(2/2) Showing my sister Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended) for the first time!

[@t.tshankle427]

When Bilbo and Frodo leave for Valinor at the end it is because they were ring bearers. So they essentially were afforded a place with the elves to live out their days. In the lore, Sam was also afforded a place in Valinor eventually as a ring bearer and Legolas and Gimli go together, Gimli being the only dwarf to see the shores of Aman. Cheers guys! 🍻

[@ImBluecams]

Something you missed though is that Frodo HAD to leave, after witnessing such evil and doubt Frodo kind of lost a part of himself throughout the journey, and ended up with a sort of post-adventure depression. Not to mention the physical pain he felt from the Witch King’s blade even after the ring was destroyed.

[@andromidius]

Sam only left after Rosie died of old age and once he'd made sure the Shire was left in good hands. He served as Mayor of Hobbiton for many decades and had... quite a few children who also went on to be important Shire-Folk. The movie doesn't show it, but Sam briefly wore the Ring while rescuing Frodo (otherwise he'd have been slain easily by the Orcs within the tower). So he had a bit of the darkness of Sauron within him too, though he resisted it due to his pure nature - he had no lust for power or glory, just a simple quiet life with his garden and family. He left with the final Elves because he wanted to see Frodo again. Merry and Pippin had many adventures together travelling Middle Earth, finding Shire Life to be a bit too quiet for long periods of time.

[@_semih_]

Well, he and the other "mortals" did not even had a chance to enter Valinor itself. They stayed in Tol-Earessea, an Island mostly populated by the Teleri elves. Frodo, Bilbo, Sam and Gimli were only given permission to dwell in Tol-Earessea which still part of the "Undying lands" but not Valinor where Valar, Maiar and other High Elves used to live.

[@ImBluecams]

@@_semih_ What do you mean “used to live”? Even after an Elf dies, their spirit is sent to the Halls of Mandos where they are essentially reborn.

[@someguy8944]

@@ImBluecams Frodo's problems were more severe, he _needed_ the trip to Valinor to get the psychological healing and peace he needed. Aside from the physical injuries and the general PTSD from the mission, he was also battling guilt for not actually destroying the Ring. So he was seen as a hero for something he didn't actually do. Its not a moral failing because no-one in middle earth would have been strong enough to toss the Ring but Frodo didn't know that. To make matters worse, he claimed the Ring for himself and never actually gave it up like Bilbo. It was forcibly taken from him by Gollum and a small part of him still has that longing for the Ring. Its no wonder he couldn't find rest in the Shire or Middle Earth.

[@hellowhat890]

"You bow to no one." forever remains one of the best scenes in movie history.

[@despinoza6205]

The Respect! It's gripping

[@vincentdesjardins1354]

Always get me

[@PaulMichaelJohnson]

Yikes, so many tears there

[@coreylemoine4920]

Something that doesn’t get talked about enough is the showcase of positive masculinity in these movies. We see heroic, strong, masculine figures who are not ashamed to express their emotions. To laugh and cry and embrace their loved ones.

[@susanscott8653]

Yes, and they have friendships and familial relationships, not just romantic relationships. And they are important to them.

[@joemaloney1019]

Men (dwarves, elves and hobbits) who have seen hard service have a licence to reveal their inner emotion to others who have seen the elephont (in this case quite literally). Remember the scene when the Fellowship Hobbits return to the Shire and they share tankards and emotions surrounded by the usual hobbit merriment, their island of shared painful knowledge of their cost to save the Shire. They enjoy their reward of seeing it but are not part of it, atleast until Sam sets eyes on Miss Cotton.

[@crazfulla]

There is also some sneaky negative undertones, like when Gimli says in one of the films "I'll have no pointy ear out scoring me!" It comes off as some kind of slur for elves. But of course that only sets the stage for his change of heart toward the end.

[@ryanmcguire9951]

Also that "the ring" embodies the same properties as addiction

[@dd11111]

​@@crazfulla Oh yeah! in the first movie especialy the racial tention between Dwarves and Elves is made pretty apparent. I can't remeber yhe exact words but Legolas makes a jibe a Dwarves too. It's nice to see them learn to love eachother, and their friendship grow.

[@Pizzpott]

"I go to my fathers in whose mighty company I shall not now feel ashamed." I love that line - gets me every time.

[@bowenhorne0616]

It’s carrying an extra weight these past few days

[@alextrivunovic644]

One of the greatest dying words of all time.

[@G1NZOU]

Karl Urban's acting when Eomer finds Eowin on the battlefield, it's pure raw emotion. He really nailed his part.

[@jdspencer60]

it's so brutal and real

[@ForceMaximus84]

He’s one of the few actors who is great in anything he’s in, especially as Bones in the Star Trek movies and as Dredd.

[@Patrickbatemanharvard]

​@ForceMaximus84 oiii and as butcher

[@TheBlackFrog79]

My fav actor in these movies.

[@internationalrtg5602]

I actually skip over that part when I rewatch the film because the scream is too upsetting

[@sequoyah4794]

And he looked at the slain, recalling their names. Then suddenly he beheld his sister Éowyn as she lay, and he knew her. He stood a moment as a man who is pierced in the midst of a cry by an arrow through the heart; and then his face went deathly white; and a cold fury rose in him, so that all speech failed him for a while. A fey mood took him. 'Éowyn, Éowyn!' he cried at last: 'Éowyn, how come you here? What madness or devilry is this? Death, death, death! Death take us all!' Then without taking counsel or waiting for the approach of the men of the City, he spurred headlong back to the front of the great host, and blew a horn, and cried aloud for the onset. Over the field rang his clear voice calling: 'Death! Ride, ride to ruin and the world's ending!' And with that the host began to move. But the Rohirrim sang no more. Death they cried with one voice loud and terrible, and gathering speed like a great tide their battle swept about their fallen king and passed, roaring away southwards.

[@jaywalkersunite]

I always forget just how beautiful Tolkien's words are. A fine excuse for another read through.

[@squaaaaak3178]

@@jaywalkersunite it's all the more sad when they change things in the movie and put beautiful words in the wrong person's mouth. that beautiful little speech that wormtongue gave to Eowyn was supposed to be said by someone else, it's really beautiful language and Made a lot of sense in the book but inexplicably they put it in a different scene? Very weird.

[@bri.g.5105]

@squaaaaak same they did with treebeard when he rescued merry and pippin from the tree. That line and scene was tom bombidil

[@hawkname1234]

@@squaaaaak3178 It's called screenwriting. It is not inexplicable. It's required. What's strange is your absolute befuddlement at basic concepts of storytelling for different mediums.

[@JustKelso1993]

@@hawkname1234 This.

[@Cadinho93]

"My friends, you bow to no one" kills me every time. I can't watch without tearing up and having chills. Lord of the Rings is an awesome trilogy!

[@iGregory67]

Oh man... just reading you write that makes me tear up!! The one that gets me even more is when Sam says "I can't carry the ring but I can carry you!"

[@MrLivewire1970]

From the moment Sam carries Frodo til the end I'm on the verge of tearing up. I think knowing that the cast was so close also plays a part in that as well.

[@PhailedGamer]

Yeah, this moment gets me *every* time I watch this movie. I know it's coming but it is still so impactful. There are very few movies that can still illicit such a strong reaction from me after having seen them this many times. This movie is one of them that can.

[@nathancruz9172]

Me too.

[@BudhagRizzo]

Yes. It chokes me up every time.

[@theashrook6129]

Watching Cassie's face, because now she knows what's going to happen and the emotion hits early. And then her sister, being completely new to the experience. Such a great reaction. loved it!

[@Sure0Foot]

Cassie's reaction to "...but I CAN carry YOU!!" is the same as mine--every time. I cry shamelessly.

[@theflaxxensaxxentake1874]

@@Sure0Foot Same. ''Can carry you'' , and Rohirrim Charge both hit me harder every time I see them ! Even after 20 years. DEEEEEEEAAAAAATTHHHHHHH !!!!!!!

[@philstubblefield]

@@theflaxxensaxxentake1874 Ditto. Those moments as well as Eowyn and Merry slaying the Witch King! A Hobbit and a woman defeating a wraith who is over 4000 years old! 😲

[@joescott8877]

@@philstubblefield And in both cases, "No Man" was involved! Prophecy fulfilled!

[@OgreProgrammer]

Like a kid at Christmas, who just got her dream gift.

[@Vinciini83]

For me, there's no greater heart-melting moment than when Sam cries "I can't carry it for you, BUT I CAN CARRY YOU!" It's my favorite thing to watch people react to; by that point they're so invested in story, and they've shared so much of Sam's journey, a person just can't help but be touched by the selfless, unconditional love and loyalty that Sam unwaveringly shows, despite everything he's endured.

[@sebastiannolte1201]

Yes, and especially in this case when Cassie already have seen the movie and know that it will come and she nearly starts to cry some seconds before it.

[@cristianmendez6846]

Sam Is the real hero of the story

[@Paul_Oz]

for me it's, "My friends, you bow to no one". tears every time.

[@HP-lc5vw]

I would also add the “you bow to no one” moment, one of the most touching beautiful moments in film history. Actually it’s unfair to pick one cause the trilogy is just full of incredibly emotionally powerful moments.

[@stingerjohnny9951]

People say they need a homie like Sam, but the truth is you should BE a homie like Sam

[@Onyxmoon]

I'm in the UK and it was the only time in a cinema I've experienced the audience give a round of applause at the end - we in the UK just don't do that, and it's a testament to just how wonderful these films were that it happened.

