantasy film ever. One of my personal favourite scenes in movie history.
I absolutely adore the moment the Balrog first steps from the chasm of fire and "roars" at them, with the white hot glow in its mouth.
Then when it "unfolds" next to Gandalf and its wings go out with its arms tensed...
This scene is so perfect. Music, action, tension, CGI, actors... My god.
As someone who had read the novels many times before seeing the Jackson movies, the Balrog presentation was positively perfect. It matched my imagination from the text of FOTR to a T.
IKR? All three films have iconic scenes just like this one, multiple scenes really. This trilogy deserves to be called one of the best in cinema history
The absolute tip of prefection was the roar not being some big animal roar but an actual friggin blast furnace.
They really should do a theatrical re-release of all these films.
As a book fan, Fellowship was my favorite. When the movies came out, I loved Twin Towers most. Could've used that Shelob cliffhanger tho.
But it had to be seen in theaters. That roar shook the entire auditorium. You knew this was something not to be fucked with.
7:04 during PopcornInBed's 2nd viewing (her sister's first) the absolute pain on her face is so sad. She closes her eyes just before the Balrog pulls Gandalf down.
thanks for the comment. i always wonder if people see the same things in the reaction that i do.
Yes. It was touching that she knew what was coming.
You people need to get a life! I love to come on here and mock you morons!
Whenever Cassie says, "Ummmm ..." in a reaction I almost have to laugh. It is the perfect historical response for the entire human race when the world turns upside down, and the path ahead is beyond sight, if there even IS a path. I FEEL that Ummm myself.
Why? She knew what was to come in the next movie.
Best reaction was Frodo's scream. And Pippin's tears. Sam collapsing and crying. Aragorn and Legolas, both, silently stunned.
Gandalf was a mentor to Aragorn, a legend to Legolas, but to the Hobbits a friend. They'd also never lost a friend to violence of any kind.
not to menching pippin propyl blame's himself becueas of the mistake that summed the goblins if he had not done that Gandalf would of probley be alive
@@alexbennett8076agree, and Frodo may feel guilty too, because he decided (in the movie, not the book) that they should go through Moria
And Gimli all like “Mother fucker let me back in there !!!! I’ll kill them alll ARAGHAGH
also Gimli wanting to get back there and fight just about anything, and Boromir trying to comfort the hobbits
9:19 - I've watched that Trilogy like a thousand Times and yet this very Moment always breaks me every Time I see it. Elijah Wood truly knows how to portray a Character's Feelings properly on so many Levels.
I had the pleasure of watching this piece of art in the cinema. It's incredible how the crowded room was completely silent at that moment.
When you can see the heat radiating from the Balrog's mouth, that was the most awesome effect I've ever seen. I could feel it. As Gandalf makes his stand you can get just a glimpse of his true power. I like how it's subtle, not showy. It's just a perfect depiction of that crucial moment in the story.
I always liked the sound that went with the Balrog's mouth. It sounds like heat - a much better match for this demon than a traditional roar
He even tells the thing "I have one of the three elf rings" and it still goes for him.
Gandalf is immensely powerful, but Peter Jackson wanted his magic to be subtle, not flashy. I think that was pure genius.
@@Mek_Alenes Agreed, though I think it was Tolkien's vision, too.
@@homerinchinatown2"sounds like heat" is probably the best description of that anyone could come up with. Absolutely yes, just a perfect shot
Decades later and the Balrog still looks cool and badass as it did all those years ago.
By the way, I really appreciate the moments in the video where you threw it back to the old format. Keeping them in front of the screen while throwing different reactors in at once before they faded away was fun to see instead of cutting away each time to show a different reactor. It was a nice touch.
thanks, i appreciate the feedback.
when you say old style, do you mean the first videos I did, most of 2022?
@@YoureMrLebowski Correct. Think of the first time you posted the video about the telegrams from Saving Private Ryan. How all the reactors were coming and going but the scene was always front and center so we would never have to track it.
@jamesmaynard9364 thanks (specific examples always help). i always appreciate your opinion.
@@YoureMrLebowski it's the first time I watch a reaction mashup in this style. Very much appreciated.
