“I’m glad to be with you, Samwise Gamgee…here at the end of all things.”
Sam burns away his last bit of strength getting Frodo to the entrance to the Sammath Naur. Lucky that that path was there, though it wasn’t put there for the exclusive use and benefit of one Sam Gamgee. For whom, actually, it was made and more importantly
maintained, I’m not sure as Sauron is, I think, bereft of legs and can now only swivel about atop his high tower (and not even swivel 360 degrees at that!). Frodo seems all but dead, but not dead enough to avoid an attack from Gollum. The Slinker beat them to the mountaintop, and from atop a rock jumps down upon Sam and Frodo. Sam is momentarily downed, and Frodo has to fight Golllum alone. Odd that Frodo tries to hold Gollum to his oath, sworn on the Precious, as from what I can remember that oath was broken in Shelob’s Lair, but then again, maybe it’s me. Maybe hope springs ever eternal in Mordor. Sméagol is at least an honest thief as he tells Frodo that when he swore the oath, he had lied. Gollum presses his attack – trying more to kill Frodo than just trying to take the Ring, as he might try later
. Sam recovers enough to bean Gollum’s head with a large rock. Still, after taking a hit that would felled an Uruk in Orthanc, Gollum comes back for more. Sam meets him, and the two begin to wrestle, as angels of dark and light must do for possession of one’s soul, as these two here do for Frodo’s.
Concurrent with Sam and Gollum fighting, we see what is taking place outside the Morannan, and it’s a big mess even before the Nazgûl begin to arrive. Definitely a scene to watch in wide-screen. Gollum takes a bite out of Sam’s shoulder, and Sam slices Gollum with Sting. Frodo, now energized, heads for the entrance to the Sammath Naur.
Gandalf looks on while the Nazgûl begin their aerial attack, and as he does (…and I can’t but help to wonder what he thinks. Is he afraid of the lesser Nazgûl?) While he wonders, we see a moth flit by, and that’s to remind us of something that took place two films ago. Suddenly an Eagle appears and attacks the approaching Winged Nazgûl. Air support for the good guys! Pip becomes hopeful.
Frodo makes it to the entrance to the Cracks of Doom and enters. Sam follows shortly thereafter, and we see the place hasn’t changed much in 3,000 years. Note that, wasn’t it in the Fellowship of the Ring where Gandalf calls Orodruin ‘Mount Doom?’ Anyone in Middle Earth ever ponder that name? Why would Sauron keep a path maintained to a place called ‘the Cracks of Doom?’ Nowhere else in Mordor to barbecue? Did Sauron think himself a member of the
Turambar clan? Anyway, Sam sees through the smoke that, at the very edge, at the Edge of Doom, Frodo stands and looks back. For the moment, he’s still Frodo, but that’s about to change.
Sam replays the part of Elrond, and so you know who that makes Frodo. It’s been noted by others the similarities of the Isildur and Frodo shots, and so I won’t elaborate on those. Sam can’t figure out why Frodo hesitates, and changes his plea from ‘throw it in’ to ‘let it go,’ which I find very nice. Frodo continues to look upon the Ring, and its power finally takes over his soul.
And I love the ‘heartbeats’ in the background.
Frodo claims the Ring. Interesting that, also like Isildur before he went a’ swimming, Frodo yanks and snaps the Ring from its chain. Just who made that chain, and does it come with a warranty? Sam begs with his heart and cannot believe what he sees with his eyes.
Frodo slowly goes to place the Ring upon his finger. When he does, Sauron is instantly aware of him. His folly has been laid bare. The Nazgûl are summoned and speed towards Mount Doom, upon which doom will fall, along with a lot of lava. Frodo’s footprints can be seen walking towards Sam, which is silly as in what medium are they being shown? Dust? Then where are the ones from Frodo’s initial walk? Damp earth? Whatever.
The angel of Light is here; where’s the Dark? Gollum creeps up behind Sam and returns the rock that Sam had flung his way earlier. Gollum figures out that Frodo is dancing about (the foxtrot?) and makes to attack him once more. The two begin to struggle, and Frodo starts to whine.
