Imagine the herculean RESTRAINT it took for Jackson and the editors to decide against putting this scene into the movie. Every movie has to have that final showdown with the bad guy, it's such an important part of our modern storytelling framework. But they didn't because they understood what was really important and what Sauron's physical form would take away from it. That restraint, that integrity to say 'no' might be the very quality that makes these movies stand apart from all the rest as a true masterpiece.
@@ThisHandleSystemCanGetNicked That's the whole point of destroying the ring--to prevent his return. Having Aragorn square off in a duel with Sauron in physical form cheapens those stakes and, more importantly, it diminishes the value of the story's subtext. The subtext is that Frodo and Sam, two little hobbits of no esteemed station or abilities, are the most important characters in the entire world in this moment. Aragorn, who would be a great king and warrior, is not here to fight the main villain as they are. His only desire was to give them a fighting chance with his life if necessary. It is a moment of role reversal, and intentionally defies the folktale trope. This is the way power is unmade, not with a cliché swordfight with the bad guy but through humanity, brotherhood and humility.
@@michaelweir9666 I agree, I also think that to give Sauron a physical form diminishes his threat and his presence. It is much more interesting if he is this vague spirit and something which you don't fully understand.
This is my favorite scene. Last time Aragon saw frodo was at the end of the fellowship of the ring, saying to him' i would of followed you to the gates of mordor'...and here he is, keeping his promise
I've always loved how the Hobbits were the ones who had the most courage to charge first after Aragorn in this scene. There's something so brave and epic about that.
And it’s always funny when the Men run past them. If the film had a lighter tone, I think it would’ve been funny to have a shot of them being swallowed up by the group, and them getting all annoyed.
@@leone.6190 Dude come on, it makes sense in the context of that scene and especially relatable in modern times. Not everything is historically accurate
Many pre-modern rulers went in the battlefield. They at the least gave commands, and at the most actually got their sword bloody by fighting personally, that's pre-1700s. After 1700s the exceptions are Charles XII, Frederick, Napoleon, and a few others I don't remember.
When Aragorn turns and says "for Frodo" the first ones running toward the battle are Merry and Pippin. I just love that. Two little hobbits who would likely have never left the Shire, are willing to put their lives on the line because they love their friend.
YES! It’s my favorite shot in any film! For twenty years, whenever I see it tell someone how much I love it. What a journey for those two - from nights at the The Green Dragon and stealing vegetables to charging into battle (and as far as they know: their deaths). In the books, they go on to lead the Battle of the Shire and when their lives are finally over, they are laid to rest on either side of Aragorn. The films may not include that, but it includes that shot of them running into battle and that’s pretty damn close!
Not only that, but they were the first to charge in after Aragorn, not Gandalf, not Gimli or Legolas, nobody. They charged in because the love they had for their friend, and the bravery and courage they had gained along the way.
Drives me to tears every time, I bet they were scared shitless too compared to the other experienced warriors, yet they were right there, in the front, running towards what looked like their death. Real love and Friendship there
For both Tolkein and Lewis, these stories are about how evil cannot stand if people choose to stand against it. No matter the odds. Evil can only flourish if good people choose to do nothing about it.
@@hoodatdondar2664 yes but the best way to do that is by first accepting that you are probably not going to return. It has been proven numerous times in history that fearless men always beat fearful men this is called morale.
"I bid you stand men of the West!" No battle cry, no hurra, just silence, and the sound of swords coming out. It just magnificent. They are all dead and they can feel it, but they are going to stand with their King.
This scene was removed for 3 reasons: The scene itself strayed too far from Tolkien's text. Showing Sauron in physical form contradicted what was established in the movies, where it was mentioned that he could not take physical form unless he obtained the One Ring again. Sauron and Aragorn's fight played down Frodo's mission, since according to what was filmed, during the fight, Aragorn managed to stab Sauron with Elendil's sword at the same time that the ring melted in the lava, which implied that both Aragorn and Frodo defeated Sauron. P.D: I already know that in the books Sauron has a physical body, but he remains locked in his Tower because he is weak for not having the ring. But in the movies, Saruman makes it clear that he has no physical form and Gandalf implies that he needs the One Ring to restore his physical form along with all his power. That's why I say that this scene would not have been consistent with the continuity of the movies.
I know. But it's the movie. The movie doesn't even have to match the book by 50%. This scene was epic and very disturbing. It also shows Sauron like a character more than any other scene.
@@gracefuldice1956 It’s mentioned both in the book briefly and directly in Tolkien’s letters. Gollum actually MET him. “It was Isildur who cut off the finger of the Enemy.’ ‘Yes, He has only four on the Black Hand, but they are enough,’ said Gollum shuddering.” -Book “It was because of this pre-occupation with the Children of God that the spirits so often took the form and likeness of the Children, especially after their appearance. It was thus that Sauron appeared in this shape. It is mythologically supposed that when this shape was 'real', that is a physical actuality in the physical world and not a vision transferred from mind to mind, it took some time to build up. It was then destructible like other physical organisms. But that of course did not destroy the spirit, nor dismiss it from the world to which it was bound until the end. After the battle with Gil-galad and Elendil [at the end of the War of the Last Alliance, when Sauron lost the One Ring], Sauron took a long while to re-build, longer than he had done after the Downfall of Númenor (I suppose because each building-up used up some of the inherent energy of the spirit, which might be called the 'will' or the effective link between the indestructible mind and being and the realization of its imagination). The impossibility of re-building after the destruction of the Ring, is sufficiently clear 'mythologically' in the present book.” -Tolkien’s letters
@@accelerationquanta5816 the letter only establishes the mechanism by which Sauron retakes physical form, not when or if in the book he takes it. What chapter is that quotation in. I would like to check on that, but quite clearly Sauron makes no physical appearance at the end of a Tolkien’s story-much less one of combat. The description of Sauron’s recognition of the imperilment of the Ring is artfully completely of the mind.
