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Not the great lines - no, I want to talk about those visuals that won't go out of your head. The ones that make you cry, or smile, that you will remember.
I watched the extended DVD of the Return of the King last night for the first time, I've been so busy I couldn't carve four hours out of my schedule but I finally did it last night. I just decided, when everyone else went to bed, I would watch the movie alone so I could appreciate it without interruptions.
So, here is my list, from the entire trilogy, in no particular order, just as they come into my scattered ADD brain: (note if you have not seen the movies or the extended versions, these may well constitute spoilers)
Fellowship
Boromir running over the hill toward Merry and Pippin
Pippin crying in Merry's arms on the rocks outside Moria
Aragorn closing his hands over Frodo's with the ring of Barahir showing as he let him go
Aragorn kissing Boromir
Two Towers
The banner of Rohan tearing away in the breeze and falling to the ground
The charge of the Rohirrim with the white light of the White Rider shining before them
Frodo holding the ring out to the Nazgul at Osgiliath
Theoden standing in the middle of the room while his armor is placed upon him
The look of anguish and love on Eowyn's face when she sees Aragorn alive - and Legolas giving him back the Evenstar necklace
Return of the King
The women and children throwing flowers at the feet of Faramir's soldiers as they head off to their deaths
Faramir's face when his asks his father if he wishes that Faramir had died and Boromir had lived
Eomer cradling his sister's body on the battlefield and sobbing
When they leave the paths of the dead and see the Corsair ships, that look of desperation and sorrow on Aragorn's face and Legolas putting his arm around him to comfort him
Faramir pulling Eowyn to him to comfort her, and the sigh he gives when rests his face against her hair - the beauty and purity of that gesture hurt my heart (that was something I so wanted to see, for the sake of my two favorite characters, and even though it didn't get much screen time Jackson was able to portray their falling in love perfectly)
The horror on Merry's face, when he realizes that the explosions after the destruction of the ring probably mean Frodo and Sam's death
The look between Frodo and Sam in Minas Tirith, when Sam is standing in the doorway, it captured the fact that words couldn't express what they felt, but that they both knew it
The lighting of the beacons
Frodo kissing Sam before he boards the ship
Okay, I'm misting up and I think I'm going to go upstairs and watch the movie again. See ya later. Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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I still haven't seen ROTK. I want there always to be something left, you know? But that list is about to wear me down. (lem, you aren't helping. )
Posts: 2919 | Registered: Aug 2004
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Paul Goldner, I absolutely agree about that scene.
Also, the expressions on the faces of the four hobbits after the "You bow to no one" line. They are all distinct and each tell a complete story in itself. (ROTK)
Belle, I also love the Theoden's Armour scene, with the light behind him and the people passing. Argh. Beautiful. (TT)
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Yeah, I've had LOTR on the mind lately, as I finished reading TTT on Christmas Day a few years back. (I cried. And then I threw the book across the room. And then I pounced on my writing journal and wrote pages and pages about it.) I think I may start a reread soon.
I don't really have any images from the movie in my mind, but "Concerning Hobbits" floats through my mind every now and then.
Posts: 1805 | Registered: Jun 1999
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I always enjoyed the part right after Gandalf sends the Nazgul chasing Faramir and his men away with his staff. Gandalf turns towards Minas Tirith and the camera follows him. Just the way the camera is moving and how everything just flows seamlessly gives a real sense of....real....to the scene.
"I may not be able to carry it for you, but I can carry you!"
Gollum on the edge of the Crack of Doom. That's when it hit me that the trilogy was almost over *tear*
Strider/Aragorn sitting in the corner of The Prancing Pony. The fire from pipe lighting his eyes.
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The ride of the rohirrim for me... all those horses standing in that line with the sun behind them...
Posts: 459 | Registered: Dec 2004
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I still like the looks on Gandalf and Pippin's faces when Gandalf speaks to him of death. Of course, we all know those lines are the last things Frodo sees in the book, right? RIGHT?
EDIT: Also, was I the only one saying "DEATH" along with them right before the charge?
[ December 23, 2004, 05:09 PM: Message edited by: Book ]
Posts: 2258 | Registered: Aug 2003
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I didn't even know they were saying "death" until I watched the movie with subtitles. I just thought they were screaming.
Posts: 450 | Registered: Nov 2004
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I absolutely agree the Faramir charge scene is the most beautifully crafted thing EVER on film.
I didn't list it because it's a given, to me, and because the most poignant thing about that scene is not just the visuals, but Pippin's song. Man that hurts to watch, every time.
