Scenes I Go Back To: The Return of the King

One could easily do a “Scenes I Go Back To” blogging project on just the Lord of the Rings movies alone. Each of the three films are replete with wonderful scenes, be they epic battles, intimate character moments, rousing speeches, or humorous hobbit antics (oh, that wacky Pippin).

However, the scene that comes to my mind most often is the charge of the Rohirrim from The Return of the King. The Rohirrim figure prominently in several of my favorite scenes from the trilogy, but this scene is the greatest of them all. It’s more than a just a battle scene full of amazing special effects, more than just a stirring musical score, more than just impassioned acting by Bernard Hill (though all of these things are fantastic, in and of themselves).

This scene resonates deeply within me, on a personal and spiritual level. There’s something right and true about the Rohirrim’s charge, as they race headlong into certain doom to fight against great evil. Courage, sacrifice, and honor — all of these are on display in this scene. It may be the height of fantasy, but there’s still great, undeniable Truth contained within these minutes, and I always find it inspiring, humbling, and more than just a little tear-inducing.