It’s incredible that I’m both sad and glad this was cut, while it’s awesome, it makes Sauron feel a bit too much like a cliche fantasy villain rather than a terrifying legendary ghoulish presence.
His pressence was menacing, but seeing him in action would have been cool too. Pretty sure PJ said he didn't want the focus to detract from the hobbits, cause it would make Aragorn seem like the main character lol.
@@kassaken6521 I thought I wanted to see it, but when I heard his reasoning for cutting it cos it distracted from Frodo and the Ring, I tend to agree with him and think it was for the best
@@kassaken6521 wich in a way he is, imagine going for a imensurable fight knowing youll lose and getting out alive true main charachter there, if he had a camera he would be unstopable
As an eighteen year old, I watched all three in the theater as they were each released… thank God for that. Never again will there be a movie franchise that excites us that way. It’s all over.
Jackson was the right person to do these films. He loved books and lore of Tolkiens world. There was no way he would have put that scene into the films it wasn’t in the books. He was always going to stay true to that instead of having the Hollywood ending of the last bad guy fight. He knew it would also detract from Sam and Frodo’s part in winning. Scenes like “ my friends you bow for no one “ wouldn’t have the same impact .( thank goodness he saw the project through at 100 %. ROTR is the timeless epic film of all time in no small part because of so many things especially Jackson’s vision and dedication and the cast to name a few .
"There was no way he would have put that scene into the films it wasn’t in the books." Well...I am very glad he didn't, but the fact that he not only story-boarded it but filmed it seems to say it was the plan to include it, or at least that doing so was very much in consideration. On the one hand, for the most part I would agree that PJ & co.'s love of Tolkien's books and world did restrain the number and types of liberties they took in the LOTR movies. But then...they unfortunately made the much smaller and simpler Hobbit into a huge trilogy in which they took far greater liberties, IMO to the great decrement of the results.
@@jimsibley1651 "There was no way he would have put that scene into the films it wasn’t in the books." Ironic, considering what he did with characters liek Elrond, Isildur Denethor or Faramir. PJ's LotR was the best adaptation we could ever hope for, but to pretend it's faithful to the books is disingenuous. It makes sweeping changes to the characters and lore, like every other step. #Isildur did nothing wrong.
Agreed. Just watched the original trilogy this weekend, and it has held up amazingly well. I guess when you use CGI when you need to and make an actual effort on makeup, costume and sets, it withstands time better than CGI that looks more and more obvious as technology advances.
Even with slight flaws for nowadays standards this movies are majestic and they have a soul, the „you bow to no one“ scene is so pure, nowadays movie makers seem to care more for the woke parts and „diversity“ than for feelings and emotions. I believe that the best movies are already done and the best songs already sung
My favorite line was where Aragon was crowned king... And looks at the four Hobbits when they bowed their heads to him and he says "my friends, you bow to no one" and Aragon proceeds to bow before them. Still get chills to this day. What an epic, epic trilogy.
Right after that, when everyone is kneeling and only the four hobbits are standing, I always want Pippin to say “So that’s what the tops of their heads look like!”
I really liked the idea of putting the vision of Sauron before Aragorn charges. Like a premonition, an omen of what would come, or a final way to persuade Aragon to betray his friends. And Gandalf saw it, watching Aragon's reaction. Once he said calmly "For Frodo", Gandalf was sure he resisted. No need for the showdown
@@Morgyborgyblobdepends. It should have been the whole fellowship fighting him to just keep the weakened sauron individually at a standstill, while the whole orc army was descending on them
Sam's speech at the end of the two towers is amazing. When Frodo wakes after Gandalf saves him and Sam he may have thought he was dead because he thought Gandalf died in Moria when Sam walks in after the rest of the fellowship hits real deep every time. However when Frodo sails off to the undying lands and leaves Sam it kills me every time
I never got why frodo is allowed to go there anyway. He failed. He was corrupted by the ring and didn't destroyed it. Gollum accidentally did by fighting frodo. Sam is the only one that decided actively against the ring (he only had it a few hours I know... But still)
It was not all about destroying, he carried that burden all the way, had some hard time ofc. Frodo was the ring bearer. But even for a short time, Sam also carried the ring, thats why Sam also gone to undying lands after his wife passed away.
Imagine having a leader so fearless, so inspiring, so loyal, and so humble he leads the last army alive in a desperate attempt to give one of the smallest creatures on the planet a chance to destroy evil once and for all. Plan is basically suicide to begin with and you'll be facing every force of hell conceivable. "For Frodo".....brings tears to my eyes every time.
And I love when he says, "for Frodo", because it's almost like Sauron tried to tempt him one last time and Aragorn turns and reminds everyone exactly why they're there in the first place - to give Frodo his chance. It's just perfect.
Aragon may believe that Frodo has already been slain by Sauron. There is another deleted scene where a Sauron lieutenant, The Mouth of Sauron, shows Aragon and Gandalf some items that were taken from Frodo in the Tower on the Fronteir, insinuating that he is dead. So this may be a call to avenge Frodo
❤❤️YOU DO NOT HAVE TO FEAR DEATH IF YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST, AND TRUST IN HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART, BECAUSE HE ATONED FOR YOU FOR ALL YOUR INSULTS, THAT YOU WOULD OBTAIN PEACE WITH ALMIGHTY GOD, AND GO TO HEAVEN BY HIS GRACE!😊
There actually is one! One that not only facerd danger, but actually died painfully to destroy evil, and give us all small and feeble creatures a chance to live in hope, true hope. Know who im talking about? Aragorn is actually based on him!
