Script of The Fellowship of the Ring
(Total darkness. Faint sounds of Elven voices singing.)
Galadriel’s voice:
I amar prestar aen… The world is changed…
han mathon ne nen… I feel it in the waters…
han mathon ne chae… I feel it in the earth…
a han noston ned gwilith… I smell it in the air.
Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it.
(Fade in to title: The Lord of the Rings. Fade out again.)
(Switch to scene. Liquid metal is being poured into a mould held over a blazing fire outdoors.)
Galadriel’s voice: It began with the forging of the Great Rings. Three were given to the Elves, immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings.
(Close-up on three rings arranged on a silken pillow, offered to the Elven rulers. Galadriel stands in the foreground, and as she examines the ring on her finger a slight wind picks up and blows her hair from her face. She looks awed.)
Seven to the Dwarf lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls.
(Seven burly, brawny dwarves choose their rings and raise them proudly in the air. Switch to nine human kings standing in a line, each drawn and dull and gray, lowering their arms to clutch their own rings close.)
And nine rings gifted to the race of Men, who above all else desire power. For within these rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race.
(Pan over a map drawn on parchment of Middle-Earth, surveying the various lands.)
But they were all of them deceived. For another ring was made.
(Close up on the section of the map where Mordor lies.)
In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a master Ring to control all others.
(Fire blazes through the map and fills the screen, through which we can see a shining golden ring.)
And into this Ring he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life... one Ring to rule them all.
(Scenes of Orcs pillaging and burning villages as people scream and flee.)
One by one, the free lands of Middle-Earth fell to the power of the Ring. But there were some who resisted.
(Scenes of armies marching, banners aloft and swords drawn, through a dark and barren wasteland.)
A last alliance of Men and Elves marched against the armies of Mordor, and on the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle-Earth.
(Mount Doom rumbles and erupts, spewing lava everywhere. Elrond stands in front of the ranks of Elves in full armour, shouting commands. Arrows whistle by his head, cutting down the approaching ranks of Orcs. As the tidal wave of enemy fighters crashes over the Elves, they coolly draw their swords and join the fray.)
Victory was near, but the power of the Ring could not be undone.
(Everyone freezes as Sauron approaches, terrible and fearsome in his armor. Elves and Men cry out as Sauron sweeps them aside with his massive club, and the ranks of the Last Alliance are decimated. One of the men killed is the High King of Gondor, and the king’s son, Isildur, runs to be with his father, weeping over his body.)
It was in this moment, when all hope had faded, that Isildur, son of the King, took up his father's sword.
(Sauron approaches and looks coldly and cruelly at Isildur. The young man grabs the sword lying by his father with a yell and swings it aloft, slicing off Sauron’s hand. The hand, with the Ring still attached to one of its claws, tumbles to the ground. Sauron lets out a resounding roar as he bursts into flame and his armor falls to pieces, a shockwave toppling every soldier left alive on the battlefield to the ground. Finally, there is silence, as Sauron’s helmet, still smoking, lands on the ground with a heavy thud.)
Sauron, the enemy of the free people of Middle-Earth, was defeated.
(Isildur picks up the hand of Sauron and stares at the Ring in fascination, as the hand crumbles to black dust and dissolves in the wind.)
The Ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy evil forever. But the hearts of men are easily corrupted, and the Ring of Power has a will of its own.
(Focus on Isildur, riding his horse home. He is wearing the Ring on a golden chain around his neck, and his expression is smug and triumphant. Suddenly a band of archers leaps out of the trees and attacks.)
It betrayed Isildur to his death.
(Underwater shot of Isildur’s body, floating away in the River Anduin. Several arrows pierce his chest and the blood from his wounds stains the clear water red. The Ring falls through the water and lands in the gravel below, half-buried.)
And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend, legend became myth, and for two and a half thousand years, the Ring passed out of all knowledge.
(Shot of the cool, shady, peaceful forest beyond the river.)
Until, when chance came, it ensnared a new bearer.
(A dirty, withered hand opens its clutched fist to reveal the Ring, shining in its palm.)
Gollum: My precious.
Galadriel’s voice: The Ring came to the creature Gollum, who took it deep into the tunnels of the Misty Mountains. And there it consumed him.
(In a dark cavern, standing on a plateau above a murky pool with the sunlight shining through a fissure, Gollum crouches and lurks, holding the Ring close and rocking back and forth.)
Gollum: It came to me! My own, my love, my...precious. (hears a noise and hisses, looking around wildly, then goes back to rocking)
Galadriel’s voice: The Ring brought to Gollum unnatural long life. For five hundred years it poisoned his mind, and in the gloom of Gollum's cave it waited. Darkness crept back in the forest of the world.
(The calm, peaceful forest darkens, and the moon shines through the gathering clouds and the swaying tree branches.)
Rumor grew of a shadow in the East, whispers of a nameless fear, and the Ring of Power perceived its time had now come. It abandoned Gollum.
(The Ring falls down through the cavern, clinking loudly as it bounces off of rocks and pebbles, and lands in the dust.)
But something happened then that the Ring did not intend. It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable.
(A hand scrabbles in the dust, and picks up the Ring.)
Bilbo: What's this?
(Close-up of Bilbo Baggins, young and nervous, looking curiously at the Ring.)
Galadriel’s voice: A hobbit—-Bilbo Baggins of the Shire.
Bilbo: A ring!
Gollum: (shrieking from the cavern above) Lost! Lost! My precious!
(Bilbo hears Gollum and retreats, slipping the Ring into one pocket as he goes. Cut to a shot panning over misty fields, forests, and mountains, underneath a dull gray sky.)
Galadriel’s voice: For the time will soon come when hobbits will shape the fortunes of all.
(Fade out to a sunny, leafy green forest, title appears: The Fellowship of the Ring. Then, as the camera moves through the forest, a subtitle: ‘The Shire, 60 years later’. We see Frodo Baggins, a young hobbit, lying underneath a tree and reading a book. Cut to the dusty dirt road, where a cart with a horse clatters over the path, bearing Gandalf the Grey, an old and wise wizard carrying a staff and wearing a pointy hat.)
Gandalf: (singing) The road goes ever on and on, down from the door where it began...
(Back to Frodo, who scrambles to his feet, a wide grin spreading over his face as he hears Gandalf singing. He hurries down the hills and dashes through the trees, halting at a clearing just beside the road. He crosses his arms the moment he sees Gandalf.)
Frodo: (cheekily) You're late.
(Gandalf peers up sternly at him from underneath his hat.)
Gandalf: A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to!
(They both glare at each other for a few seconds. Then Frodo’s lips tremble, Gandalf’s chin quivers… and they both crack up into laughter.)
Frodo: It's wonderful to see you, Gandalf!
(Frodo jumps onto the cart and flings himself at Gandalf, who hugs him back.)
Gandalf: You didn't think I'd miss your Uncle Bilbo's birthday?
(Cut to shot of Gandalf driving cart, Frodo sitting beside him.)
Frodo: What news of the outside world? Tell me everything!
Gandalf: Everything? Far too eager and curious for a hobbit. Most unnatural! Well, what can I tell you? Life in the wide world goes on, much as it has this past age. All the comings and goings, scarcely aware of the existence of hobbits. (softly, to himself) For which I am very thankful.
(They ride through a bustling marketplace. Gandalf waves and tips his hat to several passerbys.)
Hobbits: Look! It's Gandalf!
(The wagon passes by an open grassy field, where several hobbits are putting up tents and tables. One group raises an enormous banner strung between two poles, reading ‘Happy Birthday Bilbo Baggins’.)
Gandalf: Ooh! The long expected party. So how is the old rascal? I hear it's going to be a party of special magnificence.
Frodo: You know Bilbo. He's got the whole place in an uproar.
Gandalf: Now, well, that should please him.
Frodo: Half the Shire's been invited!
Gandalf: (half-muttering) Good gracious.
Frodo: He's up to something...
Gandalf: (still half-muttering) Oh, really?
Frodo: (laughing) All right then, keep your secrets! Before you came along, we Bagginses were very well thought of.
Gandalf: Indeed?
Frodo: (grinning) Never had any adventures or did anything unexpected.
Gandalf: (haughtily) If you're referring to the incident with the dragon, I was barely involved. All I did was give your uncle a little nudge out of the door.
Frodo: Whatever you did, you've been officially labeled a 'disturber of the peace'.
(They ride by a farm, where an old farmer is ploughing away outside. As the wagon rumbles by, the farmer lifts his head to glare at Gandalf in a most disapproving way.)
Gandalf: Oh, dear.
(Hobbit children run, tumble, and skip from all corners of the forests and fields to run alongside the wagon, yelling cheerfully.)
Hobbit kids: Gandalf! Gandalf's here! Oh! Gandalf! Gandalf! Fireworks, Gandalf?
(Gandalf doesn’t even look in their direction. The kids gather on the road behind them, their faces the picture of disappointment.)
Hobbit kids: (mournfully) Gandalf…
(Frodo looks at Gandalf as if to say, ‘Come on…’ and Gandalf heaves a huge sigh. A bunch of fireworks explode behind the cart into silver and gold butterflies and the kids cheer and clap their hands.)
(Passing by a field:)
Frodo: (sincerely) Gandalf, I'm glad you're back.
Gandalf: So am I, dear boy.
(Frodo hops off the wagon, rushing away across the fields.)
(to himself) So am I.
(The horse and wagon stop at Bag End, a tidy and well-kept hobbit hole. Gandalf gives an amused snort as he pushes past the gate of Bag End, on which there is hung a sign: ‘No Admittance Except on Party Business’. Gandalf knocks on the round wooden door with the end of his staff.)
Bilbo: (shouting irately from inside) No, thank you! We don't want any more visitors, well wishers, or distant relations!
Gandalf: And what about very old friends?
(The door opens and Bilbo totters out. He is not the same hobbit we have seen in the first part of the movie; his hair is completely white, his face is visibly older, and he hobbles along with difficulty.)
Bilbo: (incredulously) Gandalf?
Gandalf: Bilbo Baggins!
Bilbo: My dear Gandalf!
(They hug.)
Gandalf: Good to see you. One hundred and eleven years old! Could you believe it… (holding him at arm’s length, softly) You haven't aged a day.
(A somewhat awkward pause. Gandalf laughs, then both laugh.)
Bilbo: Come on, come in. Welcome, welcome.
(He takes Gandalf's stick and hat and hangs them up, then bustles away.)
Tea? Or maybe something a little stronger. I've got a few of bottles of the old wineyard left. 1296. Very good year. Almost as old as I am! It was laid down by my father. What's say we open one, eh?
Gandalf: Just tea, thank you.
(Gandalf turns and hits his head on one of the lights, ducks underneath to hold the lamp steady, turns, and hits his head on the archway. Bilbo is still chattering away.)
Bilbo: I was expecting you here last week! Not that it matters, you come and go as you please. Always have done and always will. You caught me a bit unprepared, I'm afraid. We have some old chicken and pickles... Here's some cheese, oh no, it won't do! There, we've got brussels, and jam, and apple tart... Not much for after lunch, oh, no! We're all right, I have some cake.
(Gandalf rifles through the papers in Bilbo’s study and picks up a finely drawn map of the Lonely Mountain in Bilbo’s hand. Bilbo emerges from the kitchen, apples and eggs and cheese in both hands.)
Bilbo: I can make you some eggs if you li—-Ganda—-Gandalf?
(The room is deserted. Bilbo looks around uncertainly for a second before Gandalf appears behind him, ducking very carefully underneath the doorway.)
Gandalf: Just tea, thank you.
Bilbo: (startled) Oh, right. (stuffs some cheese into his mouth and speaks around a mouthful) You don't mind if I eat, do you?
Gandalf: (graciously, smiling) Oh, no, not at all.
Female Voice: Bilbo! Bilbo Baggins!
(Someone bangs on the door loudly; Bilbo pales and flattens himself against the wall.)
Bilbo: I'm not at home! (sighs) I've got to get away from these confounded relatives, banging on the bell all day, never giving me a moment's peace! I want to see mountains again, mountains, Gandalf! And then find somewhere quiet where I can finish my book... Oh, the tea!
(He hurries over to the kettle and takes it off the fire.)
Gandalf: (calmly) So you mean to go through with your plan, then?
Bilbo: Yes, yes, it's all in hand. All the arrangements are made.
(Gandalf takes the lid off of the teapot for him.)
Bilbo: Oh, thank you.
Gandalf: Frodo suspects something.
Bilbo: ’Course he does. He's a Baggins! Not some block-headed Bracegirdle from Hardbottle.
Gandalf: You will tell him, won't you?
Bilbo: (distractedly) Yes, yes...
Gandalf: He's very fond of you.
Bilbo: (pauses, suddenly serious) I know. He'd probably come with me if I asked him. (moves to the window) I think in his heart, Frodo's still in love with the Shire. The woods, and the fields, the little rivers... (he turns back to Gandalf) I'm old, Gandalf. I know I don't look it, but I'm beginning to feel it in my heart.