Yeah, the Balrog is truly an inspirational feat of visual effects. Up there with the original Jurassic Park T-Rex.
This is some of the greatest 10 minutes of cinema out there. Even watching this knowing that Gandalf makes it out in the end, it's still utterly gut-wrenching and makes me cry every time.
I dunno. The last scene in Last of the Mohicans is really powerful.
@@emilmlodnicki3835??
@@emilmlodnicki3835both are in my top 10 scenes in cinema along with Darth Vader’s redemption in Return of The Jedi
That's what makes this trilogy so great, even on 1000th watch, it still invokes the same emotions.
“Gandalf could be seen, glimmering in the gloom; he seemed small, and altogether alone: grey and bent, like a wizened tree before the onset of a storm.”
I love this description so much ❤️ what an incredible scene. I imagine an old tree on a promontory by the sea as dark storm clouds approach. This tree has stood for decades and weathered many storms, and it will still be standing after this one.
I've always been impressed at how well Jackson was able to translate sooooo many passages like this to film. The one you just described is a perfect example
This multiple reactors mashup was AWESOME !!! Thanks to the editor !
That gut-wrenching scream from Frodo gets me EVERY. TIME. You can FEEL the emotions--pain, shock, horror, disbelief--in that one word.
Fun fact for a bit of levity: the scene where Legolas grabbed Gimli by the beard was an actual unscripted moment. The makeup, beard, prosthetics, etc that John Rhys-Davies wore took so long to apply, and he apparently disliked having to sit for so long to have it applied; also, there was some kind of misjudgement or mistake involving the true distance of how far the jump would be (I could be mistaken on the exact details, maybe someone else might have more specific info) so Orlando Bloom grabbed the first thing he could, which was of course, the beard, and that was why Rhys-Davies knee-jerk response was "NOT THE BEARD!" lol. Peter Jackson liked it so much though that he kept the shot in the film. Which is why we, the fans, get to have that random chuckle in the middle of such a harrowing scene. 🙂
Wonder how many takes they did to get the guttural scream
@@morbidangel2424 Great question, because he pulled that scream out from under his toenails lol! That and that singular tear trailing down his cheek while having that grief stricken look in his eyes; it was like his entire soul was ripped out, leaving only the shell of who he was. Elijah Wood did an incredible job 👏🏽.
That little bit of comedy makes the tension all the more intense
Davies was also apparently allergic to the prosthetics, so having to wear them day in and day out was literally painful, and if stories are to be believed, actually made him hallucinate from time to time.
Truly one of the most epic moments in cinematic history. That said, I can't help remembering a more lighthearted aspect of the actual production of the scene. Shortly after the first part of the trilogy was released, Ian McKellen was giving an interview about his experience giving his "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" line. The object he was actually looking at, above and behind the camera, was a tennis ball on a stick. He said that one of the jokes he would do between takes was to say the line, in the same intense tone, as "YOU SHALL NOT BOUNCE!"
😆 🎾
I love how Gandalfs last thought is of his companions before he let's go of the ledge. Like, "You guys go save the world. Dunno of I'll see ya again, but right now ... I got a fire demon to kill. Okay, flame face, you and me now! Let's go!"
Tolkien was a badass writer.
I loved Gandalf's line in The Two Towers, when he tells of how he finally killed the Balrog: "I struck down my foe and smote his ruin upon the mountaintop."
Probably the most badass line Tolkien ever wrote.
@@txlyons2937 "We fought far under the living earth, where time is not counted. Ever he clutched me, and ever I hewed him, till at last he fled into dark tunnels. They were not made by Durin's folk, Gimli son of Glóin. Far, far below the deepest delving of the Dwarves, the world is gnawed by nameless things. Even Sauron knows them not. They are older than he. Now I have walked there, but I will bring no report to darken the light of day. In that despair my enemy was my only hope, and I pursued him, clutching at his heel. Thus he brought me back at last to the secret ways of Khazad-dûm: too well he knew them all. Ever up now we went, until we came to the Endless Stair.'
'Long has that been lost,' said Gimli. 'Many have said that it was never made save in legend, but others say that it was destroyed.'
