In my personal opinion, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is one of the greatest motion pictures ever made. Every single element of this film is absolutely flawless. This movie was also the first, and to date the only, fantasy film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the third part in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and tells the story of Gandalf and Aragorn making a stand against Saurons' army while Frodo and Sam edge ever closer to Mount Doom. I love the fact that this film is book-ended by the character of Gollum (Andy Serkis). Gollums' fate is tied to the Ring of Power, and the movie emphasizes that in an incredibly dramatic way. I also like the fact that, even though he is dead, Boromir (Sean Bean) is still an important character in the story. Faramir (David Wenham) is always living in the shadow of Boromir, no thanks to his father Denethor (John Noble), and his character arc in the movie is quite remarkable. Faramir also starts a romantic relationship with Eowyn (Miranda Otto) that is handled quite delicately, just as an actual relationship would be. This film also finally brings the fellowship back together in a way that feels seamless, and the reactions by the characters when they are reunited are genuine. I would have liked to see a scene between Faramir and Gandalf where Faramir tells Gandalf about his encounter with Frodo, Sam and Gollum, but that is my only complaint about this astounding cinematic achievement. To this day, I cannot watch this film without at least welling up, and that is because the story is overwhelmingly emotional. To put it simply, this is a film for the ages.
Elijah Wood returns as Frodo. Woods' performance in these films is fantastic because it is a mixture of fear, doubt and determination. At one point in the film, Frodo realizes that this journey will claim his life and he seems perfectly alright with that because he knew that was what was at risk from the beginning. Also, the scene with him and Sean Astin on the hills of Mt. Doom is incredibly emotional to watch simply because of what they have both been through up to this point. If Frodo Baggins is the role that Elijah Wood ends up being best known for, I do not think that would be a bad thing at all.
It is also my personal opinion that Sean Astin was robbed of an Oscar nomination for his role as Sam. He plays Sam as someone who is extremely protective of Frodo, and is determined to see him to Mount Doom to destroy the Ring of Power. It is because of his determination that you damn near burst into tears when Gollum frames him for eating the Elvish bread, and Frodo sends him away. I want to make a note here because what Astin does as an actor in this scene is so precise. These are not tears of sadness that Sam sheds. These are tears of anger and disappointment because Gollum has finally gotten into Frodos' head, and Sam realizes that there is nothing he can do now. It is too far gone. It is because of all this that you want to cheer and smile when Sam works his way back up the winding stair after he realizes what Gollum has done. Again, the scene with Sam and Frodo on the hills of Mount Doom is probably one of the best scenes in the entire trilogy because of all the emotions that both actors are playing in the scene. This is truly one of the best performances of Sean Astins' career.
Miranda Otto plays Eowyn. I have said for a long time that we need more strong female characters in film, and Eowyn is a great example of that. What is key about Ottos' performance is that Eowyn is so strong, but she never loses her femininity. She can be sensitive and fall in love with Aragorn (Viggo Mortensen) in one scene, and then shove her sword into the face of the Witch-King of Angmar in the next. Ottos' scenes with Viggo Mortensen are quite well done because they are dramatic, but not emotional, which is hard to do. Also, her scenes with Dominic Monaghan are humorous to watch, and add levity to the film. Miranda Otto gives such a wonderful performance in the film.
Viggo Mortensen returns as Aragorn. I like the way Aragorns' character arc is handled because even though he finally embraces his heritage in this film, he is hesitant about it beforehand. So much so that when you see him wield Anduril for the first time, it feels like a breath of fresh air. Mortensen, without question, is a badass in this movie. To see him lead the attack on the Black Gate is to witness the definition of manliness, and when he turns and says "For Frodo", you shed manly tears. Mortensen is a natural leader of the cast, just as Aragorn realizes his leadership of the fellowship.
Peter Jackson is the director of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Like the previous two films, the battle scenes are so awe-inspiring to watch. The Battle of the Pelennor Fields is so breathtaking and just when you think it is over, a herd of mumakil come thundering in. The way Jackson uses the camera in this scene blows my mind every time I see this film. Jackson also knows that the relationships between the characters are what drive the story, and every single scene between Frodo and Sam, like the two scenes I mentioned before, bring so much emotion to the story. Another note I want to make about this film is the issue of "multiple endings" that some people have. I always felt as if these "endings" wrapped up the story in quite a beautiful way, and also stayed true to the source material right down to Sam having the last line in the film just as he does in the book.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is epic in scale while also has an emotional story. There is something to be said about all different kinds of species putting aside their differences to battle a common enemy. I think we all could learn something from J.R.R. Tolkien. If you enjoyed the first two films in The Lord of the Rings series, you will absolutely love this film!!!
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