(As he moves back towards the table, his fingers convulsively feel the Ring in his pocket. Gandalf looks sharply at him.)
I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter, scraped over too much bread. I need a holiday—a very long holiday. And I don't expect I shall return... in fact, I mean not to.
(Cut to shot of Bag End outdoors, on the front stoop. It’s evening and Bilbo and Gandalf are sitting together, smoking their pipes.)
Bilbo: Old Toby, the finest weed in the Southfarthing.
(Bilbo blows a smoke ring, and Gandalf blows a ship to go through it. Bilbo chuckles appreciatively.)
Gandalf, my old friend, this will be a night to remember.
(Fireworks go off in the night sky, exploding to many cheers. All of the hobbits are dancing, eating, drinking, laughing, and singing at one of the most splendid parties ever. Bilbo, beaming with contentment, is greeting his guests.)
Bilbo: Hello, hello...
(Sam sits at a table, swilling ale and watching Rosie Cotton, a comely young hobbit, dance. Laughing and exhausted from a dance, Frodo collapses onto the seat beside him.)
Frodo: Go on, Sam, ask Rosie for a dance!
Sam: I think I'll just have another ale.
Frodo: Oh, no, you don't! Go on!
(Frodo shoves Sam towards Rosie; the younger hobbit falls over Rosie’s feet, but she swings him into a dance. Frodo laughs, watching them. Bilbo sits nearby, telling a story to a group of seated hobbit kids, all wide-eyed and intent.)
Bilbo: So there I was, at the mercy of three monstrous trolls, and they were all arguing amongst themselves about how they were going to cook us—-whether it be turned on a spit, or whether they should sit on us one by one and squash us to jelly! And they spent so much time arguing the whether to's and the why for's that the sun's first light cracked over the top of the trees, and—-poof!
Hobbit kids: (gasp)
Bilbo: And turned them all to stone!
(Gandalf takes some fireworks from the wagon, chuckling to himself. As he leaves, Merry scuttles behind the wagon and beckons for Pippin to come out.)
Merry: Quickly!
(He boosts Pippin up into the wagon. Pippin lands among the rockets with a clatter, rummages among them, and fishes out one.)
Merry: No, no, the big one, big one!
(Pippin rummages around some more and picks out a big red rocket shaped like a dragon’s head. They go inside the tent and light the fuse, holding the rocket upright.)
Merry: You're supposed to stick it in the ground! (pushes the lit rocket at Pippin)
Pippin: It is in the ground! (pushes it back to Merry, who pushes it back to Pippin again)
Merry: Outside!
Pippin: It was your idea!
(The rocket goes off, and Merry and Pippin are thrown to the ground. The rocket explodes into sparks which soar upwards and sprout wings and a tail, turning into a big fiery dragon. The dragon swoops up and around, flying low over the treetops towards the amazed crowd. Hobbits scream and push each other out of the way, flinging themselves to the ground as the dragon flies nearer.)
Frodo: (grabbing his arm) Bilbo, watch out for the dragon!
Bilbo: Dragon? Nonsense, there hasn't been a dragon in these parts for a thousand years!
(Frodo pushes him to the ground as the dragon swoops down over their heads. It flies off into the distance before exploding into a thousand showers of light. The hobbits all cheer and clap.)
(Merry and Pippin get up, their faces burnt and sooty and their hair standing on end.)
Merry: That was good!
Pippin: Let's get another one.
(They yowl in pain as Gandalf twists their ears.)
Gandalf: (shaking his head) Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. I might have known.
(Merry and Pippin, looking chastened, scrub dishes and cups in basins of soapy water while Gandalf watches, contentedly smoking his pipe.)
The hobbit crowd: Speech! Speech, Bilbo! Speech!
Frodo: (enthusiastically) Speech!
Bilbo: My dear Bagginses and Boffins! (cheers) Tooks and Brandybucks! (cheers) Grubbs! (cheers) Chubbs! (cheers) Hornblowers! (cheers) Bolgers! (cheers) Bracegirdles! (cheers) Proudfoots!
A Proudfoot: Proudfeet!
(Everyone laughs.)
Bilbo: Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday! (shouts of “Happy Birthday!”)Alas, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to live amongst such excellent and admirable hobbits. (lots of cheering) I don't know half of you half as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve.
(Pause while everyone tries to figure this out. Gandalf chuckles to himself.)
I, er, I have things to do...
(fingers the Ring in his pocket; Frodo watches curiously as he says to himself)
I've put this off far too long. (aloud) I regret to announce that this is the end. I'm going now. I bid you all a very fond farewell. (looks straight at Frodo, softly) Goodbye.
(Bilbo puts the Ring on and vanishes, causing a gasp of shock among the hobbit crowd. He then makes his way back to Bag End, chuckling to himself, still invisible. He chortles and hums to himself as he picks up his belongings, his walking stick and his coat, turns to go to the kitchen—and runs smack into Gandalf.)
Gandalf: (sternly) I suppose you think that was terribly clever of yourself.
Bilbo: Oh, come on, Gandalf, did you see their faces?
Gandalf: There are many magic rings in this world, Bilbo Baggins, and none of them should be used lightly!
Bilbo: It was just a bit of fun! ...Oh, you're probably right, as usual. You will keep an eye on Frodo, won't you?
Gandalf: Two eyes, as often as I can spare them.
Bilbo: I'm leaving everything to him.
Gandalf: What about this ring of yours, is that staying too?
Bilbo: Yes, yes. It’s in an envelope over there on the mantelpiece. (Gandalf goes to the fireplace) No... wait... it's... it's here in my pocket.
(He takes the Ring out and fingers it, looking at it lovingly.)
Why isn't that—-isn't that odd, now? Yet after all that, why not... why shouldn't I keep it?
Gandalf: I think you should leave the ring behind, Bilbo. Is that so hard?
Bilbo: Well no... and yes. Now it comes to it, I don't feel like parting with it. It's mine! I found it! It came to me!
Gandalf: (reproachfully) There's no need to get angry.
Bilbo: Well, if I'm angry, it's your fault! (touches the Ring fondly) It's mine... my own... my precious.
Gandalf: Precious? It has been called that before, but not by you.
Bilbo: (snapping) Oh, what business is it of yours what I do with my own things?
Gandalf: I think you've had that ring quite long enough.
Bilbo: (irately) You want if for yourself!
(Gandalf rises up, and becomes very angry. He suddenly looks very tall and powerful, and the ceiling seems to swirl around him in darkness.)
Gandalf: (thundering) BILBO BAGGINS! DO NOT TAKE ME FOR SOME CONJUROR OF CHEAP TRICKS! I AM NOT TRYING TO ROB YOU!
(He becomes normal again with sagging shoulders and a small sigh, as the room slowly becomes lit up by firelight again.)
I'm trying to help you.
(Bilbo, his face quivering, starts to cry and goes towards Gandalf, who hugs him close.)
(soothingly) All your long years, we've been friends. Trust me as you once did.
Bilbo: (draws away) You're right. The Ring must go to Frodo. It’s late, the road is long... yes, it is time.
(He picks up his belongings busily, trundling towards the door with his walking stick in one hand. He is halfway out the door when...)
Gandalf: Bilbo.
(Bilbo stops in his tracks. Gandalf advances towards him, ducking underneath the walkway and looking shrewdly at him.)
The Ring is still in your pocket.
Bilbo: Oh, yes. (tries to smile)
(He takes the Ring out, holding it in his palm, then slowly tips his hand. The Ring slides from his palm and falls to the floor with a clink. Bilbo turns abruptly away and steps out onto the porch. Gandalf, worried, follows him, but then Bilbo turns to him with chin in the air.)
I've thought of an ending for my book: ‘And he lived happily ever after, for the end of his days.’
Gandalf: (relieved and fondly) And I'm sure you will, my friend. Goodbye, dear Bilbo.
Bilbo: Goodbye, Gandalf. (sings as he walks down the steps and out into the darkness) ‘The road goes ever on and on...’
Gandalf: (quietly, watching him go) Until our next meeting.
(The camera cuts away to the door opening to reveal the Ring, still lying on the floor and gleaming in the firelight. From POV of the Ring: Gandalf leaning over the ring, looking at it apprehensively. He reaches out to touch it, his fingers outstretched, and the Eye of Sauron flashes. Gandalf quickly withdraws his hand.)
(Gandalf sits by the fire and smokes, the fumes drifting lazily around his face. His eyes are distant and worried.)
Voice of Bilbo: (vo) It's mine...my own...my precious.
Gandalf: (softly) Riddles in the dark...
(In the background, Frodo comes in through the open door, flushed and excited.)
Frodo: Bilbo! Bilbo?
(He sees the Ring and picks it up, looking curiously at it.)
Gandalf: (not looking away from the fire) A precious...
Frodo: (approaches Gandalf) He's gone, hasn't he? (no answer) He talked so long about leaving. I didn't think he'd really do it. (again, no answer) Gandalf?
(Gandalf finally turns around and sees the Ring shining in Frodo’s palm.)
Gandalf: Bilbo's ring. (removes the pipe from his mouth) He's gone to stay with the Elves. He's left you Bag End.
(Gandalf holds out an envelope to Frodo to put the Ring into, which the hobbit does somewhat uncertainly, and quickly seals the envelope with a red stamp.)
Gandalf: Along with all his possessions. The Ring is yours now. Put it somewhere out of sight.
(Gandalf stands and grabs his cloak and hat, picking up his staff from where it leans against the wall.)
Frodo: Where are you going?
Gandalf: There are some things that I must see to.
Frodo: What things?
Gandalf: (half to himself) Questions. Questions that need answering.
Frodo: You've only just arrived. I don't understand!
(At the door, Gandalf turns back to him.)
Gandalf: Neither do I. (leans in close) Keep it secret! Keep it safe!
(He leaves, and shuts the door behind him, as Frodo looks down at the Ring in bewilderment and something like fear.)
(At the dungeons of Barad-dûr:)
Gollum: (wailing) Shire! Baggins!
(There is a resounding boom as the gates of Minas Morgul fly open and the Nazgûl ride through, decked out in war apparel. The scene switches to Gandalf, who rides to Minas Tirith through the outskirts of Mount Doom. As his horse climbs to the summit of a hill overlooking the mountain, he sees Mount Doom erupt in a rumble of flames and shower of ash. He gives it a worried look before descending the hill.)
(In the halls of Minas Tirith, all sorts of creatures bustle around busily as Gandalf passes by. He is lead down a winding spiral staircase by a withered old man bearing a torch, and into a room stacked with shelves of books and scrolls. The wizened old man bows and leaves the torch in a lantern-holder before exiting.)
(Gandalf searches through the papers, smoking as he flips over page after page. Finally, as he sips at a hot drink, he holds up a piece of parchment and starts to read it aloud.)
Gandalf: ‘The year 3434, of the Second Age. Here follows the account of Isildur, high king of Gondor, and the finding of the Ring of Power. “It has come to me, the One Ring, which shall be an heirloom of my kingdom. All that will follow in my bloodline shall be bound to its fate, for I will risk no hurt to the Ring. It is precious to me, though I buy it with a great pain. The markings upon the band begin to fade. The writing that at first was as clear as red flame has all but disappeared, a secret now that only fire can tell.” ’
(At the Shire again: A dog plays around a farmer’s feet while the farmer chops wood. Suddenly the dog barks and growls menacingly, leaping up into the air, before hurrying to the door. The farmer looks up and is clearly terrified. A Nazgûl is standing before him, mounted on its horse.)
Black Rider: (in a hiss) Shire... Baggins?
Hobbit: There’s no Bagginses here. They're up in Hobbiton.
(He backs away to the half-open door, while the dog whimpers and whines. The fearsome horse snorts and paws at the earth.)
That way!
(The wraith rides off to Hobbiton, where Frodo and Sam are coming home from a party in the night. Sam trundles along, a bit drunk, while Frodo turns in at his gate.)
Frodo: Good night, Sam.
Sam: G’ night, Frodo. (heads off down the road)
(Frodo enters and notes that the window is open. Papers are flying around everywhere and everything is in disarray, as if the place had been torn apart. Frodo stands still, stunned as he surveys the damage, until a hand emerges from the shadows and grabs his shoulder. He whirls around to face Gandalf, who is obviously very upset.)
Gandalf: Is it secret? Is it safe?
(Frodo searches for the envelope with the Ring in a crowded chest and fishes it out, holding it up. Gandalf snatches it from him and tosses it into the fireplace.)
Frodo: What are you doing?
(The envelope is burnt away and crumbles to cinders, the Ring remains, shining amid the embers. Gandalf takes the Ring out from the fire with a pair of tongs.)
Gandalf: Hold out your hand, Frodo. (Frodo hesitates) It's quite cool. Take it!
(He drops it into Frodo’s outstretched palm; Frodo drops his hand instinctively, but Gandalf is right—the Ring is cool to the touch. The wizard gets up and paces.)
Gandalf: What can you see? Can you see anything?
Frodo: (examines the ring) Nothing. There's nothing.
(Gandalf closes his eyes, looking exhausted.)
Wait...