[@Snake-ms7sj]

Even here in the US, the audience usually doesn't applause at the end of the movie. Not unless it is a really really good movie. I remember back in 1997 when I went to see Titanic in the movie theater and the audience applauded at the end.

[@loganastrup6870]

@@Snake-ms7sjmy audience here in the US applauded when I saw Dune the first time, that was unexpected and amazing

[@rogersjgregory]

In the U.K. after Star Wars, everyone stood up and applauded. I haven’t really experienced it again.

[@Quotenwagnerianer]

I had this happen at the end of E.T.

[@rafaelbachmann6721]

So for clearence. Frodo needed to leave middle earth bcause he would never been healed from the darkness he carried from sauron itself. So he needs to leave so no dark power can return to middle earth.

[@krisfrederick5001]

Seeing and feeling the Rohirrim Charge was one of the most epic theatrical experiences ever...Chills forever...You know it is a masterpiece when you don't want a 4 hour film to end.

[@SunRayz3r]

Or when it feels too short.

[@nidh1109]

Agreed, that and Sam carrying Frodo were almost too overwhelming. The number of other great moments are too many to count.

[@SunRayz3r]

@@nidh1109 there really are too many great epic moments. Almost too many to count. Hence why it, in my humble opinion, IS THE GREATEST TRILOGY (movie) OF ALL TIME. It’s superior on too many levels to even have a competitor.

[@the_oslovian]

I still cry every time. Have seen it maybe 50 times.

[@ollikoskiniemi6221]

@@the_oslovian Yeah this movie is a 4 hour cryfest and I'm not ashamed to admit it

[@QuayNemSorr]

Eomer's cry at seeing Eowyn remains one of my favorite moments even though it's brief. His cry of pain is so perfectly delivered.

[@ragingsithmaster]

Karl Urban is a fantastic actor!

[@ollikoskiniemi6221]

It's so cool how many emotional moments this movie has and how so many people have their own favorite bits.

[@RJALEXANDER777]

If anything it was almost delivered too well. Eomer fears his sister is dead, and it's so passionate that everyone else that doesn't already know the story believes it.

[@ragingsithmaster]

@@RJALEXANDER777 It was perfectly believable to me, though. He was shocked that she was even there and horrified that she had fallen, albeit from the being cursed (or some such, I read the books only once and 20+ years ago besides) after harming the Witch King.

[@RJALEXANDER777]

@@ragingsithmaster No, no it's brilliant acting, I agree. It's just that watching a few reactions it seems to be that everyone thinks Eowyn is dead when they see his reaction.

[@willthornsbury2913]

Tolkien was a veteran of World War I. The pain and change Frodo spoke of was really the hurt and PTSD caused by War that Tolkien and other veteran's experienced. The entire Lord of the Rings has parallels to the time of World War I and the rise of evil in the world.

[@Wubzy66]

I believe he fought in the Battle of the Somme too, one of the most notoriously bloody battles of the war

[@nathancollins1715]

I wouldn't go so far as to say that it parallels that time. Tolkien famously despised allegory and always stressed the importance of not trying to draw direct comparisons between LOTR and the real world. However, I agree that what he experienced and suffered through definitely informed his writing and some of the themes present therein. He knew exactly what the horrors of war were like, and therefore had little difficulty incorporating that feeling into his books. He lamented the rise of the Industrial Revolution, and so the greatest evil in his fantasy world is one that seeks to poison and distort nature to its own ends.

[@JD-lp5rw]

Yep, imagine travelling so far, experiencing so much evil, and good, and then being expected to go back to your quiet boring village life. You couldnt. The ring and his experiences took frodos innocence and purity. The monotony and simplicity of his old life that he used to love so much, would have felt empty.

[@chrisschmalhofer4348]

@@Wubzy66 many of his boyhood friends died at the Somme. He met his wife while recovering afterwards.

[@michaelstach5744]

Some people think the coming of the eagles represents the coming of the US, albeit late, into WWI and WWII.

[@alive4metal731]

I love how Merry gives the speech to Eowyn saying "If I was a knight of Rohan, capable of great deeds... but I'm not, I'm a Hobbit".. and then he goes and pulls out a great deed in helping Eowyn defeat the Witchking... ugh, so good.

[@Mithinco]

I can't believe this trilogy was released back in the early 2000s and it is timeless! I feel something like this happens once in a lifetime!

[@TheBrotherdarkness9]

"when Humanity peaked...."

[@jp3813]

Many also consider Saving Private Ryan, Titanic, Jurassic Park, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Die Hard, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Back to the Future, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, etc... to be timeless.

[@ct6852]

@@jp3813 Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a forever classic to me. So good.

[@rowaystarco]

Weta workshop and Weta digital really found their place as effect legends after the trilogy. It's no shock that Weta went on to do Avatar as well.

[@LarsonPetty]

@@TheBrotherdarkness9 "I say the peak of your civilization, because as soon as we began thinking for you, it really became our civilization..."

[@Pecos1]

Best line of the entire trilogy: "My friends! You bow... to no one." Makes me cry every. Single. Time.

[@JinxedByZ]

"I cant carry it for you.... but I can carry you!" Makes me cry every. Single. Time.

[@meganega123]

Frodo should have bowed.

[@derleumedia]

"I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil"

[@Lakers24bn]

Strong, kind and humble. Now THAT is a King

[@ghostbeetle2950]

@@derleumedia "Why do you weep? What are these tears upon your face? ... Don't..say, we have come now to the end! ... White shores are calling, You and I will meet again!" I cry like a helpless baby every time I hear that song. Or watch that movie.

[@houdin654jeff]

To give some context for Denethor’s madness, the city of Minas Tirith has one of the palantiri, the seeing stone Aragorn uses to show Sauron the sword he carries. The prolonged looking into it has shown him the strength of Mordor’s armies and convinced him to despair. His despair is compounded when he loses Boromir, grief driving him over the edge. It doesn’t excuse his actions since Theoden goes through similar loss and rises above it, it’s just not covered in the films that he’s been looking into the seeing stone.

[@TzunSu]

I've always liked the fact that Denethor isn't ensorcelled or under any kind of spell, he's just gone mad from grief and stress. Shows a bit of humanity.

[@ragingsithmaster]

I haven't seen the film in some time, but I seem to recall Denethor saying something like "do you think the eyes of the White Tower are blind?". He doesn't explicitly SAY "I have a Palantir" but it's at least implied and easy to miss. Again, IIRC.

[@Makkaru112]

Denethor was done dirty: He was way more noble & mighty in the books. Not to mention he contended wills with Sauron for decades nonstop and ontop of that even now he was never broken nor could Sauron alter what Denethor would see in the palantir even then he couldn’t control what Denethor had control of which was how he chose to interpret the visions given to him. Using it all to Gondor’s advantage! ❤ he also lit the beacons and got the women and children far away from the city longer ahead of time. So the movie butchered him as well as faramir but they didn’t butcher faramir as badly thankfully. He could have been shown to give Pippen his newest order to light the beacons so then it wouldn’t change the scene much at all as presented! The story here is Faramir’s birth ended up killing his mother Finduilas which was a Numenorean woman of the Faithful which her ancestors survived the Kataklysm of Númenor by the way! He was hurt deeply by her death. But also Aragorn when he went by the name gifted to him as Thorongil Denethor’s father basically overshadowing him from his own father so he is as psychology goes: treated Boromir the same way his father treated Aragorn/Thorongil. Note that Boromir and Faramir are half Númenorean which is a big thing as far as the legendarium goes! Denethor actually did many things the movie shows him not doing or neglecting. He was VERY competent and mighty in many craft and (even a lore-master to a degree). He had quite alot of mental and “magical” might which is why he could contend with Sauron too without being harmed in there process in any way!

[@jedislap8726]

@@ragingsithmaster Yeah, he makes a mention that he has seen things but doesn't mention the Palantir directly.

[@MaaZeus]

This. When Pippin touched the palantir they were worried if he was going to get corrupted (and no, he didn't) but in case of Denethor this was very much the case. He spent a bit too much time with the enemy. I don't know why this was cut from movies because it would have been easy to write it in the funeral pyre scene, him pulling out the palantir from his sleeve when speaking to Gandalf. It would have answered a lot of questions for people who are not familiar with the books.

[@TJSaw]

Isn’t Aragorn just the most perfect man to have ever been conceived in fiction? The dude puts no foot wrong throughout his long life. He’s strong, brave, kind, humble, loyal, courageous and a man of his word. A leader of men and the King of Men. Viggo Mortensen has given us a movie character for the ages. Everyone who sees these movies can’t help but love his portrayal of Aragorn.

[@ShadowMoon878]

It was thanks to Viggo's son who is a huge Tolkien fan that Viggo took the role.

[@andrewcharlton4053]

He's the most perfect, without being annoying or 'broken'

[@oliverhardy9464]

Yeah he is almost too perfect. For me that's a bit annoying. But they made him a compelling by giving him self-doubt. The respect for the path that lies ahead of him is the best thing about his character.

[@markverani5088]

​@@oliverhardy9464Why do you find that annoying? There are exceptional people in the world. Aragon is one in a lineage spanning 3,000 years. Aren't you tired of all the essentially flawed heroes in the hundreds of movies you watch all the time?