Although Sauron should be preoccupied with the events on Orodruin, his will continues to steer his orcs and warriors over at the Morannon. Aragorn fights a particularly scary-looking Battle Troll while Gollum and the Invisible Hobbit wrestle for possession of the Ring. Finally Gollum bites the finger bearing the Ring from Frodo, who immediately returns to our world, screaming in pain. Ouch!
Just as Frodo and Sam are now prone, Aragorn hits the dirt as well. Cousin Legolas tries to help. Gollum, now with the Ring, is the happiest person in Middle Earth. Frodo, now recovered, goes to get back his Precious.
Aragorn gets stomped by the Troll, but he uses his dagger to bite back.
Frodo and Gollum fight and fall over the edge. We see Gollum fall into the lava below. Though the temperature of the molten rock is about 2,100°F (1,140°C), Gollum takes a moment to melt. This was intentional, as I think that the directors/producer thought that Gollum sinking immediately just quickened the scene too much. Gollum slowly sinks, and the Ring sits upon the molten rock (hey, it’s a magical world) awaiting Frodo’s decision.
Sam finds Mr. Frodo hanging over the edge, and he reaches down to help his master. Frodo again hesitates, and the words inscribed upon the Ring begin to glow.
Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg thrakatulûk, agh burzum-ishi krimpatul
The darkness of addiction, methinks. Frodo makes one attempt to take Sam’s helping hand, but blood keeps his hand from holding Sam’s. It seems, for a moment, that Frodo gives into despair, and would rather be dead with his Precious than alive without it. Sam’s hope finally passes into Frodo, who then takes his hand. Note that, in the Fellowship of the Ring, it was Frodo that saved Sam from drowning in the Anduin, so we’ve come full circle there.
Finally, now that Frodo has made his decision, and has let the Ring go - also somewhat like Bilbo who let the One Ring behind on the floor of Bag End - the Ring dissolves and washes away.
Sauron is none too happy. He gets a really bad case of eye-strain, and his minions finally take notice and begin to scatter. Barad-dûr, tower of adamant, crumbles, cracks and crashes into rubble, and the Eye that is Sauron goes down like a sinking ship and then explodes in a Ring of light. The Fellowship realizes that Frodo has completed the quest; the Ring, Sauron and all that he’d wrought is no more. A wave of light flows out of Mordor, the last breath of Sauron perhaps. His armies now flee and the (Middle) earth opens up and swallows them. Mount Doom explodes anew, and the Nazgûl burn as well. The joy of Frodo’s success is quickly turned to sorrow for his friends as they realize that Frodo (and Sam) obviously sacrificed himself to complete the quest.
Note that I would have liked the smoke shape of Sauron, reaching out menacingly, to be blown away, but that might have been confusing.
Meanwhile, Sam and Frodo find new strength and try to put some distance between themselves and Sauron’s forge. Once outside, Frodo realizes that ‘he did it’ and that the Ring is no more. He and Sam await the inevitable as they sit on an island amidst the calamity of the mountain. As they wait for death to arrive, Frodo remembers the Shire. He has come through in possession of his soul. Sam has thoughts of Rosie, and he begins to weep of the wife and children that he will never see as, now, even Sam has no hope left. Frodo, without the Ring, becomes a caregiver once more, and comforts his Sam as he is able. The best line is then spoken (see above).
Even knowing what’s going to happen, it’s sad as these two have given all that others may have fresh earth to till.
Fade to black. Is the movie over? Are these two hobbits dead? We see a long shot of them lying dead, perhaps, on their rock island, then eagles appear with Gandalf. The eagles grab and carry our two heroes away, and Frodo still lives as he flies above the ruins of Mount Doom, as if in a dream.
But are the eagles taking these two to the Houses of Healing, or to a place of honor in the tombs of Rath Dínen? Once thread is left to post, and we to will have arrived at the end of all things…SbS.