(The wizard’s eyes snap open. Close-up on the Ring in Frodo’s hand; faint lines of fire appear, then grow and form letters in Elvish.)
Frodo: There are markings...it's some form of Elvish. I can't read it.
Gandalf: (grimly) There are few who can. The language is that of Mordor, which I will not utter here.
Frodo: Mordor?
Gandalf: In the common tongue, it says, ‘One Ring to rule them all, one Ring to find them, one Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.’
(Next shot: Gandalf sits at the table, smoking, while Frodo makes tea. The Ring lies on the table, untouched.)
Gandalf: This is the One Ring, forged by the Dark Lord Sauron in the fires of Mount Doom, taken by Isildur from the hand of Sauron himself.
Frodo: (skeptically) Bilbo found it in Gollum's cave.
Gandalf: Yes. For sixty years the Ring lay quiet in Bilbo's keeping, prolonging his life, delaying old age... But no longer, Frodo. Evil is stirring in Mordor. The Ring has awoken. It has heard its master's call.
Frodo: But he was destroyed. Sauron was destroyed!
The Ring: (barely audible) ...Isildur...
(Gandalf gives the Ring an apprehensive glance before looking back up at Frodo.)
Gandalf: No, Frodo. The spirit of Sauron endured. His life force is bound to the Ring, and the Ring survived. Sauron has returned.
(Scenes from the rebuilding of Barad-dûr, Orcs swarming everywhere.)
His Orcs have multiplied, his fortress of Barad-dûr is rebuilt in the land of Mordor. Sauron needs only this Ring to cover all the lands with a second darkness.
(Back to Gandalf:)
He is seeking it. Seeking it, all his thought is bent on it. The Ring yearns above all else to return to the hand of its master. They are one—the Ring and the Dark Lord. (quietly) Frodo. He must never find it.
(Frodo grabs the Ring and stands up, dashing out of the room.)
Frodo: All right, we put it away! We keep it hidden. We never speak of it again. No one knows it's here, do they? (uncertainly, when Gandalf doesn’t answer) Do they, Gandalf?
Gandalf: (slowly) There is one other that knew that Bilbo had the Ring. I looked everywhere for the creature Gollum...but the Enemy found him first.
(Scene of Orcs torturing Gollum, who is bound to a rack and shrieking with agony.)
I don't know how long they tortured him. But amidst the endless screams and the inane babble, they discerned two words.
Gollum: (screaming) Shire! Baggins!
(Back to Frodo, who looks terrified.)
Frodo: Shire... Baggins! But that would lead them here!
(The Ringwraiths ride upon a dirt path, past a series of hobbit holes. A hobbit peers at them in the gathering darkness, holding out a lantern.)
Hobbit: Who goes there?
(One of the Nazgûl slashes his head off as he rides by.)
Frodo: Take it, Gandalf! Take it!
Gandalf: No, Frodo.
Frodo: You must take it!
Gandalf: (sternly) You cannot offer me this ring!
Frodo: (frantically) I'm giving it to you!
Gandalf: Don’t tempt me, Frodo! (softer) I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe. Understand, Frodo, I would use this Ring from a desire to do good. But through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine.
Frodo: But it cannot stay in the Shire!
Gandalf: No! No, it can't.
Frodo: (resolutely) What must I do?
(Frodo starts to pack, stuffing shirts and pants quickly into a sack. Gandalf helps him to get dressed.)
Gandalf: You must leave. And leave quickly.
Frodo: Where? Where do I go?
Gandalf: Get out of the Shire. Head for the village of Bree.
Frodo: Bree... What about you?
Gandalf: I'll be waiting for you, at the inn of the Prancing Pony.
Frodo: And the Ring will be safe there?
Gandalf: I don't know, Frodo. I don't have any answers. I must see the head of my order. He is both wise and powerful. Trust me, Frodo, he'll know what to do. You'll have to leave the name of Baggins behind you, for the name is not safe outside the Shire. Travel only by day, and stay off the road.
Frodo: I can cut across country easily enough.
(The hobbit stands before Gandalf, sack strapped to his back, ready to leave. Gandalf looks fondly at him.)
Gandalf: (smiling) My dear Frodo. Hobbits really are amazing creatures. You can learn all there is to know about their ways in a month, and yet after a hundred years, they can still surprise you.
(A noise is heard from under the window and both start in alarm.)
Gandalf: Get down.
(Frodo hits the floor. Gandalf slowly moves towards the window, then points his staff out and whacks down hard. There is an audible ‘oof!’ and Gandalf reaches out, hauling a stunned Sam inside and onto the table, scattering papers everywhere.)
Gandalf: Confound it all, Samwise Gamgee! Have you been eavesdropping?
Sam: I haven’t been dropping no eaves, sir, honest! I was just cutting the grass under the window there, if you follow me.
Gandalf: (sarcastically) A little late for trimming the verge, don't you think?
Sam: I heard raised voices...
Gandalf: What did you hear? Speak!
Sam: (terrified) N-n-nothing important! That is, I heard a good deal about a Ring, a Dark Lord, and something about the end of the world, but, please Mr. Gandalf, sir, please don't hurt me! Don't turn me into anything—-unnatural!
(Gandalf looks up at Frodo, his eyebrows raised, who is smiling.)
Gandalf: No... perhaps not. (leans in close) I've thought of a better use for you.
(The next day:)
Gandalf: Come along, Samwise, keep up.
(He and Frodo are hurrying along the path, while Sam leads the horse along and tries to catch up. Cut to Frodo and Sam standing in the middle of the forest, with Gandalf mounted on the horse.)
Be careful, both of you. The Enemy has many spies in his
service-—birds, beasts...
(Gandalf turns to Frodo.)
Is it safe?
(Frodo puts his hand onto his pocket.)
Never put it on, for the agents of the Dark Lord will be drawn to its power. Always remember, Frodo, the Ring is trying to get back to its master. It wants to be found.
(Gandalf rides off into the woods. All around the two hobbits, birds scatter into the sky as leaves rustle wildly. Frodo takes a deep breath and sets out, with Sam following behind. Cut to them walking in a field, along a dust path; Sam stops abruptly.)
Sam: This is it.
Frodo: This is what?
Sam: If I take one more step, it'll be the farthest away from home I've ever been.
Frodo: (going back to him and holding out his hand) Come on, Sam.
(Sam takes the step; Frodo slings an arm around his shoulder as they walk on.)
Frodo: You remember what Bilbo used to say? It’s a dangerous business...
(Bilbo’s voice overlaps onto Frodo’s as there is a montage of several scenes: Frodo and Sam scaling hills, eating by a campfire, walking through tall grass and forests.)
Bilbo: It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step out onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.
(A brief shot of a Black Rider standing on the crest of a hill, surveying the Shire at dawn, before the scene switches to Gandalf, who rides to Isengard. As he approaches the great dark tower, a white figure descends the steps; it is Saruman the White.)
Saruman: Smoke rises from the Mountain of Doom, the hour grows late, and Gandalf the Grey rides to Isengard seeking my council. For that is why you have come, is it not?
(Close on Saruman’s face as he greets Gandalf.)
My old friend.
Gandalf: Saruman. (bows his head)
(Cut to the two wizards walking in a shaded grove, leaning on their staffs.)
Saruman: You are sure of this?
Gandalf: Beyond any doubt.
Saruman: So the Ring of Power has been found.
Gandalf: All these long years, it was in the Shire, under my very nose.
Saruman: (sardonically) Yet you did not have the wits to see it. Your love of the Halfling’s leaf has clearly slowed your mind.
Gandalf: But we still have time—-time to counter Sauron, if we act quickly—-
Saruman: Time? What time do you think we have?
(The wizards move to Saruman's chambers, where Saruman is seated at a table while Gandalf stands beside him.)
Saruman: Sauron has regained much of his former strength. He cannot yet take physical form, but his spirit has lost none of its potency. Concealed within his fortress, the Lord of Mordor sees all. His gaze pierces cloud, shadow, earth and flesh. (smiles strangely) You know of what I speak, Gandalf. A great eye, lidless, wreathed in flame.
Gandalf: (softly) The Eye of Sauron.
Saruman: He is gathering all evil to him. Very soon he will summon an army great enough to launch an assault upon Middle Earth.
Gandalf: (suddenly suspicious) You know all this? How?
Saruman: (looks towards the door) I have seen it.
(Gandalf and Saruman walk to the palantír, covered by a cloth in the center of the room.)
Gandalf: A palantír is a dangerous tool, Saruman.
Saruman: Why? Why should we fear to use it?
(Saruman takes the cover off the palantír, revealing a dark orb with mists floating in its murky depths.)
Gandalf: They are not all accounted for, the lost Seeing Stones. You do not know who else may be watching.
(He moves to put the cover back onto the palantír and the Eye of Sauron flashes at him. He freezes, motionless, as Saruman drifts past him like a white wraith.)
Saruman: The hour is later than you think. Sauron's forces are already moving. The Nine have left Minas Morgul.
Gandalf: (softly) The Nazgûl.
Saruman: They crossed the river Isen on Midsummer's Eve, disguised as Riders in black.
Gandalf: (horrified) They've reached the Shire?
(Saruman seats himself upon a throne-like chair on a raised dais, eyeing Gandalf coolly.)
Saruman: (mockingly) They will find the Ring... and kill the one that carries it.
Gandalf: Frodo!
(He rushes to the door, but Saruman uses his magic to slam it shut before he can reach it. Gandalf tries all the other exits in turn, but each of the doors is locked before he can leave. He slowly turns to face Saruman.)
Saruman: You do not seriously think that a hobbit could contend with the will of Sauron? There are none who can. Against the power of Mordor, there can be no victory. We must join with him, Gandalf. We must join with Sauron. It would be wise, my friend.
Gandalf: Tell me, friend. When did Saruman the Wise abandon reason for madness?
(Saruman shouts and raises his staff, so does Gandalf, and the battle of the wizards begins. They throw each other at walls and across the floor, shoving each other forcefully with their magic. By accident, Gandalf lets his staff fall with a clatter, and Saruman grabs it. He pins Gandalf to the ground and begins to spin him around, his words hissed menacingly.)
Saruman: I gave you the chance of aiding me willingly, but you have elected the way of paying!
(Saruman raises his staff and throws Gandalf to the top of the pinnacle of Orthanc. Cut to a golden cornfield, where Frodo and Sam keep travelling; Sam, lagging behind, can’t see Frodo for a minute and panics.)
Sam: Mr. Frodo? Frodo! Frodo!
(Frodo hurries back down the path and into sight, and Sam is relieved.)
Sam: I thought I'd lost you.
Frodo: What are you talking about?
Sam: It's just something Gandalf said.
Frodo: What did he say?
Sam: ‘Don't you lose him, Samwise Gamgee.’ And I don't mean to.
Frodo: (laughing) Sam, we're still in the Shire. What could possibly happen?
(Merry and Pippin jump out from the bushes and fall onto Frodo and Sam with a yell.)
Pippin: Frodo! Merry, it's Frodo Baggins!
Merry: Hello, Frodo!
Sam: Get off him! (pulls them all to their feet)
Frodo: What's the meaning of this?
Merry: (briskly) Hold these. (dumps a load of vegetables into Sam’s arms)
Sam: You've been into Farmer Maggot's crop!
Farmer Maggot: (from deep in the cornfield) Hey! You get back here! You get out of my fields!
(Frodo, Merry, and Pippin flee; Sam drops the vegetables on the ground and follows the others into the cover of Farmer Maggot's crop, running for their lives.)
Merry: I don't know why he's so upset. It's only a couple of carrots!
Pippin: And some cabbages. And then those empty bags of potatoes we left in last week. And then, the mushrooms, the week before!
Merry: Yes, Pippin, my point is, he's clearly overreacting! Run!
(They come to the edge of a steep slope, fall off it, and roll down until they lie in a heap at the bottom.)
Pippin: Oooh... that was close.
Merry: Ahhh... ohhh... I think I've broken something.
(He pulls out a broken carrot from underneath him and groans. Sam scrambles to his feet.)
Sam: Trust a Brandybuck and a Took!
Merry: What? It was just a detour—-a shortcut.
Sam: A shortcut to what?
Pippin: (spying a patch of...) Mushrooms!
(Sam, Pippin, and Merry collect some mushrooms into a bag, grinning and licking their lips greedily. Only Frodo remains unmoved, wandering off down the road. He spies a movement in the trees ahead.)
Frodo: I think we should get off the road.
(The trees distort and lose their shape as the form of a Nazgûl emerges, coming straight towards them.)
Frodo: (terrified) Get off the road! Quick!
(The hobbits scramble off the road and hide under the roots of a tree, huddling close together. They remain motionless for a minute, snuffling in the dark, damp place. A Black Rider comes towards their hiding place and dismounts, bending over their hiding place and sniffing feverishly. As the bugs living in the hollow tree, in their haste to get away from the rider, crawl over and around the hobbits, Frodo goes into a trance and fingers the Ring, almost putting it on. Sam stops him in time and Merry throws the bag off into the distance; the Rider darts away with a cry, following the sound. The hobbits scuttle from their hiding place and start running down the hill.)