[@WideNerdy]

​@JoneZ2610 I'll take Tolkien over Martin any day of the week. The above commenter is correct. Aragorn has recently been adopted as a positive symbol of non toxic masculinity. At least movie Aragorn. I like it because the discussion of toxic masculinity tends to focus on telling you what not to do but Aragorn is a great example of what to try to be. We need something to be, not just a list of things we can't do.

[@typhoonhurricane18]

A little tidbit from the behind the scenes for this movie that stuck with me because it really goes to the heart of why these films are so good in my opinion is that, during the production of the battle of the black gate, there was originally a plan for Sauron to manifest himself and fight Aragorn one-on-one. This was however scrapped because they realised that even if it might look cool, it was a betrayal of what the story about and what Aragorn and the others were actually doing in this battle. It wasnt about them being heroes fighting Sauron, it was about them having so much faith in Frodo that they were willing to lay down their lives fighting nameless minions if it meant distracting Sauron long enough for Frodo to have his chance. So many book-to-film adaptations are ruined by directors going 'I know it says this in the book, but THIS would look cooler!', and the fact that they took a step back here and went 'no, Tolkein wouldnt have wanted that' speaks volumes of the heart and soul that went into these films. They did end up using some of the already filmed footage for Aragorn's fight with the troll anyway.

[@Archmage9885]

This is a really important point. So many movies and shows are ruined these days because the director or writers think they can do it better...and are very wrong.

[@kzizzles8329]

"Good always beats evil!" Well, evil destroys itself in this case. Tolkein's familiarity with the philosophy of Augustine of Hippo is shining through in his story telling

[@Kasino80]

I believe Eomer reacted the way he did, to seeing Eaowyn on the battlefield is both from the shock that she's hurt and the fact that she's even there in the first place. He and Theoden both believed her to be in Edoras.

[@jp3813]

Most reactors are just puzzled as to why Eowyn was unconscious.

[@lupeguadaloupe7686]

@@jp3813 I believe Eowyn was unconscious because her contact with the Witch King of Angmar. She stabbed him and that made her ill eventually, so bad even that Eomer thought she had passed. It's similar to Frodo's shoulder wound that would never heal after it had made him very ill, only the skills of Lord Elrond could save him. It was also in part why he departed with Gandalf to Valinor, that and him being a ring-bearer.

[@Etherwinter]

People are always like "Why doesn't Gandalf do more?" Gandalf is the embodiment of hope. Hope is a light that can shine away the darkness, but cannot defeat it on its own. His presence gives people hope. His words give people hope. And through the hope he gives, people are inspired to stand up and fight. Canonically, Gandalf wasn't meant to fight the people of Middle Earths' battles for them, he was there as a caretaker and guide. A companion, rather than a full on leader. Which is why he passes the leadership role to Aragorn in the first movie, and the last.

[@thetankgarage]

Think it's the best way to deconstruct a story or to get inspiration when writing on your own. Think of every character in a story as one aspect of a real persons personality. You can give a character depth but never stray to far from who they are supposed to represent. Love, Hope, Hate, Cunning, Leadership, Humility, Strength etc. Too often do I read or watch something where the writers cared so much about depth they managed to turn the supposed protagonist of their story into the villain.

[@CJR-wv8kc]

Yes, there was a lot that Gandalf was not allowed to do, he was chosen to go to middle earth in part because he feared sauron. It's no coincidence that Gandalf was given the elven ring of fire to kindle to hearts with hope.

[@flyinghorseguy8433]

The movie fundamentally misrepresented Gandolf. Gandolf was a fierce warrior during these battles. Gandolf did not cower before the witch king nor have his staff broken. He stood steadfastly and was about to engage the witch king and then the horns of the Rohirrim were heard and the witch king withdrew. Gandolf and Aragorn worked together for decades fighting evil at the point of their swords. The movies significantly diminish both Gandolf's and Aragorn's power and impact.

[@jackkilman8726]

Also he was limited in the ways he could use his power, to prevent him becoming corrupted by it

[@kathleenhensley5951]

yep. The Light... the angels, the messengers of God, do not fight our battles, they give us courage and fortitude with their words and simple presence to fight our battles. That is also why he knows he will become too powerful if he embraces the ring. He's not on Middle Earth to defeat Sauron, he's there, as you say to be a guide.

[@rileycord1248]

Great little detail, when Aragorn says "For Frodo." and charges the fellowship theme plays with an elven choir singing in the background. When translated they're singing "If by my life or death I can protect you I will. You have my sword." Which is what Aragorn told Frodo at the Council of Elrond.

[@nokronis]

As someone who has struggled with a lot of depression and pain, when Frodo chooses to leave I understand it as part of my own being almost. Part of me wishes I could board that ship and be free of all of this pain too, just like Frodo. When he smiles it's both the saddest and happiest part of the entire movie. It always hits unimaginably deep.

[@ct6852]

I never realized until recently how much that was an allegory for PTSD from war, and depression from prolonged darkness. See it clearly. Wish you the best. You can get better. Truly. Keep the faith.

[@MattMolo99]

@@ct6852 much of Tolkien's inspiration was because of the world war he lived through at the time. So Frodo at the end is literally battling with PTSD. He said himself, some wounds just never heal and I think he was not just talking about the wound from the witch king but also the mental scares he has endured. He literally went to hell and back.

[@DualThreat1]

I can only imagine the parallels for someone going through pain and depression, and seeing the end of this movie as hope for release. Our time on this Earth is limited, friend. Do what you enjoy as much as you can and make the most of it. As will I.

[@toadynamite8141]

I feel this way constantly, even when the world gets saved, and it will be saved, but not for me

[@Notir072]

Many people gets healed of depression by stop eating wheat products. Also try to eat only natural things, not much transformed industrialy things. More organic vegetables and fruits. Sleep enough, and do enough exercice. If you do all this, you will be depression free, just a mater of time. Oh, and don't listen to doctors, stay away from them.

[@presencerocks2224]

I’ve seen these movies at least 20 times. I still have that same feeling watching. I still laugh and cry at the same points. These movies were made perfectly and will last for generations

[@ct6852]

Who would've thought the director of Frighteners would be the perfect choice?

[@jamiek1714]

@@ct6852 True. Credit to Bob Shaye and making the biggest movie gamble of all time on an unknown director.

[@JD-lp5rw]

I think I can speak on behalf of myself and most men when I say this never fails to make me cry buckets. The chanting "death!" Of the rohirrim to their enemy. The faded half smile between Sam and Frodo at the end, their bond goes beyond happiness, they can't even express it.

[@chinaski6593]

I saw this movies on day 1 and i still cry over those scenes You described...

[@evanduckworth4988]

I was in a movie theater where we all shouted death with the Rohorrim. It was an experience.

[@alexkats30]

I believe they chanted death because they didn't believe they could win the battle, they would be charging towards their deaths, but they embraced it and courageously rode forth anyway. At least that's the feeling I remember having from reading the books years ago, the movie also hints at this when Aragorn leaves to get the army of the dead and the men tell Theoden they can't beat Mordor with these numbers, he replies we'll meet them in battle nonetheless. So them overcoming their fear of death and fighting against the ultimate evil, is what makes this such a chilling moment, along with the amazing music, never fails to make me tear up

[@vinsanity40k]

for frodo. you bow to no one. total onion fest.

[@Zireael83]

yeah, i ALWAYS cry while watching this movie. no ned to hide it :) not many movies can achieve this. every person on earth wants friendship and love like shown in the movie and most people i think are happy when good wins over evil. these are things that we all as humans have in common & this movie let´s us have it, even when in "real life" many of us are missing some or all of these things.

[@Brejan]

"There is purity to this story that will remain untouched" - that's a perfect and very wise observation. It's one of the things I like so much about this channel - you both have a true appreciation of good storytelling that goes beyond simply being entertained.

[@Ellis_Hugh]

...until Amazon gets a hold of it, at least :P

[@Brejan]

@@Ellis_Hugh No, that's just the point - no matter what some greedy corporation does with it, the books and these movies will remain unblemished. They are beyond their reach. Things like Rings of Power will pass like rain on the mountain, like wind in the meadow, while the LotR trilogy will stand, an image of the splendor of the talent of men, in glory, undimmed before the breaking of the world.

[@Ellis_Hugh]

@@Brejan I'd like to think that, but for the vast majority of people I know, this trilogy IS the Lord of the Rings. They've never read the books and don't feel a great need to, because this trilogy has defined it for them despite all of the differences from the books. Now I look at a new generation who hasn't seen the trilogy and haven't read the books... they watch Rings of Power and find it likeable and forgettable, lor just plain stupid, and for them THAT is what Tolkien's work is defined by. I hope you're right, but every day more old-school Tolkien fans die and more people who have never read the books watch Rings of Power instead.

[@Brejan]

@@Ellis_Hugh The movies endure, because they are superb. And while a lot of people may not have felt the need to read the books after them, likely they would not have read them anyway. I'm sure the films encouraged more people to read them than they dissuaded. Rings of Power on the other hand? You just said it yourself - even the people who like it find it forgettable. A few years after the show is over it will be like it never existed. There are so many bad, bland, generic fantasy shows now, they will all blend into one grey mass of "I think I watched that... or was it that other one"?"

[@ct6852]

LOTR was the best Tolkien story by far, correct?

[@Rickpat16]

"Boromir taught him that!" that made me smile

[@PaulA-pg7jm]

As someone else pointed out Merry and Pippin had more formal training in combat under Boromir than Ray Palpatine did. After watching the way Merry and Pippin fought successfully against the orcs I think they could take down Ray.

