[Sir Kohran]

First, let me say that this is a brilliant segment - both in terms of film and loyalty to the book. It makes up for some of the ruining of Gondor back in TTT. A bit sad about Beregond's loss, but I accept that things had to be cut and the film works great anyway.

Gandalf and Pip ride south to Gondor. The scenery on the way is breathtaking, as is now the standard. Mountains, woods streams – what’s not to like?

I like the montage of Gandalf riding to Minas Tirith - the blue, pale forest looks good, and I like the tall, straight tree trunks. Also, Pippin sleeping whilst Gandalf is completely awake is a good contrast with the Palantir sequence, where their roles were reversed.

The ferns you see in the undergrowth are a bit of a give away, though - it instantly reminds me of New Zealand.

Notice how Gandalf says 'We've just passed into the realm of Gondor!" as they go over a river - obviously the Merring stream. Nice touch (another book 'gem', perhaps?)

We see the White City gleaming across the plain of the Pelennor.

Minas Tirith looks fantastic - you get the impression that something like this could have really existed. My only fault with it is that it looks a bit narrow.

The Rammas is noticeably missing.

A pity, that.

Note that nothing is on the road or in the field.

You'd think a city that had been there for a thousand years would have at least begun to spread a bit beyond the walls. Also, if there's no farms and fields, where does the City get its food from? There's doesn't seem to be anywhere in the stone town for orchards or gardens to grow.

He and Pip ride round and up the city levels, and it’s here that you see the detail on this bigature. Gandalf is in haste, and almost rides down more than one pedestrian. The city’s real details are also not skimpy, with the extras filling in as a populace going about their business.

Note that we don't see Gandalf and Pippin actually entering the City - this is because the Nazgul attack sequence that comes later (where Gandalf does enter the City through the gates) was supposed to happen now, and Gandalf would enter the City with the defeated soldiers and then the meeting with Denethor would follow. This also explains why Pippin is with Gandalf when he attacks the Nazgul. But the editing room changed things around, for the better I might add.

Anyhow, the trip up the City is great - the white stone on the buildings looks ordered and grand, but also worn and aged - maybe like Gondor itself? The trebuchets lining the walls are a nice touch. Also, the mixture of civilians and soldiers in the streets is good - this is a culture entwined around it's military.

Also, the music playing with Gandalf's ride is brilliant - one of the high points of the soundtrack.

Finally Gandalf and Pip reach the top level, which oddly looks like a helicopter landing pad. Note that the ‘palace’ on this level was not part of Mount Mindolluin, but that it sits in front of it. We get to see again that dead white tree that Pip saw when he peered inside the palantir.

Note the contrasts between the bustling crowds and the few still guards, and the grass and White Tree with the buildings below, and the energetic music of the ride with the solemn music of the walk past the Tree.

and it’s comic that Gandalf eventually comes to the conclusion that it would be best if Pip were just silent. A funny moment, and not a belching dwarf in sight.

A clever moment, yes. It works well. A shame Peter Jackson didn't follow this sort of subtle humour more often.

Statues of kings adorn the room, and the black pillars with gold strips at the bottoms add a somber and regal touch.

Note that one of the king statues is holding something round - it's the seed of the White Tree, another gem for us book readers.

Denethor, however, would like information of the cloven horn carried by his firstborn.

Interesting introduction to the last new main character of the films (not counting the TTTEE here). We have to skip the clever words of Gandalf and Denethor's meetings from the book here, but I appreciate that this is the last film and so we must get straight to the heart of the character.

Denethor ups the anxiety of the moment by asking why his son is dead. Pip, shocked and not silly for once, recalls the death of Boromir, the man who died defending Pip and Merry.

A tragic moment as the shadow of the past returns to haunt Pippin, and it's done well - I like how the echoes of the arrows flying and Boromir's cries slip into the 'flashback', and we see Merry and Pippin's faces and realize how painful this must be for Pippin.

Pip, moved by the memory of Boromir, gets the courage to speak, and tells Denethor of Boromir’s last moments. He kneels before the Steward and offers his service, basically his life, in place of the one who will not return. Gandalf grimaces, as seemingly his cold counsel would be against such warmth of heart. That or he rightly fears for the Steward’s life, as we know what happens to people near Pip…

The cheek of Denethor quivers just a bit, almost breaking into a smile, but then the sorrow and despair creep back in, and his frown reigns once more. The strength and truth in Pip’s words about Boromir wound Denethor.