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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For absolute hotness, the scene where Aragorn enters the big hall after he's lost and found again... When he opens that door in slow motion and he's all dirty and sweaty and his hair is all mussed up... wow I just swoon.
Posts: 2069 | Registered: May 2001
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There's a great scene in RotK where Gandalf where he's just sitting in a small back yard in Minas Tirith. I don't know exactly where it is, but it's on the first disk of the Extended Edition, before the lighting of the beacons.
It's so well constructed. I was thinking about taking a screenshot of it and using it as my desktop.
Posts: 903 | Registered: May 2003
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I don't know... faramir seemed really soft in that scene. Hotness for me= filthy frodo on mt doom. Posts: 459 | Registered: Dec 2004
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FotR: When I watched FotR in the theatre, I hadn't yet read the books. I know, silly me. But when the last alliance of men and elves marched across the open planes, I started to understand the hype.
Then Gandolf set off the fireworks as he entered the Shire, delighting the children (and me). That's when I knew the movie was going to be something special.
Other FotR images: After Frodo parts ways with the Fellowship, Aragorn stares down the horde of orcs... and by the look on his face, you know it's not going to be a fair fight.
TTT: The elves arriving at Helm's Deep. Aw-yeah.
RotK: Probably better just to list images that didn't burn into my mind.
I have to say, Denathor's death scene was terrible. My audience laughed out loud at it, and I did too. Stop, drop, and roll!
Posts: 1515 | Registered: Feb 2002
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The first disk of my copy of RotK EE is scratched! The lighting of the beacons scene is corrupt. I sent it back to Amazon earlier today, since the scratch was definitely there before I got it.
Posts: 903 | Registered: May 2003
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Gollum in TTT: "It was MEEE!!" Gives me the chills everytime. The scene in TTT where Elrond persuades Arwen to go to the Havens, specifically the look on her face and the emotion in her voice when she says she loves her father too. (Helps to have a married daughter living overseas to get the full impact...) The penetrating gaze of Arwen and Aragorn's son directly at the viewer in RotK. The charge of the Rohirrim. The first time we see the White Tree, surrounded by guards. Gandalf's entry into the Shire, as he crosses the bridge - picture-perfect to my conception from the book. The Balrog. Boromir's death. Arwen as Frodo first sees her in 'vision'. The Elves sticking the charging Orcs as we gaze along their front line in the prologue to Fellowship. Lots more but I'm tired
Posts: 867 | Registered: Dec 2003
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The scene at the palace when Faramir is brought to Denethor...and the camera pans over him and the City to reveal the Mordor hord. Talk about civilization vs. the barbarians!
The first awesome full frontal money shot of Minas Tirith in all it's glory and powerful music.
Posts: 4953 | Registered: Jan 2004
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Great minds DO think alike. I think we all must be in withdrawal this December. I started reading a few days ago and just finished "The Ring Goes South." This is my third time through and this time, I'm annotating references to Middle Earth History and lore so that I can better understand the guide to middle earth and the Silmarillion when I finally get to read it. I'm also marking all the song text that I'm one day going to write choral music to. It's been a blast.
As for the movies, (and this is a great thread Belle!), there are many images that stay in my mind (in no particular order.)
Fellowship
Frodo under that very first tree and our first look at the Shire. I love that!
The look on Aragorn's face when he tells Frodo to look at the Argonath.
The fellowship outside the walls of Moria, mourning the loss of Gandalf (and the music there, I can hardly stand it!!)
Two Towers
At the very beginning when the camera pulls back and we watch Gandalf and the Balrog fall into the water from far away. Amazing shot.
All the Legolas/Aragorn/Gimli running shots from the helicopter.
Eowyn singing at her cousin's burial
The Aragorn/Arwen in the purple dress sequence, when she puts her finger to his lips and their heads are together. *sigh*
"And so it begins"
When Gandalf appears at sunrise, and then Eomer rides up beside him right before they charge down the hill.
The look on Frodo's face when he said "Frodo wouldn't have gotten very far without Sam"
Return of the King
Aragorn as he picks up his little son in Arwen's vision. *sigh* I love that.
Gandalf driving back the ringwraiths as Faramir and company retreated from Osgiliath. The music at that part....I love it!
The beacons. Of course. Especially those few that were high above the clouds and in snowy mountains. A big part of the thrill of that image is the music that accompanies it. (yet again.)
The charge of the Rohirrim. It's the only part that still makes me tear up. "Courage Merry. Courage for our friends." And then the actual charge when the shot pulls back and we see the two armies meet in one sweeping motion. Amazing.
I know I'll love the houses of healing scene when I actually see it.
Gollum, as he looks upwards and we see him through the ring that he's holding. Great shot.