[@HickoryDickory86]

"There is no Disney Palpatine Trilogy in Ba Sing Se." - some Dai Li agent, probably... most likely... ...now I wanna move to Ba Sing Se.

[@knightmarefishing]

I can not help it. I tear up every....freaking.....time when he says "my friends, you bow to no one." Bc he knows what they went through and how they displayed more bravery than anyone else in the entire story. Then he bows and everyone else bows to show that they will never be beneath anyone ever. I lose it.

[@JFrazer4303]

Still one of the most chilling parts to read: And far away, as Frodo put on the Ring and claimed it for his own, even in Sammath Naur the very heart of his realm, the Power in Barad-dûr was shaken, and the Tower trembled from its foundations to its proud and bitter crown. The Dark Lord was suddenly aware of him, and his Eye piercing all shadows looked across the plain to the door that he had made; and the magnitude of his own folly was revealed to him in a blinding flash, and all the devices of his enemies were at last laid bare. Then his wrath blazed in consuming flame, but his fear rose like a vast black smoke to choke him. For he knew his deadly peril and the thread upon which his doom now hung. From all his policies and webs of fear and treachery, from all his stratagems and wars his mind shook free; and throughout his realm a tremor ran, his slaves quailed, and his armies halted, and his captains suddenly steerless, bereft of will, wavered and despaired. For they were forgotten. The whole mind and purpose of the Power that wielded them was now bent with overwhelming force upon the Mountain. At his summons, wheeling with a rending cry, in a last desperate race there flew, faster than the winds, the Nazgûl, the Ringwraiths, and with a storm of wings they hurtled southwards to Mount Doom.

[@soad2rox]

Decades later, these movies still hit just as hard as when they first came out. I don't think I'll ever get tired of watching them. 😍😍

[@este.bahn92]

"Decades"?? These movies were released like 5 years ago * checks calendar * Oh no

[@pfcampos7041]

"There is a purity to this story that will remain untouched." Well said Carly!!! So glad you loved LOTR as much as we do.😊😁

[@kgjung2310]

Well, Amazon tries to taint it with the "Rings of Power" and defaming Tolkien by claiming he was some raging racist (not that it works).

[@CKD3332]

Its because it European Christianity mixed with European Paganism.

[@headwound]

@@CKD3332 wdym by that?

[@yurone2806]

Exactly! Untouched by somelike nowadays woke bs. I'm so glad it was filmed 20 years ago

[@jp3813]

@@yurone2806 "I am no man" was pretty woke, which I believe was also in the books. What's not in the books, as far as I know, is Arwen being a woman of action. Girl power was all the rage during the late 90s & early 2000s.

[@CJR-wv8kc]

These films are such an emotional rollercoaster, it just keeps building layer by layer until even grown men grow misty eyed at "I can't carry it for you, but I can carry you"

[@Sure0Foot]

Misty-eyed??? I cry shamelessly. I can only hope to have that much loyalty & fortitude.

[@TheLanceUppercut]

Bruh, I start crying at "Ride now! Ride now! Ride! Ride for ruin, and the world's ending! Death! Death! DEATH!" And I don't really stop until "Well...I'm back."

[@Acadian.FrenchFry]

@@TheLanceUppercut 😂 😂 ♥

[@Akeche]

16:00 In the books, both Merry and Eowyn came close to death due to a dark miasma that the Witch King unleashed upon his death. It was the attendance of Gondor's excellent healings that saved them, along with King Elessar (Aragorn) aiding with his own skills. During recovery is when Eowyn and Faramir meet, and fall in love.

[@TheSaiderRiscam]

I think it’s really important to note how Frodo is feeling after the war. When he sees Gandalf and his friends again he’s happy but when he sees Sam he frowns because he is reminded that he failed. He did not destroy the ring. Then Aragorn bows down to him and he is frowning because he is thinking that he is not worthy. And he goes back to shire and has some good moments but he is always reminded of how he failed. And when he finally sails away to the undying lands he looks back at his friends and smiles because he can finally be at peace.

[@r.e.tucker3223]

Well said.

[@axelkjell2320]

I saw a really good video about this, and why the many endings is necessary in the movie. The first ending is when they meet by Frodo's bed, but it's not Frodo's ending because as you said, he feels like he failed Sam. The second ending is at Aragorn's crowning, but Frodo feels the same. And at the final ending Frodo finally feels relief and that he can move on. He at the end gets *his* ending.

[@Erulin68]

And for those that haven't read the books. Eventually Sam got to go to the undying lands like Bilbo and Frodo as he too was, ever so briefly, a ring bearer. Later on after the death of Aragorn, Legolas went too taking Gimli with him.

[@P_L1134]

(So I change my comment thanks for my bad english i misunderstood the word eventually I'm french lol) Yes it's a fact ! he leave after Rosie death ! It's Legolas/Gimli we don't really know if the travel was good or not (I think it's okay for them) yes they leave for Valinor but we don't know if the travel end good because if my memory are good nowhere we can find a word abot their arrival

[@Khobotov]

I would like to see Gimli living among elves XD

[@ArnoldSeitwaerts]

@@P_L1134 We also know, that Legolas and Gimli left for Valinor. Not part of the LotR, but you can find it somewhere else

[@Erulin68]

@@P_L1134 Euh... yeah, that's what 'eventually' means... that he did and that it 'is' a fact. 😄

[@Erulin68]

@@ArnoldSeitwaerts In the Appendices of Lord of the Rings : "1541 SR (120 IV) In this year on March 1st came at last the Passing of King Elessar. ... Then Legolas built a grey ship in Ithilien, and sailed down Anduin and so over Sea; and with him, it is said, went Gimli the Dwarf. And when that ship passed an end was come in the Middle-earth of the Fellowship of the Ring."

[@transformersrevenge9]

They really don't make movies like this anymore. It's a miracle that the studio greenlit and gave Jackson and crew such a huge budget, and creative freedom. They had real passion and love when making these movies, and it shows. I highly recommend watching the behind the scenes documentary, as it's amazing to see how they did it. Real amazing stuff.

[@Khobotov]

They put more detail and passion in Aragorns crown than Amazon in the whole costume set for Rings of Power.

[@bbtank3000]

@@Khobotov😂it’s sad because it’s true

[@meganega123]

@@Khobotov no

[@coreylemoine4920]

They didn’t make movies like this before either. This trilogy stands alone.

[@GMOTP5738]

@@meganega123 yes

[@MrRunen1]

This trilogy is the ultimate masterpiece no movie can even come close to this epicness!

[@paulsmith726]

Part of Frodo's pain was from his wounds, both mental and physical, from carrying the Ring. The other part was guilt- something nobody else could understand except Sam. He had gone through so much, made it all the way to Mount Doom... and ultimately failed in his task. It took Gollum and his greed to send the Ring into the fire (in the book, Frodo is given even less agency in the destruction of the Ring- Gollum basically trips and falls, which Tolkien later explained was a bit of divine intervention). Hope that helps somewhat. This will always be one of the best stories ever told. Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Big_Bag_of_Pus]

Tolkien even wrote about this in his correspondence. He couldn't answer every letter he received, of course, but he made a special point of answering a letter about Frodo having failed in the end, and Tolkien emphasized that this was an important point.

[@jasonnicholasschwarz7788]

Read Tolkiens bio and accounts of the war in the trenches....explains it all.

[@unclejoker9975]

It's a shame that the movies didn't set up the Hobbits taking the Shire back from Saruman like they did in the book.

[@todderickson2435]

Sam is absolutely the hero of this story. This mission doesn't happen without him. He is the best friend EVER. And Carly, you are so good at predicting what's coming!! I'm very impressed. 🙂 Great reactions, you two! I was cheering and crying right along with you.

[@tasia2174]

It makes me so happy that Carly just understood instinctively what happened to Eowyn more or less when Eomer found her. Most reactors are like, what did I miss, but she was like, the Witch King must have infected her. Sure she doesn't know the specifics, because as much as I adore this scene they don't explain the Black Breath really at all, but because of her background of loving fantasy (or at least that's what I'm attributing it too), she had a good idea of what must have happened. It just makes me happy. :)

[@nirfz]

I always hope people who only watch the movies to get it because of how Merry reacts when stabbing the witchking the the back of his knee. We can clearly see him holding his (seemingly injured by contact with the witchking) sword hand.

[@Jehphg]

@@nirfz Also Pippin in the back of GAndalf's horse as soon as the Witch King starts speaking

[@acdragonrider]

@@nirfz right plus eowyn gasps as her sword disintegrates and she falls to her knees.

[@nirfz]

@@Jehphg Yes, but that's not permanent damage. (It's that few can withstand even his voice)

[@nirfz]

exactely

[@RoxxSerm]

The charge of the Rohirrim with Theodens speech beforehand is perfection. A little detail is when you see their ongoing charge through the orc ranks, there is a dismounted horse without it's rider, and it's still plowing through the orcs without mercy. Even their horses are absolute beasts.

[@DutchDread]

20 years, over 20 viewing, and god knows how many reactions I've seen of it, and yet still I just spent 40 minutes crying my eyes out, it just gets stronger every time.. I cannot believe this story will ever by outdone...it's....so...gods. I have about a dozen different copies of these books in my book cabinet spanning 3 languages, the swords and maps are on my walls, and this story is in my heart. In all my 35 years on this planet I don't think anything else has ever had as big an impact on who I am as a person. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the existence of this story has made me a better person, and I don't think I'm alone in that.

