[Sir Kohran]

The siege of Minas Tirith begins. The forces of Sauron approach, and there are many times many. Trolls push massive siege towers,

I would have to agree with Dominic Monaghan/Billy Boyd on the commentary that these are some of the best army scenes - indeed, crowd scenes overall - of recent years. Look at how the camera goes - looking down at the base of the siege towers where the tiny-looking Trolls are pushing the catapults, moving up to swerve past the Orcs at the top of the siege tower, and then moving back in a long shot to reveal the vast army of Mordor taking up almost all of the screen. Absolutely stunning work.

aren’t the Pelennor Fields just a little too flat? A little too CG? Just what was the fields’ purpose, assuming that they weren’t used on the weekends for games of football or lawn bowling?

I have to say; this is one of the few places where the landscaping isn't quite as good as it could have been.

The ‘approach of Sauron’s army’ shot is too CG. More video game than movie.

Whilst I see what you mean, is it really possible to say when CG is 'too' CG? Wasn't the real point of CG to make anything possible? If so, how can something be 'too' CG?

The scene is brighter than would be expected, but the darkness sent by Mount Doom to cover the troops from the sun was swept away by the winds of the lighting crew.

Just to play devil's advocate, could we say that the darkness just arrives later, when Grond attacks the gates? It doesn't seem to be a natural night as Eomer reports on Minas Tirith's condition at roughly the same time, but the scene with the Rohirrim takes place in broad daylight.

Before the war can actually start, first the Gondor gate guards must let one last soldier in through the door. Why, it’s Faramir being dragged by his trusty steed. Note that a horse of the Rohirrim, such as Brego, would have carried the poor steward’s son upon its back; Gondor’s horses are above such silliness.

Faramir has two arrows stuck in him. He seems mostly dead, but I’m not sure.

Notice that he is seen to 'die' in exactly the same way as his brother - so it's easy to see why Denethor would come to such a morbid conclusion without checking properly first.

The gate area seems strikingly clean, and one would think that barricades and other impediments would already be in place as surely someone has noticed that a ‘massive’ battle is about to begin.

Like the other unrealitic things in the siege sequence, the lack of preparations by the defenders seems silly. I suppose you could say that it illustrates Denethor's corruption in that he doesn't bother to protect the city, but what commander would really need to be told to repare for an attack?

Back on the fields, the shots to be heard ’round the wold (yes, wold) are loaded into catapults. The ratcheting mechanism of the devices sounds like hammering on an anvil – like Saruman’s smithies?

One of LOTR's themes appears here - the dirty Orcs with their destructive machines attacking the cleaner, more decorative walls of the Gondorians with their elaborate armour - as davem said in the chapter by chapter thread, it's art versus machine.

As Gothmog looks over his troops, I do as well, and some are armed with the most interesting weapons. Though very similar in color, the orcs wear different helms and carry various versions of pointy sticks. Not at all like Saruman’s one-size-kills-all Uruks.

This is another interesting point you've got - Saruman's Uruks are a very practical army where everything is made in one model, whereas Sauron's Orcs are a much more agressive force where everything is made in different styles specific to each soldier. Saruman works through the strength of one group, whilst Sauron works through the strength of lots of random individuals, whilst the Free Peoples rely on a bit of both; the strength of a few random groups.

The arrows have been plucked from or broken from his chest, and the blood – and maybe even the holes – have been wiped from his armor. He seems the better already.

I guess these are the censors at work...

We see the gimpy Gothmog de-warg, and push away another orc that tries to help its leader after a poor dismount (“The Harad judge scores it 1.7…”). Gothmog has a real big chip on his shoulder - this is no ordinary orc-chieftain that leads Sauron’s armies into battle.

What I like about Gothmog is that he's a very individual enemy - he's not just a generic baddie but an evil person who actively takes part in what he does - he cares about his pride when he shoves the other Orc back and he enjoys bombarding Minas Tirith. He is a much more 'realistic' and possibly scary villain because he enjoys what he does - he is not a neutral slave like the other Orcs but passionately evil.

By the by, where’s that other leader of the forces of darkness? Air traffic control have him in a holding pattern?

Another vaguely annoying inconsistency...

A soldier, Captain Obvious, points out that Faramir’s troops were outnumbered.

