Why are people pausing "The Lord of the Rings" to watch someone break a
toe or get their finger bitten off? Keep watching to find out!
As the town that serves as home to Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, Hobbiton is the quintessential
ideal of a quiet locale where any hobbit would love to live. Author J.R.R. Tolkien based the
fictional village on the beauty and tranquility of the English countryside, and it's where the tale
truly begins. The description of Hobbiton in the novels not only gives readers a sense of what life
is like for a hobbit, but has made generations of fans yearn for their own cozy little hobbit hole.
Peter Jackson — a superfan of the novels — and the rest of "The Lord of the Rings" crew knew they had
to find the perfect location to film the Hobbiton scenes, and they found what they were looking for
in New Zealand. According to the Hobbiton Tours website, a 1,250-acre farm would eventually become
the Shire. The website also states that it took over nine months of construction to build the
hobbit village, with the film crew actually receiving help from the New Zealand Army.
The result of the filmmakers' hard work paid off in the final cut of the film. At the beginning of
"The Fellowship of the Ring," we see Frodo and Gandalf riding in a carriage down the pastoral
streets of Hobbiton, and for those who've read the books, it feels like the pages of the novels come
to life. In 2002, guided tours were made available for anyone to come and visit the set, and after
Jackson rebuilt the set in 2009 for "The Hobbit," the site became a permanent tourist destination.
After his unforgettable 111th birthday celebration, Bilbo makes preparations
to leave Hobbiton for good. Although it proves to be an immense struggle for him,
Bilbo manages to leave the One Ring behind with Frodo,
along with most of his belongings and the deed to his home, Bag End. At Gandalf's direction,
Frodo keeps the ring "secret" and "safe," even though he has no idea of the true power it holds.
Gandalf, having his suspicions,
leaves the Shire to find out what he can about Bilbo's mysterious ring.
When he returns, he is haggard and disturbed, not the calm and collected wizard he once was.
Frodo hands over the ring, only to be surprised by Gandalf throwing it into the fireplace.
What follows is, perhaps, one of the most recognizable shots in the trilogy.
Gandalf takes the ring out of the fire and places it in Frodo's hand,
assuring the hobbit that it is "quite cool." Moments later,
writing appears across the band, which Gandalf ominously translates for Frodo and the audience:
"One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them,
one ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them."
Not only is this phrase insanely quotable, but it establishes what will become the central plot
of the series. The One Ring of Power is an evil artifact that must be destroyed at all costs,
and poor Frodo is the one to do it. Although Gandalf hates sending his hobbit friend on such
a dangerous errand, he hopes that Frodo's bravery and loyalty will get the job done.
As Frodo begins his journey out of the Shire, he is joined by his loyal friend,
Samwise Gamgee, and later by the mischievous duo Pippin Took and Merry Brandybuck. Merry and
Pippin literally bump into Sam and Frodo while on the run from the crotchety Farmer Maggot,
after stealing some of his prized vegetables.
After the four hobbits tumble down a hill, they gather themselves to their feet just as Frodo
senses a dangerous presence coming down the road. Frodo frantically commands the others to hide,
and they find the perfect spot under the roots of a large tree.
The scene is one of the most suspenseful moments in the movie, with the four hobbits
huddled together in a dank hole teeming with creepy-crawlies, as the terrifying figure of
the hooded dark rider — one of the dreaded Ringwraiths — approaches. As the Ringwraith
sniffs out his unseen prey, Frodo almost gives into temptation and nearly puts on the One Ring.
Luckily for our heroes, the rider is distracted and passes without discovering their hiding place.
It's a wake-up call for the hobbits that there are great dangers waiting for them outside the Shire.
Although Tolkein's work is held in high esteem, the unfortunate truth is that there is a
sad lack of female presence in his novels. To make up for this, the writers of "The Lord of
the Rings" film trilogy expanded the role of an underutilized character from the novels:
Arwen Evenstar. The writers gave Arwen a much larger part in the films,
sometimes adding her into scenes from which she was absent in the books.
In "The Fellowship of the Ring," the hobbits' harrowing ordeal on
Weathertop results in Frodo being stabbed by a Morgul blade — which, if left untreated,
will turn Frodo into a shadow of himself, not unlike the Ringwraiths.
Luckily, Arwen [AR-wen] comes upon the group and insists on taking Frodo to her father, Elrond,
to get healed before it's too late. What follows is a tension-fueled chase scene,
with Arwen riding as fast as she can with Frodo in tow, and the Nazgul hot on their heels.
The chase comes to a climax when Arwen and Frodo cross the river that forms the border
of the elven lands. In a show of great courage, Arwen challenges the riders:
"If you want him, come and claim him!"
It's tough not to be impressed by Arwen's heroism in that moment, especially for a character who
was essentially wasted in the original novels. She then conjures up a great wave to wash away
the enemies. This scene is truly memorable — not only for the impressive special effects,
but also for the way it establishes Arwen's character in the films.
One does not simply rewatch the "council of Elrond" scene in "The Fellowship of the Ring"
without pausing at the exact moment that Boromir makes his iconic pose.
