The Return of the King (movie)

   

Promotional poster featuring Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn
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Promotional poster featuring Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the third part of a film trilogy directed by Peter Jackson, based on J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

The film premiered in Wellington, New Zealand, on December 1, 2003, attended by the director and many of the stars. Further premieres took place in major cities around the world in the days leading up to the film's worldwide theatrical release on Wednesday, December 17 2003 with a runtime of 200 minutes (that is, 3 hours and 20 minutes).

The first two films were The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, although the film's story is includes later events in the section of the book The Two Towers as well as most of The Return of the King.

(The Return of the King was also an animated film, based on the same story, which debuted on American televison in 1980, featuring the voices of Orson Bean as Frodo Baggins and John Huston as Gandalf.)

Awards

On January 27, 2004, the film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score, and Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup, Best Music (Song), Best Sound Mixing, and Best Visual Effects; however, none of the ensemble cast received any acting nominations. On February 29, the film won 11 Academy Awards, winning in every category for which it was nominated. It tied with Ben-Hur and Titanic for the most Oscars ever won by a single film, and broke the previous record for a sweep set by Gigi and The Last Emperor (See Movies with eight or more Oscars).

Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot or ending details follow.

As confirmed in the feature on Gollum in the Extended DVD Edition of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Andy Serkis appears in person in a flashback scene playing Sméagol before his degradation into Gollum. This scene was actually held over from the previous film because it was felt that it would have a greater emotional impact if audiences had already seen what the Ring's influence had done to Sméagol. In his degraded state Gollum is "played" in the movies by a CGI character whose movements are sometimes derived from a motion-capture suit worn by Serkis, and sometimes from footage of Serkis interacting with the other actors and then digitally replaced by Gollum.

The city of Minas Tirith, seen briefly in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, is seen in all its glory. The filmmakers have taken great care to base the city closely upon Tolkien's description in The Return of the King, Book V, Chapter 1. Close-ups of the city are represented by sets and long shots by a large and highly-detailed model, often populated by CGI characters.

This film contains key scenes that occurred in the middle portion of the novel The Lord of the Rings but were not included in the film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. These include the scene in which the monstrous Shelob attacks Frodo and is wounded by Sam.

Other key events include the Siege of Gondor; the re-forging of the shards of Narsil into Aragorn's new sword Andúril; Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas' journey through the Paths of the Dead; the epic Battle of the Pelennor Fields, and Oliphaunts (everything being carefully choreographed in advance, a process Jackson describes as like planning a real battle); Merry and Éowyn's role in the defeat of the Lord of the Nazgûl; the destruction of the One Ring and the final fall of Sauron; Aragorn's assumption of the throne; and the departure of several of the heroes to the Undying Lands.

The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy is highly unusual in that it is to date the only movie series whose separate installments were written simultaneously and shot all at once, so that it could be considered three parts of a single very long film. This ensured that all three movies were consistent in terms of story, acting and direction. Therefore audiences who enjoyed the first movie were fairly certain of enjoying the second and third, which would not have been the case had the films been written and shot separately as in, say, the case of the first Star Wars trilogy.

Cuts and alterations

According to British newspaper reports appearing on November 13, 2003, Christopher Lee was unhappy to learn that a seven-minute scene featuring a confrontation at Isengard in which Gandalf casts Saruman out of the order of Wizards, would not be appearing in the finished film, and he decided to boycott the premiere as a result. Peter Jackson has confirmed that this scene, although not in the theatrical release, will be included in the extended VHS and DVD editions. These are officially scheduled for release on December 14, 2004, with an expanded length of 250 minutes (4 hours, 10 minutes), following the release of the theatrical edition, originally scheduled for worldwide release in late August but actually released on May 25. The early release of the standard edition had led some fans to hope that the extended edition might be released as early as August, but the release was actually put back from mid-November, presumably because of the amount of work involved in preparing the extra footage and bonus material.

Other rumours suggested that the extended DVD might be a five or six-disc set, with the movie occupying three discs rather than two, and that the extended cut might be as long as six hours. In January 2004, Peter Jackson indicated that the recently completed extended edition is actually four hours and ten minutes long. He mentioned the inclusion of the "Voice of Saruman" scene, as well as Frodo and Sam running with the Mordor orcs. He also stated that not all of the unused footage shot for the movie would necessarily appear in the extended cut.

Fans also hope that the extended discs will feature deleted scenes and outtakes, which were not included in the first two titles. There are further rumours of an even more spectacular Lord of the Rings Trilogy box set in the future, and Jackson has half-seriously mentioned the possibility of re-editing the trilogy into a TV miniseries, along the lines of the Godfather movies.

A sequence that did not make it from the book into the film at all despite the hopes of many fans, was the "Scouring of the Shire", in which the Hobbits return home at the end of their quest to find they have some fighting to do, owing to Saruman's takeover of the Shire. Jackson felt that it would tax the audience's patience to mount another battle scene after the critical conflict, the defeat of Sauron, had already been resolved. In the book, the fall of Saruman takes place at the end of the scouring, but in the film's theatrical release Saruman is left trapped in the tower of Orthanc by the Ents.