Merry: What was that?
(Frodo, looking around anxiously, doesn’t answer.)
(Next shot: it’s nighttime and the hobbits are hiding behind trees, darting through the woods.)
Merry: Anything?
Frodo: Nothing.
Pippin: (complaining tone) What is going on?
Merry: That Black Rider was looking for something. Or someone... Frodo?
Pippin: Get down!
(A Rider is seen nearby, galloping over the road and into the mist.)
Frodo: I have to leave the Shire. Sam and I must get to Bree.
Merry: (nodding) Right. (suddenly) Buckleberry Ferry. Follow me!
(They start running, but a Black Rider jumps out at them from a bush, its horse rearing and screaming as the Ringwraith gives its eerie wail. Frodo sprints away with the Black Rider hard on his heels.)
Merry: Run! Frodo, this way! Follow me!
(Climbing over the fence and dashing down the slope, the hobbits come to the ferry docks. Sam, Merry and Pippin climb onto the ferry, loosing the ropes and using the paddles to cast off. The Black Rider, who draws closer, is still chasing Frodo.)
Merry: Get the boats out!
Sam: Frodo!
The hobbits: Run, Frodo! Hurry! Come on! Run, Frodo!
(Frodo runs with the Black Rider just a few feet behind him, and manages to jump onto the boat. The Black Rider stops at the riverbank and turns around, riding off to join the shadows where more of the Nazgûl are prowling.)
Frodo: How far to the nearest crossing?
Merry: The Brandywine bridge. Twenty miles!
(They paddle off. Next shot: the hobbits are at the gate that leads to Bree. It is raining heavily and the hobbits are drenched, their cloaks soaked through. Frodo taps at the gate.)
Frodo: Come on...
(An old man carrying a lantern, the gatekeeper, opens a shuttered window in the gate and peers through at them.)
Gatekeeper: What do you want?
Frodo: We're heading for the Prancing Pony.
Gatekeeper: Hobbits-—four hobbits! What business brings you to Bree?
Frodo: (more bravely than he feels) We wish to stay at the inn. Our business is our own.
Gatekeeper: All right, young sir, I meant no offence. It's my job to ask questions after nightfall. There's talk of strange folk abroad. Can't be too careful.
(He opens the gate and the hobbits enter, trudging down the cobbled street. Rain pours down as they wander blindly through a crowd of unfriendly strangers, nearly getting run over by a horse pulling a rickety cart. They make it to the inn of the Prancing Pony and hurry inside.)
Frodo: (walks up to the counter) Excuse me.
Innkeeper Butterbur: (jovially) Good evening, little masters. If you're seeking accommodation, we've got some nice cozy, hobbit-sized rooms available, Mr... er...
Frodo: Underhill. My name's Underhill.
Butterbur: Underhill...hmm.
Frodo: We're friends of Gandalf the Grey. Can you tell him we've arrived?
Butterbur: Gandalf? Gandalf... Oh... Yes, I remember! Elderly chap, big gray beard, pointy hat?
(Frodo nods with relief.)
Not seen him for six months.
(Frodo’s face falls, and he retreats from the counter. The others group around him.)
Sam: What do we do now?
(Rowdy songs and drunken ballads are sung as cruel-looking crooks sit at the bar or mill about the room, swigging their drinks and laughing uproariously. The hobbits are sitting together at a table; Frodo doesn’t touch or look at his food.)
Frodo: (quietly, with conviction) Sam, he'll be here. He'll come.
(Merry comes to the table with a large mug brimming over with ale.)
Pippin: What's that?
Merry: This, my friend, is a pint.
Pippin: (astounded) It comes in pints? (dashes from the table) I'm getting one!
Sam: (exasperated) You've got a whole half already! (turns to Frodo) That fellow's done nothing but staring you since we arrived.
(Frodo looks over his shoulder. A man sits silently at an empty table, smoking and watching him intently from underneath his hood.)
Frodo: (to Butterbur, as the innkeeper bustles by) Excuse me. That man in the corner. Who is he?
Innkeeper Butterbur: He's one of them Rangers. Dangerous folk, they are, wandering in the wilds. What his right name is, I've never heard, but around here, he's known as Strider.
Frodo: Strider...
(Frodo starts to fingers the Ring. It whispers softly and Frodo closes his eyes in a trance, tempted to put it on.)
The Ring: Baaaggins... Baaaggins... (hissing viciously) Baggins!
Pippin: (talking to some men at the counter and pointing to Frodo) Baggins? Sure, I know a Baggins! He's over there—-Frodo Baggins. He's my second cousin once removed on his mother's side and...
(Frodo frantically makes his way towards Pippin to stop him.)
Frodo: Pippin!
(Frodo grabs Pippin, causing him to spill some of his drink.)
Pippin: (indignant) Steady on!
(Frodo trips on a man’s foot and falls to the floor. As he hits the ground the Ring flies upwards, and falls back down onto his finger, causing him to disappear. Everyone gasps in amazement and the man in the corner sits up straight, staring hard at where Frodo used to be.)
(Frodo sees the world in darkness and shadow when he puts on the Ring, the cries of the approaching Black Riders echoing in his ears. He cowers away and cries out as he sees the Eye of Sauron.)
Voice of Sauron: You cannot hide. I see you.
(With a mighty effort, Frodo pulls the ring off his finger and reappears on the floor, breathing hard. Instantly, Strider grabs him by the scruff of his neck and pulls him up the stairs into his room.)
Strider: (hissing) You draw far too much attention to yourself, Mr. ‘Underhill’.
Frodo: What do you want?
Strider: A little more caution from you, that is no trinket you carry.
Frodo: I carry nothing!
Strider: (sarcastically) Indeed. (puts out the candles, one by one) I can avoid being seen if I wish. But to disappear entirely, Frodo Baggins—-that is a rare gift.
(Pulls back his hood and reveals his face; he is a wild-looking, disheveled man with grave blue eyes.)
Frodo: Who are you?
Strider: Are you frightened?
Frodo: (quietly) Yes.
Strider: Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you.
(Merry, Pippin, and Sam rush in, shoving past the door and carrying all sorts of ‘weapons’—-candlesticks, forks, butter knives. Sam has his fists held forward. Strider whirls about and draws his sword.)
Sam: Let him go, or we'll have you, Longshanks!
(Strider replaces his sword.)
Strider: You have a stout heart for a hobbit, but that will not save you. You can no longer wait for the wizard, Frodo. They're coming.
(The Black Riders enter Bree, and even the toughest-looking scoundrels whimper and pale in fright as they ride by. They enter the hobbit rooms at the Prancing Pony in silence, draw their swords, and thrust them into each bed several times, stabbing the forms huddled under the sheets. Feathers fly everywhere; tossing the covers aside, they see that the bumps were pillows, not hobbits, and that the beds were empty. The scene switches back to Strider, who is sitting by the window in his room with the hobbits; all have been awoken by the furious screams of the Nazgûl.)
Frodo: What are they?
Strider: (quietly) They were once men—-great kings of men. Then Sauron the Deceiver gave to them nine Rings of Power. Blinded by their greed, they took them without questioning, one by one, falling to darkness. Now they are slaves to his will. (looks straight at Frodo) They are the Nazgûl... the Ringwraiths, neither living nor dead. At all times they feel the presence of the Ring, drawn to the power of the One. They will never stop hunting you.
(The next day, in the woods; the hobbits are all packed up and Sam is again leading the pony along the path. They follow Strider through the forest.)
Frodo: Where are you taking us?
Strider: Into the wild.
(As they walk:)
Merry: (aside) How do we know this Strider is a friend of Gandalf?
Frodo: We have no choice but to trust him.
Sam: But where is he leading us?
Strider: (who has been listening) To Rivendell, Master Gamgee... to the House of Elrond.
Sam: Did you hear that? Rivendell! We're going to see the Elves!
(Later on, the hobbits are hungry and tired, so they want to take a break and stop, but...)
Strider: (sternly) Gentlemen. We do not stop until nightfall.
Pippin: What about breakfast?
Strider: You've already had it.
Pippin: We've had one, yes. What about second breakfast?
(Strider rolls his eyes slightly and continues on.)
Merry: Don't think he knows about second breakfast, Pip.
Pippin: What about elevensies? Luncheon? Afternoon tea? Dinner? Supper? He knows about them, doesn't he?
Merry: I wouldn't count on it.
(An apple, thrown by Strider, flies over the trees at them. Merry catches it and hands it to Pippin. Strider throws another apple, which hits Pippin squarely on the head.)
Merry: Pippin!
(In Isengard, Saruman is using the palantír, his hand outstretched and hovering over the dark orb.)
Saruman: The power of Isengard is at your command, Sauron, Lord of the Earth.
Voice of Sauron: Build me an army worthy of Mordor.
(As the voice fades Saruman sits pensively in his chair, staring darkly into space. A couple of Orcs rush into the room and bow submissively to Saruman.)
Orc: What orders from Mordor, my lord? What does the Eye command?
Saruman: (standing) We have work to do.
(Gandalf watches from the top of the Pinnacle, obviously in pain, as the Orcs cut down the trees of Isengard. Timbers groan, twigs splinter, and branches crack as the leafy trees are uprooted and fall to the ground with a crash. Orcs swarm around the fallen trees, attaching ropes and dragging them away.)
Orc: The trees are strong, my lord. The roots go deep.
Saruman: Rip them all down.
(Gandalf hugs his knees to his chest and curls up against one pillar of the Pinnacle, weary and wounded. A shower of freezing rain begins to fall, dousing his ragged robes.)
(Strider and the hobbits are now at Weathertop. As the hobbits hurry along behind, Strider contemplates the ruins of the building before speaking.)
Strider: This was once the great watchtower of Amon Sûl. We shall rest here tonight.
(The hobbits sit down and rest in the shadow of the ruins. Strider takes out four short swords from his pack and gives one to each hobbit.)
Strider: These are for you. Keep them close. I'm going to have a look around. (as he leaves) Stay here.
(Some time later, Frodo wakes up suddenly. It’s dark. Merry, Pip, and Sam are chatting quietly as they cook something around a fire.)
Pippin: Can I have some meat?
Merry: OK. Want some tomatoes, Sam? Great tomatoes.
Frodo: (horrified) What are you doing?
Merry: Tomatoes, sausages, nice crispy bacon...
Sam: We saved some for you, Mr. Frodo.
Frodo: (stamps onto the fire, putting it out with his bare feet) Put it out, you fools! Put it out!
(The hill is seen from far off; the fire flickers and goes out, and darkness surrounds Amon Sûl.)
Pippin: Oh, that's nice! Ash on my tomatoes.
(The wailing cry of the Nazgûl is heard from close. Next shot: the hobbits cling to each other and draw their swords,
as they see the Nazgûl emerge from the shadows and approach.)
Frodo: Go!
(They scramble further up the hill. The Nazgûl follow the hobbits to the top and face them, with their swords held high.)
Sam: Back, you devils!
(Merry, Pippin, and Sam get swiped out of the way by one vicious shove from the Ringwraiths. Frodo backs off and trips, falling backwards and scuttling on all fours. The Black Riders stand over him with their swords aimed at his heart. In a move of sudden desperation, Frodo puts on the Ring and sees the faces of the Riders in bright, sharp light. They are no longer black but ghostly white, their faces hollow and skeletal, their hands thin and bony. One of the Riders reaches down to take the Ring; Frodo swipes at him and he stabs Frodo in his left shoulder.)
Frodo: Ahhhhhhhh!
Sam: Frodo!
Frodo: (in great pain) Sam...
(Suddenly a dark figure appears in front of the white wraiths, standing protectively in front of Frodo, and swings a blaze of fire at them as they retreat with cries of pain. Frodo takes the Ring off and sees Strider driving the Riders away with a torch. The Ranger sets several of the Nazgûl on fire before they turn and flee. Sam dashes to Frodo’s side.)
Sam: Strider! Help him, Strider!
(Strider kneels beside Frodo and picks up a broken sword lying beside him.)
Strider: He has been stabbed by a Morgul blade. (tosses it away as it crumbles in his hand) This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs Elvish medicine.
(He picks Frodo up and slings him over his shoulder, and they head off into the night. The hobbits hurry along behind.)
Strider: Hurry!
Sam: We're six days from Rivendell! He'll never make it!
Frodo: (moaning) Gandalf…
Strider: Hold on, Frodo!
Frodo: Gandalf!
(A white moth flutters through the darkness and rain and flies up to the Pinnacle of Orthanc, where Gandalf is held prisoner. The wizard catches the moth in his hand and whispers urgently to it.)
Gandalf: Gwahir… go… Gwahir!
(Orcs are still cutting down trees as Saruman paces about, watching their work with cruel satisfaction. He and his Orc followers suddenly stop at a small mud pool where something is wriggling and shuddering in its depths, trying to get free. The Orcs stoop to wipe away the mud and slime, scurrying as the thing breaks free with a roar. Saruman stares in fascination as the monstrous creature struggles to its feet and growls fiercely at them—it is Lurtz, the first Uruk-Hai.)
