So The Return of the King took home 11 Oscars back in 2004, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and a whole bunch for visuals and sound. The visuals and sound wins were very well deserved - the sets, props, special effects, and soundtrack are as amazing in Return as they were in Fellowship and Two Towers. But as a movie, Return is far less deserving of awards than Fellowship and Two Towers. I completely understand why it played out the way it did, because the Oscars aren't really equipped to deal with what is essentially a 10 hour movie released over three years. But there it is nevertheless.
The movie certainly has its good points. The casting, again, though this time there's only one additional cast member I'd call significant: John Noble as Denethor. He brings a great sense of Shakespearean tragedy to the character, which is entirely appropriate. The scene where Pippin swears fealty to him is actually one of my favorite ones in the movie, with both Noble and Billy Boyd and doing excellent work. Pippin's hesitant and self-conscious speaking of the oath, and Denethor's genuine appreciation of the service being offered him in tribute to Boromir's sacrifice.
Another favorite moment was the conversation between Saruman, Gandalf, and (to a lesser degree) Théoden. Christopher Lee was pretty pissed off that was cut from the theatrical, and for good reason. The scene is absolutely terrific, and Lee just shines. The gravitas he brings is perfect, and the way he goes back and forth between warm and persuading and snarling and angry is a treat to watch. It is also the scene with the most straight-out-of-the-books dialogue. I think ... relaxing is the right word here? Maybe? ... relaxing that sort of thing and using more conversational, more modern language was for the most part the right call, but it's nice to see it here. It's got a meaty-ness to it, and Lee is able to show off his chops as probably the biggest book fan of any of them.
Plus it gave us the wonderful anecdote of Jackson giving Lee direction on how he should react when Wormtongue stabs him, Lee giving Jackson a Look, and the former WW2 SAS commando explaining that he knows perfectly well what it sounds like when a man is stabbed in the back.
And of course if you're not going to do the Scouring (which I'll address more later), cutting this scene just leaves the Saruman plotline unresolved. It's not a decision I understand, but I'm glad it was in the Extended Edition at least.
The Battle of the Pelennor Fields was for the most part well done, particularly the charge of the Rohirrim. The confrontation between Éowyn and the Witch-King was quite good. While I generally don't appreciate Peter Jackson's "bigger is necessarily better" approach to most things, I 100% approve of him sending the props guys back again and again with the Witch-King's flail, telling them "Bigger!" each time.
But I've got a lot of negatives on this movie, much more so than the other two. There were a bunch of decisions done purely because Jackson thought they looked cool, and introduced all sorts of unnecessary plot holes. Some if it isn't really important, like Shelob biting Frodo through his mithril shirt instead of his unarmored neck like in the book, or Denethor lighting himself on fire and running what was probably at least 0.5 miles instead of 0 miles like in the book. But some of it IS important, like turning the Army of the Dead into the Scrubbing Bubbles of Doom™. Cause in the movie Gimli's point about keeping them around makes a good deal of sense.
Overall, most of that stuff isn't really bad, though it is annoying. What it shows, in my opinion, is a diminishing respect for the source material, and a greater concern for getting it done than getting it done right.
The Mouth of Sauron. When he first showed up (was he even in the theatrical? I honestly don't recall) I rolled my eyes a bit at the over-the-top theatricality, but whatever. I call that a matter of taste instead of a real complaint.
But then Aragorn chops off his head.
But then Aragorn CHOPS OFF HIS HEAD.
WHY? Why does he do that? Because the Mouth of Sauron made him angry, and noble Aragorn cannot control his temper? Because humble Aragorn wanted to show what a badass he was? Because honorable Aragorn decided to kill an ambassador under a flag of truce for ... reasons, I guess?
It pisses me off no end. It goes so amazingly against character I don't even know what to say.
Furthermore, in the book, Tolkien specifically says that attacking an ambassador was something that Aragorn & company would not do:
but soon, though Aragorn did not stir nor move hand to weapon, the other quailed and gave back as if menaced with a blow. ‘I am a herald and ambassador, and may not be assailed!’ he cried. ‘Where such laws hold,’ said Gandalf, ‘it is also the custom for ambassadors to use less insolence. But no one has threatened you. You have naught to fear from us, until your errand is done.’
Why, Peter, did you do that?!
Moving on: the ending of the movie and the decision not to film the Scouring of the Shire. In years past, I've defended that decision, saying that while I regretted the decision to leave out the Scouring, I understood it, and felt that the realities of filmmaking made it the right call. I no longer feel that way, for two reasons. First: I now think the notion that audiences wouldn't get it, would find it too challenging or strange, is ridiculous. (There's a reason one of the studio executive bots from that one episode of Futurama was programmed to do nothing but underestimate Middle America) You can challenge audiences, and in fact you should challenge audiences. It's such a key thematic moment from the story, it deserves to be in there.
Second, reasons of pacing. The Scouring would throw off the pacing too badly, having so much of significance coming so long after the destruction of the Ring. Here's the problem with that, which just jumped out at me during my re-watch: the pacing of the ending is already way too slow. Even knowing perfectly well what was still coming, there were still at least two other places that really, really just felt like the end of the movie ... but then the movie just kept going. So yeah, the Scouring should have been there.
Overall thoughts on the movie: I could tell that Peter Jackson was getting exhausted, and less disciplined and focused. There's still great parts, but way too much of Jackson's action/horror background was showing through.
Overall thoughts on the trilogy: a solid but flawed adaptation. I love seeing this story I know and love so well on screen. The filmmakers' love of Tolkien is plain, and that's the most important thing of all.
Monday we start The Silmarillion with a rousing sing-along in “The Ainulindalë.”
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