Frodo and Sam with their heads together on the rock.
The look that passes between Frodo and Sam after he's greeted the fellowship once he wakes up. So much is said in that look, I love how they captured it on camera.
The approaching shot of the courtyard in Minas Tirith at the coronation of Aragorn. Such a sweeping and beautiful shot.
The parting shot of the Grey Havens as the ship pulls away. (the music is particularly effective there as well.)
I think I have more from the other two movies, but RoTK is just fresher in my mind. What's great is having some of these beautiful images in my mind as I reread the books. Not all of them work, but a few of them fit right in. [ok, it's 'coronation' not 'crowning.' ]
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We can go ahead and let this thread morph into a music appreciation one - because I think of all the themes, the Rohan one really captured it for me. It just spoke of Rohan, when I heard it for the first time, in that banner falling in the wind scene with Eowyn, after she ran from Wormtongue - man alive, it was awesome.
And we can morph into the lines that grab your heart when you hear them - because when I watched ROTK:EE again last night, I remembered one -
Eomer: "Riders of Rohan! Oaths you have taken! Fulfill them now, to Lord and Land!"
Then the shot of those 6000 horses taking off for Gondor - oh man does that get the heart rate up!
Question: At the end, what does Aragorn say to Legolas in Elvish right before he sees Arwen?
Also, something I noticed and I'm probably the last person to mention it.
I was trying to figure out who was the standard bearer with Aragorn when he rode up to the Black Gate to issue his challenge and talk to the Mouth of Sauron. I first though it was Eomer, but last night, I realized Eomer is carrying Merry with him. The standard bearer is in shiny silver armor - does anyone think this is a nod to a character we didn't get to see on film - the Prince of Dol Amroth?
Posts: 14428 | Registered: Aug 2001
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In RotK, when Arwen has the vision of Aragorn and their son. That part made me sob in the theatre, partly because I've had dreams of Bernard playing with his children. And the music at that part is so heartbreaking, and just the brilliant green of the background, it just... It's just indescribable.
Posts: 873 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Return of the King and all the Renee Fleming parts (including that one of Aragorn and son in the forest) are just killing. I have never held so tightly to a soundtrack before in my life (and in my snooty music majorness, it's not the best WRITTEN soundtrack ever, but boy does it slay me anyway!).
Ok, so some lines that come to mind:
"Courage Merry. Courage for our friends."
"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me."
"I'm glad to be with you Samwise Gamgee. Here, at the end of all things" (ok, that was a paraphrase)
"We set out to save the Shire, and we did save it. But not for me." (another paraphrase)
OH, and the whole life after death conversation between Gandalf and Pippin. I love that!
I haven't had a chance to watch the EE yet , but I did see the easter eggs last night. "The dolphin is dead!! Died in a car accident!" Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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You go to the scene selection menus on disks one and two....you arrow down through the very last scene on each disk and you'll see a ring next to the *new scene symbol. Hit enter and there it is! There's one each on disks 1 and 2.
Are there any more that I don't know about?
Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
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When the Numenorians landed on Middle Earth after the fall of The Isle of the Gift, they founded one great Kingdom that was amicably split in two. Gondor and Anor. Because he was caught in the destruction of Numenor Sauron was unable take form for some time. However over time he did muster his power and the great war of the Last Alliance was fought.
The King of Gondor fell in that battle and later Isuldur fell to an ambush.
The Kings of Gondor died out. But in Anor the the northern nation flourished until the Witch King arose in Angmar and eventually destroyed that great nation. It was in the great battle that Elrond pronounced the prophesy that no man would kill the witch king. The remnants of the Dunedain fought a rear guard action against the forces of Angmar and Aragorn's ancestors fought and managed to check the powers of evil north of the Shire finding allies where they could.
Eventually The forces of evil managed to kill Arathorn the Chief of the Dunedain and his wife fled with her son to the House of Elrond where Aragorn grew up. As it happened Elrond's daughter was in Loth Lorien at the time of Aragorns youth and only returned when he was a man full grown. It was then when they met and fell in love. Elrond told Aragorn that no lesser man then the King of Gondor and Anor would ever wed his daughter, so Aragorn set off to learn the skills he thought he would need.
From the Rangers he learned his fighting and then spent time with the elves of Mirkwood. Then he did a stint in Rohan. Finally he joined the Guard of Gondor. Eventually under the Steward Ecthalion he became a captain and was held high in the esteem of all in the city. It was at this time that jealousy was birthed in the heart of Denethor who had rare gifts that gave him insight into who Aragorn really was and what his ascendancy meant.
