Most moving moments in LotR

[hectorberlioz]

There are moments in LotR for me where the words jump off the page. The most powerful and poetic moment for me:

Originally Posted by JRRT

"And far away as Frodo put on the ring and claimed it for his own, even in Sammath Naur the very heart of his realm, the power in Barad-Dur was shaken, and the Tower trembled from its foundations to its proud and bitter crown. The Dark Lord was suddenly aware of him, and his Eye piercing all shadows looked across the plain to the door that he had made; and the magnitude of his own folly was revealed to him in a blinding flash, and all the devices of his enemy were at last laid bare. Then his wrath blazed in a consuming flame, but his fear rose like a vast black smoke to choke him. For he knew deadly peril and the thread upon which his doom now hung."

So, any other favorite powerful moments?

[Coffeehouse]

Good idea for a thread man.

I remember when I was 11 and read the Fellowship and I became really sad when I read this part:

Fellowship of the Ring, "The Departure of Boromir"
"As he ran the cries came louder, but fainter now and desperately the horn was blowing. Fierce and shrill rose the yells of the Orcs, and suddenly the horn-calls ceased. Aragorn raced down the last slope, but before he could reach the hill's foot, the sounds died away; and he turned to the left and ran towards them as they retreated, until at last he could hear them no more. Drawing his bright sword and crying Elendil! Elendil! he crashed through the trees."

[Earniel]

Oh, those parts are numerous. But here's one that I'll always remember, inspired by Hector's chose quote:

'I am glad you are here with me. Here at the end of all things, Sam.’

[Jonathan]

My favourite moving moment is the ending, with its separation angst between Sam and Frodo.

“I thought you were going to enjoy the Shire, too, for years and years, after all you have done.”

“So I thought too, once. But I have been too deeply hurt, Sam. I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: someone has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them. But you are my heir: all that I had and might have had I leave to you.
And also you have Rose, and Elanor; and Frodo-lad will come, and Rosie-lass, and Merry, and Goldilocks and Pippin, and perhaps more that I cannot see. Your hands and your wits will be needed everywhere. You will be Mayor, of course, as long as you want to be, and the most famous gardener in history; and you will read things out of the Red Book, and keep alive the memory of the age that is gone, so that people will remember the Great Danger, and so love their beloved land even more. And that will keep you as busy and as happy as anyone can be, as long as your part of the Story goes on

[Valarauko5]

I personally love the part in the movie (I'm not positive it's in the book, it's been too long since I read it) But where Aragorn says

"There may be a day, where to strength of men fails! Where friends betray eachother! But it is not this day!"

Not an exact quote I know, but as a fan of the military this is one of my favorite moments.

[Valarauko5]

hmmm. oops. didn't spell too well there sorry. *where the strength of men fails*

[The Dread Pirate Roberts]

I always choke up at the part where Sam's greatest strength, his fierce loyalty to Frodo, manifests as his greatest flaw, though it could have been no other way:

And so Gollum found them hours later, when he returned, crawling and creeping down the path out of the gloom ahead. Sam sat propped against the stone, his head dropping sideways and his breathing heavy. In his lap lay Frodo's head, drowned deep in sleep; upon his white forehead lay one of Sam's brown hands, and the other lay softly upon his master's breast. Peace was in both their faces.

Gollum looked at them. A strange expression passed over his lean hungry face. The gleam faded from his eyes, and they went dim and grey, old and tired. A spasm of pain seemed to twist him, and he turned away, peering back up towards the pass, shaking his head, as if engaged in some interior debate. Then he came back, and slowly putting out a trembling hand, very cautiously he touched Frodo's knee – but almost the touch was a caress. For a fleeting moment, could one of the sleepers have seen him, they would have thought that they beheld an old weary hobbit, shrunken by the years that had carried him far beyond his time, beyond friends and kin, and the fields and streams of youth, an old starved pitiable thing.

But at that touch Frodo stirred and cried out softly in his sleep, and immediately Sam was wide awake. The first thing he saw was Gollum – `pawing at master,' as he thought.

`Hey you!' he said roughly. `What are you up to?'

'Nothing, nothing,' said Gollum softly. `Nice Master!'

`I daresay,' said Sam. 'But where have you been to – sneaking off and sneaking back, you old villain? '

Gollum withdrew himself, and a green glint flickered under his heavy lids. Almost spider-like he looked now, crouched back on his bent limbs, with his protruding eyes. The fleeting moment had passed, beyond recall. `Sneaking, sneaking!' he hissed. 'Hobbits always so polite, yes. O nice hobbits! Sméagol brings them up secret ways that nobody else could find. Tired he is, thirsty he is, yes thirsty; and he guides them and he searches for paths, and they say sneak, sneak. Very nice friends, O yes my precious, very nice.'