(Strider and the hobbits are at the Trollshaws. Frodo is moaning slightly and shivering.)
Sam: Mr. Frodo? He's going cold!
Pippin: (almost in tears) Is he going to die?
Strider: He's passing into the shadow world. He'll soon become a wraith like them.
Merry: They're close!
Strider: (pulls Sam to one side) Sam, do you know the athelas plant?
Sam: Athelas?
Strider: Kingsfoil.
Sam: Kingsfoil, that’s a weed!
Strider: It may help to slow the poison. Hurry!
(Strider gives Sam a torch and goes off to look for the weed. He finds some, crouches down and takes out a knife to cut it. A blade is held near his neck and he freezes, looking up first in resignation, then in awe.)
Arwen: (from off-screen) What's this? A Ranger, caught off his guard?
(Frodo lies on the ground, pale and agonized, when suddenly a brilliant light dawns over his face. He turns his head to see a shining figure riding up on a horse; it dismounts and advances towards him, and he can see that it is a beautiful Elf-maiden.)
Arwen: Frodo... Ia Arwen. Telin le thaed. Lasto beth nin, tolo dan na galad. (I am Arwen. I have come to help you. Hear my voice. Come back to the light.)
Merry: Who is she?
(Arwen, dressed in gray Elf garb, kneels by Frodo and examines him while Strider hovers at her side.)
Arwen: Frodo?
Sam: (awed) She's an Elf.
Arwen: He's fading.
(Strider puts some of the weed into Frodo’s wound as he cries out in pain.)
Arwen: He's not going to last. We must get him to my father. (she picks him up) I've been looking for you for two days.
Merry: Where are you taking him?
Arwen: There are five wraiths behind you. Where the other four are, I do not know.
(Strider puts Frodo on the horse and faces Arwen, holding the reins.)
Strider: Dartho guin perian. Rych le ad tolthathon. (Stay with the hobbits. I will send horses for you.)
Arwen: Hon mabathon, rochon ellint im. (I'm the faster rider, I'll take him.)
Strider: Andelu i ven. (The road is too dangerous.)
Pippin: What are they saying?
Arwen: Ae athradon i hir, tur gwaith nin beriath hon. (If I can get across the river, the power of my people will protect him.) I do not fear them.
(Strider looks at her for a long moment before handing her the reins and helping Frodo onto the horse.)
Strider: Ride hard. Don't look back!
Arwen: Noro lim, Asfaloth, noro lim! (Ride fast, Shadowfax, ride fast!)
(Arwen rides off with Frodo.)
Sam: What are you doing? Those wraiths are still out there!
(Strider doesn’t answer, but looks very worried. As Arwen gallops through the forest, more of the Ringwraiths join the hunt and track her path; soon, all nine Black Riders are on Arwen’s trail, a mere few feet behind her. One draws close and reaches out for Frodo.)
Arwen: Noro lim, Asfaloth! (Ride fast, Shadowfax!)
(They speed ahead and reach the Bruinen Ford, crossing it. The Black Riders gather on the coastline, and Arwen draws her sword.)
Arwen: If you want him, come and claim him!
(All nine Black Riders draw their swords and start to cross the river. Arwen closes her eyes and begins to chant.)
Arwen: Nin o Chithaeglir, lasto beth daer, rimmo nin Bruinen dan in Ulaer! (Waters of the Misty Mountains, listen to the great word: flow waters of Loudwater against the Ringwraiths!)
(The river floods the gorge and drowns the Nazgûl who have ventured into the water. Frodo is very close to the shadow world; his breathing is shallow and his face is paler than ever. Arwen sees this and cries out, dropping her sword.)
Arwen: No! No! Frodo! No! Frodo, don't give in! Not now! (there is no answer; silently weeping, she holds him and whispers) What grace is given me, let it pass to him. Let him be spared. Save him.
(Frodo’s world dissolves into light, through which we dimly hear a voice.)
Elrond: Lasto beth nin. Tolo dan na galad. (Hear my voice. Come back to the light.)
(The light fades away as Frodo wakes up.)
Frodo: (hoarsely) Where am I?
Gandalf: You are in the house of Elrond, and it is ten o'clock in the morning—on October the twenty-fourth if you want to know.
(Gandalf is sitting by his bedside and smoking a pipe, looking very kindly at Frodo.)
Frodo: Gandalf!
Gandalf: Yes, I'm here. And you're lucky to be here too. A few more hours, and you would have been beyond our aid. But you had some strength in you, my dear hobbit. (smiles at Frodo)
Frodo: What happened? Why didn't you meet us?
Gandalf: Oh, I’m sorry, Frodo. I was...delayed.
(Flashback to Gandalf’s escape: he is in the Pinnacle, pinned to the ground by Saruman’s magic staff. Saruman sweeps the staff across the floor and Gandalf flies out over the edge of the Pinnacle, dangling in mid-air.)
Saruman: A friendship with Saruman is not lightly thrown aside. One ill turn deserves another. It is over! Embrace the power of the Ring, or embrace your own destruction!
(He tosses Gandalf back to the floor, but Gandalf lifts his head and looks defiantly at him.)
Gandalf: (evenly) There is only one Lord of the Ring, Saruman... and he does not share power.
(Gandalf jumps off the Pinnacle. Saruman rushes to the edge of the tower and sees Gandalf flying away on the back of Gwahir the Windlord, a giant eagle.)
Saruman: So you have chosen death.
(Gwahir swoops and glides over the Misty Mountains, far away from Orthanc and Isengard. Back to Frodo and Rivendell:)
Frodo: Gandalf? What is it?
Gandalf: Nothing.
Sam: Frodo! Frodo!
(Sam rushes in and fairly jumps at Frodo, grabbing his hand and beaming at him.)
Frodo: Sam!
Sam: Bless you, you're awake!
Gandalf: (smiling) Sam has hardly left your side.
Sam: We were that worried about you, weren't we, Mr. Gandalf?
Gandalf: By the skills of Lord Elrond, you are beginning to mend.
(He pauses, and lifts his head. Frodo looks up to see the Elf-lord in question bending over him.)
Elrond: Welcome to Rivendell, Frodo Baggins.
(Frodo walks around Rivendell with Sam, admiring the beautiful scenery. He meets Merry and Pippin, who yell and leap on him, hugging him fiercely. Then Frodo sees Bilbo sitting on a bench.)
Frodo: Bilbo!
Bilbo: Hello, Frodo, my lad!
(Frodo rushes to hug him.)
Frodo: Bilbo!
(They are in Bilbo’s study, and Frodo is reading.)
“There and back again: a hobbit's tale, by Bilbo Baggins.” This is wonderful!
Bilbo: (softly) I meant to go back. Wander the paths of Mirkwood, visit Laketown, see the Lonely Mountain again... But age, it seems has finally caught up with me.
Frodo: I miss the Shire. I spent all my childhood pretending I was off somewhere else, off with you on one of your adventures. But my own adventure turned out to be quite different. I'm not like you, Bilbo.
Bilbo: (deeply touched) My dear boy.
(Frodo wanders along a pathway and sees Sam sitting on a bench, going through his bag.)
Sam: (to himself) Now, what have I forgotten?
Frodo: Packed already?
Sam: No harm in being prepared.
Frodo: Thought you wanted to see the Elves, Sam.
Sam: I do!
Frodo: More than anything...
Sam: I did… It's just… We did what Gandalf wanted, didn't we? We got the Ring this far, to Rivendell. And I thought, seeing now you're on the mend, we'd be off soon. Off home.
Frodo: You're right, Sam. We did what we set out to do. The Ring will be safe in Rivendell. (smiling) I am ready to go home.
(Elrond and Gandalf watch the hobbits from Elrond’s study in a bower high above.)
Elrond: His strength returns.
Gandalf: That wound will never fully heal. He will carry it the rest of his life.
Elrond: (paces through the room) And yet, to have come so far, still bearing the Ring, the hobbit has showed extraordinary resilience to its evil.
Gandalf: It is a burden he should never have had to bear. We can ask no more of Frodo.
Elrond: Gandalf, the Enemy is moving. Sauron's forces are massing in the East. Its Eye is fixed on Rivendell. And Saruman, you tell me, has betrayed us. Our list of allies grows thin, does it not?
Gandalf: (grimly) His treachery runs deeper than you know. By foul craft Saruman has crossed Orcs with Goblin men. He's breeding an army at the caverns of Isengard—an army that can move in sunlight, and cover great distance and speed. Saruman is coming for the Ring.
Elrond: This evil cannot be concealed by the power of the Elves. We do not have the strength to fight both Mordor and Isengard! (sternly, as the wizard bows his head) Gandalf. The Ring cannot stay here.
(Dwarves, Elves, and men arrive at Rivendell, among them Boromir, Legolas, and Gimli. Back to Elrond:)
Elrond: This peril belongs to all Middle Earth. They must decide now how to end it. (looks at Gandalf) The time of the Elves is over. My people are leaving these shores. Who will you look to when we've gone? The Dwarves? They hide in their mountains seeking riches. They care nothing for the troubles of others.
Gandalf: It is in men that we must place our hope.
Elrond: Men? Men are weak. The race of men is failing. The blood of Númenor is all but spent, its pride and dignity forgotten. It is because of men the Ring survives. (quietly) I was there, Gandalf. I was there three thousand years ago.
(Flashback to Isildur slicing the Ring off Sauron’s hand and to Mount Doom.)
Elrond: (voiceover, bitterly) Isildur took the Ring. I was there the day the strength of men failed.
(As Isildur contemplates the ring in his hand, Elrond stands over him.)
Elrond: Isildur! Hurry!
Elrond: (voiceover) I led Isildur into the heart of Mount Doom, where the Ring was forged—the one place it could be destroyed.
(The two warriors are standing on the edge of a cliff deep in the heart of Mount Doom, surrounded by flames. Isildur lags behind noticeably.)
Elrond: Cast it into the fire. Destroy it!
(But Isildur’s eyes gleam strangely.)
Isildur: No.
(He turns, still holding the Ring, and walks away.)
Elrond: (frantically) Isildur!
(Back to Elrond’s study in Rivendell. The Elf-lord bows his head with a slight sigh.)
Elrond: It should have ended that day, but evil was allowed to endure. Isildur kept the Ring... the line of kings is broken. There's no strength left in the world of men—they are scattered, divided, leaderless.
Gandalf: There is one who could unite them. One who could reclaim the throne of Gondor.
Elrond: He turned from that path a long time ago. He has chosen exile.
(On the following night, Boromir is looking at the shards of Narsil. The broken sword lies arranged on a stone platter, held by a stone statue; Boromir picks up the hilt and closely examines it. Strider is seated nearby, reading a book, not looking up at Boromir.)
Boromir: (softly) The shards of Narsil...the blade that cut the ring from Sauron's hand. (tests the blade and cuts his finger) Still sharp!
(He sees Strider watching him and his look of awe quickly disappears.)
Boromir: No more than a broken heirloom.
(He puts the sword back in its place and walks off, but the hilt slides from its place and falls to the ground with a clang. He pauses, almost looking back, then walks away. The hilt lies on the ground until a hand reaches down and gently picks it up. Strider holds the hilt for a moment before replacing it among the shards. He stands with his head bowed before the statue, not noticing Arwen as she glides up to him.)
Arwen: Why do you fear the past? You are Isildur's heir, not Isildur himself. You are not bound to his fate.
Aragorn: The same blood flows in my veins—the same weakness.
Arwen: Your time will come. You will face the same evil and you will defeat it. A si i-Dhúath ú-othor. Ù or le ú or nin. (The Shadow does not hold sway yet. Not over you, not over me.)
(They are now in the garden, standing among the trees as they hold hands.)
Arwen: Renech i lu i erui govannen? (Do you remember when we first met?)
Aragorn: Nauthannem i ned i ol reniannen. (I thought I had strayed into a dream.)
Arwen: Gwenwin in enniath. U-arnech in naeth i si celich. (Long years have passed. You did not wear the troubles you carry now.) (touches his face tenderly) Renech i beth i pennen? (Do you remember what I told you?)
Aragorn: You said you'd bind yourself to me, forsaking the immortal life of your people.
Arwen: And to that I hold. I would rather share one lifetime with you than face all the ages of this world alone.
(Arwen gives Aragorn the Evenstar, her shining necklace.)
Arwen: I choose a mortal life.
Aragorn: (anguished) You cannot give me this.
Arwen: It is mine to give to whom I will. (softly) Like my heart.
(They kiss. The scene switches to the following morning, to the Council of Elrond. An assembly of people—Elves, Dwarves, men, a wizard and a hobbit—is gathered in a circle around a stone pedestal.)
Elrond: (solemnly) Strangers from distant lands, friends of old, you have been summoned to answer the threat of Mordor. Middle Earth stands upon the brink of destruction. None can escape it. You will unite, or you will fall. Each race is bound to this fate, this one doom. (motions to the pedestal) Bring forth the Ring, Frodo.
(Frodo places the Ring onto the table. It gleams in the sunlight.)