[@kathleenhensley5951]

Me, too... I can't but cry. The tears just come.

[@mikeaustin1457]

Cassie said a similar thing in her 1st watching, and I mentioned this to her back then: Tolkien was asked once why he wrote The Lord of the RIngs, and he responded " I wanted people to want to be better people." . Hearing reviewers like Cassie, and commenters like you say that is just as gratifying and just as emotional, and just as inspiring as the movies themselves. Thank you both.

[@kevinpetite7818]

Cassie’s first reaction to the trilogy is the gold standard IMO, and getting to see her excitement when sharing the journey again with Carly is simply perfect. I can’t thank you ladies enough!!

[@jamiek1714]

True. That's my favorite video she has done.

[@ct6852]

This whole trilogy was just Right Time, Right Place. Epic story from Tolkien, total commitment from Jackson, Welcoming New Zealanders sharing their landscape, good practical effects, on point costume design, stellar acting, CGI that had progressed enough, but wasn't over the top, a dedicated crew. Kind of miracle. Don't think it will be replicated too often, if at all. 👑Future Tolkien adaptations might have a hard time in this trilogy's shadow...but I do appreciate the effort. I hope they continue to try to get it right, because Middle Earth is epic, and rife with possibilities.

[@Big_Bag_of_Pus]

I have heard several times that there are plans to make movies from _The Silmarillion_ , and I'm really worried about it. Most of _The Silmarillion_ is really, really dark and sad; and I just don't trust anyone (including Peter Jackson) to leave it that way.

[@ct6852]

@@Big_Bag_of_Pus If they made a film out of it, or series of movies, and kept the story as is...do you think it would be good? Or successful?

[@Big_Bag_of_Pus]

@ct6852 Personally, I don't care whether it's successful. I know the filmmakers do, and in fact have to; but I don't. I care about whether it's good, and if it changes the story to Hollywoodize it, then it won't be good _by definition_ . Put another way, I don't need another Hollywood-style "Feel Good Hit of the Summer". There are already a million of those, and there will be a million more. You can make those movies with any source material. I'd like to see a good depiction of Tolkien's story. Otherwise, I'd rather them not do it at all.

[@404.Errors]

​@@Big_Bag_of_Pusnot to mention how bad RoP has been... I trust no one to touch it, as much as I'd love to see a 10 movie run of the whole thing (if done right).

[@TheNotedHero]

As a life-long reader of the books, the casting was inspired. I think they nailed it. This trilogy was one of the rare times that a movie rises above the rest to be unbelievably great.

[@rexharrison1937]

So glad they recast Aragorn

[@nataliestclair6176]

I agree the casting was very good, but how Jackson wanted and had a lot of the characters portrayed was not. Gimli as comic relief, Legolas as some super ninja elf, Aragorn doubting himself, Denathor being a complete mad man, the lack of character development for Eomer compared to the books and the great friendship that developed between him and Aragorn. All was wrong in the movies. And leaving out the Scourging of the Shire was a big mistake.

[@rexharrison1937]

@natalie St Clair agree to disagree

[@TheNotedHero]

@@nataliestclair6176 It's super hard to cram everything in and it's a different medium. Compared to other book adaptations, LOTR stands out for me as one of the best. I do find it funny that you didn't list what was for me the biggest disappointment: how they changed Faramir. They fixed that a bit in the extended edition, but I remember walking out of the theatre quite disappointed regarding him. To support my point of how LOTR's casting and storytelling was great, compare that to how they royally stuffed up The Hobbit. Now that was a total train wreck!

[@JFrazer4303]

It wasn't just an issue of having to cut things for time. They spent very much time on little silly conflicts that weren't in the books. The whole business of having Elrond lie to Arwen about her going on and on alone after Aragorn eventually dying. Aragorn telling her to leave and her trying to leave. The business of Faramir trying to kidnap the hobbits and take the Ring was invented, and as a worse way to tell the story than how it went in the books. Having he and his men torture Gollum was character assassination. Gollum telling them about the Ring, instead of how it happened in the books which was much better. Very many instances of questions they leave the viewers, about things that never happened in the books. They thought the books weren't exciting enough for jaded movie goers so they changed things to make more tension where it never happened in the books. Generating plot holes and questions that never occurred (such as why Gandalf didn't do anything against the Nazgul over Minas Tirith, or why Arwen couldn't just take another ship -as if she'd cut and run no matter what happened.)

[@Mr.Sequiro]

The more times you watch it, the more you learn (reading the books, and learning more lore of the world) you get more and more attached and emotional for it. Because you understand so much more and how impactful and meaningful some scenes really are. Like Galadriel gifting Gimli her hair. Or the bond of Gimli and Legolas and how special that is not only just for them but for elves and dwarves as a whole.

[@ct6852]

I love the series as a whole, complete, beautiful thing. But for whatever reason Sam, Pippin, Gimli and Gandalf are the only characters I truly care about. I don't know why that is. I like the others fine...but I can't say they're all that easy to connect with. I've only seen the movies, though.

[@alexkats30]

To put one of the most epic and cinematic scenes ever in context, when the Rohirrim are preparing to charge against the enemy they see their huge numbers and they know they can't win on their own. However they are determined to fight evil and help their allies anyway, so they are essentially riding towards their deaths. Screaming "Death" several times is them overcoming their fear of it and charging towards the enemy army, so brave and courageous. What an amazing job both Tolkien, Jackson and Shore did with this scene, never fails to make me tear up.

[@bill-nolastnamesupplied-958]

I have read accounts of soldiers who have gone to war. Many have been rightly terrified of dying or being wounded. Some have recounted that they got over their fears and accepted that dying on the battlefield was a possibility and accepted that this fear faded as an issue compared to letting down your comrades or country, and that then allowed them to act without being burdened by their fears. Once they had embraced fate, for good or for bad, it freed them up to act with ruthless commitment and efficiency. Many LOTR movie watchers think that the "Death! Death!" cry of the Rohirrim as their call for the death of the orcs, but I see it as an absolute commitment to death of the enemy or their own. There will be no retreat and it is indeed a fight to the death - theirs or the orcs'.

[@TheBrotherdarkness9]

Always had a thing for cavalry charges in movies, but the Rohirrim charge left me speechless with my mouth wide open when i saw the movie for the first time. Pure ecpiness!

[@kobarsos82]

@@TheBrotherdarkness9 Compare that to the failed opportunities of using cavalry effectively in battle, or heck even remotely realistically, from the late scenes in game of thrones last seasons, where the cavalry was used completely wrong, charging first against the enemy headon and away from the castle (not even waiting to flank the enemy) to simply die before the battle even started. It was already done perfectly 23 years ago in fantasy, as this trilogy proves... Why could they not learn a lesson from it? Really makes you wonder what buffoon was responsible for those choices.

[@TheBrotherdarkness9]

@@kobarsos82 Dont make me remember the battle of Winterfell. How to waste tens of thousands of men on horseback. The best part was when the Dothraki just respawned at Kings Landing.

[@kobarsos82]

@@TheBrotherdarkness9 Indeed many opportunities wasted after they ran out of source material and did their own thing...

[@liaml.e.5964]

Honor where honor's due, Gothmog was a very good commander who, while being crippled, fought by his troops side, maintained discipline and gave sound orders and had effective strategies.

[@razorback6111]

*Sees Mount Doom for the first time* Cassie: “So close…” Carly: “It’s still that far away?!” Cassie: “It’s so far…” 🤣🤣🤣 You two are so effortlessly entertaining and charming and likable. I wish I knew more people like you in real life.

[@Wirenfeldt1990]

Pretty sure she said “so close, but still so far”..

[@LBrobie]

it doesn't matter how many times i've watched these movies, that scene where Eomer finds his sister on the battlefield, and that gut-wrenching wail he makes, gets me *every* time. 😢

[@joescott8877]

Yeah. the fact that SHE was the last person he would have expected to see--alive, wounded or dead--on the battlefield makes his reaction that much more traumatic.

[@robinthomasson6630]

this scream alone is some incredible piece of acting, it feel so real and desesperate...

[@Rocco1332]

I think the one change from the books that actually really bothers me is the Witch King breaking Gandalfs staff, Witch King did not have that kinda power. In the books, Gandalf fights all 9 of the Nazgul at once, while he's still Gandalf the Grey. He wasn't allowed to attack with ALL his power, except against the Balrog. There's also another soldier who tries to save Farimir. Theodens' speech is the best in my book. When Sam is hesitant about giving the Ring back, notice his eyes are on Frodo, not the Ring. I like that touch as it wasn't because of power he hesitated, it was concern.

[@zekarou7831]

Yeah, it bothers me also. Gandalf is a maiar like Sauron, he shouldn't be that weak. To see his staff easily broken by a Spectre is just ridiculous. They could just make it a stalemate if they wanted to show how powerful the Witch King was.

[@captainchaos3667]

Definitely. The Witch King is a human, it makes no sense.

[@QuayNemSorr]

True, it makes no sense. But it's still one of the coolest lines from the Witch king. It should just have been delivered to someone else than Gandalf.

[@kathleenhensley5951]

It was his good hobbit sense that made him strong enough to give back the ring. He knew he wasn't a great warrior.. the ring tended to inflate the egos of those it seduced but Sam knows exactly who and what he is, he didn't submit to the lies of the ring.