You know the one — he's looking very serious and holding up his hand with his fingers forming
a circle, indicating the Eye of Sauron. Meanwhile, the audience is picturing their
own fill-in-the-blank text superimposed over the image.
In the very slim chance that you are in the dark on this one, the "One Does Not Simply"
meme was a popular fad that spammed the internet for several years starting in 2004, in which
someone would start a phrase with "One does not simply," and then finish the thought accordingly.
It's also refreshing to note that the actor himself, Sean Bean,
is very aware of the meme and finds it quite amusing.
In fact, he once told Radio Times magazine that he thinks the memes featuring his face will be his,
quote, "unintended legacy," and he seems to be totally on board with it.
As the wizard to end all wizards, Gandalf the Grey is the epitome of wisdom, power,
and kindness. He acts as a guide and mentor to those who follow him, yet he is also a loyal
friend, and a fearsome fighter that any good guy is lucky to have on their side.
Perhaps the most spectacular scene in "The Fellowship of the Ring" is Gandalf's face-off
against the Balrog in the Mines of Moria. Not only are the special effects for the
creature itself awe-inspiring, but we get to see Gandalf looking like an incredible badass.
"You shall not pass!"
Just as we cheer for Gandalf while he holds back the monstrous foe,
so we weep for him when he falls into the depths below. No one can forget the image
of Gandalf clinging to the edge of the rock before his final counsel for the fellowship:
"Fly, you fools!"
Even those who knew Gandalf would return in the second film couldn't help but feel something akin
to grief at his loss. For the ones for whom Gandalf's fall came as a complete surprise,
you probably had to press pause on your remote to ask yourself what the heck just happened.
Though he mostly appears in the first film of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy,
the character of Boromir had a surprising impact on the series as a whole.
Part of that is likely due to the superb performance of actor Sean Bean, yet it can
also be attributed to the writing team's careful consideration of the character's development.
It could easily be misconstrued that Boromir is a bad guy, when in fact he is much more complex
than that. In truth, he is a man desperate to save his people, and that desperation
is a weakness that the One Ring seeks to exploit. When Boromir tries to take the ring from Frodo by
force in the third act of "The Fellowship of the Ring," he immediately recognizes his error
and attempts to compensate by doing what he was meant to do: protect the innocent.
Sadly, Boromir finds death in a hail of arrows while defending Merry and Pippin during an attack.
With his dying words, he confesses his faults to Aragorn, while pledging his final allegiance
to the true king of Gondor. The heartbreaking scene is enough to bring a tear to anyone's eye,
and might have you reaching for the pause button so you can compose yourself.
"I would have followed you, my brother. My captain. My King!"
In "The Two Towers," Aragorn, Legolas,
and Gimli are tracking a pack of orcs who have kidnapped their friends, Merry and Pippin.
During their search, they come upon a group of soldiers led by Eomer. Eomer informs the trio
that he and his soldiers recently ambushed a group of orcs, but left no survivors.
When Aragorn and the others find the remains of the orc horde, they find no trace of their
hobbit companions. Believing the halflings may be dead, Aragorn lashes out by kicking
a nearby orc helmet and screaming as he falls to his knees. While the kick was in the script,
the scream was not, and that's because actor Viggo Mortensen broke his toe in that take.
Yet instead of asking for the director to cut, Mortensen used his physical pain to express
the torment his character was feeling in the moment. Talk about method acting!
One of the most beloved characters in the trilogy, Gollum is a creature somehow both detestable and
highly sympathetic. After being in possession of the One Ring for many years, the hobbit-like being
once known as Smeagol has become an emaciated husk who lives only to hold his "precious" once more.
Under layers of hatred and greed, though, there is still the person
who was once Smeagol, and Frodo's compassion allows Smeagol to appear through the cracks.
Where Gollum is suspicious and filled with rancor, Smeagol is trusting and eager to please. In one of
the most memorable Gollum scenes, we see the two sides of the character arguing with one another as
if they were two separate personalities — and indeed, in many ways, they are.
The scene was shot brilliantly by director Jackson in a two-camera setup, with motion
capture performer Andy Serkis giving a magnificent depiction of the dual nature of the character.
The audience really feels as if they are seeing a conversation between two people,
and it's a scene worth pausing to take in the sheer genius of it all.
The monumental Battle of Helm's Deep is inarguably the highlight of "The Two Towers."
Taking up 39 minutes of the movie's total three-hour runtime, there are plenty of
moments in the action-packed sequence for audiences to focus on. However, there is
one bit in particular that not only adds to the excitement, but gets a big laugh from viewers.
You may remember the escape in "The Fellowship of the Ring," in which our heroes run for their
lives in the ruins of Moria. At one point, Aragorn helps Sam get across a crumbling
staircase by throwing him through the air to be caught by Boromir on the other side.
However, Gimli proudly refuses the ranger's help, firmly stating: "Nobody tosses a dwarf!"
During the peak of the Helm's Deep battle, Gimli and Aragorn make their way to a bridge
overflowing with enemy soldiers trying to break into the fortress.
