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Originally Posted by Knight of Gondor

I do not think this is plausible. The fire brought by the (senseless) guards was real enough.

Sure, the fire was real, but was the fire that engulfed the running Steward real? In the scene where Shadowfax attacks Denethor, the film makers realized that the real horse would be afraid of the real flames. Virtual flames were tried, but didn't look real enough, and so a mirror was used - watch the Appendix material on the DVDs for more.

Anyway, so real flames appeared to be cooking Faramir, yet actually were elsewhere. Could Denethor's flames also be illusionary in the same manner? Gandalf did use a white light to chase off the Nazzies once on the Pelennor Fields, and so we can assume that he had knowledge of optics.

Pippin feared for Faramir's life because of the flames. And Denethor's groaning in pain couldn't be just put on.

Pippin was mostly concerned that his wardrobe's future prospects were protected. And, speaking of Pippin, I too groaned in pain when the hobbit and his partner bounced on Frodo's bed later in the movie, yet I wasn't on fire (though may have wished that it were so).

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Or else they are suggesting something about Denethor's sense of himself as having proportions almost approaching that of a deity.

But Denethor was consumed, both physically and mentally. And even the memory of the Leaping Steward of Fire will burn out eventually.

So, I'm not sure if the bush or the fire was actually doing the speaking,

No one reported any last words from the Steward, flaming or not, after he hit the ground, or at least more than "whoop!"

Originally Posted by davem

We know Denethor wore armour under his robes, so it is possible that the flames of the Pyre simply burned off the robes & that the 'flames' were actually a reflection of the fires burning the lower levels of the city.

Think that it would depend on what he wore under the armour. We bought a stainless steel tea kettle, more for looks than utility (who drinks tea?), and I've burned my fingers more than once when grabbing the steel handle, as the metal conducts heat rather well. If Denethor wore dish towels or a garment made of oven mitts under his steel rings, then he may have survived the initial fire well enough to run with the illusionary one as far as he did.

Freak atmospheric conditions...

In the world of Middle Earth, one only wonders what would be considered freak atmospheric conditions...