I’m glad they edited. The implicit Sauron made his presence more powerful, in my opinion. The eye exploding was very emotional, because it was as if they were fighting a very high and almost invisible evil force. Sauron exploding in the beginning of the movie and the elven hair flying is one of my favorite scenes all the time.
@@Turagrong there was s time where he had a body. In reality sauron is supposed to be INSIDE the eye tower, casting his will (the eye) over the people of the middle earth. He probably has a palantiri stone
@@Turagrong In the books he does actually have a physical form. He's present to scare the absolute sh*t out of Gollum when he's tortured. But it doesn't make any sense whatsoever that he would stroll out onto the battlefield; he's a deceiver and a puppet-master, hugely diminished in power without the Ring.
I’m glad that Sauron wasn’t in the battle scene but also eternally grateful that we have this shot seeing the 2 legends fight each other, the sheer tower that is Sauron and how terrifying he looks!
What an amazingly subtle detail that at 1:58, you very briefly see Sauron's former more angelic glorious form, as he was when he was still a complete maiar spirit, then he turns into his more terrible malicious armoured form, the only form he can still hold after the drowning of Numenor
In the movies, Aragorn was doubting his strength, his destiny, his willpower to succeed and be a king as the old ones were. Tall, bright, full of life and passion for their culture, friends and their kingdom. "For Frodo" always gives me chills as in this moment, he overcomes his fear and doubts, rises to great power and to be an inspirational king! In this moment all the bad feelings, the fears go away and he is willing to sacrifice it for the greater good. Viggo Mortensen was nothing but perfect to fit Aragorn in the movies. Perfect three movies!
@@Henbot Yes, but Wiggo Mortensen is just the actor doing Peter Jackson's scenes. I suspect Peter Jackson thought that he should do another King-Kong. So then Aragorn became a sissy.
Cutting this was the right decision. Tolkien’s focus on the book here wasn’t on Aragorn, and although Sauron had by this time regained physical form in the books, the movie already specifically said that he cannot do it yet. Much of the point of destroying the ring in the movie is to prevent just that. Thus, including this would have broken lore, changed the focus and theme, contradicted their own movie script, and left a gaping plot hole. The final cut is no less epic and doesn’t leave such contradictions.
Yes all true glad they didn't do it. Did add more weight to the for frodo line tho since they weren't sure if he was alive and aragorn would've known he was sacrificing himself knowing he'd not be able to defeat sauron himself. Granted the whole battle of the morannen itself was a sacrifice but u know thought it was kinda cool.
Aragons speech gives me chills every time. He expects to die here, he has no idea how close Frodo is to destroying the ring but this battle is his last hope for all mankind. He is staring down insurmountable odds and near certain death yet gives a speech powerful enough to get each and every man to make that charge. Awesome in the truest sense of the word. Edit: in the extended cut the mouth of Sauron shows him Frodos mithril shirt amongst other possessions so he was holding onto the only the slightest hope
I’m throwing a spanner in the works here lol. Aragorn’s speech was up there and amazing but Theoden’s speech before the ride was the best piece of cinema I’ve ever seen lol 👍🏻
Listen, the entire time I watched Aragons speech, I was waiting for him to say "They may take our lives but they'll never take our freedom ". I loved the movie but the speech was so cheesy lol
Also, people always downplay how awesome the next scene is, when they charge at the armies of Mordor. The king is the first one to do so, and it looks like he was ready to go alone if need be. He goes and doesn't look back, like he's expecting those to be his final moments. Then, the first ones to follow his charge are Merry and Pippin, who are supposed to be hopeless in battle, but they go nonetheless. I feel like most people don't appreciate this scene as much as it deserves. It's masterfully done. But yeah, Theoden's speech is the GOAT.
@@959tolis626 the way they filmed that scene can’t be ignored either because it made you feel like all hope had gone and if your going to die you may as well die fighting!! 100% agree with you.
Gandalf's wave will always be one of the greatest subtleties in these movies. Not only does he show Aragorn Frodo's Mithril, but uses the hand that he wears Narya on. Narya, the ring which inspires others. Such a great moment.
Wow, I never noticed that! I didn't really have pause and capture ideas when I was younger. I always thought that Gandalf was helping to instill some sort of mental fortitude with a spell to combat the voice of Sauron's influence. Now that I see there were ACTUAL things he lifted up, not even using magic, this makes that two second appearance act even more epic!
That English legit messed up my brain. Can you fix it because I don't understand what you said in the first sentence. " Gandslfs wave" what wave? There's no wave. Wave is in the ocean. Don't you mean veil? But then again, veil has nothing to do with this. Where do you see him putting up his hands, encouraging others? I've seen this movie 3000 times, watch it at least 3x a year ( extended only) but don't remember a moment gandalf doing anything of the sort.
You know, I get why it was cut, but just the idea of Elendil's descendant wielding his reforged blade against Sauron is just SO poetic. Additionally, Aragorn was able to overcome the temptation of the Ring when Isildur could not. Just the idea of him finishing what his ancestors started against the very enemy that cost them both their lives (Sauron for Elendil directly and Isildur through the Ring's betrayal)... too good.
just a fyi, it actually started thousands of years ago when Sauron disguised as a Lord of Gifts teached the elves to forge rings of power... millions of elves have died long before isildur ever got the chance to destroy it, so technically isildur never started anything, he just failed to destroy it. which btw the elves can blame on him as much as they want, at least isildur temporarily killed Sauron which is more than could be said about the millions of elves before.
