The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Page #13

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SAM:

(hopelessly)

But . . . he's a liar . . . he's poisoned you

against me.

FRODO:

You can't help me anymore.

SAM:

You don't mean that.

FRODO:

(eerie calm)

Go home.

CLOSE ON:
TEARS spill down SAM'S cheeks . . . as FRODO TURNS AWAY!

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 59.

CONTINUED:
(5)

ANGLE ON:
FRODO and GOLLUM leave . . . SAM is in complete

MISERY.

EXT. MINAS TIRITH STREETS - DAY

ANGLE ON:
FARAMIR leading a COLUMN of 200 KNIGHTS through the

STREETS towards the CITY GATE ... PEOPLE are rushing forward,

THROWING FLOWERS over the KNIGHTS.

CLOSE ON:
GANDALF hurries alongside FARAMIR'S HORSE.

GANDALF:

Faramir! Your father's will has turned to

madness! Do not throw away your life so

rashly!

FARAMIR:

(deadened)

Where does my allegiance lie if not here?

GANDALF reads the PAIN in FARAMIR'S eyes . . . he calls after

him, trying one more time to stop the YOUNG MAN.

GANDALF:

Your father loves you, Faramir!

(quietly)

And will remember it before the end.

EXT. MINAS TIRITH BATTLEMENTS - DAY

HIGH ANGLE:
FARAMIR leads the 200 MOUNTED KNIGHTS through the

GATES OF MINAS TIRITH and across the PELENNOR FIELDS towards

the RUINS of OSGILIATH.

ANGLE ON:
The people of MINAS TIRITH watch from the

BATTLEMENTS.

HIGH WIDE:
FARAMIR'S KNIGHTS FAN OUT . . . to form one straight

line of 200 HORSEMEN.

EXT. WEST OSGILIATH - DAY

GOTHMOG and his MEN watch as the KNIGHTS approach.

Final Revision - October, 2003 60,

INT. TOWER HALL, MINAS TIRITH - DAY

FAST PUSH IN . . . to PIPPIN looking on as DENETHOR eats.

DENETHOR:

Can you sing, Master Hobbit?

PIPPIN:

(uneasy)

Well . . . yes, at least, well enough for my

own people ... but we have no songs for

great halls and evil times . . . we seldom

sing of anything more terrible than wind or

rain.

DENETHOR:

And why should your songs be unfit for my

halls, or for hours such as these. Come -

sing me a song!

PIPPIN'S simple, clear voice echoes through the VAST HALL.

PIPPIN V/0

Home is behind, the world ahead,

And there are many paths to tread.

Through shadow to the edge of night

Until the stars are all alight.

Mist and shadow, cloud and shade:

All shall fade, all shall fade.

INTERCUT WITH:

EXT. PELENNOR FIELDS/OSGILIATH RUINS - DAY

ANGLE ON:
SLOW MOTION . . . TRACKING WITH THE 200 MOUNTED

KNIGHTS.

ANGLE ON:
SLOW MOTION . . . GOTHMOG rises amidst the RUINS of

OSGILIATH.

ANGLE ON:
SLOW MOTION . . . FARAMIR'S KNIGHTS - 75 yards away -

thundering towards camera.

PULL BACK . . . to GOTHMOG . . . he turns to CAMERA and RAISES

HIS BOW.

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 61

CONTINUED:

ANGLE ON:
SLOW MOTION . . . Behind GOTHMOG - all over the

RUINED CITY - 5000 ORC ARCHERS rise to their feet . . . BLACK

ARROWS already strung on their BOWS!

CLOSE ON:
SLOW MOTION . . . FARAMIR YELLING defiantly.

WIDE PROFILE:
SLOW MOTION . . . FARAMIR'S 200 KNIGHTS ride

straight into a BLACK WALL of FLYING ARROWS . . .

AS ONE, the HORSES and HORSEMEN collapse into a CARTWHEELING,

TUMBLING HEAP . . . within seconds all are MOTIONLESS.

CLOSE ON:
NORMAL SPEED . . . FAST CUTS of SCREAMING ORCS . . .

INT. TOWER HALL, MINAS TIRITH - DAY

THROUGHOUT the above sequence DENETHOR has continued to EAT.

ANGLE ON:
PIPPIN finishes his bittersweet song . . . he looks

up at DENETHOR who continues as if he has not sent his son to

his death.

ANGLE ON:
PIPPIN turns away, his SORROW etched on his YOUNG

FACE ...

EXT. MINAS TIRITH COURTYARD - DAY

GANDALF sits quietly in a COURTYARD, alone, defeated.

EXT. OSGILIATH BRIDGE - DAY

GREAT SIEGE TOWERS and CATAPULTS are ROLL along the REPARIED

BRIDGE which spans both sides of OSGILIATH ... They head

straight towards MINAS TIRITH ...

EX. DUNHARROW ENCAMPMENT - DUSK

ANGLES ON:
ARAGORN, THEODEN, EOMER, MERRY, LEGOLAS and GIMLI

GALLOP into a VAST CAMP beneath the COVER OF TREES ...

TEEMING with MEN, HORSES and TENTS.

ANGLE ON:
THEODEN acknowledges GRIMBOLD, a MARSHALL OF ROHAN,

as he passes by a GROUP of SOLDIERS.

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 62

CONTINUED:

THEODEN:

Grimbold, how many?

GRIMBOLD:

I bring five hundred men from the Westfold,

my Lord.

ROHAN MARSHALL (0.S.)

We have three hundred more from Fenmarch,

Theoden, King.

THEODEN smiles grimly as he rides on.

DENETHOR:

(quietly)

Where are the riders from Snowbourne?

GAMLING ( O . S . )

None have come, My Lord.

EXT. DUNHARROW PLATEAU - DUSK

ARAGORN joins THEODEN on a BLUFF overlooking the ENCAMPMENT

BELOW ...

CAMERA CRANES to REVEAL: THOUSANDS of MEN and HORSES! Smoke

from many small CAMP-FIRES has filled the VALLEY with a

TWILIGHT HAZE.

THEODEN:

(quietly)

Six thousand spears . . . less than half of

what I had hoped for . . .

ANGLE ON:
ARAGORN turns to THEODEN ...

ARAGORN:

Six thousand will not be enough to break

the lines of Mordor.

THEODEN:

More will come.

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 63.

CONTINUED:

ARAGORN ;

Every hour lost hastens Condor's defeat. We

have till dawn. Then we must ride.

CLOSE ON:
THEODEN realising what ARAGORN is saying - no

matter the numbers he must commit to war by the morning.

THEODEN nods.

The HORSES whinny loudly in the distance ... THEODEN looks up

at the MOUNTAIN which looms behind them . . .

EXT. DUNHARROW PLATEAU - DUSK

ANGLE ON:
HORSES rearing in terror as ROHAN SOLDIERS try to

quieten them ...

ANGLE ON:
LEGOLAS and GIMLI move through the CAMP . . .

CLOSE ON:
LEGOLAS looking at a group of ROHAN SOLDIERS . . .

they sit quiet and hunched ... no-one speaking ...

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