Other scenes or key images from the book that do not appear in the movie, some of which may appear in the Special Extended Edition cut. Scenes which are confirmed for the Extended Edition may not completly match the scenes from the book described:

  • Théoden meets Merry and Pippin and calls them holbytlan, suggesting that the word hobbit is derived from Rohirric; Pippin comments that the King of Rohan is "A fine old fellow. Very polite." Merry promises to tell him more about pipe-weed; the relationships of Merry and Pippin with Théoden and Denethor are more significant in the books.
  • The Rohirrim bypass the main road to Gondor by negotiating with the Wild Men of Drúadan Forest for passage through their woods.
  • Denethor has a palantír, which uses to struggles mentally with Sauron in a secret room at the top of the White Tower of Ecthelion, helping to explain Denethor's madness. This is not actually portrayed in the book, but the film version makes no mention of the palantír, resulting in a lack of any evidence that Sauron is the source of the Steward's insanity..
  • The spirit of Sauron rises like a black cloud from the ruin of Barad-dûr before being blown away by the West wind.
  • Faramir and Éowyn meet and fall in love in the Houses of Healing. (Confirmed for the Extended Edition)
  • After the coronation, Gandalf counsels King Elessar and shows him where to find a seedling of the White Tree.
  • On the way to the Morgul Vale, Frodo, Sam and Gollum pass through the Crossroads, where there is a giant statue of a seated king with his head laying on the ground nearby, "crowned" anew with flowers that have grown there, an imagine of hope amidst destruction. (Confirmed for the Extended Edition)
  • The Witch-king flies with his Fell Beast to the walls of Minas Tirith and challenges Gandalf to fight, but as a cock crows the horns of the Rohirrim announce their arrival and the Witch-king is forced to return to meet their assault. (Confirmed for the Extended Edition)
  • Aragorn reveals himself and his reforged sword to Sauron using the palantír recovered at Isengard.
  • Incognito in Orc armor, Sam and Frodo are forced to march with a band of Orcs who are heading for the Black Gate. (Confirmed for the Extended Edition)
  • Aragorn cures Éowyn, Faramir, and Merry in the House of Healing.
  • The Mouth of Sauron taunts Gandalf at the Black Gate and presents evidence that Frodo had been captured (which was true, although Frodo was rescued by Sam before he could be interrogated). (Confirmed for the Extended Edition)

Other alterations to the story include:

  • In the film, shards of Narsil are re-forged by Elrond at Arwen's urging, and Elrond travels to Rohan where he presents the reforged sword to Aragorn and orders him to take the Paths of the Dead. In the book, Narsil was reforged when Aragorn first brought the hobbits to Rivendell (following a prophecy that the reforging could only take place after "Isildur's Bane", the Ring, was found).
  • The company of Rangers of the North, who along with the two sons of Elrond join Aragorn after Saruman is defeated, do not appear at all in the film, in which Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli take the Paths of the Dead alone. Elrond's appearance partially substitutes.
  • In the book, the beacons of Gondor are lit before Gandalf and Pippin arrive, as a part of Denethor's careful mustering of Minas Tirith's defenses. In the film, Denethor refuses to light the beacon of Minas Tirith, or indeed to organize any defense of the city, so Gandalf persuades Pippin to sneak past the guards and light it, causing the rest of the beacons to be lit in response.
  • In the book, Gondor's formal request for aid is sent to Rohan by a courier carrying the Red Arrow (although Rohan was already mustering to Gondor's defense, in part at Gandalf's urging). In the film, there is no courier, and the Riders are spurred to help Gondor by the beacons (above).
  • In the film, Gollum tricks Frodo into mistrusting Sam and sending him away, so that Frodo enters Shelob's Lair alone. In the book, Frodo and Sam have no break in their trust, except for a brief instant upon Frodo's rescue from the orc tower where he demands that Sam return the Ring.
  • In the film, the burning Denethor runs along the "prow" of Minas Tirith and falls like a meteor. In the book, Denethor lights his pyre and lies down upon it to burn, clasping the palantír. (In fact the "prow" of Minas Tirith, located on the Seventh Level, is on the opposite side of the city from the burial chambers where the pyre is, located on the 5th level. While on fire, Denethor would have had to run across the entire city to fall like that.)
  • Unlike the book, Merry is not taken to the Houses of Healing to recuperate from his encounter with the Witch-king (with the aid of Aragorn's knowledge of the healing herb athelas, which he also uses to heal Faramir and Éowyn), but instead rides out to the Last Battle alongside Aragorn and Gandalf.
  • In the book, Gollum slips accidentally into the Crack of Doom while dancing in triumph after wresting the Ring from Frodo. In the film, Frodo jumps on him one last time and causes them both to fall; it is subsequently revealed that he was able to catch himself on the rock below the precipice, from which Sam pulls him back (after a brief hesitation by an apparently suicidal Frodo).
  • In the film, it is not revealed that Frodo is to sail to the west with Bilbo, Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel, and Celeborn until after most of them have boarded the ship. In the book, Frodo and Sam join with Bilbo and the elves in the woods while traveling to the harbor. In the books Celeborn also takes a later ship.

