The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Page #8

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INSERT IMAGE:
GIANT MUMAKIL carrying ARMIES upon their backs

GANDALF V/0 (cont'd)

Legions of Haradrim from the South ......

INSERT IMAGE:
CORSAIR SHIPS sail up the RIVER . . .

GANDALF V/0 (cont'd)

Mercenaries from the coast . . . All will

answer Mordor' s call.

ANGLE ON:
GANDALF . . . he is almost talking to himself now ..

like a man unable to prevent a sure disaster.

GANDALF:

This will be the end of Gondor as we know

it. Here the hammerstroke will fall

hardest.

INSERT IMAGE:
The BATTLE-SCARRED CITY of OSGILIATH - last

bastion between MINAS TIRITH and MORDOR . . .

GANDALF V/0

If the river is taken, if the garrison at

Osgiliath falls, the last defence of this

city will be gone.

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 35.

CONTINUED:
( 2 )

CLOSE ON:
PIPPIN ... desperately seeking reassurance.

PIPPIN:

But we have the White Wizard. That's got to

count for something.

GANDALF looks down at PIPPIN, he says nothing ...

PIPPIN (cont'd)

(nervous)

Gandalf?

GANDALF stares into the distance as if seeing something in

his mind's eye.

INSERT IMAGE:
A TOWERING, HOODED FIGURE, DRESSED in BLACK, is

being dressed in ARMOUR by attendant ORCS ...

GANDALF V/0

Sauron has yet to reveal his deadliest

servant . . . The one who will lead Mordor's

armies in war, the one they say no living

man can kill.

CLOSE ON:
GANDALF still staring intently as if facing his

enemy in .person.

GANDALF:

The Witchking of Angmar . . .

(he looks down at a startled

PIPPIN) , .

;

You've met him before . . .

ANGLE ON:
PIPPIN looks up at GANDALF, afraid to ask . . .

GANDALF (cont'd)

He stabbed Frodo on Weathertop.

INSERT IMAGE:
FRODO screaming as the MORGUL BLADE is driven

into his SHOULDER . . .

PIPPIN blanches at the MEMORY . . .

(CONTINUED)

Final Revision - October, 2003 36.

CONTINUED:
( 3 )

G AN DA LF ( co nt 'd )

He is the Lord of the Nazgul - the greatest

of the nine . . .

EXT. MINAS MORGUL - NIGHT

GANDALF V/0

And Minas Morgul is his lair.

ANGLE ON:
FRODO and SAM clamber into a SMALL GULLY beside a

ROUGH-HEWN ROAD ... GOLLUM CAREFULLY.peers OVER the lip of

the GULLY ___

ANGLE ON:
MINAS MORGUL, a MASSIVE DEAD CITY, set upon a ROCKY

KNEE at the HEAD OF THE morgul valley. CORRUPT and LOATHSOME,

it glows with a SICKLY LUMINOUS LIGHT - like a CORPSE CANDLE.

TWO HUGE, BESTIAL STONE STATUES guard the BRIDGE that leads

to the CITY ...

GOLLUM:

(whisper)

The Dead City, very nasty place, full of

... enemies.

GOLLUM, FRODO and SAM hurry from their COVER scampering in

the SHADOWS towards MINAS MORGUL ...

GOLLUM (cont'd)

(hissed whisper)

Quick! Quick! They will see, they will see.

CLOSE ON:
FRODO . . . he LOOKS UP at the HIDEOUS STATUES. His

SENSES START REELING.

GOLLUM (cont'd)

Come away, come away. Look! We have found

it.

FRODO and SAM look AGHAST at the sight of a NARROW, NEAR-

VERTICAL STAIRCASE, cut into the ROCK-FACE ... Directly in

FRONT of the MINAS MORGUL GATES.

GOLLUM (cont'd)

The way into Mordor!

(CO NTINUE D)

Final Revision - October, 2003 37.

CONTINUED:

ANGLE ON:
Following the STAIRS . . . HIGHER and HIGHER up the

sheer western side of the MORGUL VALLEY - to the HIGH PEAKS

of the razor-like MOUNTAINS OF MORDOR.

GOLLUM (cont'd)

The secret stairs . . . climb!

SUDDENLY! FRODO staggers across the ROAD . . . as if some

FORCE, other than his own will, is at work! He lurches

towards the BRIDGE . . . towards MINAS MORGUL!

SAM:

No, Mr Frodo!

GOLLUM:

(desperate)

Not that way!

SAM runs after FRODO, catching him in his arms as he STUMBLES,

GOLLUM (cont'd)

What's it doing?

SAM:

No!

SAM and GOLLUM pull FRODO from the BRIDGE.

FRODO:

(disorientated)

They're calling me!

FRODO falls to the GROUND.

AT THAT MOMENT:
the GROUND QUIVERS, and a great RUMBLING

NOISE rolls across the ground and ECHOES in the mountains.

The cold, dull MORGUL VALLEY is suddenly VIOLENT and FIERCE,

as UPRUSHING FLAME springs from MOUNT DOOM.

MINAS MORGUL ANSWERS: A FLARE of LIVID LIGHTNING, FORKS of

BLUE FLAME, SPRING UP from the TOWER into the SULLEN CLOUD.

INTERCUT WITH:

Final Revision - October, 2003 38,

EXT. MINAS TIRITH BALCONY - NIGHT

ANGLE ON:
VIOLENT FIERY FLASHES light the CLOUD above MORDOR

. . . SHARP THUNDER rolls across 40 MILES to MINAS TIRITH.

CLOSE ON:
PIPPIN looking on in FRIGHTENED AWE. GANDALF'S

comforting HAND rests on his shoulder.

INTERCUT WITH:

EXT. MINAS MORGUL - NIGHT

SAM and GOLLUM lead FRODO to the STAIRS ...

ABOVE MINAS MORGUL the SKY is BRIGHT with LIGHT as the CITY,

erupts . . .

GOLLUM:

Hide! Hide!

INTERCUT WITH:

EXT. MINAS TIRITH BATTLEMENTS - NIGHT

ANGLES ON:
FACES of SOLDIERS and CIVILIANS of MINAS TIRITH as

they watch from the PARAPETS of the CITY.

INTERCUT WITH:

EXT. MINAS MORGUL - NIGHT

FRODO and SAM sink to the ground, holding their hands against

their ears, as out of the CITY comes a RENDING SCREECH . . .

SHIVERING, rising swiftly to a PIERCING PITCH beyond the

range of hearing. The terrible CRY ends, falling back through

a long sickening WAIL, to SILENCE.

ANGLE ON:
FRODO slowly RAISES HIS HEAD . . . across the NARROW

VALLEY, directly opposite the HOBBITS, the LORD OF THE NAZGUL

- the WITCH KING - suddenly RISES UP out of the DEAD CITY on

his FELL-BEAST!

. .. ,as the WITCH KING settles on the BATTLEMENTS of MINAS

MORGUL. His DARK HEAD turns this way and that, sweeping the

shadows with unseen eyes - as if SENSING the RING !

(CONTINUED)

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