@@z1mt0n1x2 Well sure, but by the time the 3rd age rolled around, the elves were pretty much out of the fight by then and didn't have much manpower (elfpower?) to spare. The scene of the elves from Rivendell assisting in the battle at Helm's Deep actually never happened in the novel. It was just the Rohirrim. fighting off Saruman's forces. The War against Sauron was always men's to finish, primarily because of Isildur's actions. The elves did their part and it cost them losses so great that they never recovered, so it's easy to see how keeping the Ring after sacrificing so much could be seen as a grave insult, as if all their losses meant nothing in the end.
@@LAZERAK47V2 What does this have to do with the fact that it wasnt Isildur that started it? What started it was Sauron and the foolery of his rings thousands of ears prior, it never was Aragon's beef to finish. Helping to have the ring destroyed was Gandalf's making, he's the one that plotted the path for Aragon's return to the throne.
I don't think its accurate to say that Aragorn did resist the power of the ring so much as he was wise enough to know he couldn't resist it and thus keep it away from himself. He like Gandalf understood that it was Frodo's burden to bear and that if either of them had attempted to carry it may give in to its power. Elendil otoh won it in battle and had it in his hand while believing to be his based on taking it from Sauron. It's not so clear that Aragorn would have been able to resist it under similar circumstances as his ancestor. Even Gandalf didn't want to touch it.
In the last few horrific years I watch this trilogy for my own courage, it works, the ordinary acts off everday courage of us all DO make a difference. Bless us all everyday folk
I make an effort to watch the trilogy once a year and not bored yet. It is more than a film, so much spiritual representation and interpretation. Great story, great score, great cinematography, great dialogue, great acting. LOTR is the greatest.
I've really begun to understand why so many movies just seem to be absolute crap, because some of the very first movies I was really introduced to and definitely the first movies I loved were LOTR. So my whole life I've just compared everything to this, and nothings come close.
I always loved how Aragorn stayed true to his word. In the Fellowship he tells Frodo "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will." Then proceeds to charge for Frodo, all while giving him the chance to destroy the ring.
I mean to be fair he didn't really have much choice with how close the ring was to souron now the world literally relyed on Aragon and the others to district souron or else evil would have won it would have taken no time for one of the fell beasts and a witch king to fly up the mountain land right in front of the entrance kick Sam in the head sending him flying off the mountain while just casually taking the ring from frodo like it was nothing If souron had see the hobbits it would have been game over for everyone real fast with no B's let's stop and have a half an hour dialog before I kill you like most films do
I think he did choose to fight for Frodo because he wanted to encourage the ppls Will to fight once more... and even more so because he knew that Pippin and Merry would charge forward with him first. Well... maybe more like he wanted that to happen so ppl would see how the 2 small Hobbits charge into the Fight first. Everyone else was just behind them of corse and even over took them. But the Initial Thought was to Spread the Spark of Hope to everyone. This is what i feel like was his Intenion behind it. Maybe he also did feel like he (and Sam) still alive at that Point. Its a strong Moment either Way.
All while not even knowing if his sacrifice would be in vain or not. He had no idea where Frodo was at this point the movie. The hobbits could’ve already been dead.
Glad it was cut! This version of Sauron appears to be only a weak shadow of the version we saw in the opening battle scene of LOTR (Battle of Dagorlad). He stood towering over the men and each time he swung his mace you'd see 10 men flying!
I really like that they chose not to have Sauron gain physical form during the ROTK movie. It makes him feel more like a mysterious, omnipotent and overwhelming presence. They gave us just enough scenes to grasp what he would look like in the movies w/ FotR and I think that was the perfect amount
I also liked the idead that he is not powerful enough to be physically present without the ring, just a magic force. He has to command his creatures to do the job for him. If he would be present and and defeat aragorn, it is questionable why he needs the ring. Then the ring would just be like a horcrux for him.
Also, the scene would detract from Frodo and Sam being the ones that destroyed Sauron. In the drawn scene, they seem to show Aragon throwing a sword into Sauron's chest, and then Sauron exploding.
actually that could been another lead of history where frudo lost the ring while ago and fellowship didn't realize it so when door opens and turns out sauron is there and now fellowsihp doing their last stand and most likely dying
That little island of Aragorn's remaining forces gets me every time. You see them marching for the Black Gate and think that they still have a massive army, then suddenly the camera goes to a wide angle and they are nothing compared to the entire host of Mordor.
No, they knew they were marching to their death... It was just a diversion after all... And by "they", I mean the remaining members of the Fellowship, no idea if the foot-folk knew what was going on...
Also notice how, when the ring is destroyed and the corrupted land of Mordor is collapsing, more of the host survive and flee than were left of Aragorns army... Why do we not see the aftermath or hear mention of that?
@@Kholdaimon Yeah they knew. In the books they first lay claim to Minas Morgul before going north. Where Aragorn tells those that dared not go to the Black Gate to hold Cair Andros for as long as they could
Wow! Outstanding video! I heard somewhere that Peter Jackson was considering a 25th anniversary release, an *extended* extended version. I hope! They could make each movie 12 hours long, instead of 4, and I would still watch it, again and again! It was a masterful production, and they can make it as long as they'd like, as far as I'm concerned! And the part where Aragorn is encouraging the men? It makes me want to go to war!
