There’s heavy religious symbolism in good people having faith until the very end. The defenders have to hold out until the very last moment before their salvation comes. The battle in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers seems nearly lost until Aragorn remembers Gandalf’s angelic and prophetic promise. The Uruk-hai in Jackson’s film are surprisingly violent for a PG-13 rating so when Aragorn leads the remaining warriors out on a final charge, the audience understands that this could be their end. It isn’t the first film to show a group of defenders despairing before a fight but the atmosphere Jackson creates with dark blue light and torrential rain creates a real feeling of hopelessness. Even Legolas has a moment of doubt before the battle. The themes of hope and courage in the face of terrible odds permeate much of Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas' story. The odds are not in the defenders’ favor as they face 10,000 Uruk-hai, cross-bred descendants of the Uruks shown in Rings of Power. This is cinema at its very best.The Battle of Helm's Deep in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is one of the signature battles in film history. The evil army below looks up with surprise, a bright light fills the screen, the camera focuses on the lead rider (again, we all know who) who lets out a wrenching battle cry, the music swells to unbelievable heights, and I am swept away like I've never been before. Once he begins his descent down the hill with his army behind him, the camera begins a slow pan over the top and down with them, showing the size and scale of their forces. He appears just as the heroes are losing all hope. A lone rider (we all know who), set against the top of a hill, massing legions of horsemen behind him. After 3 hours of sweeping vistas, excellent Shakespearean acting, and otherworldly sights and sounds, we are treated to a scene that still sends chills down my back and rouses me like nothing since the final scene in Rocky. The Fellowship of the Ring was a monumentally entertaining film, the Return of the King was an amazing wrap-up to the epic of our times, but the most dramatic moment for me came at the end of the Two Towers.
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