'It was made, and it had not been destroyed,' said Gandalf. 'From the lowest dungeon to the highest peak it climbed, ascending in unbroken spiral in many thousand steps, until it issued at last in Durin's Tower carved in the living rock of Zirak-zigil, the pinnacle of the Silvertine. It was there that I cast him down, and smote his ruin upon the mountainside."
The Two Towers, Book 3, Chapter 5.
@@txlyons2937 And Balrog also killed him too despite losing his flame
@@_semih_ In fairness, that was a battle that lasted DAYS, and took place at just about every type of terrain/location/altitude during that time! Gandalf would have rightly been POOPED after such a struggle, that after he finally killed the thing, he probably just died of a heart attack, seeing as he had the body of an old man the entire time!
@@jacob4920 I wrote a long reply but my comment disappeared... Well I will summarize it...
There is a big mistake within your message. The Balrog technically wasn't killed by Gandalf. He died by falling off Zirag-Zigil not by Gandalf's sword! As his last chance to defeat Balrog, Gandalf pushed the Balrog off the cliff of Zirag-Zigil otherwise the Balrog would've killed him with ease. (Because at this point the Balrog also regained his flame back. Before this he was like a creature of slime). Falling off a place and dying is a very common theme/fate for the Balrogs in Tolkien's world.
What I love so much about this is how Gandalf is too humble to believe he's ready to go up against a balrog. After all this time, he still doesn't understand that HE, not Saruman, was set this task because he needed to see that he could do it.
And when he finally turns and answers the challenge, he invokes not himself, not Nienna, but GOD HIMSELF. He was always humble--and oh, Tolkien always placed humility above all other virtues but somehow made it badass!
I. LOVE. The LOTR Trilogy, and this entire sequence is my favorite in the entire series, fullstop. I will never get tired of how well paced it is, how from the moment the goblins scatter, you IMMEDIATELY feel nothing but uncertainty and dread. It's like your gut is telling you, "Oh shit, NOW what?!", a sentiment poetically summed up by Boromir's quote, "What is this new devilry?", spoken like a determined warrior ready to face a new threat despite his uncertainty.
Then Gandalf says it. "A Balrog. A Demon of the Ancient World." And the look of pure horror that comes over Legolas as he hears these words sells the moment perfectly. He's an elf, he knows exactly what Balrogs are, the kind of threat just one poses, and how many of his kind fell to this Ancient Evil. And then Gandalf says the last thing anyone would want to hear in that moment. "This foe is beyond any of you. RUN!!" And thus begins the most intense sequence ever shown in a fantasy film. The entire chase has you on edge, the unknown danger of a Demon hot on their heels, with the clear and present danger of Goblin archers worsening matters, and the realization the place is falling apart the closer the monster gets.
When the monster finally shows itself, it's a moment of true horror. It's not just a demon and a monster, but it's MASSIVE, a living nightmare straight out of the darkest pit of hell, with a roar like a blast furnace and the heat to match it. The chase reaches maximum intensity, the monster being RIGHT THERE, and everyone is now running for their very lives, across a terrifyingly narrow bridge where one wrong step leads to death in a near-bottomless pit, with Gandalf last in line.
Then Gandalf gives us the most badass standoff in movie history. Turning around halfway across and facing this beast in defiance, telling it, "You cannot pass!!" It's a moment that has everyone on the edge of their seat, wondering, "What is he doing?!", enhanced by the Balrog's response, straightening up and flaring itself up as though puffing its chest, a wordless way of it saying, "Alright, old man, let's dance." And every single line Ian McKellen utters in this scene as Gandalf gives me CHILLS.
"I am a Servant to the Secret Fire, wielder of the Flame of Anor! The Dark fire will not avail you, Flame Of Udun!" And the moment Gandalf blocks a flaming sword the size of a bus is one of jaw-dropped awe, with even the Balrog stunned and roaring with anger, met with a defiant, "Go back to the shadow!" The Balrog simply flares its nostrils as though scoffing and brings out its whip, as though saying, "No, I don't think I will!" And then the most epically-delivered line in the entire Trilogy:
"YOU! SHALL NOT! PASS!!!!"