Boromir: So it is true.
[Unknown: The doom of man.]
Boromir: It is a gift. A gift to the foes of Mordor! Why not use this ring? (passionately) Long has my father, the Steward of Gondor, kept the forces of Mordor at bay—by the blood of our people your lands are kept safe. Give Gondor the weapon of the Enemy. Let us use it against him!
Aragorn: You cannot wield it! None of us can. The One Ring answers to Sauron alone. It has no other master.
Boromir: And what would a ranger know of this matter?
Legolas: (standing up) This is no mere ranger. He is Aragorn, son of Arathorn, and you owe him your allegiance.
Boromir: Aragorn? This is Isildur's heir?
Legolas: And heir to the throne of Gondor.
Aragorn: (quietly) Havo dad, Legolas. [Sit down, Legolas.]
Boromir: (resentfully) Gondor has no king. Gondor needs no king. (sits back down)
Gandalf: Aragorn is right. We cannot use it.
Elrond: You have only one choice. The Ring must be destroyed.
Gimli: What are we waiting for?
(He rushes forward with his axe held high and brings it down on the Ring. The Eye of Sauron flashes and Frodo winces, holding his head. The axe breaks into several pieces as Gimli stumbles backwards, stunned by the force of the impact; the Ring lies unscathed.)
Elrond: The Ring cannot be destroyed, Gimli, son of Glóin, by any craft that we here possess. The Ring was made in the fires of Mount Doom, and only there can it be unmade. It must be taken deep into Mordor and cast back into the fiery chasm from whence it came. One of you must do this.
(Silence.)
Boromir: One does not simply walk into Mordor. Its black gates are guarded by more than just Orcs. There is evil there that does not sleep. And the great Eye is ever watchful. It is a barren wasteland, riddled with fire and ash and dust. The very air that you breathe is a poisonous fume. (shaking his head) Not with ten thousand men could you do this. It is folly.
Legolas: Have you heard nothing that Lord Elrond has said? The Ring must be destroyed!
Gimli: And I suppose you think you're the one to do it!
Boromir: And if we fail, what then? What happens when Sauron takes back what is his?
Gimli: (roaring) I will be dead before I see the Ring in the hands of an Elf!
(All the Elves and Dwarves stand up, shouting at each other in fury. Everyone is arguing except Frodo, who stares at the Ring in horrified fascination as he hears the voice of the Ring.)
The Ring: ...Ash nazg durbatuluk, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg gimbatul, ash nazg gimbatul!
Frodo: I will take it! I will take it!
(Everyone else stops and listens to him in silence. Gandalf closes his eyes sadly.)
I will take the Ring to Mordor… (less certainly) though … I do not know the way.
Gandalf: I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it is yours to bear.
Aragorn: By my life or death, if I can protect you, I will. You have my sword.
Legolas: And you have my bow.
Gimli: And my axe!
(Legolas looks less than pleased at Gimli’s declaration. Boromir approaches them.)
Boromir: You carry the fate of us all, little one. If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done.
(Sam bursts into the courtyard through the hedges.)
Sam: Hey!
(He crosses his arms stubbornly as he rushes to stand beside Frodo.)
Mr. Frodo's not going nowhere without me!
Elrond: (bemused) No, indeed! It is hardly possible to separate you even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not.
(Merry and Pippin, who have been spying on the Council from behind two pillars, give each other horrified looks and jump out from their hiding places.)
Merry: Oi! We're coming too!
(Elrond glares at them in exasperation as they cross the courtyard and stand in front of the gathered Company.)
You'd have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us!
Pippin: Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission… quest… thing.
(Merry rolls his eyes.)
Merry: Well, that rules you out, Pip.
Elrond: (softly) Nine companions. (louder) So be it! You shall be the Fellowship of the Ring.
Pippin: Great. So… where are we going?
(In Bilbo’s room, where Bilbo and Frodo are standing together; Bilbo is helping Frodo to pack:)
Bilbo: My old sword, Sting. Here, take it, take it!
Frodo: It's so light.
Bilbo: Yes, yes… made by the Elves, you know? The blade glows blue when Orcs are close, and it’s at times like that, my lad, when you have to be extra careful. Here's a pretty thing... (lifts up a silver mail shirt) Mithril! As light as a feather, and as hard as dragon’s scales. Let me see you put it on.
(Frodo begins to unbutton his shirt. Bilbo sees the Ring hanging on Frodo’s neck and suddenly falters.)
Oh… M-my old ring. I sh-should very much like to hold it again, one last time.
(Frodo slowly begins to button up his shirt again. Bilbo, transformed by the Ring, lunges towards Frodo with a vicious hiss; Frodo backs away with a shout. Bilbo sinks back, his normal self again, and starts to cry.)
I'm sorry I brought this upon you, my boy... I'm sorry that you must carry this burden... I'm sorry for everything!
(He sits down on a chair, still crying. Frodo approaches him hesitantly from behind and places his hand on Bilbo's shoulder, which Bilbo clasps in his own.)
(The Fellowship departs from Rivendell. They are travelling together.)
Gandalf: We must hold this course west from the Misty Mountains for forty days. If our luck holds, the Gap of Rohan will still be open to us. From there, our road turns east to Mordor.
(The Fellowship has stopped to rest. Boromir is teaching Merry and Pippin to use a sword.)
Boromir: Two, one, five. Very good!
(Aragorn is watching them impassively and smoking a pipe.)
Aragorn: Move your feet!
Merry: That's good, Pippin.
Pippin: Thanks.
Boromir: Faster.
Gimli: If anyone was to ask for my opinion, which I note they're not, I'd say we were taking the long way round. Gandalf! We could pass through the Mines of Moria. My cousin Balin would give us a royal welcome!
Gandalf: (seriously) No, Gimli. I would not take the roads through Moria unless I had no other choice.
(Legolas, leaping from rock to rock, sees something in the sky. Boromir is still fighting with Pippin, and by accident he nicks Pippin’s hand.)
Pippin: Ahhh! (drops his sword)
Boromir: (instantly concerned) Sorry!
Pippin: Get him!
Merry: For the Shire!
(The two hobbits leap on Boromir and wrestle him to the ground, all three laughing together.)
Merry: Arrrr! He got my arm, he got my arm!
Sam: (seeing the thing in the sky) What is that?
Gimli: Nothing, it's just a wisp of cloud.
(Boromir stands up, with the hobbits still clinging to him.)
Boromir: Well, it's moving fast. Against the wind.
Legolas: Crébain from Dunland!
Aragorn: (leaps to his feet) Hide!
Boromir: Merry, Frodo!
Aragorn: Come on! Come on! Take cover!
(All hide in various places. The crébain swoop down over them like a flock of crows, screeching and shrieking, then wing their way west to Isengard.)
Gandalf: Spies of Saruman. The passage south is being watched. We must take the pass of Caradhras.
(The Fellowship is walking up steep and snowy mountains. Frodo falls, but Aragorn catches him and lifts him up.)
Aragorn: Frodo!
(Frodo brushes himself off—and sees that he has dropped the Ring. Boromir picks it up.)
Boromir.
Boromir: (musing, staring at the Ring) It is a strange fate... For which we should suffer so much fear and doubt, over so small a thing... such a little thing...
Aragorn: Boromir! (the warrior of Gondor looks up) Give the ring to Frodo.
Boromir: As you wish. I care not.
(Boromir hands the Ring back to Frodo, then laughs and ruffles Frodo's hair. As Boromir turns away and marches back up the hill, Aragorn releases his sword hilt for the first time since Boromir picked up the Ring.)
(The crébain make their way to Isengard, to Saruman.)
Saruman: So, Gandalf, you try to lead them over Caradhras. And if that fails, where then will you go? If the mountain defeats you, will you risk the more dangerous road?
Saruman: (voiceover) Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse, nai yarvaxea rasselya! (Wake up, cruel Redhorn! May your horn be bloodstained!)
(The Fellowship walk along the edge of a mountain, following in the trail Gandalf breaks in the deep snow with his staff. Legolas, the light-footed Elf, walks on top of the snow, when suddenly he stops and listens.)
Legolas: There is a foul voice on the air!
Gandalf: It's Saruman!
(An avalanche tumbles from an outcrop above, but narrowly misses the Fellowship.)
Aragorn: He's trying to bring down the mountain! Gandalf! We must turn back!
Gandalf: No! (lifts his staff) Losto, Caradhras, sedho, hodo nuitho i ’ruith! (Sleep, Caradhras, be still, lie still, hold your wrath!)
(Saruman stands on the Pinnacle of Orthanc and continues the spell, chanting as a dark storm cloud rises over the mountains.)
Saruman: Cuiva nwalca Carnirasse, nai yarvaxea rasselya; talhira notto-carinnar! (Wake up, cruel Redhorn! May your horn be bloodstained! Bow to the power of Isengard!)
(The second avalanche falls and hits the Fellowship, and they are buried under the snow. Legolas is the first to emerge, shaking himself free as the others struggle loose.)
Boromir: We must get off the mountain! Make for the Gap of Rohan! Or take the west road to my city!
Aragorn: The Gap of Rohan takes us too close to Isengard!
Gimli: If we cannot go over the mountain, let us go under it! Let us go through the Mines of Moria!
(Gandalf suddenly looks worried and remains silent. He hears a voice from a long time past, talking just for him.)
Saruman: (voiceover) Moria. You fear to go into those mines. The Dwarves delved too greedily and too deep. You know what they awoke there in the darkness of Khazad-dûm: shadow and flame!
Gandalf: Let the Ringbearer decide… Frodo?
Frodo: We will go through the mines.
Gandalf: (lifting his head) So be it.
(Outside Moria. They are in a dark and dirty cave, with a wide pool. A set of stone steps leads up to an intricately carved door with Elvish writing on it.)
Gimli: (awestruck) The walls of Moria!
Gandalf: Now, let’s see. (goes to the door) Ithildîn. It mirrors only starlight and moonlight.
(He passes his staff over the writing and it glows, illuminating the entire door.)
It reads: ‘The doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter.’
Merry: What do you suppose that means?
Gandalf: Oh, it's quite simple. If you are a friend, speak the password, and the doors will open. Annon Edhellen, edro hi ammen! (Gate of the Elves, open now for me!)
(Nothing happens. Gandalf tries again.)
Ando Eldarinwa, a lasta quettanya, Fenda Casarinwa! (Gate of Elves, listen to my word, Threshold of Dwarves!)
(Still nothing. Gandalf tries again and again, as the Fellowship scatters to sit down on rocks and rest. Aragorn looses Bill the pony from his tether and turns him loose, with Sam watching mournfully.)
Aragorn: The mines are no place for a pony—even one so brave as Bill.
Sam: Bye bye, Bill.
Aragorn: Go on, Bill, go on. (the horse trots away) Don't worry, Sam. He knows the way home.
(Merry and Pippin are throwing stones into the water. Aragorn comes up and stops them, putting a hand on their shoulders.)
Do not disturb the water.
Gandalf: Oh, it's useless. (sits down and grumbles)
(Frodo approaches the doors.)
Frodo: It's a riddle. ‘Speak, friend, and enter.’ (to Gandalf) What's the Elvish word for friend?
Gandalf: Mellon.
(The doors open with a crack and a boom, and the Fellowship enters. Gimli is exultant, boasting to Legolas.)
Gimli: Soon, Master Elf, you will enjoy the fabled hospitality of the Dwarves! Roaring fires, malt beer, red meat of the bone! This, my friend, is the home of my cousin Balin! (chuckling fondly) And they call it a mine. A mine!
Boromir: (suddenly) This is no mine. It's a tomb.
(All around them in the crumbling ruins are dead bodies and skeletons of Dwarves.)
Gimli: (dismayed) No! Nooo! Noooo!
Legolas: (takes out an arrow from a dead body) Goblins!
Boromir: Make for the Gap of Rohan. We should never have come here! Now get out of here! Get out!
(They back out, but Frodo is seized around the waist by a tentacle from a huge squid-like creature in the water, awoken by Merry and Pippin’s rocks.)
Sam: Aragorn!
(The hobbits slash at the creature with their swords.)
Merry: Aragorn!
Frodo: Ugh! Aaah! Aaaaah!
(Aragorn, Boromir, and Legolas join them, and together they manage to free Frodo from the creature.)
Gandalf: Into the mines!
Boromir: Legolas!
(Legolas coolly turns and fires two arrows at the creature’s eyes. It shrieks as it rears out of the water and crumbles the doors down, blocking the way out. The Fellowship makes it into the mine just before the door is broken. There is complete darkness and silence for a few minutes, as everyone catches their breath, before the light at the end of Gandalf’s staff flickers into life. It casts an eerie glow everywhere, illuminating the shadows.)
Gandalf: We now have but one choice. We must face the long dark of Moria. Be on your guard. There are older and fouler things than Orcs in the deep places of the world. (goes up a long flight of steps, as the Fellowship follows in single file) It's a four-day journey to the other side. Let us hope that our presence may go unnoticed.
(They climb up several flights of stairs. On one of them, Pippin scrambles on the steps and lets some rocks fall onto Merry.)
