The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - Review

For Frodo – a review of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. 

It’s December 2003 and it is time. Audiences the world over wait with bated breath. So much has happened and our heroes have endured so much. Against all the odds, will Middle-earth be saved?

As Frodo and Sam near their final approach of Mordor, they have no idea of the betrayal ahead of them. Gollum, driven by his desire for his precious, has a plan to take it once and for all. With Sam around, this would prove difficult; Frodo and Sam had a unique, brotherly bond which seemed unbreakable. Frodo, however, was suffering. Having been the ring bearer since the start of the journey, the ring has taken its toll on him, and Gollum is able to frame Sam for eating the last of their rations of Elvish Lembas bread. Devastatingly, Frodo sends Sam away.

Frodo, still somehow trusting Gollum, follows him, with no idea of the horror which awaits him. Gollum leads him to Shelob – the terrifying, great spider, descendant of Ungoliant, an evil, wretched creature which Sauron is pleased to use as a sort of guard for Mordor. After being led into Shelob’s cave, Frodo is attacked by her, and all hope seems lost. Will the ring return to Gollum, or worse, fall into the hands of Sauron? Would Sam really leave Frodo in Mordor alone?

Of course not.

Frodo wouldn’t have gotten far without Sam.

Meanwhile, the rest of the fellowship are preparing for the final battle for Middle-earth. Aragorn, accompanied by Legolas and Gimli, calls upon an army of the dead to fulfil their oath and fight for him as heir to the throne of Gondor. Merry secretly accompanies Eowyn into battle with the Rohirrim, refusing to do nothing whilst his friends fight. Pippin, having been in the service of Denethor, Steward of Gondor, lights the beacons in Gondor to call for aid from Rohan as instructed by Gandalf. All members of the fellowship are ready to fight for their homes and their loved ones. What follows is a film full of incredible battles, betrayals, and above all, as always, hope.

Just like the first two of the trilogy, Return of the King has a perfect score, an incredible cast and some technically incredible filming. The writing is flawless, and the plot moves quickly, with audiences on the edge of their seats as they watch some of the greatest battle scenes in cinematic history.

For Tolkien lovers out there, the film does miss some important parts of the books. The Scouring of the Shire, for example, is missed, which in a way is a shame as this would have included one final scene with Saruman played by Christopher Lee. With that being said, after the battle is won, would we really want to see The Shire in ruins, industrialization ruining the tranquil home of the hobbits? Honestly, I’m not sure if my heart could take it.

The tension of this film is fantastic. As Frodo and Sam, now reunited, make their final approach to Mordor, their friends have a plan. A battle at the Black Gates of Mordor to distract Sauron, keeping his eye firmly fixed on them and away from the hobbits. There are several moments in this trilogy which could make anyone cry, but watching Aragorn, who truly believes his death to be imminent, turn to his friends and say, “For Frodo”, before charging the gates, gets me every time.

The trilogy ending is bittersweet, as the ring is destroyed, evil is defeated, and the fellowship says its final goodbyes to each other. Aragorn is finally crowned King of Gondor, and is reunited with his beloved Arwen. The hobbits appear at the coronation and bow to Aragorn, who reminds them just how they important they are by saying “My friends, you bow to no one” before he and all other attendees bow to the little heroes. The elves, along with Gandalf and Bilbo, are leaving Middle-earth to return to the Undying Lands, and Frodo, who has been unsurprisingly traumatized by his adventure, leaves with them following an emotional goodbye to his friends. Sam, our loyal, brave Sam, marries the love of his life, Rosie Cotton, and starts a family.

For me this is the perfect ending for the trilogy. Evil is defeated, but at a cost. Courage, loyalty and friendship have paid off, and hope has won out against despair. Characters have been forgiven and redeemed, whilst others have passed bravely fighting for their kingdoms. The Return of the King captures the main messages of the trilogy perfectly, and audiences are rewarded with final scenes of The Shire in Peace.

In the end, these films really are about friendship, bravery, trust and loyalty. It is not the big things that matter, but the small ordinary lives worth fighting for, the smallest of people making the biggest impacts. After everything that passed, it’s moving to see The Shire again, and to see everyone moving on and picking up their lives again. Above all, after every sacrifice he made for Frodo, I get so much joy out of seeing Sam happy, with the woman he loves and the life he always wanted.

“I'm glad to be with you, Samwise Gamgee, here at the end of all things.”

Written by Tam Page

Posted by Mr. Tomney

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