I know that civilians complain that Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of The Lord Of The Rings spends half an hour delivering a succession of several endings, but I am a nerd and they are wrong and I was sure glad to have the time to regain my composure before the lights came up when I first saw The Return of the King.
(Also I hope that the people who complain about the care ‘The Lord Of The Rings’ takes in closing off several characters’ story arcs at the end have learned their lesson from several recent examples of epics which were lazier on this score. But I digress.)
Because I am that kind of nerd, I have watched the writers’ & director commentary on the Extended Dance Remix home video release, and when the “you bow to no one” moment comes, Jackson says that it is probably his favorite thing in the entire film series.
Jackson does not say why, but I think I know, because it is mine too; it makes me misty every time I watch it.
Jackson committed hard to the original book’s feudal worldview. We get Boromir, Faramir, and Denethor talking about their “quality”, ferggawdsake.
And then for a single blessed minute of screen time, Jackson says hell no. Your kingly bloodline did not do this, Aragorn II Elessar Telcontar. The restoration of the line of Isuldur is not the story here. Ordinary people standing up during extraordinary circumstances saved the world.
Damm right the hobbits do not bow.
Democracy.
I quite like this video-essay on the moment ...
... but I have to caveat that it references the Fremen Mirage, a far-right aphorism which is utter BS:
Hard times create strong men
Strong men create good times
Good times create weak men
Weak men create hard times.
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