Fun fact: the elvish/sindarin choir in the background after „for Frodo“ is literally the translation of the oath aragorn took in Rivendell when he kneeled before Frodo. "If by my life or death I can protect you, I will, you have my sword"
2001, 2002, 2003 The week before Christmas all of my cousins and I were at the movies watching this trilogy. The best Christmas tradition ever. Time for a rewatch this coming holiday! And reread of the books.
I think I'd be happy with it dine as an alternate ending done for a special release where they take some of the scenes but not the whole thing. I definitely think there's something potential as we never see Saurons other form in the trilogy - The initial ghostly illusion is brilliant and depicts how devious and canning their adversary is. So having Aragon somewhat bewitched then intermittent overlays while he is fighting the Troll which at times He believes is Sauron could work in the context of the 3 movies (we've already seen one King under a potent spell). This wouldn't detract from the destruction of the ring nor lessen Frodo / Sams story arc but furrher illustrate what his friends, who have for all intents and purposes gone on a suicide mission, would battle to the end, including Aragon to potentially give two pure souls Sauron completely under estimated a chance to destroy evil. So Rather than it being a cleche 1 on 1 boss fight it's simply a hallucination / side affect of that initial attempt by Sauron to corrupt Aragon and He is still technically in the tower as it collapses, thus making the panic shown by the eye when it falls every bit as potent.
Just finished rewatching the Trilogy for XXXth time. I still get goosebumps in all the same places. I’m very glad they didn’t include this. I agree w another post that it took amazing restraint to take it out. ROTK deserved all the awards and accolades it received!
Having watched it, I have to say watching Aragorn rush head first to challenge Sauron ( closely followed by the hobbits) just shows the valour and courage of the man, the true king. All his life he battled with the weight of his destiny , until his calling final came which he answered with more honour and courage than any of his kin that came before him .
Also very contrary to all lore. Sauron could not assume any form at that time, Merry was in Minas Tirith in the house of healing not at the battle, and Aragorn's father's were not the ones meant to restore Gondor.
@@calste85 Completely incorrect. You should have an understanding of the lore before you attempt to talk about it. In the book, Sauron has a physical form at this time and is in Barad Dur. Adding Sauron to this battle is merely changing the location of his physical form. Peter Jackson made several changes more lore breaking than this and I wholeheartedly believe that adding Sauron to this battle would’ve more iconically developed Aragorn as a character.
@@CeruleanSword the lidless eye?!?! Really?!?!?! STFU and take your Hollywood coolaid elsewhere. The book(silmarillion if memory serves me correctly) explicitly says without the ring he did not have the ability to assume physical form. As for the rest of your word salad, if the movie had done a better job elsewhere they wouldn't have needed to gut the battle at the Gates to "develop Aragorn's character"
@@CeruleanSwordthe lidless eye? Don't make me laugh. As for the rest of your drivel I've read the books, from your comment I doubt you read too many of them.
@@calste85 You clearly have not read the books buddy. It is commonly accepted by everyone who has read them that Tolkien explicitly states that Sauron is in Barad Dur. The lidless eye is not ‘in’ Barad Dur, it is on top of it. Work on your reading comprehension too. Quick google search isn’t too difficult if you are too lazy to read a book you are trying to describe.
I always wondered how much the regular soldiers really knew about Frodo and his quest, or even about the Ring itself. Presumably they knew very little, cause it was a secret mission, and when Sauron suddenly died and all the orcs ran away, they believe the Frodo story cause it was the only possible explanation to what happened. However in this scene, Aragorn stabs Sauron shortly before the Ring is destroyed, which makes the Frodo story more unbelievable since the regular folk would have been happier to believe that it was Aragorn the one who killed Sauron. Such ambiguity would take a lot of credit away from Frodo and it would have made the scene where everyone bows to the hobbits feel incredibly forced by the people.
I know right they watch as the orcs all just give up randomly and the tower just falls down on its own like wait what we were making our last stand and wait we just won?!?!?
@@Solo_terryaki Not to mention the little bastard actually wanted to betray everyone Technically, they owe the victory over Sauron to Smeagle (by accident) Because Frodo would have let them all die to keep his ring
He already had the ghosts longer in the movies than in the books. They left after taking out the corsairs. It was the men of the north that helped at Gondor.
Okay so that added a new dynamic I never knew existed. They filmed it too, and that's interesting on its own. I have to say though that it would've greatly diminished Frodo's journey to destroy the One Ring. As much as I would've loved to see an actual physical confrontation between Aragorn and Sauron, I'm very relieved that they opted not to show what they had filmed and we got the sequence we got instead. They made sure the audience through 3 movies knew that the real source of Sauron's power was the ring and the fact it remained and that in order for him to be gone gone the ring would need to be destroyed. Seeing a physical battle at that moment would've looked awesome but ruined an otherwise 3 film buildup over the ring. We'll have to settle for the brief battle between Sauron and Aragorn's elders from yesteryear. These films still hold up today and I still watch them on occasion.
I’m inclined to agree that the ending was better as was screened in the final film that was released. A villain you can’t see is 100,000 times more terrifying than one you see standing in front of you in the plain light of day. For example, see the way Rocket makes fun of the bad guys in “Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3.” Once he started making fun of the one guy, even his most loyal henchmen were snickering at him behind his back.