Merry: Pippin!
(Gandalf stops at the top of the stairs and looks around, staring hard at the walls.)
Gandalf: I have no memory of this place.
(They stop for a while. Gandalf sits on a ledge above the Fellowship, listening to Merry and Pippin’s voices below.)
Pippin: Are we lost?
Merry: No.
Pippin: I think we are.
Merry: Shhh, Gandalf’s thinking.
Pippin: Merry.
Merry: What?
Pippin: I'm hungry.
(Frodo joins him, looking apprehensively out into the distance. Something in the cavern beyond scuttles up the steep walls.)
Frodo: There's something down there.
Gandalf: (calmly) It's Gollum.
Frodo: Gollum?
Gandalf: He's been following us for three days.
Frodo: He escaped the dungeons of Barad-dûr?
Gandalf: (turning to face Frodo) Escaped? Or was set loose?
(On Gollum, his eyes gleaming like a cat’s in the half-light, as he peers up at them.)
He hates and loves the Ring as he hates and loves himself. He will never be rid of his need for it.
(Gollum disappears. Back to Frodo:)
Frodo: It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance.
Gandalf: (sharply) Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death, even in judgement. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or evil. Before this is over, the pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of the Ring.
Frodo: (hesitantly) I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
(When he looks up at the wizard, Gandalf’s eyes are kind.)
Gandalf: So do all that live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world besides the will of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring—in which case, you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought. (looks past Frodo and brightens up) Eh, it's that way!
(Everyone in the Fellowship looks up at him.)
Merry: He's remembered!
Gandalf: No, but the air doesn't smell so foul down here. If in doubt, Meriadoc, always follow your nose.
(He hurries down a path hewn into the rock, like a tunnel, and the Fellowship follows him. They emerge into a wide space, only dimly lit by Gandalf’s staff.)
Let me risk a little more light.
(The light on Gandalf’s staff brightens, and we can see that the Fellowship is standing in a great hallway with tall pillars.)
Behold, the great realm of the Dwarf city of Dwarrowdelf.
Sam: Well there's an eye opener, and no mistake.
(They all look around in awe, but Gimli lets out a cry and runs into a chamber next to the hallway.)
Gandalf: Gimli!
(The Fellowship follows him into the Chamber of Mazarbul. Gimli is staring at the ruins of the room and the bodies of the Dwarves in horror.)
Gimli: No! Oh, no! No!
(He starts to weep when he sees a stone tomb resting in the middle of the room. Everyone else approaches quietly, and Gandalf reads the inscription on the tomb aloud.)
Gandalf: ‘Here lies Balin, son of Fundin, Lord of Moria.’ (bows his head, as Gimli rests his head on Balin’s tomb and cries) He is dead then. It is as I feared.
(Gandalf sees a book, dusty and falling to pieces, lying on the ground. He gives Pippin his hat and staff and picks up the book, turning its pages.)
Legolas: (aside, to Aragorn) We must move on. We cannot linger.
Gandalf: (reads aloud) ‘They have taken the bridge and the second hall. We have barred the gates, but cannot hold them for long. The ground shakes. The drums, drums in the deep. We cannot get out. A shadow moves in the dark. We cannot get out.’ (looks up) They are coming.
(Pippin touches a skeleton by a well. It crumbles and falls into the well with a series of bangs, clanks, and clatters. The Fellowship freezes, holding their breath. Then Gandalf snaps the book shut with a crack and grabs his staff and hat from Pippin, who looks as if he wants the floor to open up and swallow him whole.)
Fool of a Took! Throw yourself in next time, and rid us of your stupidity!
(Low drumming noises are heard from afar. Frodo's sword, Sting, glows a brilliant blue.)
Sam: Frodo! (points to the sword)
Legolas: Orcs!
Aragorn: Back! Stay close to Gandalf!
(Boromir runs to the doors and slams them shut, just as the first arrows thud into the wood. He and Legolas bar the doors with axes, spears, and other weapons.)
Boromir: They have a cave troll.
Gimli: Let them come! There's one Dwarf yet in Moria that still draws breath!
(The Orcs break through the door and there is a violent battle. The door rumbles and sways before being smashed into splinters by a huge mace, swung by a huge cave troll. It staggers into view and roars loudly. Sam stuns two Orcs with one of his frying pans.)
Sam: I'm getting the hang of this!
Aragorn: Frodo!
(Aragorn fights the troll, saving Frodo from it. Frodo scuttles away and hides behind one of the pillars, but the cave troll sneaks up behind him and howls in his face. Frodo tries to flee, but gets speared in one swift stroke by the troll and crumples to the ground.)
Sam: Frodo! Frodo!
(As everyone in the Fellowship registers that Frodo must be dead, there is shock and horror on their faces. Merry and Pippin let out a yell and jump onto the troll’s back, pelting it with stones. Legolas shoots an arrow into its throat, and the troll collapses. Aragorn crawls over to Frodo.)
Aragorn: (softly) Oh, no…
(Frodo groans.)
Sam: He's alive!
Frodo: I'm all right. I'm not hurt.
Aragorn: (very relieved) You should be dead—that spear would have skewered a wild boar!
Gandalf: (dryly) I think there's more to this hobbit than meets the eye.
(Frodo reveals his shirt made of mithril.)
Gimli: Mithril! You are full of surprises, Master Baggins!
(The sounds of more Orcs approaching are heard.)
Gandalf: Quick! To the bridge of Khazad-dûm!
(The Fellowship runs from the Chamber and out into the hallway of pillars. Moria is now swarming with Orcs, and soon they are surrounded. Just as the horde of Orcs closes in on them, a red glow is seen at the end of the hallway, illuminating the pillars. The Orcs shriek with fright and run away as the light intensifies. Legolas is ready to shoot, but when he realizes what is coming he lowers his bow, fear in his eyes.)
Boromir: What is this new devilry?
Gandalf: A Balrog—a demon of the ancient world. The foe is beyond any of you. Run!
(They run down the corridor. Boromir, who is in the lead and holding a torch, suddenly skids to a halt as the hallway ends abruptly in a steep flight of stairs; Legolas grabs him and pulls him backwards as the torch falls from Boromir’s hand and into a gaping pit beyond the edge of the stairs.)
Aragorn: Gandalf!
Gandalf: Lead them on, Aragorn! The bridge is near. Do as I say! Swords are no more use here!
(He urges them on as they hurry down the stairs. They encounter a gap on the stairs, and Legolas jumps nimbly over it.)
Legolas: Gandalf!
(Gandalf jumps over and Legolas catches him.)
Boromir: Merry! Pippin!
(Boromir takes the two hobbits with him and jumps to the other side.)
Aragorn: Sam. (throws him to Boromir, and is about to toss Gimli)
Gimli: Nobody tosses a Dwarf!
(He jumps, but scrambles on the edge and nearly falls. Legolas grabs him by the beard and hoists him back up.)
(growling) Not the beard!
(A huge rock falls on the stairs, widening the gap. Only Aragorn and Frodo are left. The stairs crack and start to wobble dangerously, teetering from one side to the other.)
Aragorn: Lean forward!
(They shift their weight forward, and the stairs fall towards the rest of the Fellowship, bridging the gap. Aragorn and Frodo hurriedly cross and everyone rushes across the bridge of Khazad-dûm, a narrow stone arch across the deepest part of the abyss.)
Gandalf: Over the bridge! Fly!
(Everyone crosses to safety—except Gandalf, who remains on other side of bridge and turns to face the Balrog. It is a fearsome sight, a huge, furious fire demon with blazing eyes and a thunderous roar. In one hand it cracks a long, fiery whip.)
You cannot pass!
Frodo: Gandalf!
Gandalf: (holding up his staff) I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor! The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn!
(The Balrog strikes Gandalf with his fiery whip. Gandalf’s staff glows and a white magical shield is created, deflecting the whip with several sparks flying.)
Go back to the Shadow!
(The Balrog howls and raises his whip, and Gandalf lifts his staff high, thundering aloud:)
YOU SHALL NOT PASS!
(He brings his staff down hard. It cracks into the stone and the entire bridge breaks, causing the Balrog to tumble from its perch and fall into the abyss. Gandalf turns around to join the rest, but the whip of the Balrog, still flailing in the air, lashes out and catches his ankle. He grabs onto the edge of the bridge, trying to resist its pull, but cannot keep his grip. Boromir grabs Frodo to stop him running back to Gandalf.)
Frodo: No! Gandalf!
Gandalf: Fly, you fools!
(And he falls, soon swallowed up by the darkness in the abyss.)
Frodo: Nooooooooooooooooo!
(Frodo cries and struggles as Boromir carries him away. Aragorn remains behind, still looking into the abyss in frozen shock. Orcs are shooting at him with arrows.)
Boromir: Aragorn!
(Aragorn slowly turns and follows him. The Fellowship emerges from the ruins of Moria and into the bright daylight, amid the snow. The hobbits are weeping, Gimli is shouting and struggling to get free as Boromir holds him back, and Legolas seems stunned. Aragorn stands alone, silent for a long while. Finally, he turns to the Elf.)
Aragorn: Legolas. Get them up.
Boromir: (hoarsely) Give them a moment, for pity's sake!
Aragorn: By nightfall these hills will be swarming with Orcs. We must reach the woods of Lothlórien. Come, Boromir, Legolas, Gimli, get them up. On your feet, Sam. (helps him up, as Boromir and Legolas help Merry and Pippin to their feet) Frodo! Frodo!
(Frodo, who has drawn away from the rest, stops and turns around. Tears are spilling down his face.)
(Later on, Aragorn runs ahead of the Fellowship and crosses a shallow, clear stream. He sees a leafy, lush forest in the valley below and smiles to himself. Next shot: the Fellowship runs across a green field and into the woods of Lothlórien. Leaves fall everywhere in golden showers as the faint sound of Elven singing is heard again.)
Gimli: Stay close, young hobbits. They say that a great sorceress lives in these woods—an Elf witch, of terrible power. All who look upon her fall under her spell...
Galadriel’s voice: (softly) Frodo.
(Frodo starts, listening intently.)
Gimli: ...And are never seen again.
Galadriel’s voice: Your coming to us is as the footsteps of doom. You bring great evil here, Ringbearer.
Sam: (curiously) Mr. Frodo?
Gimli: Well, here's one Dwarf she won't ensnare so easily! I have the eyes of a hawk and ears of a fox!
(He turns around to see an arrow aimed at his nose. More Elven archers appear, drawing their bows and aiming their arrows, and the Fellowship is surrounded.)
Oh...
(Haldir, the chief archer of Lórien, steps past the ranks of Elves.)
Haldir: (coldly) The Dwarf breathes so loud we could have shot him in the dark.
Aragorn: Haldir o Lórien. Henion aníron, boe ammen i dulu lîn. Boe ammen veriad lîn. (Haldir of Lórien. We come here for help. We need your protection.)
Gimli: Aragorn! These woods are perilous. We should go back!
Haldir: You have entered the Realm of the Lady of the Wood. You cannot go back. (turns) Come, she is waiting.
(They arrive at Caras Galadhon, a beautiful silvery Elven-city. Elves clad in white glide past them as the Fellowship climbs a set of stone steps. They pause, and a blinding white light envelops them; the light fades away to reveal Celeborn and Galadriel, noblest of the Elves, descending the steps to meet them.)
Celeborn: Eight that there are here, yet nine there were set out from Rivendell. Tell me, where is Gandalf? For I much desire to speak with him.
(Galadriel looks at Aragorn’s eyes for the answer and reads his sorrow there.)
Galadriel: He has fallen into shadow. (looks around to each of the Fellowship) The quest stands upon the edge of a knife. Stray but a little, and it will fail... to the ruin of all.
(She looks directly at Boromir who starts shaking uncontrollably.)
Yet hope remains while the Company is true.
(Now she looks at Sam, who does not look away. She smiles at them all.)
Do not let your hearts be troubled, go now and rest, for you are weary with sorrow and much toil. Tonight, you will sleep in peace.
Galadriel’s voice: (to Frodo, as she is speaking aloud) Welcome, Frodo of the Shire...one who has seen
the Eye!
(The Fellowship are sitting underneath the roots of an ancient tree, eating and resting. Legolas, wearing a white robe, holds a taper and listens to the melodic singing of the Elves.)
Legolas: A lament for Gandalf.
Merry: What do they say about him?
Legolas: (bows his head) I have not the heart to tell you. For me, the grief is still too near.
(Boromir sits a little apart from the rest, brooding quietly. Aragorn climbs down the steps to join him.
Aragorn: Take some rest. These borders are well protected.
Boromir: I will find no rest here. (unsteadily) I heard a voice inside my head. She spoke of my father and the fall of Gondor. She said to me, even now there is hope left. But I cannot see it. It is long since we had any hope.
(He looks out into the darkening woods, his eyes full of despair.)
My father is a noble man, but his rule is failing, and our—our people lose faith. He looks to me to make things right—and I will do it. I will see the glory of Gondor restored!
