LotR3-RotK-Seq21

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Bill Pullman as the United States President in the film Independence Day (1996)

Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in this history of mankind.

Mankind -- that word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps its fate that today is the 4th of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom, not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution -- but from annihilation.

We're fighting for our right to live, to exist.

And should we win the day, the 4th of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice:

"We will not go quietly into the night!

We will not vanish without a fight!

We're going to live on!

We're going to survive!"

Today, we celebrate our Independence Day!

Pippin wants to know when the party gets started as he sits in front of Gandalf, astride Shadowfax. Aragorn and the others ride forth to challenge battle, to give Frodo a chance. Aragorn calls for Sauron “to come forth,” as we just can’t introduce another character to be herald nor usurp Aragorn’s command by having another call out Sauron. Aragorn and his party wait, and the silence eats at them.

Finally the Black Gate creaks open (better oil those Iron Hill trolls) and a lone figure rides forth. It’s the Mouth of Sauron, Black Númenórean, Lieutenant of the Tower of Barad-dûr and chief creepy guy now that the Witch-King is in the recycle bin. The creature/man rides forth, and speaks for Sauron. His teeth are creepy and his mask is odd (much has been said about the detail in the mask). He appears insectoid, like a Praying Mantis, and just how does he see? Aragorn, comically, gives him the ‘whatever!’ eyebrows while Legolas looks like he’s ready to shoot the MoS on the spot (then again, what else would Legolas do?).

We could have had some horns blaring to announce the arrival of the Mouth, but…

Gandalf, amazingly, replies when asked if any are worthy as I guess that Gandalf the White rates a Mouth but below a Witch-King. The White Wizard states the West’s demands. “Leave Mordor, disband your armies and see a dentist twice a year!” The Mouth of Sauron taunts Gandalf in return, displaying then throwing Frodo’s mithril shirt to Gandalf.

Personally I liked when Gandalf grabbed it from him, as that demonstrated assertiveness, but…

The hobbits in the group are openly dismayed, as they assume that Frodo is captured. Gandalf hushes the twain, possibly knowing that if Sauron had the Ring, there would already be signs (“What does your heart tell you?”) of it. Seeing that he has the party of the West at a disadvantage, the Mouth of Sauron piles on.

Aren’t Rohirrim truthsayers, and so wouldn’t they know a falsehood when it was spoken?

But even Gandalf gets sucked in by the lies and visibly begins to weep, which is crazy as we, the audience, know that Frodo’s still alive and free, unlike during this chapter in the books when, as far as we know, Frodo’s in Cirith Ungol awaiting transport to Barad- dûr.

Aragorn, still in control of the show, rides forth, and the Mouth of Sauron doesn’t know what’s coming. He mocks Aragorn, stating that the blade does not make the man, but Aragorn responds that the blade surely can unmake the man.

Aragorn beheads the MoS. If you’re keeping score, that’s at least one good beheading by Aragorn per movie (Lurtz, Uruk, MoS). It’s his thing. The rest of the group is momentarily shocked, but then Gimli does his thing, makes a joke, and all is back to normal in the world. For an explanation, Aragorn states that he didn’t believe the MoS, and then more psychotically, that, “I will not!” With his crazy look, no one tries to gainsay the new King. Surely Aragorn is to be the ‘rash new Ringlord sticking out his neck’ but here I think that he’s stuck on just ‘rash.’

Aragorn obviously read, “Headlopping Ways to Better Management,” by Uglúk.

The Black Gate opens, and where before there was nothing, now an army marches below the red gaze of the Eye (looking very much like the Eye and Pyramid, to me, on the back of a US dollar bill). Aragorn decides that it would behoove everyone to retreat back to the rest of the army.

Back on the other side of the fence, Sam notices that the Eye now scans northward, and so it’s safe once again to travel. Frodo begins to rise, and Sam helps him to his feet.

Back north, the long shot shows Aragorn and crew riding to rejoin the Army of the West. Note that no head or body, formerly known as the Mouth of Sauron, lies near the gate just like when Obi-Wan Kenobi was stuck down by Darth Vader. Amazing. And for those of you who are watching/have watched the theatrical release, note the black blood on Aragorn’s sword even though in that version the MoS rides off into the sunset.

I do like that the Army is a mixture of soldiers from different places - Rohirrim standing next to Gondorian soldier.

The Army of the West looks nervous, and so Aragorn, similar to the movie Braveheart and recently as on the Pelennor Fields by Théoden King, decides to give a speech. His words, delivered well, work well enough, but if you start thinking about them too much…Regardless, the soldiers draw their swords, and it’s an encouraging sound.