I am 61 and a huge fan (though not fanatic) of the LOTR books. And as a child, I almost LIVED for movies! So, when I heard they were FINALLY making a movie, I was both apprehensive and hopeful. I remember a very, very rough trailer released in early 2001 and I was aghast. My small hope was diminished. THEN I saw Fellowship. OMG! I could not believe all of what I saw! The prologue was brilliant! Then the whole Mines of Moria (go back and see how many SETS were utilized! We didn't just get a "taste" of Moria, we got the WHOLE Moira and more!) Then that Balrog nearly made me lose it with the heat haze coming out of its mouth! (plus the build up to it... Jackson really knew how to do it). Then finally, with ROTK, we get the huge payoff. I am lucky if I can tear up once in a movie every five years or so. In ROTK I think I teared up around 6 times! The death of Theoden, Faramir going to battle with Pippin singing and Denethor having tomato dripping out of his mouth, the "Remember the Shire" speech, "For Frodo", "You bow to no one" and the final scene of Frodo kissing Sam's forehead! And then that beautiful, heartfelt and oh so hitting the nail on the head song "Into the West" by Annie Lennox!! I can start to tear up just THINKING about all of it. The emotional drainage from that movie(s) is just staggering....!!!
In my twenties and agree completely - the emotional resonance of this trilogy is staggering. I remember being excited for Fellowship but falling asleep partway through, and waking up to the absolute fiery monstrosity fighting Gandalf on the bridge - it was incredible! I’ve since rewatched all of the films many, many times, so nothing has been missed from the first viewing in theatres, and it’s by far a total monument of filmmaking, casting, acting, and overall execution - so many brilliant performances, even from the smallest of parts and creatures. I’m so glad Tolkien’s work has reached so far and touched so many - these are a remarkable achievement of literature and cinema both.
I am in my twenties and saw the trilogy in theaters as a child. I loved them but often wonder what it would be like to see these movies for the first time as an adult, old enough to appreciate HOW faithful they were to the source material and how much of a masterpiece it was in every way. Thank you for sharing!
@@offtankgaming1310 What has astounded me (and I think Tolkien's ghost/spirit/presence must have been guiding them all) is all the way this COULD have failed! You are SOOO right about the execution!! It was apparent when you watch them over again how much Jackson and company (and if you are real geeky like me, listen to the commentaries.... Fran and Phillipa were the ones to really nail a lot of this stuff down!) were able to get the stuff for the fans in there as well as typical movie buffs! Script? Actors and acting? Cinematograhy? Music? (Shore's score is perhaps one of the greatest ever!) Costumes. Sound. Editing. CGI and regular propts. Its ALL there. As I said in the beginning, there were a thousand ways to fail and perhaps only a couple to win. And they freaking hit the ball not only out of the park, but out of the country! New Line, the scrappy studio, made a HUGE bet. And it paid off!! If I was on a desert island with a working dvd player and tv and could only watch one thing, it would be that trilogy!
@@johngreener9784 if you really 61 you quite cool man. Haven't met someone your age that is such a fan on LoTR. How would you say are the books for someone that has only seen the films? I just bought the trilogy but haven't started reading it yet. I hear the books are very in depth, sometimes too in depth than necessary. What's your opinion?
@@crymeariver69riseandshine HI and thanks! Well, when I was 18 and newly enlisted in the Air Force, I was very fortunate. I was linguist who studied Russian at DLI in Monterey, CA. So nearly all of my classmates were above average intelligence. I think even a couple would be classified as "genius" (not me though!) And fairly nerdy. Nearly everyone would walk around with books on Philosophy, Spiritualism, Greek Mythology. You get the idea. One of the things EVERYONE told me was to read LOTR! So I did. BUT, I was young and impatient. I really skimmed a lot of the exposition. And it just was ho hum for me. HOWEVER - around 3 years later I REREAD it ., THen it was like OH, OK I think I get it know! But it was really the THIRD read another 3 years later that nearly broke me. I had really, really gottern into it. I read all of the appendixes, the whole kit and kaboodle. It ripped my guts out. I was actually depressed for like a couple of weeks after. I had finally gotten what so many had told me over the years. So, to answer your question, the DO have a LOT of exposition in them. You have to put your mind into a spot where you can really read it slowly (at your own pace of course) and really try to let your own mind build the world! My experience with LOTR has been really long and almost exhausting! And my friends who are my age still binge on the movies like once a year around Christmas! I bought an 85" tv and the 4K dvds JUST for LOTR!!! LOL! Hope that helps a bit. I know it was long, but LOTR is LONG!!!
These films came out while I was in college. I was excited for them, being an avid Tolkien reader since the age of 13. But I was young, and proud, and I found fault with every little thing, and dismissed them for a time. Obviously, nothing can replace just reading the works. But now that the magnitude of my folly has been revealed to me, I can say that these films were a labor of love, and they are a treasure.
Viewed in a vacuum purely as films telling a story in their own right the three theatrical cuts are one of the greatest achievements in the history of the medium and imo they will be timeless and continue to captivate as long as people still watch movies.
@@dkp2112 it's going to be good. . .I promise. Didn't you know they're having the first female dwarf on screen? Oh and she's black! It has to be good, no amount of terrible writing/acting or editing can stop the purity of representation!
For what it's worth Pretty much *anyone* who read the books first, would dislike the movies. You just cant fit in all the important information in 3 hours. It only natural. And you can apply that to any book/movie genre - same thing.
It's the way he turns around, eyes filled with emotion, and he almost whispers "For Frodo" to the fellowship, the ones who know who Frodo is, and the way the sound of the battle silence as he utters the line and then the music plays and he runs toward the enemy. It's beautiful.
Plus, the fact that within this context, Legolas's look of desperation to save him makes more sense here because Aragorn is getting his ass beat by Sauron himself.