BOOM!!! Gandalf lays down the LAW to this Demon, not just denying him passage but telling him the outcome of this encounter. The Balrog charges, and the bridge falls, taking it right back down to the depths below. And just when you think it's over, the whip cracks, and catches Gandalf's leg. The collective shock and horror from the reactors perfectly summarizes how everyone felt seeing that, The realization Gandalf might actually die. And even in that moment, Gandalf only cared about everyone else, telling them, "Fly, you fools!!" before finally losing his grip and falling into the pit with the demon. It's a heartbreaking moment of horror, shock, denial, pain, and grief, summarized by Frodo's gut-wrenching, "NOOOOO!!!!!" After all that, just when it looked like everyone would make it, they lost the most powerful member of the Fellowship. The solo vocal that follows, that mournful wail of a melody, perfectly conveys the utter pain of this loss.
So well done, so well put together. All three of these movies are absolute works of cinematic art, but this entire sequence start to finish is easily the best in my opinion. I love seeing the emotions I just described play out in these reactors, and I felt it with them all over again as though watching the scene for the first time again. Very well made compilation, and I make no apologies for the wall of text. That's how much these movies mean to me!!
Thanks for including us 🙏🏼 I like the way you edited it to showcase the various reactions from each reactor at certain points in a scene
you're the guys in the video!! thanks for stopping by. 😎
Seeing the Balrog on the big screen was Epic. It is the best film monster-demon ever!
True. It also has stood the time very well. Even now nothing comes close.
@@mangroval ... The intense heat breath coming out of the Balrog's mouth was the best effect I've ever seen.
Epic. @@Stogie2112
I never could read the books as a kid. My step brother was really into them, as was my father. Seeing my father lean forward in the cinema seat, and sheer fear on his face, but also trembling in excitement, he knew what was about to come forth. My first time knowing about a Balrog, and I felt what he did, just as much. I swear after seeing this scene, he talked about it for hours after the film, to the point I think my step mother starting thinking these things actually exist in the world.
@@davidareevesBalrogs are demons, and they do exist in this world.
We simply cannot see them with human eyes blind to the immaterial.
"I'd let him pass." 🤣
"No handrails at all"... the Galactic Empire must have used the same contractor. 😁
Yeah, they both used NSC: Natural Selection Construction
"OSHA? Safety Regulations? Sounds like elven nonsense to me!" The Dwarves of Kaza-dum (probably)
The bridge was a defense. Any enemy coming in that entrance, would have to approach only that one way.
Didn't want them leaning on it
you know u done fucked up when even gandalf screams "RUUUN!" and starts sprinting the other direction xD
1:23 "aww, ya'll need to run right with'em. i don't know what dat is but dat ay..." -JL
my favorite quote. 😆
Fun fact: Did you know that Sauron was a lieutenant and the Balrogs were generals under the command of the First Dark Lord, Melkor?
@@douglasallar9176 I did. Gothmog was bad-ass
The solo young choir boy voice really drives it home as they exit the mountain.
a woman sang it, no?
@@ir8free correct, even has her name when its playing lol
@@wskylar21 The great Elizabeth Fraser, better known previously as the unique voice of legendary '80s indie/dreampop band the Cocteau Twins. Though her most widely-known vocal might well be as guest on trop-hop pioneers Massive Attack's iconic 1998 hit Teardrop, a phenomenal song. Look it up!
Absolute perfection
@@wskylar21 Feminist lies. What's the boy's name, witch?
This trilogy truly is a staple of cinema experience.
Now we got to follow up with Enter Gandalf the White.
It never fails. No matter how many times I see this scene, even knowing how the rest of the movies go, watching Gandalf fall, hearing Frodo scream, watching the other hobbits sob with grief, all of these other people reacting starting to shed tears as well because they don't know how the story ends... It gets me too. It gets me every time. I'm not crying, it's just raining inside.
20 years later and still goosebumps this whole scene. Movie perfection.
a thousand times better than an average reaction mash-up. great editing, nice presentation, thank you!
That's funny. I have seen each lotr reaction video of all these people. To see them like a crowd in the cinema freaking out while watching one of the most epic scene in film history is another level. 😂
Thanks Lebowski! This is, for me, the most powerful sequence in the entire trilogy. The leadup and reveal of the Balrog is perfect and the actual look is intense and terrifying. Everyone nails the sense of loss when Gandalf falls. And Aragorn's leadership comes to the front in mustering them to push on past their grief as there's work to be done and the danger is still present. Amazing!