Aragorns claim comes from being a direct descendant of the Kings of Anor and back to Elendil, he and Isuldur were cousins. Actually so were he and Arewen!
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I have come to the conclusion that I like all but three images in the LOTR movies. I have a problem with one thing in each movie.
FOTR: Close to the end, when Aragorn is fighting the Uruk Hai who was going to finish Boromir off, the Uruk (I've forgotten his name) throws a shield at Aragorn, pinning his neck to the tree. He then goes in with his sword-thing to cut Aragorn's head off. Aragorn escapes. This is just a silly action sequence that always seemed totally rediculous and also redundant.
TT: I think you can all guess. Legolas' little slide down the stairs. WHY?!
ROTK: Legolas again, and another silly exploit. His battle with the Oliphaunt. (The one that prompts the, "that still only counts as one" line) That is, too me, again unbelievable, even for an elf and jarring.
Other than that, I like every image. Even when the land falls away in a neat circle around the Gondorians after Sauron gets exploded.
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Amazon two-day rushed me another copy, fully intact. :glows:
RotK is one of the few movies where I have to choke back tears. That and the end of the first part of Ken Burns' Civil War are about the only two movies that make me cry.
Posts: 903 | Registered: May 2003
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"TT: I think you can all guess. Legolas' little slide down the stairs. WHY?!"
I understand where you are coming from, but I still kind of liked that scene though.
One of my favorite bit from the book is the part where Legolas walked on top of the snow while Aragorn and Boromir had to burrow through it. Since we didn't get to see that part in the movie, I thought the stair surfing was a pretty good trade.
The Oilaphant scene, well, that one I didn't like as much. I loved it till the part where Legolas shot the poor creature in the neck. I mean, was that really necessary?
Posts: 1592 | Registered: May 2000
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"How is Aragorn decended from the line of kings?"
BC gave a fantastic answer and I can only add that the last king of Gondor was Eärnil II, who was killed by the Witch-king of Angmar.
People often ask why Isildur's heirs did not claim the throne of Gondor right after the death of Eärnil. I don't have the books with me, so I can't say for sure. But I think there was a war of succession in Gondor that greatly weakened it, so the rangers probably thought better of stirring up unnecessary conflict.
Posts: 1592 | Registered: May 2000
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vwiggen, look closer at FOTR...you DO get to see that. In the pass....right where it happened in the book.
I love the Balrog, and the opening of TTT blew me away.
I also loved how they fleshed out the Paths of the Dead. Amazing.
As far as the last of the Ruling Kings....Earnur was the last King of Gondor in 2050, according to the appendix in LOTR. Mardil becomes the first Ruling Steward.
As far as the last King of the Numenor, Ar-Pharazon becomes corrupted by Sauron after defeating Sauron and taking him captive. He attacks Valinor, and Numenor is destroyed.
Elendil escaped from Numenor and with his sons founded the two kingdoms of Men, Arnor and Gondor, for Anarion (Arnor) and Isildur (Gondor).
Aragorn traces his ancestory back to Elindil, through Isildur. I tried to fins a reference on who was the eldest....I think it was Isildur....but I couldn't find it.
Actually the Silmarillion says that Arnor and Gondor were ruled by the brothers jointly and that they shared the rule.
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Also, there wasn't a war of sucesion. There were Propheseys about how the line would have to be concealed to protect it...remember that Elrond was around even then....and so the Heirs were hid away in Rivendale, in part to prevent such a war of succession, and in part to protect the heirs.
Gondor was not strong at that time, and evil was on the move. Isidur had been killed, but there were heirs. There were many lines then, but they were all weakened and were eventually , hundreded (maybe thousands) of years later, they failed.
Aragorn was from a cadet branch, but because his family was of the Rangers his bloodline was not weakened by intermingling with the other races of man, as had happened in Gondor. If Isidor's heirs had tried to take over right away after so many years outside the city it would have been war, and the Enemy would have had the final heir of that line in his sights. Many would have doubted their claims.
Also, the last king of Gondor wasn't killed per say, but the Witch King captured him and he was never heard of again. Ever.
Thanks for the tip Kwea, I will rewatch that scene a little more carefully. I didn't know about the prophecy, I guess it is time to read the entire series again! As if I need the excuse.
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. The "weathered look" my friends call it.![[Cry]](graemlins/cry.gif)
I sent it back to Amazon earlier today, since the scratch was definitely there before I got it.
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What's great is having some of these beautiful images in my mind as I reread the books. Not all of them work, but a few of them fit right in.![[Blushing]](graemlins/blushing.gif)
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, but I did see the easter eggs last night. "The dolphin is dead!! Died in a car accident!" 