It’s amazing how much footage didn’t make it to air, how many concepts and scenes were like 90% explored and then taken out during filming/editing. The LOTR trilogy could have been a lot different. And one day I hope they release a collection of all the ‘What Ifs’ from the franchise.
I would’ve really loved to see this. But as everyone else is saying, having that unseen enemy is truly impactful. Similar to how scary movies are always scariest at the beginning because once the mister or spirit or whatever is actualized it immediately becomes less scary
PJ definitely made the right call here. Sauron had no reason to go down and risk having his physical form destroyed again. The only reason he went and fought during the last siege of Mordor is because he was on the brink of defeat (and he also had the ring, therefore was more powerful)
I honestly think this scene would fit better for a Video Game of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy rather than a Movie that's supposed to be more faithful to the events of the books.
I always liked how Gandalf waves his hand, with Frodo's armour, to break any spell whilst Aragorn just smiles as if to say do not worry, there is no spell to break.....
Such hammy editing in this scene, looks and feels like a storyboard come to life: >something scary happens.. >>cut to people looking scared. >something else scary happens.. >>cut to people looking around again and looking scared. > aragorn says something inspiring.. >>cut to everyone stepping forward.
@@impractically728 what do you mean?! Everything Legolas did are taken straight form the pages! Including that kick-ass move he did when he slides down the ramp with a shield into the enemies!
That charge from Aragorn works so well especially in the extended cut, where there's a lot more tension between him and Sauron, and Sauron getting any opportunity to tempt Aragorn with his fears and doubts. In a way, that's one good thing about removing his physical form from this battle. If he was there, him appearing would come across more as just a villain taunting Aragorn, which while still cool just sorta makes Sauron out to be like a generic fantasy "final boss" type character. But hearing Sauron's voice to Aragorn really feels more like an unseen devilish presence; Aragorn's final test against temptation. Like, you can even see it in Gandalf's eye when Aragorn takes a few steps forward, worried that Aragorn has finally fallen to Sauron's dark will, only for him to turn around and say "For Frodo." Before making the charge. And then just seeing the two little hobbits go bravely charging in right behind him...just icing on the cake. I love this scene. And while it's a shame we never got to see an awesome fight between Aragorn and Sauron, I'm glad they cut this bit out, as I feel it made it all the more powerful.
When Aragorn's will is faltering, you see Gandalf wave his hand as if to pull the curtain of doubt back so that Aragorn's faith in his friends pushes through. It's such a subtle thing and I love it.
Visually, it would have been awesome to see Sauron on screen. I agree with Peter Jackson's final decision, but that image of Sauron as a fair being in his Annatar form is so amazing.
Unbelievable how the shots on the set look so silly with what looks like Spirit Halloween costumes, and then somehow when it translates to the screen it's just magic.
Yes, that's the power of cinematic immersion... and it's really hard to keep up for 78 hours of total runtime or however long this trilogy is ;) but they did it.
Yea, that's why I hate all this 4k shit it breaks the spell of escapism that movies and TV are meant to have, it's like being on the set watching it being made rather than enjoying the escapism
They don’t make movies like this anymore, sauron was hardly seen throughout the movie but you can feel his presence throughout the films and it made you feel hate for him but admire as well
The humankind don't create that often such a masterpiece. I guess we have to wait another century before, we create such an amazing Universe like the one To lien created.
This video is brilliant. I truly wish that footage had made it into the director's cut. Thank you for all your effort, and may you accumulate many thousands more subscribers and views!
3:18 I love during the swell of dramatic music just watching Sauron and Aragorn chilling by the catering table during their break and practicing their fight 🤣
I just want to commend you for the great editing job you did splicing together all available footage with seamless music. Really helps imagine what it could have looked like.
To this day, “For Frodo” is the best battle cry ever. And it’s practically whispered. In that moment, Aragorn becomes King. It’s Viggo Mortenson at his transformartive best.
The chills get worse with time with the nostalgia. Plus, possibly, as you get more life experience more things become more personally relevant. Like I watched the Pixar movie "Up" after my grandparents died and found it especially sad.
@@aryasayne absolutely - life gets more bittersweet as we get older, and these sorts of things hit on a different level when we come back and watch them again. Sorry to hear about your grandparents 😢
22 years later, Sauron's armor is still so detailed intense and creates a dialogue for how much of a menace he was as being the self-proclaimed Lord Of The Rings.
@@secretname2670 I really dont think that rings of power is that bad. Definitely not as good as the original movies but it's good and mainly lore friendly
@@matthewmoloney1076 Female beauty Shelob. Black dwarves and elves. Galadriel being so brutish and at the same time impotent compared to lore. Hobbits being retarded instead of easygoing. The examples go on.
@@matthewmoloney1076 Personally, I like the series a lot, but I wouldn't call it lore friendly at all. Two major things that they've gotten wrong are that Galadriel is supposed to have already met and married Celeborn and Durin IV isn't the son of Durin III
Peter Jackson said he changed Sauron for the troll because that way we are still invested about Frodo hiding from Sauron and his mental duel with Sauron before he destroys the ring
I agree with the sentiment, but I think the Troll was kind of a lame replacement. The Mouth of Sauron would have been perfect as he represents Sauron on the battle field.
@@sm4carnageihope Does Eowyn kill the Witch king in the books also? Cause I would have loved Aragorn to fight him 1v1 and kill him in front of the black gate with Anduril which also has magic in it so he can kill Nazgul with it
@@Allure1337 I'm a great fan of this trilogy. But I don't have time to see not even one movie cause each one is 4 hours. When I start the movie I must watch all of it and not continue another day from the 1st hour. That's why I forgot 😂👍
I’m not sure it’s been mentioned but another, slightly more prosaic reason was that pre screening audiences were confusing Sauron for the Witch King and didn’t understand why he had return after just having been killed.