Legolas might have the single best reaction to Gandalfs death. A lot of the reactions from the rest of the fellowship are expected, but when Aragorn tells Legolas to get the Hobbits up, Legolas is literally in a state of shock. Its the only moment in the entire trilogy where we see him vulnerable like this
8:25 legolas is in complete shock, because even more than himself, as an elf, he thought gandalf to be a truly immortal being, incapable of dying, so Legolas is processing death of a similar seemingly immortal being for the first time in his long life.
Gandalf was Immortal, he did not sicken or weaken or die from old age, but he was not Eternal.
It's likely given his nature that he is very inexperienced with loss and grief. His confusion opposed to the Hobbitses deep anguish is a wonderful touch.
Gandalfs true name is Olórin of the Maiar. He’s been around since the dawn of time. He is truly immortal.
It’s the same with Sauron and Saruman who are also of the Maiar. Sauron sided with Melkor (Morgoth) the first Dark Lord as his Lieutenant throughout the wars of the ages prior up until Melkors banishment to the void.
Melkor and Sauron’s defeat is only really their inability to interact with Arda. They still exist and are spiritually alive.
Aragorn's face of disbelief after Gandalf falls. His ducking of arrows still flying as he is the last to leave is just great. Then the high notes of the boys choir as they leave Moria is heartbreaking.
I also like how him ducking arrows shows us why they didn't run over to help Gandalf right away.
They were still being shot at.
And personally I believe Gandalf let himself go because he knew he didn't have the strength to pull himself up. They have been fighting and RUNNING for quite a while. BUT, if he held on, they would have had hope and ran down to help him. So he let go, to get them to run out.
It's remarkable how composed he is. He met Gandalf when he was 25. He knew him for nearly his entire life. His heart must be shattered. But he knows he can't show it right now. He's just become the leader. His voice doesn't tremble, his eyes aren't sad, he's getting his gear together and speaking with strength. It's time to go.
The default line when you first hear the Balrog - "Is it a Dragon?" LMFAO
I watched this movie with someone as their first time watching, and they asked if it was the Eye
People REALLY need to watch all of the behind-the-scenes discs to appreciate the level of effort put into EVERYTHING about these films.
True. In fact, now that I own the extended version on Blu-ray I have been able to appreciate even more the amount of work and passion used to create this masterpiece trilogy, which after more than twenty years has not aged at all. It seems like it was filmed the day before yesterday....
An example of the dedication would be at 5:29 because it wasn’t a sound. The Balrog roar was the sound of a burning furnace
The problem is superfans didn't watch LoTR since 2001-2003... This is why they watched Fake LoTR RoP Show
I was thinking the other day I'd love to see some of these reactors react to the bts stuff. I'm sure there's even some highlight reels people cut together if they dont want to watch eight hours of Kiwis talking about how heavy dollies are.
6:31 - they don't really explain this well in the book but Gandalf is Maiar, which is like an angel, however he is in human form and is limited in how much of his powers he can use, still if anyone can take on a Balrog of Morgoth its him... also Morgoth was Basically Salroun's bigger even more dangerous boss, though he was defeated long ago.
Saw this in theaters when I was a kid. Absolutely one of the most epic sequences in cinematic history.
Okay, _this_ was a well made compilation video! Gave everybody their time and space, and was the perfect section of time to show.
1:56, the fear in Legolas's eyes.
As an Elf, he knows what they are capable of...the stories of the War of Wrath where half of Middle Earth was destroyed(Beleriand continent sunken) , the fall of Gondorlin in the flames of the servants of Morgoth.
Gonna need boromirs last stand, gandalfs return, the battle of helms deep, theodans speech, fall of the witch king, aragorns speech, the destruction of the ring, and crowning of the king lol
Hell yeah! Boromirs last stand or theoden merry and eowyn against the witchking of angmar. These are the one of the most emotional secens... They make me cry till today and i have seen them like 100.times
"I can not carry it for you. But I can carry *you* !"