To get across the gap between the bridge and the stairs at the outer wall,
Gimli reluctantly offers the only solution. Under his breath, he tells Aragorn that the
ranger will have to toss him across the gap to get to the bridge. Aragorn agrees,
although the dwarf first makes him promise not to tell Legolas. He does have his pride, after all.
Gimli's stocky figure being thrown through the air,
landing triumphantly and hacking away at the orcs is not only an awesome sight to see,
but a hilarious callback to the first film's joke that's definitely worth watching again.
Pippin sings for Denethor
Throughout the first two "Lord of the Rings" films,
the hobbits Merry and Pippin are rarely seen apart — which made it all the more
shocking when the two were separated in the third entry, "The Return of the King."
After Pippin makes the mistake of revealing himself to Sauron through the mystical Palantir,
Gandalf takes him to Minas Tirith, the capital city of Gondor.
There, Pippin swears himself into the service of the city's steward, Denethor.
Though his hope is that he might make up for his grave mistake by doing something noble,
Pippin finds that Denethor is not the ideal mentor. A man filled with bitterness over the loss
of his son Boromir, Denethor would rather give into despair than fight for the hope of mankind.
As the soldiers of Gondor go off to battle, Denethor skulks in his grand hall with Pippin
at his side. The steward requests that Pippin sing a song for him, and though the hobbit is
clearly not in the mood for a lively tune, he obliges. As Pippin's voice echoes through the
halls, we see the men of Gondor ride into a hopeless battle that will seal their doom.
It's a truly haunting moment, and Boyd's beautiful vocals are the perfect addition to the scene.
The song he sings is one of sorrow and grief, and it will never leave your head
(sadly, neither will the disturbing image of Denethor biting into a cherry tomato).
Though Helm's Deep is one of the most memorable battle sequences in "The Lord of the Rings"
trilogy, the Battle of Pelennor Fields from "The Return of the King" perhaps holds the most
significance. It turns the tide of the War of the Ring, and gives the good people of
Middle-earth the upper hand against Sauron's forces. While there are plenty of triumphant
moments during this epic battle, there is one that stands out above the rest.
Eowyn, the shield-maiden of Rohan, has dealt with misogyny all of her life.
While she is expected to be happy in her gilded cage at Theoden's court,
all she ever wanted was to fight for the people she loves. She finally gets her chance when she
disguises herself in armor and rides with the army, along with her new hobbit friend, Merry.
Eowyn's time to shine comes when she faces off against the dreaded Witch King on the battlefield.
As the leader of the Nazgul taunts that he cannot be killed by any man,
Eowyn removes her helmet, declaring:
"I am no man."
She then offers the killing blow that destroys the Witch King once and for all,
and gives fans one of the most victorious moments in the trilogy.
"The Return of the King" features a dramatic climax that culminates within
the perilous realm of Mordor. After traversing the treacherous plains, escaping the clutches of orcs,
and ascending the volcanic Mount Doom, Frodo and Sam find the completion of their quest close at
hand. All of their struggles and suffering will soon come to a conclusion — one way or the other.
As they enter into the heart of Mount Doom, Frodo hesitates at the edge of the fiery abyss.
Much to the horror of his loyal companion — and the audience — Frodo has a sudden change of heart.
Instead of destroying the ring, he decides to claim it as his own,
placing it on his finger and making himself invisible. All seems lost,
until the vengeful creature known as Gollum interferes. Determined to get to the One Ring,
Gollum attacks the invisible Frodo and bites off the finger wearing the ring.
As any "Lord of the Rings" fan will tell you, Gollum inadvertently becomes the hero of the
story at that moment. Back in "The Fellowship of the Ring," it was Gandalf himself that predicted
Gollum would have a big part to play. Tragically, however, Gollum meets his demise when he plummets
into the lava pit below, still clinging to his beloved treasure. The vision of Gollum
sinking into the fiery liquid, followed by the One Ring, is one that will live forever in our minds.
After the One Ring is destroyed in "The Return of the King," the audience can
finally breathe a collective sigh of relief. Sauron is defeated,
the remaining fellowship has been reunited, and all is once again well in Middle-earth.
Now it's time for Aragorn to finally take his place as the rightful King of Gondor.
The coronation scene is one of both celebration and solemnity. Everyone has gathered to see the
crowning of Aragorn, their heroic leader and faithful friend. As the crowd of subjects
bow and make way for their new king, Aragorn reaches the line of the four hobbits: Frodo,
Sam, Pippin, and Merry. Yet when the halflings begin bowing to him, Aragorn protests, insisting
"You bow to no one."
The new king then kneels before them and bows his head, and the massive crowd follows his example.
The sight of so many kneeling before the humble hobbits is enough to make anyone gasp in awe,
as well as bring a tear to your eye. These four characters have come a very long way
from their simple life in the Shire. Each of them has demonstrated his bravery and
resilience in the face of impossible odds, and came out forever changed.
This relevant moment reminds us of the most important theme of "The Lord of the Rings"
trilogy: anyone — no matter their size or stature — is capable of doing great things.
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