The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Page #6

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ANGLE ON:
ARWEN breathing hard, walking towards ELROND with a

fierce light in her eyes . . .

ARWEN:

You have the gift of foresight - tell me

what you have seen.

CLOSE ON:
ELROND his face grim. '

.

ELROND:

I looked into your future and I saw death.

ARWEN:

There is also life. ,

Her father turns away ...

ARWEN (cont'd)

You saw there was a child . . .

you saw my son.

ELROND stares into space, the fight seems to go out of him.

He won't look at her . . .

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 26,

CONTINUED:

ELROND:

(quietly)

That future is almost gone.

ARWEN:

But it is not lost ...

ELROND:

Nothing is certain.

ANGLE ON:
ARWEN gently takes her FATHER'S face in her hands

and turns him toward her . . .

ARWEN:

Some things are certain. If I leave him now

I will regret It forever.

(whisper)

Ada, it is time.

INSERT IMAGE:
A HOODED FIGURE ascends a CURVED STAIRCASE

towards a GALLERY ... The FIGURE stops before a STATUE that

holds the BROKEN SHARDS of an ancient sword in its arms.

A RW EN ( V .O .) (c on t' d )

From the ashes of fire shall be woken,

a light from the shadow shall spring,

renewed shall be blade that was broken ...

INSERT IMAGE:
The BLADE shattering in several fragments as

ISLIDUR brandishes NARSIL at SAURON.

ARWEN (V.O.) (cont'd)

The crownless again shall be King . . .

CLOSE ON:
The HOODED FIGURE looks up into the sorrowful face

of the STATUE ... The figure is ARWEN . . .

ARWEN V/0

Reforge the sword.

INT. ARWEN'S CHAMBER, RIVENDELL - NIGHT

ANGLE ON:
ELROND stares at his daughter, unwavering . . .

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 27.

CONTINUED:

ARWEN:

Ada ...

ANGLE ON:
ELROND turns away . . .

ANGLE ON:
ARWEN in ANGUISH, sits on her bed, the book falls

to the FLOOR ...

CLOSE ON:
ELROND picks up her JOURNAL and takes one of her

hands in his . . .

ELROND:

Your hands are cold.

(distressed)

The life of the Eldar is leaving you.

CLOSE ON:
ELROND'S despair is plain . . .

ELROND (cont'd)

It has begun.

ARWEN:

This was my choice. Ada ... Whether by your

will or not, there is no ship now that can

bear me hence.

ANGLE ON:
ELROND, he understands now that to protect his

dauther, he must trust her . . .

INSERT IMAGES:
A BROKEN SWORD GLOWS with RED HEAT . . . It's

BLADE in SEVERAL FRAGMENTS.

IMAGE:
A HEAVY HAMMER pounds the RED-HOT BLADE on an ANVIL

. . . As ELVEN-SMITHS TEMPER the STEEL.

IMAGE:
ELROND'S FACE lit by FLICKERING FIRE as SPARKS fly in.

the RIVENDELL FORGE.

CLOSE ON:
The SWORD is withdrawn from a POOL OF STEAMING

WATER ... LIGHT SHIMMERS as the WATER DROPS slide down the

BLADE of NARSIL, the SWORD that was broken has been remade.

DISSOLVE TO:

Final Revision - October, 2003 28

EXT. FOOTHILLS OF WHITE MOUNTAINS - NIGHT

CLOSE ON:
PIPPIN asleep . . . GANDALF'S PROTECTIVE ARM around

him ...

. . . as SHADOWFAX THUNDERS through the NIGHT.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. FOOTHILLS OF WHITE MOUNTAINS - DAY

ANGLE ON:
SHADOWFAX powers along the COUNTRYSIDE.

ANGLE ON:
PIPPIN, huddled in front of GANDALF, the WIND

sailing through his hair.

GANDALF:

We have just passed into the realm of

Condor!

EXT. MINAS TIRITH - DAWN

ANGLE ON:
SHADOWFAX gallops up onto a LOW RIDGE . . .

ANGLE ON:
Before them is the DARK MASS of Mount Mindolluin,

its tall WHITE FACE whitening in the RISING SUN. Upon its out-

thrust knee is the Guarded City: MINAS TIRITH.

With SEVEN WALLS OF WHITE STONE, so strong and old that it

seems to have been not built, MINAS TIRITH looks carven by

giants out of the bones of the earth.

GANDALF:

Minas Tirith . . . City of the Kings.

Suddenly the SUN climbs over the eastern hills, and sends

forth a SHAFT OF SUNLIGHT that GLEAMS against th e face of the

CITY. The TOWER OF ECTHELION stands high within the topmost

walls. WHITE BANNERS break and FLUTTER from the BATTLEMENTS

in the morning breeze.

EXT. MINAS TIRITH STREETS - DAY

GANDALF steering SHADOWFAX up the STEEP STREETS of MINAS

TIRITH.

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 29.

CONTINUED:

ANGLE ON:
The stares of frightened GONDORIANS as GANDALF and

PIPPIN gallop through the WINDING STREETS . . .

AERIAL SHOT:
SHADOWFAX, carrying GANDALF and PIPPIN up

towards the 7th LEVEL.

MINAS TIRITH is built in 7 LEVELS - each behind a CIRCULAR

DEFENSIVE WALL. Each level rises - the city reaches a height

of nearly 1000 FEET on its TOPMOST LEVEL.

A towering BASTION of NATURAL ROCK - shaped like a sharp

ship's prow - bisects the city from the 2nd LEVEL to the TOP.

EXT. MINAS TIRITH, COURT OF THE KINGS - DAY

SHADOWFAX arrives at a GREAT CITADEL on the SUMMIT of the

CITY - 1000 FEET above the PELENNOR FIELDS.

GANDALF and PIPPIN dismount, leaving the GUARDS of the

CITADEL to tend to SHADOWFAX. GANDALF hurries off . . .

CLOSE ON:
PIPPIN as he takes in his surroundings, his eye

caught by a DEAD TREE that stands in the middle of the COURT,

FOUR SOLEMN CITADEL GUARDS standing sentry around it.

PIPPIN ;

.

(whisper)

It's the tree. ,

(hurrying after GANDALF)

Gandalf! Gandalf!

GANDALF:

Yes, the white tree of Gondor. The tree of

the King.

GANDALF leads PIPPIN across a FLAT COURT of WHITE STONES,

surrounded by GREEN LAWNS . . . towards a GREAT HALL benejath

the GLEAMING TOWER. '

\

GANDALF (cont'd)

Lord Denethor, however, is not the King. He

is a steward only. A caretaker of the

throne.

GANDALF lowers his voice, as they approach the TOWER HALL.

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