The Uruk Hai carrying the torch to the wall to detonate the bomb. Watching humans and Elfs decimated in the blast, then be swarmed by the enemy....That scene was just a gut punch (and I knew it was coming).
Rohirrim charge on the Pelennor Fields. Most epic scene of all time. Period.
Most epic moment in the entire movie if not in the entire franchise, change my mind
*THAT'S THE ONLY* problem with the balrog and this sequence. It's actually cooler and more impressive than Sauron and his downfall at the end of Return of the King. Or anything else in the three films.
For those who haven't read the Silmarillion, there actually is a lot more to it. When Morgoth was around, and Sauron was merely one his servants (he shapeshifts and runs away from people, Sauron wasn't really a big thing compared to Morgoth, he starts fucking around when Morgoth was exiled) battles were WAY more horrific. That's 1 Balrog (assumed to be the last one), the elves fought battles with HUNDREDS of balrogs.
The Silmarillion is canon, and in the canon, there were never more than 7 or 8 balrogs. The Lost Tales treats balrogs like orcs and has hundreds of them. Totally inconsistent with the LOTR and the actual canon.
Great job. Made me cry all over again! I like the way you popped people in and out instead of showing each group react to the same scene over and over like most compilations are done. Much better approach! Now more!
I love this. And to know that Feänor fought several Balrogs at once , by himself, until he ultimately died of his wounds after their leader Gothmog jumped in the fray.
The greatest of the Elves born in Valinor were virtual demigods. If the likes of them still walked Middle-Earth Sauron would have been defeated, even with the One Ring.
@@danieldickson8591 I believe this. Or a good boy like Huan.
To be honest, Sauron is a bitch.he caused so much damage but he still is low tier goon.
@@danieldickson8591 its not true. In the first age Sauron made and entire High-Elven garrison of Tol-Sirion to flee in terror and despair just by his dark mere presence lol.
It required Eru's direct intervention to diminish Sauron and make him vulnerable to the mortals. Before that even Manwe's fiery lightning strike couldn't harm Sauron
@@danieldickson8591 At least one of them did still walk middle-earth during the time of LOTR: Glorfindel. He singlehandedly killed a Balrog while defending his fleeing companions during the Fall of Gondolin. Such a shame he was written out of the movies.
@@_semih_ You may have more knowledge of Tolkien's published and unpublished texts than I, so I won't dispute your assertion. 🙂
This trilogy looks fresh and new 24 years later. Unbelievable well made it was.
The flight to the bridge is one of the most intense sequences ever. This cast is so good. You see all of their emotions flowing across their faces. The weight suddenly on Gandalf. Legolas' fear because he knows from Elvish history all about Balrogs. The Hobbits with fear and confusion. Boromir and Aragorn fearful but clearly ready to stand their ground to the death. And as the whole thing plays out the pressure never let's up. The stairs collapsing while under fire. The pounding chant, the horns in the orchestra. And then the Balrog which has been built up this whole time. And it does not disappoint. That was a jaw dropping moment in the theater. Almost exactly as I had pictured it in my head for decades.
And then the lain, anguish and tears. Disbelief from Legolas who doesn't have much experience with loss, and to lose Gandalf.
7:24 Don’t you worry, folks. Gandalf is about to unleash himself against Durin’s Bane (Balrog) offscreen, and thus, have the battle of his life. In other words: Gandalf’s most epic moment ever!
@youremrlebowski The way you edited this scene as a whole and let the reactors react in real time was exceptional editing. Beautiful stuff
Now we need Gandalf's return with the same reactors.
Thanks for adding in the translation of the chanting and the vocal credit for Liz Frazier.
this is so well put together. we get all their reactions for the scenes without actually having to rewatch the scenes over and over. great job with this.
7:04 Cassie knows. And all she can think is “My dear sister, it is not over yet.”
EOM: “Oh we’re not fighting that…”
About sums up my entire thought process when I first saw this thing on the big screen.
Need a comp for Boromir's last stand... "they took the little ones..." 😢
Seeing all of your reactions helped me remember how it felt when I watched it in the theater. Thank you.
