[Elladan and Elrohir]

Whatever you may think of the Frodo-Sam schism, Shelob's Lair is brilliantly conceived and executed. The set, the acting from Wood, the CG spider (it almost doesn't seem right to call her that), the perfect sound effects, and not least the creepy score. It's all magnificent.

And I happen to love the Frodo-Gollum scene that follows, as well. It's certainly not what you'd expect, that just minutes after one betrays the other brutally, they're having a heart-to-heart in between wrestling duels. But it's exactly in keeping with the way PJ has built up their relationship. Neither one is stable, but Frodo finally remembers that he does indeed have a hot date at Mt. Doom (or is that Gollum?), and each one's response to the other is totally logical.

And the Galadriel scene is brilliant also. Tolkien always blushed and nodded when readers did him the honor of comparing Galadriel with the Virgin Mary, and I think this scene is definitely in keeping with that comparison, whether intentionally or not. The Lady of Lorien plays an important role in that scene and in the subsequent scene with Sam in the book, and so I'm thrilled that PJ stuck this moment in there. It's really the defining moment for Frodo in the films, though we almost lose sight of it because he's immediately "killed" by Shelob. This is his turning point. "If you do not find a way, no one will." From this point on, he may lose hope, he may rely on Sam to get him to Orodruin, but he never shirks back from his task. He will never again stop to wonder, "What are we holding onto, Sam?"

Awesome sequence, all-around. Oh, and I guess there's the stuff with the Rohirrim too. Dom Monaghan delivers an amazing monologue as Merry; his character gets the least amount of spotlight time of anyone in the Fellowship, but he shines here. Although I too have always thought it rather stupid that he and Eowyn are sitting in the middle of the camp with helmets off, and no one apparently sees them.