Billy Boyd plays this bit great - I remember essex or someone saying that he didn't get enough recognition for his acting, and he was right. There's some good emotion in those lines.

Also, Pippin's speech from the books is clever, and him offering his service is really great - you see the 'slow-kindled courage of his race' coming to surface here.

Gandalf in seconds has had enough – maybe he’s prompted to get the scene rolling again – and so he pushes young Peregrin back with his staff. Gandalf jumps in with words of war and rumors of war, and prompts Denethor to action. Here Gandalf seems cold-hearted, as Denethor is not given time to speak a moment with the one who last saw his son alive. Like Boromir said outside of Moria, for pity’s sake, give the man a moment.

It's makes Gandalf seem rather cold and casual about Boromir's death - though I think he felt that the defence of thousands of living innocents was more important than the discussion of one dead man. Also, he does talk about Pippin's new role later on the balcony.

Gandalf almost commands the Steward to light the beacons so that Rohan can come to help. Denethor retorts that he knows what’s up Gandalf’s sleeve, and it’s not cards. It seems to the Steward that he is to spill his blood upon the ground so that there is a kingdom ready for the ascension of Aragorn. Didn’t Boromir, when he first arrived at Imladris, say that Gondor needs no King? Was this something that he heard each day at his father’s side? That man, in the end, changed (at his death Boromir acknowledges Aragorn as his King), and so why not Denethor? But, from the twitching of his face, we might not be dealing with a sane rational person, and so change may be beyond his reach…at least for now.

Gandalf doesn’t like what he hears, and pretty much says that Denethor can take a flying leap for all he cares. Aragorn will be King, and that’s how it will be. Nice tact there, Gandalf.

Pip, caught in the middle, is shocked to hear these two, presumably on the same side of the war, argue and shout/spout. Does he now regret his decision to enter the service of such a man?

Note that most of these lines are from the book, but from the Pyre sequence instead, so here we must cut straight to the heart of the character once more and ignore his earlier development.

I’m reminded of WWII and Montgomery and Patton.

As an off-topic note, I found that site to be extremely biased and a bad source of information.

Nice comparison, by the way.

Hope - that’s what they have, Gandalf says, but methinks that they really need a gardener.

So maybe Faramir should have brought Sam to Minas Tirith? Maybe that's why Denethor is angry with him?

Gandalf tells us in brief of the downfall of the West, where tombs were made more splendid than the houses of the living, where ancestors became more dear than the names of children. The Kings began looking backwards and ignored the now and the future.

Great stuff, and you know why.

I really like Gandalf's speech - you learn so much about Gondor and Middle Earth in general. Also, the lines are from the book - Ian McKellen's voice works brilliantly with them; it could just as easily be Tolkien reading aloud.

Also (also), the music is as usual fantastically epic and solemn.

By the by, I just love the scenery though it is CG. It’s not my Minas Tirith, but it does look real.

As always, structure, landscaping and scenery are awesome. I'd thought of Minas Tirith being a bit wider, but it still looks great.

Pip gazes east. Mordor. Gandalf confirms Pip’s statement, and his attitude is like, “Yes, there it is, and though my many years it’s been one big pain.”

I like this - the change of focus from Gondor to Mordor is seamless. I like Gandalf and Pippin staring out from their bright, safe place to the shadowy horizon, where we see just a dark hint of future trouble.

Note the Mordor theme playing very quietly as Gandalf talks about the threat (wow, I'm really getting into this music spotting thing).

Pip, sliding back into his old self a little, tries to lighten the moment. Okay…been there, done that, and soon will get the shirt (and the hauberk and the helmet and…), so let’s leave, eh? Gandalf snuffs out that flame and tells Pip that they are here to stay, that war comes and this is the raft to which they will cling.

Good mix of humour with tension.

If help is to come, it must come from outside the city. But will it?

Of course not. That can't happen! (trying my best at a PJism here)


Anyhow, great analysis, alatar - the best ROTK chapter yet. See you next week.