[@NigelIncubatorJones]

Well, sort of. I wouldn't have bet against Gandalf, but we'll never know. For a more in-depth discussion of GtW vs. WK: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWXHk2qIrteop7M

[@DanEcho67]

When I first read the book when I was a lot younger than I am now, the moment Sam said, “I can’t carry it, but I can carry you” was when I realized that Sam was far more than a sidekick. He is really the true hero of the story. The movie handled that moment so perfectly for me. I cry every time. (I’m a 55 year old man.)

[@fistovuzi]

the law of transitive properties doesn't exist in Arda, apparently. 😉

[@DanEcho67]

@@fistovuzi lol In my defense, I misquoted the line. It was actually “I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you.” Which I’m pretty sure would also be covered by the law of transitive property. But it’s still an amazing line. Tolkien knew how to make a moment powerful that way.

[@fistovuzi]

@@DanEcho67 lol, yeah i know. i just heard that joke somewhere once about that line and thought it was clever. i think it was Neil deGrassy-Ass Tyson, i'm not sure.

[@philippalinton5850]

I too read the book many years ago and I've always seen Frodo and Sam as a team. Frodo couldn't have survived the Quest without Sam, but Sam couldn't have destroyed the Ring on his own either. They were both heroes who were prepared to sacrifice their lives for the sake of Middle-earth. The films underplay Frodo's heroism, sadly.

[@JHNoble]

Sam Gamgee, the ring-bearer bearer. 😁

[@roberttauzer7042]

Your sister is so precious I love how she ducks and bobs her head to each swing, as she's there : )))) Bless her

[@eggsnbacon7502]

It always blows me away seeing just how well this film has held up over the years. I would swear that I'm watching a movie that was released last year, not nearly 20 years ago. The love and detail that went into this trilogy is so staggering!

[@CJR-wv8kc]

Much of it comes from its solid writing, layering on top of that a mixture of miniatures, bigatures, and only a little CGI is why I think the film holds up, it's CGI isn't dated because they didn't overuse it in filming

[@billholder1330]

@@CJR-wv8kc "bigatures" hehe

[@CJR-wv8kc]

@@billholder1330 it's what weta workshop called them on the film's appendices disks

[@izzonj]

I had read these books in my teen years and loved them. So, imagine going to a movie theater decades later, around Christmas, 2000, and a preview starts, with these settings and characters and musical themes and after a minute you think, "OMG, DID SOMEBODY MAKE A MOVIE OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS!" And then you realize, YES, THEY DID. But how to for it all in a single movie? And if multiple, how many and how long will i need to wait??? Then rolling titles stating THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING: COMING CHRISTMAS 2001 THE TWO TOWERS: COMING CHRISTMAS 2002 THE RETURN OF THE KING: COMING CHRISTMAS 2003 And the realization that they made all three movies at once! It was so exciting!

[@paulwolffart1251]

That's how I felt too! I read them back around 1980 and longed for a good movie. I had watched the disappointing animated ones in the 80s and all the other fantasy movies that were popping out left and right then. When I saw the movie poster in the theaters back around 2000 telling of the upcoming movie still a year away I was really excited. Mainly because that year the horrible piece of sludge known and the Dungeons & Dragons movie had came out and I was obligated to force myself to watch it because I was a hardcore D&D gamer at the time. I need to reread the novels again. I've seen the movies many times over.

[@Jordashian93]

Winner of 11 Oscars including Best Picture making it the first and so far only fantasy movie to the win that award. Love this trilogy more than any other.

[@Mitheledh]

It's worth noting, too, that each individual movie could have won an plethora of awards themselves, but they decided to hold off and give the awards, in a sense, to the entire trilogy.

[@area12353]

13 oscars threw the Trilogy.

[@Roguewarrior37]

Also the most awarded Oscar movie

[@Jordashian93]

@@area12353 actually the entire trilogy won 17 Oscars. The first movie won 4, the second won 2 and the third and final movie won 11.

[@Jordashian93]

@@Roguewarrior37 its actually tied with Ben-Hur (1959) and Titanic (1997) (both movies won 11 Oscars) as the most awarded movie.

[@BolofromAvlis]

When you boil it all down, it's the tale of some very good people on a grand adventure. The friendship at the heart of it is what makes it so special. I've lost count of how many times I've watched these films, and they get me every time.

[@LordEriolTolkien]

I lost count of the number of times I read the books somewhere after 12

[@rogersjgregory]

These movies were made with love, passion and dedication, from everyone involved, and it shines through. The casting was impeccable, everyone did a phenomenal job, especially the production department. The armour, weapons, clothing, buildings, everything is so detailed that the world looks lived in, it helps with the immersion. But also the sound design is awesome, the musical score is amazing, and the editing is fantastic. It’s also really well paced, and when you consider how long these movies are, that’s really impressive. How they handled the different sizes of the various races, is also ingenious. These movies will not need to be remade for at least another twenty years, because they hold up incredibly well.

[@aarontyler7508]

I don't believe that we will ever see anything to compare to these films, at least not in the world that has transpired over the last 2 decades. This may well be the pinnacle of all cinematic history, the greatest work of art of the 21st century. Perhaps of all time.

[@jamesnorthup7717]

It's better than other movies because no matter how much fantasy is in it the conversations are more real than most regular movies. Talk of life, death, friendship, honor, glory and courage!!!

[@kobarsos82]

Simply better writing and characterization. Have to agree.

[@GreenFalcon926]

"you bow to no one." That line will forever be one of the most emotional and iconic lines ever.

[@victorsixtythree]

31:55 - When Frodo is finishing writing the book, you can't quite see it all but I believe the last paragraph reads, ""Samwise Gamgee was elected mayor of Hobbiton, and although it took courage, he finally asked for the hand of fair Rosie Cotton. It was the bravest thing he ever did."

[@NanciBK]

These films are masterpieces, like the books that inspired them. It’s a combination of Tolkien’s genius of storytelling, the actors being amazingly cast and outstandingly acting their parts, the incredible locations for filming, the practical and special effects being so immersive and amazing, Andy Serkis pioneering so much amazing motion capture acting as Gollum, the complete and satisfying hero’s journey cycle of them, the amazing score, just all of it. It’s a perfect movie trilogy. I doubt it will ever be surpassed.

[@Aeroldoth3]

Well, it'll be surpassed. All things eventually are. It will just take longer than most.

[@nathanh182]

Seeing in theaters originally, it was such a overwhelming feeling seeing the end credits and having spent three years watching each successive installment and realizing what you had been a part of stays with me to this day

[@James_Loveless]

This inspiring love story shows us how love can endure even in the hardest of times. by Alice Rose Dodds Eowyn and Faramir Throughout the cinematic adaptation of the Lord of the Rings trilogy by Peter Jackson, many scenes and moments are awarded to the Lady Eowyn of Rohan, and her unrequited love of Aragorn, the Dunedain Ranger and the heir to the Throne of Gondor. She admires him in many ways, from his strength and kindness as a man, to his valor and authority as a soldier and commanding leader in the battle against the Sauron. But Aragorn cannot give her back the same love, for he is pledged to Lady Arwen of Rivendell. Feeling that all hope is lost, Eowyn throws herself into battle, maintaining her honor as a shieldmaiden, and defending her uncle, King Theoden of Rohan against the Witch-king of Angmar. As she stabs the enemy, her arm is broken and the nerves destroyed, and she is left there on the battlefield until the fight is over. Once she is discovered, she is taken to the Houses of Healing, where she lies unconscious, until she is treated with Kingswillow and called back into the waking world by her brother Eomer. The other riders soon leave again, heralding the call of another battle, but she must stay there, whilst her body continues to mend itself. She feels caged within the walls and wishes that she had been granted the honor of a courageous death in battle. Her body restores, but her will to live begins wearing away, and she consigns herself to let darkness overcome her until she meets the younger brother of Boromir, and the new steward of Gondor, Faramir, who is also in the Houses of Healing, having been pierced by poisoned arrows during the siege of Osgiliath. When watching the extended edition DVDs, the love story that ensues between them can be seen briefly, though little importance is placed on it, and there is next to no screen time for them at all in the cinematic versions. However, in the books, there is almost an entire chapter devoted to them, entitled ‘The Steward and the King.’ During these pages, Faramir invites Eowyn to walk in the gardens with him, so that they may keep each other company in their most difficult hours, and speed the process of the healing of their souls. Faramir senses a sorrow within her, but he does not pity her for it, he admires her strength and valor as a warrior, knowing how much she sacrificed to protect Middle Earth. Although it takes time for her to mend her broken heart, it is this that ultimately wins her over. So many of the male counterparts in her life, including Theoden, Aragorn, and her older brother Eomer, see her as a young girl, a girl who is less capable than they are of fighting for her loved ones. However, she has proved that this is not so, and Faramir is one of the first men to truly appreciate her for her fearlessness and skill, rather than just for her beauty. In the book, the couple spends much of their time standing upon the parapet, and when the weather turns cold Faramir clothes her in a midnight blue cloak, clasped and adorned with stars, which once belonged to his mother. It is one of few sentimental possessions he holds dear in the world and is the first sign of their love blooming. And when the greatest hour of darkness draws near, and the penultimate night is felt by all, they draw close to one another, holding hands as a beacon of hope in the dread. Although none of this is in the movies, Eowyn is called once she is healed, to be by her brother’s side, and rejoice in the celebrations once the war against the Evil Lord Sauron is won. But she lingers in the healing houses, unsure what it is that makes her so reluctant to leave. Faramir has taken up his position as Steward of Gondor in the interim, looking after the throne of Gondor until Aragorn, who has the blood of the Numenorians, is ready to claim it, but when he hears of Eowyn once more ailing, he rushes to her side. Although it is not the most essential relationship in the story portrayed by the films, their love is one of equals, one of two brave soldiers who have seen the horrors of war, and have managed to find light on the other side of it. They marry and have a son, and live out their days in peace and prosperity, teaching the audience that devotion and adoration can be found even when all else seems lost.

