Scenes We Love: The Return of the King
Filed under: Romance, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Awards, Oscar Watch, Scenes We Love
It's difficult to pick a favorite scene from the Lord of the Rings trilogy -- but at least picking the one that won Best Picture narrows it down. This has always been one of my favorite scenes in The Return of the King, and it does capture the themes of Tolkien in one haunting moment. A new age is beginning and an old one is dying, and there is nothing achieved without great and bitter losses. Even romance and the promise of life comes at a high price. If Arwen chooses a mortal life, she will be separated from her family, her people, and from an endless life of song, beauty, and memory in the Gray Havens. In Tolkien's mythology, the decision has ramificatications beyond this world, and her parting from her father is more permanent than even the film hints at.
Some trivia, courtesy of IMDB:
- The movie marks the second time in history that the third movie in a trilogy was nominated for Best Picture, by the Academy Awards and Golden Globes, after The Godfather: Part III (1990) and the only time that a third movie has won the Best Picture Oscar. It tied with Ben-Hur (1959) and Titanic (1997) to win the most Oscars (11) in a single year. Of the three films to have won 11 Academy awards, it is the only to not have received a nomination for its acting.
- Each of the cast members was given a gift on their last day of shooting. Liv Tyler received Arwen's "dying dress," the one she's wearing in this scene.
- Pregnancy changed Peter Jackson's vision of Lord of the Rings. Originally, he wanted to cast Lucy Lawless as Galadriel and Uma Thurman as Arwen. Unfortunately, both actresses became pregnant after being asked to read, and the roles were filled in by Cate Blanchett and Liv Tyler, respectively.
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Discuss: The Movies That Haunt You
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-21-2009 @ 6:04PM
Kate said...
This is a beautiful scene, but my idiotic action obsessed geekiness has to go with the mumakil. The Ride of the Rohirrim was already hugely epic, but to immediately follow that with the arrival of 15+ big fuck-off war elephants, my glee made my brain collapse on itself.
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2-21-2009 @ 7:19PM
Jon Eric said...
My favorite scene is at the coronation. Aragorn is walking down the aisle and comes to the hobbits, they begin to bow to him. He stops them and says sometihing to the effect of... "My friends, you bow to no one". Then all in attendance bow to them. Powerful.
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3-05-2009 @ 10:08AM
Danny said...
I see Lucy more as Arwen... Anyway I think is TOO BAD Jackson had to do this movie just then, I mean, when she was pregnant, I wonder how different her career would be now had she played any role in these awesome movies... :-(
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2-21-2009 @ 10:51PM
Scott Weinberg said...
Love love LoOooOve the whole damn trilogy, every damn frame, yes the extended editions, and the commentaries, and the OMG I want a new version yessss mah preshusususussssss.....
I'm intentionally avoiding the series for at least one more year, as I like to wander through the trilogy every other year. Maybe just a little of the Hobbiton stuff.....
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2-22-2009 @ 3:09AM
Elisabeth said...
It's so hard to pick ONE scene -- the coronation was available on YouTube...I was leaning towards the Gray Havens...and then decided on this one because I do have a soft spot for the passing of elvendom on earth.
Also, part of the reason I picked it was a piece of trivia I completely forgot to put in the post: the elf that says "Lady Arwen, we cannot delay" is Bret from Flight of the Conchords. :P
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2-22-2009 @ 12:53PM
Dana said...
Actually all the actresses in major female roles in the movie got their part because the first choice got pregnant. Miranda Otto was cast as Eowyn because the first choice got pregnant and then the replacement got pregnant as well.
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2-22-2009 @ 2:10PM
Julie said...
It IS impossible to pick just one favorite scene from these films.I love them all, and each has special moments that really resonate. Return of the King alone has so many powerful scenes. My heart never fails to skip a beat at the lighting of the signal fires across the mountains, or when the army of the dead comes pouring out of the ships...the coronation is just beautiful and that followed by the Gray Havens always makes me cry. Great film. Great memories.
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3-01-2009 @ 4:50AM
Patty P said...
I absolutely love the trilogy, and the books. The theme of Artwen's choice is (to me) the most heart-wrenching aspect of LOTR, a part of an even greater sadness that the elves must all leave Middle Earth forever. Many of the movie fans who are not familiar with the books did not understand Elrond's insistence in the movie. Elrond's parents were taken from him at an early age, his twin brother chose to become mortal and died thousands of years ago. He saw his foster father, Ereinion Gil-Galad, die at the hands of Sauron in battle, his wife was "tormented" (most likley raped) by orcs and he was unable to fully heal her, and the gods require he leave Middle Earth soon after all he has done to support the races there. Now he is to lose his only daughter? This is one more devastating loss in a string of many. Elrond is undertsandably heartbroken. Tolkien says their parting was bitter. The scene is very powerful and I feel deep sadness for both characters. Thanks so much for this little slice of great movie making, along with the others you have posted.
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