I know. Especially considering that Aragorn is basically telling his men that their job is to die with him to give Frodo an open door to Mt. Doom. This was a suicide mission.
@@BasePuma4007 im pretty sure Saruman & Gandalf appear as old men because that is how the people of middle-earth would be most receptive to them(wise old men vibes and stuff). Their true forms are probably just as majestic as Sauron's(maybe not Saruman idk if his may have been corrupted or something from becoming evil)
If LOTR ever gets a "What-if?" series or some other type of spinoff, this scene could totally be restored for it. It does make sense that Sauron might want to try and strike down Isildur's descendant himself, having gathered _just enough_ strength to shapeshift into an armored warrior and act on his grudge. Hopefully, this scene will one day escape from the purgatory of unfinished content, its just so cool.
Ngl, if they had just done that one cut at 1:57 of Sauron temporarily appearing to Aragorn as almost an apparition, I would have no problem with that having been added. Pretty fucking cool.
"But Sauron was not of mortal flesh, and though he was robbed now of that shape in which had wrought so great an evil, so that he could never again appear fair to the eyes of Men, yet his spirit arose out of the deep and passed as a shadow and a black wind over the sea, and came back to Middle-earth and to Mordor that was his home. There he took up again his great Ring in Barad-dur, and dwelt there, dark and silent, until he wrought himself a new guise, an image of malice and hatred made visible; and the Eye of Sauron the Terrible few could endure." --- (afte the fall of Numenor) J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion
@@rockyp32 Sauron is not Satan within the Tolkien legendarium. That would be Melkor, aka Morgoth. Melkor was the first born and most powerful of the Ainur (arc angels) and the most like Eru (God) in his independent desire to create and an interest in all things (unlike the other Ainur who had narrow interests like the sky, sea, wildlife, etc). This made him frustrated because although he had the will to create only Eru has the ability so rather he chose to corrupt and twist creation to impose his own order attracting multiple Maiar (lesser angels) to his cause and creating all of the monsters and orcs. Sauron was one such Maiar who was given some power by Melkor and later focused his power with the One Ring. Melkor was eventually defeated by the Ainur who came to save the elves from him and banished him to the timeless void. He is prophesied to return for the last battle at the end of time. Tldr: Sauron is not Satan, he’s a demon ruling in Satan’s place because Satan was defeated long ago
Jackson may have done too many changes to the original story, and he got heat for that, but we are all grateful that he chose not to change it further where it was easier to do it. Besides, many of the changes he did weren't so bad and translated better in a film format with limited time. Books, just like tv series, do have a lot of fillers that take away from the main story. Jackson managed to condense that story well and keep it true to the books.
I also feel like the changes made sense in terms of telling a story for the movie. As cool as seeing certain scenes and characters would have been cool to see, the flow of the movie always felt right with what scenes they decided to show. And it was obvious to anyone the sheer amount of effort that went into the sets, the costumes, the acting, and special effects.
Reducing the convoluted cast of the books was the right decision, especially cutting the characters who were mainly cameos from other Tolkien stories like Glorfindel or didn't really feed into the main story like Tom Bombadil. Other than that I maybe missed the barrow-wights (and therefore the rather important origin of Merry's barrow-blade) and that scene where the Rohirrim overtake the Uruks, besiege and then and slay them all (that was drastically cut short in the movie). And as for Arwen: we got Liv Tyler for that, I have no objections whatsoever!
@@davideberhardt6150 Jackson condensing a bit was fine. It was the character changes that literally pissed me off...Emo Aragorn, babyish failure Frodo, overly human and weak Gandalf (WTF! He's a flipping angel!), wavering Theoden, weak Faramir... I could go on and on about the character changes but I'd just get ticked off enough to have chest pains lol.
@@davideberhardt6150 removing Tom B was the right call. In the book it's more like an experiment in writing. Even him trying on the ring just makes no sense
The ride of the Rohirrim was a highlight, but what keeps these films thematically bound to the narrative of the books is the treatment of the hobbits; first to follow Aragorn to fire and death and reinforcing the bravery, foolishness and strength of spirit that we've come to appreciate in Frodo and Sam. Then the final scene at Minas Tirith where the King and company bows is incredible both in gesture and significance. Jackson created an incredible legacy with these films regardless of the story he couldn't fit in. Every choice he made feels justified in the whole.
I would change only one thing in movies: in Siege of Minas Tirith, when Aragorn come by ships, it would be cool if there was change to resemble books - big army from Gondor fiefdoms, not army of dead.
I would make a few small changes. First I would slightly change the balrog to look more humanoid and less bestial. I love that scene the most but I wouldn't hate a change of that style. Secondly I would change Theoden and make him more book-like. Lastly I think that they should have perhaps had Sauron finally appear at some point after the final battle had started - instead of him appearing right before it starts. Give us a minute to question if he truly has a physical form with which to fight with. Perhaps the men of the Wes are+ holding their own for a few minutes and then Sauron appears to basically break their morale and 1v1 Aragorn until the ring is destroyed. I think it would make for a double climax and it would draw out the final battle climax a bit more too. I actually think leaving out the Scouring of the Shire added a bit of "we really saved the world from darkness" type of feel because the Shite seemingly remains untouched by any semblance of change upon their return. I know this is not book accurate at all but in movie form it really sold me.