I remember a card somewhere that called this guy Prince Imrahil. It's anice idea as he actually does the same thing that Imrahil does in the book - bringing Faramir up to Denethor. I wish he had more screen time.

Somehow, though, Faramir made it back. Alone. If the war goes well, there’s going to be questions…

LOL, that was great...

On a more serious note, did anyone else find it bitterly ironic that Faramir, who didn't mind dying, survived, but all the innocent soldiers that went with him who were just doing their jobs were killed?

Human heads. Ugh.

Brilliant shot - it's from the books and it really gets across how savage the Orcs really are.

Guards are pelted by this sickening shot, and it has the desired effect – thankfully the scene is cut short.

I know this is very sick and disgusting of me, but I like the last shot with the bloody head - LOTR isn't a world where everything is clean and all the fighting is fancy and fun *coughNarniacough* but a Braveheart/Henry V style world where slicing brings gory results.

Denethor goes off the edge – figuratively, at least for now – when he thinks that Faramir is dead.

There's obviously the tragic humour of a man who caused the problem complaining about the results as if he had nothing to do with it.

Enemy catapults begin the assault, and buildings crumble as quickly as Denethor’s mind. Soldiers and civilians in the city run in panic for cover,

I find this scene a bit hard to watch as the Orcs are slaughtering hundreds of innocents at their will and loving every moment of it - like seeing the Native Americans getting massacred by the US soldiers at Wounded Knee in Into The West.

after slandering Théoden and the Rohirrim

More irony - Denethor was against Rohan helping them for his own selfish reasons and then he complains when they don't turn up.

Ian McKellen has a look of disgust on his face that could curdle milk.

I just love his expression here.

He, I guess, lets the moment get the best of him and decides, that, well, I do carry this big white stick in my hand, and I’m really not afraid to use it and so…Gandalf beats the Steward to the ground. What happened to the counselor that was not to match power for power in the fight against Sauron? Where is the wizard that pities even Sauron’s slaves?

It might seem unreasonable compared to the books, but you've got to consider the situation. It was much more desperate than the books - the city was being actively attacked and any more of Denethor's shouting would have led to total anarchy among the people, with the Orcs already pelting them with their relatives' heads. Gandalf had to take serious action right then and there or let the city fall...and by then, what was Denethor worth? He had become a total liability and was making an already bad situation even worse. What else could Gandalf have done? Asked him to go inside for a quiet chat? Call for a psychiatrist?

How does Gandalf expect for the defenders to follow him when they’ve just seen him strike (repeatedly) their rightful ruler?

Who would you follow - a raving lunatic or a powerful wizard? Who else was there to follow?

Sure, when Gandalf calls for everyone to “prepare for battle,” I can’t help but be pleased

I agree - this is a really fantastic line. I think it sums up ROTK in general.

but did we have to get there over an old deluded man’s body?

I think so, yes.

at the words of Gandalf turn back around. Men form ranks, and weapons are readied.

I just love how Gandalf turns the whole situation around - I'm reminded of Cirdan's words on giving the Ring of Fire that Gandalf would light mens' hearts in the cold world. I also like the line 'Send these foul beasts into the abyss!' I like Gandalf so much here, but then it is all ruined a few scenes later...

Trebuchets throw large chunks of masonry back at the orcs. Gandalf watches as the orcs take casualties. Not enough, it seems, by his facial expression. Both sides get crunched as the ‘artillery’ continues to fire. Gothmog almost becomes an orc pancake, but, in a show of bravery or stupidity, he waits until the very last moment to move away from the large rock that comes his way. He shows his contempt by spitting on the rock that just missed him.

We have a great-looking artillery exchange here....one of the best battle sequences of the movies.

Now that the ‘siege guns’ are going, Gothmog, via some unseen radio device, calls in his air force to attack the Gondorian artillery. The winged Nazgûl dive and attack from above (interesting that the creatures can fall so fast then pull out of the dive), throwing the defenders into disarray. The screams of the screechers, like in the books, are amplified, and men cringe and hide at the sound. Note that no one looses an arrow their way, and you’d think that, having seen these creatures before in the fighting in Osgiliath, that the Gondorian soldiery would be accustomed to the Nazgûl’s presence and would have prepared some defense (like shooting them down, as was suggested of a winged Nazgûl in an earlier sequence). Note that I count nine as they swoop down on Minas Tirith - pause the scene when the camera angle goes behind the diving creatures, count those presently on the screen then add each one as it appears.