So many times I have seen this movie and reactions but I have cried every time in this scene. It indicates that is a masterpiece
This is, hands down, the best video editing I’ve seen in a reaction video. In particular, the sequence when the balrog first appears, the sequence of cuts to the reactors is very well executed.
I don’t know if this makes sense, but LOTR is one of those films where I forget that they are actors on screen. I’m so fully immersed.
Aragorn and Legolas's looks of shock make complete sense, since they know they essentially watched this worlds version of an angel die.
I love how Gandalf is wary and a little bit afraid of the balrog and yet glorfindel be like: alright boy let's dance.
I went to a screening of this movie in a concert hall where a full orchestra played the music live. I was on the side terrace of the hall, and I wondered why the seats next to me were empty. Just before the movie started, a male choir took the empty seats. Can you imagine how that sounded when the choir sang right next to me in Dwarfish during the flight over the bridge? I will never forget that as long as I live.
"Give them a moment for pity's sake!"
I think this part really informs Boromir. He has real empathy for his friends and his people which the ring twists into fear and dread.
What is this new devilry? Love that line.
2:54 no hand rails 😂😅 lol you in abandoned mine
We must understand the severity of this scene to the fellowship to the hobbits they just lost a Grandfatherly person but to Legolas and Aragon it was like seeing Jesus fall man .
A truly legendary movie! I'm sure many of the viewers will also watch it with their children and even with their grandchildren!
It's a pity that such films are no longer being made nowadays!
All their reactions is what it's about. Dasha broke my heart when she said, "I did not expect Gandalf to die." She's a beautiful soul ❤️
one of my favorites.
Pudgey just flat out refusing to deal with this whole situation lol :D
🤣😅
7:23 “Fly you fools”
“NAUR” 😂
rule #1... dont fuck with a wizard who has 1 spell slot left and nothing to live for, shit is gonna get bad FAST.
4:15 absolutely favorite part
The earth shakes
Cracks!
splits!
Will no one save us?!
Cracks!
Splits!
Fire in the deep!!
At this point in the theater in 2001 you could tell who had read the books and who hadn't. All the folks who hadn't read the books were audibly shocked, where the ones who knew the story were like "yeah he's going off to whoop some ass right now."
That’s what I tell crazy drivers trying to speed around me yo. “You shall not pass!!!”
The expression on Legolas' face when he hears the word 'balrog' is that of an Elf who fully expects to die in the next few minutes. It says 'oh f***' far better than anyone saying that ever could.
There doesn't seem to be either a Saltire or Union Jack flag here, but FWIW I'm from Scotland.
yeah it's one of those subtleties in the movies that you catch on your 2nd, 5th, 20th viewing or whatever. I've heard people say that Orlando Bloom might have been the weakest actor of the main fellowship; I disagree. I don't think there WAS a weakest. These movies were cast incredibly well. It's honestly just plain stupid how well Jackson got his actors to play their parts. The buy-in from the cast is completely and wonderfully obvious. They loved this shit
Love the way Peter showed how each individual expressed themselves with grief individually as it fits each character at the end of that scene. Great directing.
This was an excellent video to see all the various reactions. I still remember my first viewing of this film and getting a huge lump in my throat during that soloist @ 7:45.
That iconic kiwi "NOUIRRR." Right before the drop was perfect 😂
Really well edited. I love that you put the lyrics to the song over the stair chase. It adds so much!
7:05 Cassie closes her eyes in sorrow, while Carly joyfully smiles. Cass knew, as she reacted to it already.
Not Mrs October crying over your edit! Nicely done! Love this trilogy!
I'll never forget watching this at the premiere, I was 15 years old. One of the best moments in cinema history.
Its worth remembering legolas is nearly 3000 years old at this point. Which is why it pans to him when Gandalf says "a demon of the ancient world". The elves fought armies of the buggers
Really appreciate the additional notes about the music!
The classic "when scary things get scared.....not good"
You are absolutely crushing it with this channel here. The editing just keeps getting better and better. Thanks from the USA.
It's the most intense scene ever. Still get sand in the eye
The final scene with Frodo, THAT is the look of a person whose hope straight up DIED.
no matter how many times I have seen this movie, at this moment tears always run down my face