We see Sam and Frodo slowing making their way up the side of Orodruin.

The Army of the East makes its way around the Free Folk to encircle them. The Army of Aragorn, here not on a hill, prepare to be attacked from all sides, and are woefully outnumbered. The control and restraint exercised by the orcs is interesting, and their line (which is a circle) looks artificial, and I can’t help but see a lawn of bacteria onto which was dropped a filter of antibiotics (anyone know what I’m talking about when I say “flaming glass hockey sticks?”). Note that in this last stand that there are no moats or stinking pools of goo for the trolls to wade into…if there are trolls in this very mannerly group.

Frodo and Sam continue struggle for every vertical inch.

The orcs have completely cut off any chance of the Free Folk retreating. We see Merry, Pippin and Éomer (that other King) steeling themselves for what seems to be the inevitable. Gimli and Legolas share a moment, and it’s nice that the scene wasn’t muddied up with some sophomoric joking.

It’s the end game. For the remaining members of the Fellowship (and Éomer), this is it. Sauron is about to take the bait. It’s all up to Frodo and Sam now.

[Essex]

Before I start my indepth (!!!) discussion on these scenes, please, please tell me you were being Ironic with the Bill Pullman quote. Don't compare anything from the Worst Movie ever made (Idependance Day) with the Best Movie ever made (Return of the King)!!!!!!

[alatar]

I liked the energy that Bill Pullman's character brought to that moment. Surely there are more emotional cinematic speechs, but this one happened to be fresh in the mind. Note that I didn't mention Braveheart, as I thought that one overused. Any better pre-'we're all about to die' examples?

Are you sure, cousin, that you're just not sensitive to 4 July 1776?

[Nogrod]

Originally Posted by Alatar / Bill Pullman in the Independence Day

We will not go quietly into the night!

Originally Posted by Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Sorry. I just couldn't help this...

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Nogrod

Sorry. I just couldn't help this...

Thanks Nogrod for quoting another great movie.

Aragorn's speech is fine; it's just that I hear echoes of Braveheart and was hoping for something more Tolkien and Wow! Plus, Viggo has a nasally delivery.

Quibble.

[Sir Kohran]

I haven't been here for a while, and this'll have to be short, but hopefully meaningful.

Originally Posted by alatar

Aragorn's speech is fine; it's just that I hear echoes of Braveheart and was hoping for something more Tolkien

Just to play devil's advocate (this is the right scene, after all ), I see a lot of thematic similarities between Aragorn's speech and Gandalf's speech in the book:

Originally Posted by Aragorn in the movie, before the fighting at the Black Gate

A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of wolves and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down, but it is not this day. This day, we fight! By all that you hold dear, on this good Earth, I bid you stand, Men of the West!

Originally Posted by Gandalf in the book, during the planning of the attack on the Black Gate

Other evils there are that may come; for Sauron is himself but a servant or emissary. Yet it is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till. What weather they shall have is not ours to rule.

Both times, they're giving messages of both hope and realism, saying that although there'll always be trouble in the world, we shouldn't think about what to do for the trouble in the future, but to think about what we can do to help now, and by doing so, we can make sure that those who come in the future will have a fair chance of doing the same. Whilst we can never hope to win completely, we can still give our best effort to win for the present; to show defiance against defeat and failure. Basically, to use a beautiful line from both book and movie...



All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.

[Elladan and Elrohir]

Undoubtedly, alatar, that is Essex's problem.

EDIT: Cross-posted with Nogrod.

I liked the Mouth of Sauron, even if there's not much more of him than a mouth. I do have difficulty picturing him as a man with that huge mouth and those long teeth, though.

Let the beheading debate commence (on this thread, anyway). I'm not sure it makes a great difference either way. It happens; you can blink and it's over if you like, and the guys come riding back to the Grand Armee.

I have to admit, I love Aragorn's speech; I'm a sap for heroic death charges. Viggo's delivery is great, although his American accent gets distracting a couple of times. I really wish they'd made him go Brit, but oh well. I will concede one thing to my English brethren: your accents sound a lot better than ours in stories of this sort.

Frodo and Sam crawling up the Mountain, with some flute music courtesy of Sir James Galway in the background, is awesome, epic, everything it should be.

And finally, the bit with Legolas and Gimli is tender emotion, perfectly capturing the spirit of the book. If only we could have seen them like this more often.