The most poignant, powerful moments of the film. (Spoilers)

[Morsul the Dark]

the end of TTT when Sam has the monolouge about great tales...."im going alone""ofcourse you are and im going with you!" the last march of the ents.......i dont care if its not in the book but the arrival of the elves at helm's deep.... aragorn's speech ....... theoden's song at helm's deep (where is the horse and the rider).......gandalf falling into abyss, boromir dieing............at sad and great times

[Knight of Gondor]

Since I did not exactly think about trilogy favorite movies (perhaps I should start a new thread about that? Then again, the title of this thread does not specifically mention RotK...), I suppose I should list mine.

By powerful and poignant, I mean moments in the movie(s) that just push a nameless wave of emotion on me. Sometimes, that wave tries to get me to cry. Once or twice, it has succeeded. But actually, the memory of these moments, along with the accompanying appreciation for the courage that is displayed, pushes those feelings on me even when doing mundane activities like mowing! Okay, well, enough analysis.

It was so cool to see the Elves and their deadly precision and accuracy, and I loved to see their battle scenes and action, but this did not effect me profoundly, for two reasons. First, because it was only the first of the movie, and second, the Elves were almost emotionless, or appearing thus, in battle.

Gandalf and Saruman’s battle. It’s like, the adrenaline in your body is surging like YOU want to deliver a blow to Saruman! Still, I didn’t exactly get chills there either.

Aragorn flying out of the shadows and attacking the Nazgûl viciously. That was probably where the first chills of FotR (and thus, the entire trilogy) came on. That’s a point where you can just marvel at the courage, even if it IS just an actor.

Somehow, Sam’s plea “What are you DOING?! Those wraiths are still out there!” coupled with Aragorn’s look was pretty cool.

Gandalf’s stand on the bridge, of course — and his fall, with accompanying reactions from the Fellowship. (Sam in particular...just his one sniff when Aragorn goes “on your feet, Sam” just kinda hits you right here)

Somehow the remembrance of the extended Farewell to Lórien scene strikes me that way, but not viewing itself. It’s more of the cerebral idea of nearly angelic beings ministering to the Fellowship, and easing their cares and worries as best they can.

The battle of Amon Hen is not only really cool, but also the underlying emotions make it amazing. Aragorn’s self-sacrificing smile at the Uruks as he accepts their challenge, as it were, almost as if saying “come and GET me, I have nothing to lose. Merry saying “Run Frodo — go!”, then distracting the Uruk-hai. Gimli and Legolas mowing through their enemies. Boromir’s valiant stand, with accompanying facial expressions from Boromir, Merry, and Pippin. Aragorn tackling Lurtz, following battle. Somehow, Boromir’s death scene failed to affect me profoundly until maybe my eighth viewing?

Frodo’s remembrance of Gandalf’s words (the words themselves did not hit me that way when he spoke them, interestingly enough) by the shores of Parth Galen, and his accompanying resolution. Sam trailing Frodo, and his wonderful determination to get to his Master, even if it killed him — and his explanation to Frodo. (“I made a promise Mr. Frodo — a PROMSIE: ‘Don’t you lose him, Samwise Gamgee.’ And I don’t mean to...*sniff* I don’t mean to.” Of course, this doesn’t make a whole lot of sense as Sam tries to make his way back down the Winding Stair...you wanna hop in front of him and say “DON’T YOU LOSE HIM, SAMWISE GAMGEE!” and shake your finger in his poor, weary face)

Moving on to The Two Towers, I still say that, second to the Horns of Rohan, the most amazing scene was Gandalf and his death-plunge fighting the balrog. AB-SOL-UTELY incredible. Major chills on that one.

Gandalf’s return just barely struck me as emotionally powerful. I thought Legolas’s words in the EE kind of spoiled it, a little. It’s basically a “sorry about that, Chief”, not very necessary.

Gandalf’s healing of Théoden, with the powerful spiritual struggle that was taking place at the time.

I still get chills when I see the banner of Rohan, the white horse on a green field, fluttering in the breeze as the Rohirrim dash off to confront the warg-riders.

The two young Rohan children from an outlying village having to part with their mother, and then their reuniting with their mother. That never fails, just that touching scene where they reunite in Helm’s Deep.

I know I’m skipping a chunk of the movie, but I don’t believe there were any really impressive moments therein until Helm’s Deep, when mere family members, non-experienced carpenters, farmers, and farriers, and young men are forced to part from their crying wives and children to try and defend the Hornburg.

The battle itself was very cool, but did not particularly hit me with waves of sadness, or bitter happiness, even the death of Haldir.

Gandalf’s arrival was THE moment of the movie. I like the way that Eorling put it: a shining avalanche. For moments like that, I like to quote Merry. “That was good.” (To which hopefully a LotR-fan nearby will reply “let’s get another one!”)

Return of the King took a little while to heat up, but I can’t list all the moments because there were like a dozen of moments that were previously defined only as the feeling you got when Gandalf led the Rohirrim down the ravine. That, and we’ve already listed most of them. I just thought to point out that a moment I hadn’t even remembered very well to list until I finally got to see it on DVD was the beginning of The End of All Things, when that choir is singing low in the background as Sam arrives with Frodo at the road, and says “Look, Mr. Frodo, a door.” And no, it wasn’t a duh line, because Frodo couldn’t see it! He told him that to inform him, and to give him hope. It was like, the end was suddenly in sight.

When Gamling tells the king they cannot defeat the forces of Mordor, and Théoden says “no, we cannot,” then thrusts his chin out and says with determination “but we will meet them in battle nonetheless” is a quiet moment that evokes one of those waves of emotion. My dad even remarked that Bernard Hill is a very wonderful and powerful actor, just the way he holds his jaw and speaks so firmly. Of course, he made this remark in the middle of the movie, ha ha...