[@PiraticalBob]

Good summary!

[@SinzPet-]

love when Aragorn sings Elendil's oath at the coronation 🙂 glad u guys included much more of it in ur reactions than many other reactors usually do

[@Transformania]

Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come. In this place will I abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world.

[@TJSaw]

@@Transformania I’m proud of you, fellow LOTR nerd. Beat me to it

[@magicbrownie1357]

"There are somethings that time cannot mend. Some hurts that go too deep. That have taken hold." Only a veteran of war, I think, can truly understand what Tolkien was talking about there.

[@jasoncullen2067]

Viggo Mortenson is and will forever be Aragorn!!! “My friends, you bow to no one” is the quote of the series. I cry every time!

[@philstubblefield]

I'm exhausted, and all I can say is: Thank you, Cassie and Carly, for a tremendous experience! I have encountered no one on KZbin that reacts with the purity of heart that you two display! ❤ Thank you so much for sharing!

[@bobblebardsley]

I saw all three movies with my family around Christmastime each year. ROTK we were visiting my sister for the holidays and it was a real scramble to find time and tickets to watch it together before we all went home again, but we managed to fit it in. Since the first Covid lockdown I've called my parents at 7pm almost every night, but tonight I can't because my mum has taken my dad to hospital for an operation tomorrow, and she will be driving home right now (it's exactly 7pm in the UK). This video is due to premiere at half-past and I'm gonna pour myself a drink and watch along with everybody else and stop thinking about tomorrow for a little while. Thank you Cassie and Carly, I've enjoyed all of your LOTR reactions but this one couldn't be more perfectly timed 💖

[@KillerXGothMadness]

It's great to meet someone else who also watches Lord of the Rings every Christmas time since I do not celebrate Christmas. I hope everything goes well for your family.

[@petergoss821]

I did the midnight show for the last two. That was before I realized the last one was as long as it was. It was a LONG night. Lol

[@bobblebardsley]

@@petergoss821 I hope it wasn't one of those where they show the first two movies leading up to midnight, that would be a VERY long evening 😂

[@AmericanAurochs]

@@bobblebardsley It would be worth it though! As long as you had the next day off.

[@TzunSu]

I'm thinking of your family tonight, and hoping for the best!

[@musicandmoviefan9217]

Thank you so much for watching this. You girls made me smile and tear up with the emotional turmoil you went through.

[@mystmagyk3101]

I had read the books many times, so I was excited to watch all three movies at the midnight premiers every christmas for three straight years. And I have to say the movies lived up to my hopes. That is so rare. Not just that they were good adaptations, but that they were each good movies, and that even knowing the story, each movie managed to exceed my expectations. Such good movies.

[@Lemon_Force]

those were some amazing years seeing these in theaters like that

[@archabe]

Must have seen the movies more than 30 times and I still cry rivers at every ending.

[@jasonnicholasschwarz7788]

That shift in the music when they board the ship and set off for Valinor. Or Heaven. Tears your soul right out of you every time.

[@DBCuzitis]

Thank you for rewatching these movies. I often wish for peoples second take on certain movies to see how their appreciation deepens and more things get explored and talked about. Thank you ❤

[@shinyagumon7015]

Great reaction! Fun Fact both the March of the Ents and the Defeat of the Witch King are inspired by Shakespeare's Macbeth, or rather young Tolkien's grievances with the material. So he essentially wrote his version of these events into LotR because he hated how they happened in Macbeth. Also I know many Book Fans disagree, but I like that they didn't adapt the Scouring of the Shire. If you don't know, in the original books Saruman survives the Fall of Isengard and takes over the Shire and turns it into a similar industrial hellscape until Frodo and friends kill him for good and while I like that story I understand why they left it out and focused on Frodos PTSD. It works better if the Shire is still the beautiful place Frodo remembers, a place he longed to return to while away on his journey, but one he can never return to because of the Darkness he's seen. The Shire hasn't changed, but Frodo has.

[@northwestkiwi7742]

"I want him to be killed so vigorously!" ROFL! This is the best line of the entire trilogy reaction.🤣 Re Eowyn on the battlefield: she and Merry were sickened in spirit by the evil of the Witch-king. They were taken to the Houses of Healing in Gondor where Aragorn tended to them, as 'The hands of the King are the hands of a healer'. I love how Carly keeps being ahead of the plot. "Can't they get some eagles up there to save them?" "What about Arwen? She has to come, right?" "Sam, you better go ask out Rosie Cotton." Honestly, if you aren't writing already, you should give it a try - plot-work seems to be your forte. BTW, Frodo and Sam were taken to Gondor to heal, although with the lighting and the slo-mo it does have an Elven feel to it.

[@ugaladh]

Actually, I thought Frodo and Sam recovered in the Fields of Cormallen, Frodo slept for 3 weeks as I recall. When he awoke, they took them to a giant feast and Merry and Pippin served them. Only then did Aragorn take them back to Minas Tirith.

[@northwestkiwi7742]

@@ugaladh Yeah, I should have been clearer that I was talking about the film-version.

[@DutchDread]

Fun fact, in the book there is one Gondorian soldier, beregrond, who befriends Pippin, and he fights off other soldiers long enough for Gandalf to come and save Faramir.

[@johnjesberger5676]

And it sets up a great moment of "Solomon's Wisdom" for Aragorn later, where he hast to pass judgement on Beregond's violent actions in defense of Faramir, as well as the crime of leaving his post to do so. Aragorn exiles him from Minas Tirith but makes it just by appointing him to Faramir's guard (The White Company) for when Faramir becomes Prince of Ithilien.

[@4nthr4x]

Hands down the most loveable and wholesome reaction to this epic trilogy I've had the pleasure to watch. But I expected nothing less of you 2 wonderful people.

[@TheCrazyNette]

When this movie ended everyone applauded and when the employees came in to clean for the next viewing, not everyone wanted to leave right away. So we all stood against the wall, out of the way, watching the credits and listening to the music. A lot of us were crying because we knew our adventure was over... our journey had ended.

[@davidstivers2537]

“My friends, you bow to no one” I cry every time

[@benjaminroe311ify]

What this has "extra" is true love and care and crafstmanship. By the director and actor and the person who wrote the story to begin with. So glad you both love it so much. Thanks for the reaction.

[@AneudiD78]

In the theatrical cut, Merry finds Pippin during the day, but on the extended cut, Peter Jackson had the film color graded and made that scene appear in the evening when Merry finds him. There were also two people in charge of manually putting together by hand all the chain-mail armor for the entire series, when they finally finished, they didn't have any more fingerprints. This was all from the epic behind the scenes that I binge watched.

[@CJR-wv8kc]

To me it's the attention to details such as making their own faux chain mail that makes the film's stand the test of time, the none reliance on CGI and having such attention to detail in the practical stuff and costumes is why it still works.

[@mycroft16]

@@CJR-wv8kc The great thing is this trilogy relied extremely heavily on CGI, and broke significant ground in CGI work... the difference between this and so many is that they knew when to use it, and when another tool served better. But nearly every shot in this thing has some CG to it. Everything from removing telephone poles, fences, contrails, etc to digital set/location extensions, face replacements, digital matte paintings, full CG characters, AI controlled motion capture driven armies of thousands, digi-doubles for all of the main cast for all 3 films... you name it. And then throw that in with extremely old stuff like Pepper's Ghost (used for the fire on Denethor's funeral pyre) and Pippin's body double being thrown by Denethor and rolling under the camera into Billy Boyd's back who then sits up right in front of the camera. Forced perspectives, big rigs (people on stilts), biggatures and miniatures. They set up a fully functioning medieval armory making legitimate swords and real chain mail as well as film prop duplicates. Mix the right tools for the right parts of each shot and magic happens.

[@Wubzy66]

@@CJR-wv8kc not even faux chain mail, they made real mail

[@CJR-wv8kc]

@@Wubzy66 for the most part they made it out of a plastic piping spray painted it and put it together themselves, I said faux because for the most part it was not a metal mail shirt

[@Nothing-zw3yd]

I've had a really disgustingly horrible past week, and watching this lightened my heart immensely.

[@ScottyDnB]

Hope things get better mate, there will always be a light at the end of the tunnel no matter how dark it seems at the moment. You've got this.

[@ninawildr4207]

Hang on in there!

[@Nothing-zw3yd]

Thanks, y'all. I'm good, things are better, and I never lose hope. I appreciate the kind words!

[@OgreProgrammer]

When times are rough, as they must occasionally be, remember, always, "You bow to no one". And keep a good Sam at your side, unless you are the Sam.