Brilliant work here, though the lack of arrows is annoying.

Note that the soldiers around Gandalf are unaffected by the Nazgul's fear.

Panic, having left briefly, returns to the city. Civilians and soldiers run helter-skelter, and poor Pippin gets pushed to the floor.

Was I the only one who found this 'mass-hysteria' a bit disheartening? As soon as things are rough, everyone starts screaming?

The siege towers almost reach the walls, and Gandalf tells the soldiers not to shoot at the armored towers but at the trolls that push them. Duh! Thankfully the wizard’s wisdom was available, as the soldiers may have been shooting each other.

This is particularly annoying as it makes the Gondorians look like total idiots.

The walls are reached/breached, and hand-to-hand fighting ensues. More orcs rush the gate. The battering ram that the orcs use is not effective, and we wonders who exactly is running this show?

The Gondorian archers show a bit more usefullness here, which is a relief.

Gandalf, taking a moment from the slaughter, tells Pippin that he should run back to the Citadel, as, as we know from Théoden’s and Éomer’s words, hobbits aren’t meant to fight.

Seems a bit 'lucky' that Pippin just found Gandalf right there, but this is too small to make a fuss over.

And orc takes advantage of the pause and runs for Pip. Gandalf joins the battle and wields both staff (non-magically) and sword like - as stated by either Ian or PJ - like a “samurai.” After Gandalf dispatches a few orcs, one slips through his defense and, as anyone watching these films would have guessed, Pippin comes to the rescue and slays the orc, saving Gandalf’s life…or whatever.

Nice fight choreography. It was good to see the usually immortal Orcs finally get a whipping.

By the way, if Gimli, Aragorn and Legolas did not have weapons that could harm the wizard

I think the significance of this moment isn't Gandalf getting 'saved', but Pippin standing up and doing his bit for the fight against evil. He finds his courage, as Galadriel predicted so long before.

…anyway, back to the fighting.

I agree.

The orcs continue to take losses at the gate, and Gothmog is no longer smiling.

About time...

I think PJ and co. do a great job of making us hate the Orcs - the pelting of loved ones' heads, the laughing at the destruction, etc. I think this is great because it makes us like the good guys more when they win and also because I often end up sympathising with the bad guys in other entertainment as they always seem to get beaten.

At least in this attack on a gate of man the orc bodies pile up during the battle.

The battles in ROTK seemed a lot more destructive - which is a good thing, of course.

Note that he IS an orc chieftain, as someone more bright would have brought up the wolfish battering ram much sooner.

I guess that bringing up such a big weapon would take a very long time, thus prolonging the attack and increasing casualties...but I guess it's just another inconsistency.

Grond is brought forth, dragged by some prehistoric beasts of the oliphaunt size. Some relative of the Arsinoitherium perhaps?

I like this little glimpse of some creatures from beyond the world of LOTR - the books call this 'unexplained vistas' and I think it works great in the films, too.

It’s those same pirates and marauders that so depressed Aragorn when he, Gimli and Legolas left the Paths of the Dead back door. As the ships approach, we see our three heroes standing alone on the shoreline. Aragorn yells out something like, ‘you cannot pass, sailors of Anduin.’ The captain of the nearest ship takes notice and he and crew laugh as there is no stick behind these words. Aragorn asks the deadly accurate elf to shoot a warning shot - Aragorn warns these men, I guess, to turn back. Seems that he will not give this choice to many - or any - later. With a little help from Gimli, Legolas’s arrow goes amiss and ‘kills’ our dear PJ, who demonstrates that acting is not as easy at it looks. Gimli, obviously, wants a fight, and prepares to board the ships amongst so much laughter.

The captain sets up Aragorn for a truly inspired line, “This army,” and as our new King of the Dead speaks, the army of the dead rush the ships.

The wind of fortune may be a’changing.

I like how this scene opens - the Three Hunters standing tall and defiant, but then it goes downhill quickly, with some rather inappropriate humour about killing from Gimli and a rather corny exchange between Aragorn and the captain.

The biggest problem I have overall, however, is that showing the undead rallying with Aragorn and taking over the ships completely ruins the surprise later - and unlike others, I thought the arrival of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli with a new army was a really brilliant moment.


Anyway, a nice summary, alatar. Thanks for posting.