Following the destruction of the One Ring, most of the second book of The Return of the King involves tying up loose ends (although Tolkien considered the "Scouring of the Shire" to be one of the most important chapters of the trilogy, it is completely omitted from the film). These denouments are only briefly summarized in the films, where we get a hint of Frodo's periodic bouts of illness following his return to the Shire, we see Sam getting married to Rosie, and we follow Gandalf's and the Ringbearers' departure from the Grey Havens. The film's closing scene shows Sam returning from saying farewell at the Grey Havens and coming back to the Shire and his home and family (returning at night in the book, during the day in the film).

The film remains faithful to the book in quoting the last lines spoken by Gandalf ("I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil", although Gandalf has some minor dialogue following this in the movie) and by Sam ("Well, I'm back.").

Box office records

Note: because the box-office receipts below are not adjusted for inflation, they have little objective meaning—thanks to increasing ticket prices, new films will inevitably break such "records" continually.

After two years of attention and acclaim since the release of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, audience anticipation for the final installment of the trilogy had reached a fever pitch when the movie was finally released to theaters on December 17, 2003. New Line Cinema reported that the film's first day of release (a Wednesday) saw a box office total of $34.5 million—an all-time single-day record for a motion picture released on a Wednesday. This was nearly twice the first-day total of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (which earned $18.2 million on its first day of release in 2001), and a significant increase over The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers as well (which earned $26.1 million on its first day in December of 2002).

The substantial increase in initial box office totals caused optimistic studio executives to forecast that The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King would surpass The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers in total earnings. If this proved to be true, then this would be the first blockbuster movie trilogy for each successive film to earn more at the box office than its predecessor, when all three films were blockbuster successes. (The general opinion in movie circles in 2003 was that a movie had to earn more than $150 million to be considered a "blockbuster").

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These forecasts proved accurate. According to Box Office Mojo (http://www.boxofficemojo.com/), between the time of the film's release, its winning the Academy Award for Best Picture on Sunday, February 29, 2004, and Thursday, March 11, 2004, Return of the King had earned approximately $1,052,547,293 in worldwide box office revenue—$368,875,000 in the United States, and $683,649,123 in sixty countries worldwide. The domestic take is expected to stop near $380 million, and the worldwide take is expected to end at about $1.1 billion (about $725 million overseas). The worldwide revenue is slightly enhanced compared to the earlier movies when converted to US Dollars because of the decline in the dollar's exchange rate in 2003. It was the second film in history to earn over $1 billion in box office revenue in its initial release (the first being Titanic in 1997). This compares favorably to the first two films of the trilogy: in their first 35 weeks of theatrical release in North America, the gross income of the first two movies was $313,364,114 and $339,789,881.

These figures do not include income from DVD sales, TV rights, etc. It has been estimated that the gross income from non-box office sales and merchandise has been at least equal to the box office for all three films; if this is so, the total gross income for the trilogy would be in the region of $6 billion, a very respectable return for a $300 million investment (although not by any means the best profit ratio ever seen in Hollywood - that prize belongs to The Blair Witch Project).

The cast

The following will appear only in the extended edition:

Influences

Peter Jackson's film followed a popular Tolkien tradition by casting the kingdom of Gondor in the mold of medieval Russia. Most notable is the highly stylized depiction of Denethor, steward of Gondor, based closely on Nikolai Cherkasov's depiction of Ivan the Terrible in Eisenstein's two part film Ivan the Terrible. Jackson took other cues from Eisenstein, for example the battle scenes are reminiscent of Alexander Nevsky, particularly the montage shots of the various heroes on horseback hacking down towards the camera. Interestingly, the "Shield Maiden" element in Return of the King is taken from Tolkien's book, but is a close echo of scenes from Alexander Nevsky.

External links


The Lord of the Rings

Volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings book
The Fellowship of the Ring | The Two Towers | The Return of the King

Movies in Peter Jackson's LotR movie trilogy
The Fellowship of the Ring | The Two Towers | The Return of the King

Animated movies
The Hobbit animated movie | Lord of the Rings animated movie | Return of the King animated movie

Miscellaneous
The History of The Lord of the Rings | Lord of the Rings radio series


fr:Le Seigneur des Anneaux : Le Retour du Roi (film) hr:Gospodar prstenova: Povratak kralja (2003) it:Il Signore degli Anelli (film)/Il ritorno del re ja:ロード・オブ・ザ・リング／王の帰還 fi:Taru sormusten herrasta: Kuninkaan paluu zh:指环王：王者归来



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