Spicy Sequences: The Taking of Pelennor Fields

One of my favorite sequences in movies is the time when a warrior (or warriors) display the Way of The Warrior. For those who don’t know, the Way of the Warrior is in putting your own life to the side and riding into a situation knowing you won’t return. When the moment is filmed, you know it’s successful when as an audience member you feel the regret of losing that character and you feel a sense of admiration in what he is about to do. For the emotional viewer it brings a tear to your eye and for the macho guys and gals it may put a lump in your throat, forcing you to quickly down your diet coke. There are a few movies that have done it well but many have tried and failed to convey the emotion.

In this edition of “Spicy Sequences” we’re going to talk about two scenes from Lord of The Rings: Return of The King. As you know, the Lord of The Rings trilogy is all about these sequences, from the first all the way to the last, personal sacrifices are made in order to allow Frodo, (who is the ultimate example of this) to get a crack at throwing the accursed ring into the fire at the top of Mount Doom. As much as I love, and I mean absolutely love all of the heroes in this epic set, none stands out more than Theoden King. The acting of Bernard Hill, coupled by the scene I describe below made him a dynamic character and left memorable moments in the brain of someone who appreciates that type of character (me).

The Battle for Pelennor Fields

In this scene you see Theoden at his most glorious. The world is losing, the creatures are ready and he has an army at his back prepared to lose their lives to the dark horde. The king rides up, scans the landscape and delivers one of the most moving rallies ever given in a movie from a General to his armies. Theoden doesn’t tell them that Elysium awaits them, or that their victory will yield treasures or immortality. No he tells them that they will ride to ruin, he lets them know that he, Theoden King will be in the forefront riding to his ruin and he wants them to join him. He makes death appealing in this desperate “last ride” for the Rohirrim and he makes you the audience member want to grab a horse and join them.

Watch this scene, observe their faces, listen to the king and when they take off – listen to the horses. It is amazing how well this is shot and how much emotion it evokes as if it were real. I am sure for the Orc horde, the sound of Theoden’s glorious charge was not unlike the sound of thunder coming over the hillside to wipe them out. Awesome, awesome sequence, check it out and leave me feedback if you agree or disagree.