The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Page #7

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GANDALF (CONT'D)

ring...it is precious to me, though I buy

it with great pain...

CLOSE ON:
ELVISH LETTERING MARKS ON THE FADED OLD DOCUMENT

IN GANDALF'S HAND.

GANDALF:

(reading)

The marking upon the band begin to

fade...the writing which at first was as

clear as red flame, has all but

disappeared...a secret now that only fire

can tell...

CUT TO:

EXT. HOBBIT FARMHOUSE -- EVENING

FARMER MAGGOT is chopping wood in his garden CLOSE ON:

SNORTING HORSE NOSTRILS...as the shadow of a black rider

looms over a Hobbit House. Terrified, FARMER MAGGOT cowers in

his doorway...FANG, his dog, Whimpers and backs away.

BLACK RIDER:

(hissing)

Shire? Baggins?

FARMER MAGGOT:

(terrified)

There's no Bagginses around here! They

are all up in Hobbiton...that way.

The BLACK RIDER GALLOPS AWAY AT SPEED

CUT TO:

INT. GREEN DRAGON INN -- NIGHT

ANGLE ON:
ROSIE COTTON

bids the last of the Patron's "Goodnight"...Sam meets her

eyes for a moment as he and Frodo leave the inn.

26.

EXT. BAG END -- NIGHT

WIDE ON:
FRODO FAREWELLS SAM outside Bag End, and heads

towards the front door. Creepy POV from inside Bag end: Frodo

coming up the path.

CUT TO:

INT. BAG END HALLWAY -- NIGHT

ANGLE ON:

FRODO enters Bag End...he immediately Pauses, sensing that

something is amiss. All is quiet...Frodo peers uneasily into

the darkened living room. SUDDENLY! A large figure looms out

of the shadows, reaching for Frodo. Frodo lets out a

startled cry, pulls himself free and spins around to face his

Assailant. Gandalf steps into a shaft of moonlight. Paranoia

blazes in his eyes. His clothes are dirty and ragged from

much traveling. Hair and beard much longer an unkempt.

GANDALF:

(urgent whisper)

Is it secret? Is it safe?

CUT TO:

INT. BAG END LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT

Frodo pulls the envelope out of an old chest. Gandalf,

suspicious, Alert. Without a word, Gandalf takes the envelope

and tosses it into the fireplace!

FRODO:

(bewildered)

What are you doing?

Flames instantly consume the envelope...revealing the ring,

as it sinks into the red hot embers. Gandalf reaches into the

fire with a pair of tongs...he lifts the ring out.

GANDALF:

Hold out your hand, Frodo...it is quite

cool.

Gandalf drops the ring into Frodo's hand...he reacts to its

weight.

GANDALF (CONT'D)

What can you see? Can you see anything?

FRODO:

Nothing...there's nothing. Wait...

(CONTINUED)

27.

CONTINUED:

CLOSE ON:
The Gold Band of the ring as fiery letters begin to

appear...a tiny inscription glows red...as if burning from

within.

GANDALF:

...these are markings.

CLOSE ON:
GANDALF...STILL...TENSE

FRO DO:

It's some form of Elvish...I can't read

it.

GANDALF:

(ominous)

There are few who can...the language is

that of Mordor, which I will not utter

here.

Mordor?

FRODO:

GANDALF:

In the common tongue it says, "One ring to rule them all, One

ring to find them, One ring to bring them all, and in the

darkness bind them."

CUT TO:

INT. BAG END KITCHEN -- NIGHT

CLOSE ON:
The ring lies on Frodo's simple kitchen table.

GANDALF:

This is the one ring forged by the dark

lord, Sauron, in the fires of Mt

Doom...taken by Isildur from the hand of

Sauron himself.

CLOSE ON:
FRODO...STUNNED

FRODO:

(quiet realization)

Bilbo found it...in Gollom's cave.

GANDALF:

For sixty years the ring lay quiet in

Bilbo's keeping, prolonging his life,

delaying old age...but no longer, Frodo.

Evil is stirring in Mordor. The ring has

awoken. It has heard its master's call.

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

28.

CONTINUED:

GANDALF (CONT'D)

AT THAT MOMENT:
A FLEETING, LOW WHISPER

of BLACK SPEECH

emanates from the Ring. Frodo looks at Gandalf, each knowing

the other has heard it.

FRODO:

But he was destroyed...Sauron was

destroyed.

ANGLE ON:
THE RING

lies between them on the table.

GANDALF:

No, Frodo. The spirit of Sauron has

endured. His life force is bound to the

ring and the ring survived. Sauron has

returned. His Orcs have multiplied...his

fortress of Barad- dur is rebuilt in the

land of Mordor. Sauron needs only this

ring to cover all the lands in the second

darkness. He is seeking it, seeking it,

all his thought is bent on it. For the

ring yearns, above all else, to return to

the hand of its master: they are one, the

ring and the dark lord. Frodo, he must

never find out. SUDDENLY Frodo scoops up

the Ring.

FRODO:

Alright!

CUT TO:

INT. BAG END LIVING ROOM -- NIGHT

ANGLE ON:
FRODO

hurriedly entering the living room.

FRODO:

(thinking fast)

We put it away, we keep it hidden! We

never speak of it again. No one know

it's here, do they? Gandalf shifts

uncomfortably.

FRODO (CONT'D)

Do they, Gandalf?

Gandalf looks at Frodo, sadly...

(CONTINUED)

29.

CONTINUED:

GANDALF:

There is one other who knew that Bilbo

had the Ring. I looked everywhere for

the creature Gollum, but the enemy found

him first.

CUT TO:

INT. BARAD-DUR -- NIGHT

CLOSE ON:
A teasing Glimpse of Gollum being tortured by the

Orcs. The wretched creature screams in pain.

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