The horns never cease to evoke the most powerful wave of emotion in me. I still want to know where you can buy horns like that. And somehow, PJ put that moment in so that while I’ve seen it three times, it’s still just the least bit unexpected. And then when they charged, and, like Kath said, “the orcs suddenly realize that they're not actually going to stop. The look on their faces is priceless!” Also, one Rohan soldier in particular really epitomizes the attitude of the entire army. He’s the guy that they show right before the two armies clash, and he’s riding his horse like the dickens, rage on his face, like he simply CAN NOT wait to plunge into the line of orcs to that he can avenge his people! It’s just a miscellaneous soldier, but it’s so symbolic of the entire people.

And of course, all of the very common moments from before that are mentioned. The Grey Havens never fails to hit me hard, especially when all three of the hobbits are crying. And yet, it’s rather symbolic itself. Frodo is not sad, and the hobbits are not sad for him, they’re sad for themselves at the realization that they won’t see him again. It really does give one a taste of what heaven can be like for those who believe.

All of these emotions and feelings actually leave an after-feeling, whether happy or sad. It’s the feeling that this is just a story, it’s just something on the screen, or on a page, even though it looks so REAL. One cannot actually participate in it, and yet most of the feelings that one experiences in the movie are ones of longing to participate, to do SOMETHING to intervene. And the very knowledge that you cannot, nor will you ever, be able to participate in anything remotely similar is in and of itself quite sad. As a fellow Barrow-Downer said once, it’s “painful beauty”.

All of this most likely gives Peter Jackson the good feeling that he did something right to make almost all of us feel that way. And it would seem that even the most stringent movie critic, or LotR hater might find it hard not to swallow hard while watching Sam struggle up the hill.

[mark12_30]

Now that I've seen all three films, and gotten used to the idea that movie-Frodo is not the same as book-Frodo, the lines that haunt me most are the lines in FotR that foreshadowed how difficult this would all be for movie-Frodo.

At Bag-End, fearful but resigned: "What must I do?"

At Rivendell: "I'm not like you, Bilbo."

In Lorien: "Then I know what I must do. It's just... I'm afraid to do it."

'********

In RotK, when Frodo finishes Sam's water, and Sam admits there'll be no journey home, and helps Frodo up, and the two march towards Mount Doom, resigned to a certain end.

[Lûthien Nénharma]

Well three moments made me cry in this spectacular trilogy.
First one was during the Fellowship, when Boromir passed away.
The second one was when our Beloved Theoden died.
Third is when Gandalf , Bilbo, and Frodo departed into the West.

[ninlaith]

There are alot of moving and passionate moments in all three of the movies that it makes very difficult to choose and avoid sounding sappy. But I will do my best.

Sam: I made a promise, Mr. Frodo, a promise! Don't you leave him Samwise Gamgee!! And I don't mean to.....I don't mean to.

Aragorn: What is it that you do fear my lady?
Eowyn: A cage....to stay behind bars until use and old age accept them...to come to where valor is beyond all recall or desire.

The extra scene where Eowyn sings a lament for the death of Theodrid. Her voice is so sad and beautiful I can barely watch.

A scene from Rohan when a mother is sending her children to Edoras to sound the alarm.

Mother: Eothain! Eothain! Take your sister! You'll ride faster with just two.

Freada: We can't ride him he's too big for us!
Mother: Ride to Edoras and sound the alarm!
Eothain: Yes Mama!
Freada: I don't wanna go! I don't wanna leave you!
Mother: Freada! I will find you there!

When Galadriel swans on screen

Gollem's face when he hears his name for the first time in centuries

Pippin's face and shouts when he has to leave Merry

Grima: Why do you lay these troubles on an already troubled mind? Can you not see? Your Uncle is wearied by your...malcontent...your war-mongering.
Eomer: War-mongering? How long ago was it when Saruman bought you? What was the promised price Grima? When all the men are dead you'll take your share of the treasure?.......Too long have you watched my sista! Too long have you haunted her steps!

Grima: " .........with the walls of your power closing in about you......." "so fair....so cold, like the mourning of pale spring still clinging to winters chill."
Eowyn: Your words are poison!

Theoden: No parent should have to bury their child...

These are the ones that pull my heart and soul. If you read all of them thank you for reading. If you read some still thank you. If you didn't read any..ehh..you're forgiven because I probably didn't read yours either.

[Kitanna]

The moment that makes me cry every time is when the mother in Rohan puts her two children on the horse so they can raise the alarm in Edoras. Children should not be ripped away from their parents!
When Frodo destroys the Ring I can't even begin to put into words how that makes me feel. I think it's the music that's played that really gets me.
But the most moving part in any of the movies is when the Riders of Rohan arrive at Pellenor and charge down at the Orcs. Theoden's line gives me goosebumps. "RIDE NOW! RIDE NOW! RIDE FOR RUIN AND THE WORLD'S ENDING! FORTH EORLINGAS!" And the music in the background is so powerful. Sigh, so cool...

[Knight of Gondor]

I forgot about the three simple civilians caught up in Saruman's onslaught. I always just get a very slight emotional shudder, the tear ducts just flare up briefly, when she actually does find her children and runs to them.

[starkat]

One for me is probably when Aragorn carries the message to Theoden that the beacons have been lit. And then when the Rohirrim are saddleing up and Eomer says his line: Now is the hour! Riders of Rohan! Oaths you have taken! Now fulfill them all! To Lord and land! (I hope I got that right. I'm sorry if I did not)