[@HickoryDickory86]

I knoe it's been six months now, but I hope you're still doing well, friend. 🫂

[@iciuirisieid]

Watching Cassie react along without spoiling anything was so amazing. OMG those emotional moments were so heart wrenching, thank you so much for watching through these again. Watching along with you was truly a pleasure

[@jameswebb7878]

Appendices ,appendices ,appendices. You guys will love them. I think you might end up liking Viggo as a person as much as you like Aragorn the character. He’s good people. The whole cast seem like people you’d like to hang out with. The bond they formed making these movies was and is still quite strong. Very entertaining

[@szwolinski4587]

Sam's great strength and purity of spirit is never more demonstrated than when he voluntarily returns the ring to Frodo. He is the only one to handle the ring and then hand it over to someone else without force or threats.

[@scythianking7315]

Faromir did, in a way, as well. And Faromir had MANY reasons to want to keep the ring.

[@szwolinski4587]

@@scythianking7315 Faromir never held the ring. He was one of several who declined the ring without touching it: i.e. Galadriel, Gandalf, Aragorn. However, I was wrong in saying that Sam was the only one to surrender the ring. Tom Bombadil held it, wore it without vanishing, and handed it back to Frodo with a smile after making it disappear. He was not mortal and there was some suggestion that he was the oldest living being. "Mark my words my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn." (In the House of Tom Bombadil, Fellowship of the Ring, The Lord of the Rings) The hobbits suggest to Gandalf that the ring should be given to Tom Bombadil since it has no effect on him. His response is that Tom would not be a good caretaker since he counts it of little importance. He also states that if Tom had the ring the world could still be conquered and then Tom would be the last to fall as he was the first to rise.

[@Paralianpoet]

Isn't Frodo try to offer few people to hold the ring instead?

[@Kreege]

Not true. Tom Bambadil handled the ring, even wore it, and handed it back to Frodo without a second thought.

[@szwolinski4587]

@@Paralianpoet Yes, he offered it to Gandalf and Galadriel. However, since they declined, we do not know if he would have gone through with it. Boromir returned it due to external pressure. Even Frodo had to have the ring taken from him by force. Sam held the ring not out of desire for power but for love of his 'master' (friend).

[@johnhammonds5143]

Popular fan myth: There were three eagles, one for each of them. They would have rescued Gollum too.

[@larrytodaro8460]

As someone who's read the books and done the Tolkien deep dive into Middle Earth, I can tell you the casting is very well done. There are a lot of things the movies left out, and other things the movie moved around to different spots. There's a whole long adventure for the hobbits before they even reach the village of Bree, and Saruman does not die at Isengard, he dies much later, long after the ring has been destroyed. I won't spoil it, but there's a bit more for the hobbits to do when they return to the Shire. Valinor is the undying lands. When the world was flat, any boat could sail west, although they would get lost usually as the approached. In the 2nd age, Sauron deceives the men of Numenor, and goads them into sailing to Valinor to claim immortality for themselves. Only the faithful (Elendil and his sons, and their followers) do not go. At the request of the Valar, God (Eru Iluvatar) destroys Numenor, makes the world round, and lifts Valinor into the heavens so that only those given permission can reach it. Galadriel is the only elf we see in these movies who had lived in the Undying Lands. Gandalf is not a human or an elf. He is a maiar, which is the same type of being as Sauron. The 5 wizards (Istari) were sent to Middle Earth to perform certain tasks. Saruman was supposed to be the lore master and lead the fight against Sauron. That's why, when Gandalf comes back as Gandalf the White, he says he is Saruman, or Saruman as he should have been. Gandalf can only do certain things to help, he doesn't just use magic all the time because men are supposed to solve this problem and take leadership. If he solves it for them, then he's no different than Sauron, using his power to control what's happening. Instead, he just guides them and makes sure the pieces are in the proper places. There's so much lore and back story, you should definitely read the books and then read The Silmarillion to get all of it. Every character has a backstory, a lineage, every country has a complete history. Tolkien wrote about this stuff over his whole life.

[@zeakstigmata2]

I've seen these movies at the very least over 150 times, I used to watch them ever night when I was a kid to go to sleep. And no matter how many times I've seen it, I always tear up big time just in the sheer emotion in Sam's delivery of the line "But I can carry you, come on!" Gets me every time damn it

[@o0pinkdino0o]

This trilogy will always be here for you over the years. Always welcoming. Always rewarding.

[@Tchika]

14:23 - Carly being so happy about this moment gives me everything! ✨

[@shabo3961]

I’ve seen this movies so many times and I don’t even count reactions of other reactors. Still after this long time, it makes me feel the same way. I cannot really put it into words, how much this story means to me, not only movies, but books as well. Thank you mr. Tolkien for making my childhood and adulthood as well. Your reactions were best I’ve seen so far.

[@gezzarandom]

The end credits are also very emotional, when Annie Lennox starts singing into the west it really hits home.

[@wiggion]

Is that the best line ever in Sci-fi/Fantasy movie history: "My friends: You bow to no one"

[@ambience273]

I must say that Denethor was much better in the books than in the movie. He did everything to defend Gondor as a commarder, he light the pyres not Pippin, and built a external wall. He also was in a battle of wits with Sauron for years, looking at the palantir, wich helped in the war but broke his psich. And was incredibly smart. And his relationship with Pippin was very similar to Theoden and Merry. But yes, he was unfair to Faramir and tried to burn him when he lost hope. Edit: He also believed Sauron took the ring: “Comfort me not with wizards! … The fool’s hope has failed. The Enemy has found it and now his power waxes” (LOTR, p. 805). “The fool’s hope” is Gandalf ’s plan to destroy the Ring (see LOTR, p. 795), and the “it” that “the Enemy” has found must be the Ring. Once again, then, Denethor has seen something true in a palantír, and has drawn from it a wrong conclusion.

[@kathleenhensley5951]

His fall into madness and despair makes much more sense in the books.

[@Cameron5043]

What's terrifying is that many of the vicious things he says to Faramir are direct quotes from the books. Everybody says he's portrayed better in the book, but he really said those horrible things to his son which tore Faramir's heart out in the book. Sauron used Denethor's use of the palantir to prey on his mind, destroy his relationship with his son, and feed him overpowering misinformation about Mordor's military power to break his hope and his mind. In the movie, there's this split second when Gandalf has just knocked Denethor back on the pyre, before the flames take hold - look at his face. The madness clears for one split second, his face is open and vulnerable, and if you read his lips he's trying to say, Faramir, I love you - the last evil that Sauron visited upon him, that Sauron abandoned his puppet and left him with a clear realization of what he'd done. And then the flames take hold. So passeth Denethor, son of Ecthelion, Steward of Gondor. In the book, Denethor never steps back from the madness, breaks the Staff of the Steward, and throws himself onto the fire with the Palantir. Both portrayals are heartbreaking.

[@Makkaru112]

He was never broken. Sauron could never do that. All he could do was just let him get more depressed as he could never control how Denethor interpreted the visions shown to him and almost always put it to Gondor’s advantage!!

[@Makkaru112]

The steward was way more noble and mighty in the books. Not to mention he contended wills with Sauron for decades nonstop and ontop of that even now he was never broken nor could Sauron alter what Denethor would see in the palantir even then he couldn’t control what Denethor had control of which was how he chose to interpret the visions given to him. Using it all to Gondor’s advantage! ❤ he also lit the beacons and got the women and children far away from the city longer ahead of time. So the movie butchered him as well as faramir but they didn’t butcher faramir as badly thankfully. He could have been shown to give Pippen his newest order to light the beacons so then it wouldn’t change the scene much at all as presented! The story here is Faramir’s birth ended up killing his mother Finduilas which was a Numenorean woman of the Faithful which her ancestors survived the Kataklysm of Númenor by the way! He was hurt deeply by her death. But also Aragorn when he went by the name gifted to him as Thorongil Denethor’s father basically overshadowing him from his own father so he is as psychology goes: treated Boromir the same way his father treated Aragorn/Thorongil. Note that Boromir and Faramir are half Numenorean which is a big thing as far as the legendarium goes!

[@fenixdown22]

I agree, the book version of Denethor is closer to Tywin Lannister I feel.

[@exqueue3813]

LOTR is the grandfather of all modern adventure stories. It feels special because it quintessentially every story that has ever touched you emotionally. It's ingrained in the fabric of our collective consciousness.

[@One.Zero.One101]

Yeah as someone who’s a fan of Dungeons and Dragons, I can say 90% of it is influenced by LOTR. There’s tons of versions of Elves in mythology but the ones that we use are from Tolkien. Same with the version of dwarves, and halflings, even the party composition of rangers, thief, knight, and wizard.

[@TheJoeyKnoxville]

When Rohan shows up... goosebumps every time I watch this movie!

[@Narnianerin]

The scene where they all enter Frodo's room and laugh and the outro with the song and those amazing drawings always make me bawl. The first one because it's so lovely and the second because even though there are more films and series about Middleearth, it's just really another ending. The fellowship of the cast had to go their seperate ways as well and the Lotr films were finished. And it doesn't matter how often I rewatch it, that sense of they brought us all this joy and epicness and now it's truly over, the story ist told, hits me every single time with the same intensity. Also the names appearing next to the drawings makes me so emotional with gratitude for their portrayals of these characters that I love so much.

[@joeeveryman6615]

@2:58 "He needs food" "He needs Sam" That was a priceless

[@RolandDeschain1]

I think I openly wept about six times during this movie when I first saw it opening day. These movies were made with so much love and dedication that it spill out of the screen and into the audience. The massive behind the scenes documentaries are almost as enjoyable as the movies are. You get such a sense of the immense comraderie everyone developed while making them movies.