[D.Sullivan]

Originally Posted by The Dread Pirate Roberts

I always choke up at the part where Sam's greatest strength, his fierce loyalty to Frodo, manifests as his greatest flaw, though it could have been no other way:

This is the first scene I thought of, too, when I read the title of the thread. Apparently, this is one of the scenes C.S. Lewis actually liked, and he supposedly liked it a lot.

[Rían]

yes, that bit is wonderful - and brilliant.

[GrayMouser]

The moment of eucatastrophe....

Gandalf did not move. And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the city, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of wizardry and war, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn.

And as if in answer, there came from far away another note. Horns,horns, horns. In dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the North wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last

Still sends shivers down my spine after forty years.

[Earniel]

Ah, that indeed is a masterful moment... That one defiant rooster and then a a avalanche of horns in response. Words can not describe the impact of that scene.

[Scrooge]

Not a specific moment, to be sure, but I find the journey through Moria to be extremely compelling. Tolkien did a masterful job of conveying the feeling of trying to sneak through the darkness, praying to make it through unnoticed by the unknown evil lurking within, and the deep dread of the pebble and then the "tom-tap, tap-tom". Every time I read it, Moria is where I get fully pulled into the story.

[FoolOfATook13]

I'm horrible at finding passages in the book, but the passage in Shelab's lair when Sam believes Frodo to be dead has always made me tear up, no matter how many times i've read it.

Gandalf's death in moria, of course, is very moving as well

[ringbearer]

I also cannot find exact quotes...the transformation of Theoden from Saruman's puppet back to his true self has always been moving to me.

[Attalus]

Gandalf's remark, "I do not say, Do not weep, for not all tears are evil" is wonderful and makes me mist up, myself.

[Annatar]

Let's see, the Ride of the Rohirrim is stirring beyond what words can describe(both in the book and the movie).

Eomer: Out of doubt, out of dark to the day's rising
I came singing in the sun, sowrd unsheathing
To hope's end I rode and too heart's breaking
Now for wrath, Now for ruin and a red Nightfall

The Grey Havens: And the ship went out into the high seas, and passed on into the West, until at last on a night of rain Frodo smelled a sweet fragrance in the air and heard thesound of singing that came over the water. And then it seemed to him, that as in his dream in the house of Bombadil, the grey rain-curtin turned to silver glass and was rolled back, and he beheld white shore, and beyond them a far green country under a swift sunrise.

[Noldori]

I totally agree with GrayMouser.


"The Black Rider flung back his hood, and behold! He had a kingly crown; and yet upon no head visible it was set. The red fires shone between it and the mantled shoulders vast and dark. From a mouth unseen there came a deadly laughter.
‘Old fool!’ he said. ‘Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!’ And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade.

Gandalf did not move. And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the City, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of wizardry or war, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn.
And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns. In dark Mindolluin’s sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the North wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last."

[ShadowedElf]

I loved Gandalf's confrontation of the Witch-king and the Ride of the Rohirrim the best.

"In rode the Lord of the Nazgul. A great black shape against the fires beyond he loomed up, grown to a vast menace of despair. I rode the Lord of the Nazgul, under the archway that no enemy ever yet had passed, and all fled before his face.
All save one. There waiting, silent and still in the space before the Gate, sat Gandalf upon Shadowfax; Shadowfax who alone among the free horses of the earth endured the terror, unmoving, steadfast as a graven image in Rath Dinen...
Gandalf did not move. And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the City, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear her crowed recking nothing of wizardry or war, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn.
And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns. In dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the North wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last."

That always pulls me in and gives me goosebumps. That, and when Glorfindel chases the Black Riders into the river. (Is Glorfindel lover/Arwen hater)

[Attalus]

Aw, c'mon, we're just catcalling. But, okay.

[Butterbeer]

Val's right - don't start me on the movie mistakes...

some good calls so far - and eddy - the image of the shield - golden like Orome' and the grass flaming green is a wonderful one - but even to the city the singing came...

Don't know about you but i always wondered what they were singing?

'Edelweiss' ??


Aye, as there is a lot of agreement - the horns blowing blowing ..blowing is a great scene.

For me i am rather fond of the scene in the Prancing Pony, where Frodo cautioning secrecy and care to the party - and while merry (or pippin -i forget) is out for a leisurely stroll and taking the air - the rest of the 'careful' party are all in the common room drinking and smoking.. - just like Hobbits!

.. and Frodo, true to his word on the whole 'care' and secrecy thing - starts to caper around atop a table singing to the crowd !! .. and starting to enjoy himself he leaps ..leaps in to the air ..'as the cat jumped over the moon'


In the Appendix - i like from the 'Tale of Aragorn and Arwen' - the scene where Aragorn- (whom after many years of labour and travel, arrives in Lothlorien and Galadriel welcomes him and clothes him as a Prince and adorns him with a star on his brow)

...where Aragorn, refreshed and blessed by Galadriel looking more like an Elf Lord of the western lands than mortal man .. and walking under the midsummer trees of Cerin Amroth ... is seen by Arwen wandering there - and in that moment her fate is sealed...