(When he turns back to Aragorn, his face is alight with pride.)
Have you ever seen it, Aragorn? The white tower of Ecthelion? Glimmering like a spike of pearl and silver, its banner caught high in the morning breeze... Have you ever been called home by the clear ringing of silver trumpets?
Aragorn: (quietly) I have seen the White City... long ago.
Boromir: (smiles at him for the first time) One day our paths will lead us there, and the tower guard shall take up the call, for the Lords of Gondor have returned.
(The other hobbits are sleeping. Frodo sees Galadriel walking among them, silently and barefooted, and follows her. They both descend into a hollow clearing, where a golden bowl and pitcher stand before a sparkling waterfall. Galadriel fills the pitcher with water from the spring and turns to Frodo, her eyes gleaming.)
Galadriel: Will you look into the mirror?
Frodo: What will I see?
Galadriel: Even the wisest cannot tell... for the mirror shows many things.
(She pours the water into the basin, dipping the pitcher rhythmically as she speaks, like a high priestess at her shrine.)
Things that were... things that are... and some things that have not yet come to pass.
(She draws away, still holding the pitcher. Frodo slowly approaches and looks into the clear water. As the water ripples and grows dark, he sees Legolas, then Sam and Pippin. They all look sad and despairing. He then sees the Shire, filled with Orcs and fire; Sam is seen with his ankles chained on a line with many other hobbits. They are all lashed by a cruel-looking Orc with a whip. Then... the Eye of Sauron tears through the water and blazes into Frodo’s face. The hobbit feels the Ring slipping in towards the mirror, but wrenches it backwards with a desperate cry, falling onto the ground with the effort. He lies there as Galadriel watches him, unmoving, mist gently drifting off the water and vanishing into the night.)
I know what it was that you saw. For it is also in my mind. It is what will come to pass if you should fail. (moves closer to him) The Fellowship is breaking. It has already begun. He will try to take the ring. You know of whom I speak. One by one, it will destroy them all.
Frodo: (tremulously) If you ask it of me, I will give you the One Ring.
(He offers the Ring to Galadriel, who stares strangely at it in his palm.)
Galadriel: You offer it to me freely. (moves towards him, her hand outstretched and quivering) I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired this. (her voice deepens and grows louder) In the place of a Dark Lord, you will have a QUEEN!
(She changes, by the power of the Ring, and she seems very powerful and terrible with her arms outstretched. Frodo is overwhelmed.)
NOT DARK, BUT BEAUTIFUL AND TERRIBLE AS THE DAWN! TREACHEROUS AS THE SEA! STRONGER THAN THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE EARTH! ALL SHALL LOVE ME AND DESPAIR!
(Suddenly the darkness fades away, and she becomes normal again. She turns away, talking softly to herself.)
I pass the test. I will diminish, and go into the West, and remain Galadriel.
Frodo: (quietly) I cannot do this alone.
(Galadriel turns and smiles at him—warmly, kindly, but also sorrowfully.)
Galadriel: You are a Ringbearer, Frodo. To bear a Ring of Power is to be alone. This task was appointed to you, and if you do not find a way, no one will.
Frodo: Then I know what I must do. It's just... I'm afraid to do it.
Galadriel: Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.
(In Orthanc, Saruman watches over his horde of Orcs. Lurtz paces at his side, resplendent in his new armor and gear, snarling softly.)
Saruman: Do you know how the Orcs first came into being? They were Elves once, taken by the dark powers, tortured, and mutilated, ruined and terrible for life. Now perfected... my fighting Uruk-Hai. Whom do you serve?
Lurtz: Saruman!
(Saruman addresses a mass of Orcs, gathered around to hear him speak. His voice rings out.)
Saruman: Hunt them down! Do not stop until they are found. You do not know pain, you do not know fear. You will taste men’s flesh!
(The Orcs roar and cheer, waving their weapons in the air. Saruman turns to Lurtz.)
One of the halflings carries something of great value. Bring them to me alive and unspoiled. Kill the others.
(In Lothlórien, the Fellowship has been given three silvery, swan-like boats. Frodo and Galadriel stand together on the shore.)
Galadriel: Farewell, Frodo Baggins. I give you the light of Eärendil, our most beloved star. Namarië. (Farewell.)
(She hands him a crystal vial, shining in the sunlight, then bends down and kisses the top of his head. The Fellowship rows off down the river, drifting with the current. Galadriel stands on the shore and silently watches them go.)
Voice of Galadriel: May it be a light for you in dark places when all other lights go out.
(Orcs are running along the river, patrolling the shores. The Fellowship rows past them when Aragorn suddenly stands up, his face glowing. Up ahead are two huge statues hewn out of the rock, both of ancient kings of Gondor. They are noble and commanding in their war gear, towering over the boats.)
Aragorn: Frodo. (points to the statues) The Argonath. Long have I desired to look upon the Kings of old... my kin.
(They stop rowing, tugging the boats up onto the sandy bank nearby, and rest on the western shore. Boromir looks uncomfortable as he gets out of the boat, but Aragorn has a new authority in his voice when he talks.)
We cross the lake at nightfall, hide the boats, and continue on foot. We approach Mordor from the north.
Gimli: (mutinously) Oh, yes? It’s just a simple matter of finding our way through Emyn Muil! An impassable labyrinth of razor sharp rocks! And after that, it gets even better! The festering, stinking marshlands, as far as the eye can see!
(Pippin looks frightened.)
Aragorn: (calmly) That is our road. I suggest you take some rest and recover your strength, Master Dwarf.
Gimli: Recover my strength!
Legolas: (aside, to Aragorn) We should leave now.
Aragorn: No. Orcs patrol the Eastern Shore. We must wait for the cover of darkness.
Legolas: It is not the Eastern Shore that worries me. A shadow has been growing in my mind. (looks about) Something draws near. I can feel it.
Gimli: (indignantly) Recover my strength... (to Pippin) Pay no heed to that, young hobbit.
Merry: (suddenly) Where's Frodo?
(Sam, who has been dozing off, suddenly wakes up and looks around anxiously. Aragorn’s eyes go straight to a tree stump, where Boromir’s shield is lying—the warrior of Gondor is missing as well.)
(In the forest, Frodo is wandering by himself in a daze. He hears a noise behind him and jumps, but it is only Boromir gathering an armful of firewood.)
Boromir: (lightly) None of us should wander alone—you least of all. So much depends on you... (concerned) Frodo?
(Frodo doesn’t answer.)
I know why you seek solitude. You suffer. I see it day by day. You sure you do not suffer needlessly? There are other ways, Frodo... other paths that we might take—
Frodo: (interrupting) I know what you would say, and it would seem like wisdom, but for the warning in my heart.
Boromir: Warning? Against what? We're all afraid, Frodo, but to let that fear drive us to destroy what hope we have? Don't you see, it's madness!
Frodo: There is no other way!
Boromir: (angrily) I ask only for the strength to defend my people! (flings the firewood to the ground) If you would but lend me the Ring—
Frodo: No!
Boromir: Why do you recoil? I am no thief!
Frodo: You are not yourself!
Boromir: (feverishly) What chance do you think you have? They will find you. They will take the Ring. And you will beg for death before the end! (Frodo runs away) You fool! It is not yours, save by unhappy chance!
(Boromir chases Frodo and pins him to the ground as Frodo scrabbles against the earth.)
It should have been mine! Give me the Ring! Give it to me!
(Boromir manages to get hold of Frodo’s ankle.)
Frodo: No!
(Frodo puts the Ring in to his finger and disappears. He hits Boromir and the warrior tumbles to the ground.)
Boromir: (frantically) I see your mind! You will take the Ring to Sauron! You will betray us! You go to your death! And the death of us all! Curse you! Curse you! And all the Halflings!
(Boromir slips and comes to his senses.)
Boromir: Frodo? Frodo? What have I done? Frodo?
(Frodo is in the Shadow world as he runs away, darting through the forest. He climbs to the top of the Emyn Muil and sees Orthanc and the Eye of Sauron. He takes the Ring off with a cry and tumbles to the ground.)
Aragorn: Frodo?
(Frodo starts, but it is only the Ranger.)
Frodo: It has taken Boromir.
Aragorn: (suddenly tense) Where is the Ring?
Frodo: Stay away!
Aragorn: Frodo! I swore to protect you!
Frodo: Can you protect me from yourself?
(Frodo shows him the Ring, holding it out to him on his palm.)
Would you destroy it?
(The Ring whispers to Aragorn, but he kneels before Frodo and closes Frodo's hand over the Ring, silencing the voices.)
Aragorn: I would have gone with you to the end—(voice breaking)—into the very fires of Mordor.
Frodo: (quietly) I know. Look after the others. Especially Sam. He will not understand.
(Aragorn seems about to say something else, but he sees Frodo’s blade glowing blue and quickly gets to his feet.)
Aragorn: Come on, Frodo. Run! Run!
(Frodo turns and flees, running through the forest. Aragorn faces the Orcs, coolly drawing his blade, and fights them. Cut to Sam, who is chasing Frodo amid the trees and scattered leaves.)
Sam: Mr. Frodo!
Lurtz: (roaring) Find the Halflings! Find the Halflings!
Aragorn: Elendil!
(Legolas and Gimli arrive to help Aragorn; Legolas rapidly shoots off arrows while Gimli hacks away with his axe.)
Legolas: Aragorn! Go!
(Frodo hides behind a tree, ducking down. Merry and Pippin are hiding nearby; they motion for him to join them, their faces alight.)
Merry: Frodo!
Pippin: Hide here, quick! Come on!
(Frodo shakes his head, his eyes infinitely sad.)
What's he doing?
(Frodo shakes his head again, close to tears.)
Merry: (softly) He's leaving.
Pippin: No!
Merry: Pippin!
(Too late—Pippin jumps out of his hiding place, and Merry follows him. Orcs are coming, tumbling down the steep hill and running straight at them.)
Run, Frodo. Go! (waves his arms at the Orcs) Hey, hey, you! Over here!
Pippin: Over here! Over here! This way!
(The Uruk-Hai chase them, growling and snarling. Frodo only has time for one grateful look before he is off and running again, speeding away.)
It's working!
Merry: I know it's working! Run!
(Merry and Pippin are surrounded by the Orcs. They are about to be killed when Boromir jumps out of nowhere and hurls himself at the Orcs, defending the hobbits. As the crowd of Urûk-hai overwhelms him, he blows his horn, signaling to the others. Legolas is fighting on top of the hill when he stops and listens.)
Legolas: The horn of Gondor!
Aragorn: Boromir!
(They make their way towards Boromir, who gets fatally shot by Lurtz as he is fighting off two more Orcs. He wavers only momentarily before continuing to fight. He gets shot three more times, and finally falls to the ground. Merry and Pippin cry out with grief and charge at the Orcs, who lift them up easily and carry them away. They struggle fiercely and yell out to Boromir as they are dragged past him, but the warrior of Gondor can only watch in despair as they disappear. He is about to collapse when a single Orc approaches—Lurtz, drawing his bow for the final shot. He is about to shoot Boromir in the head, but Aragorn appears and fights him off, slaying him. Boromir is lying on the ground as Aragorn rushes over to him.)
Boromir: (gasping for breath) They took the little ones...
Aragorn: Lie still.
Boromir: Frodo. Where is Frodo?
Aragorn: (quietly) I let Frodo go.
Boromir: Then you did what I could not. I tried to take the Ring from him.
Aragorn: The Ring is beyond our reach now.
Boromir: Forgive me. I did not see it. I have failed you all.
Aragorn: (taking Boromir’s hands in his) No, Boromir. You fought bravely. You have kept your honour.
(Aragorn is about to take an arrow out of Boromir’s chest:)
Boromir: Leave it! (struggling to breathe) It is over. The world of Men will fall. And the whole world will come to darkness... my city to ruin...
Aragorn: I do not know what strength is in my blood. But I swear to you, I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail.
Boromir: Our people... (smiling) our people.
.
(Aragorn gives him his sword. Legolas and Gimli see Aragorn leaning over Boromir, and Legolas looks dismayed.)
I would have followed you, my brother... my captain... (with his last breath) my King.
(Boromir dies. Aragorn holds back his tears as he closes his eyes.)
Aragorn: Be at peace, son of Gondor.
(He leans over Boromir’s body and gently kisses his forehead. Frodo is standing by the boats with the Ring in his palm.)
Sam: (in the distance) Frodo!
(Flashback to the conversation with Gandalf, now so long ago, as Frodo stares out across the river.)
Frodo: (voiceover) I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.
(And as if in a dream, he hears Gandalf’s voice speaking back to him, warm and kind.)
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.
(Frodo closes his hand over the Ring and stuffs it into one of his pockets, looking resolute. He sets out in one of the boats and begins to paddle, rather awkwardly because of the size of the oar. Sam reaches the shore and wades in after him.)
Sam: Frodo!
Frodo: (quietly) No, Sam. (louder, when Sam still trudges towards him) Go back, Sam! I'm going to Mordor. Alone.
Sam: Of course you are! (sloshes through the water) And I'm coming with you!
(The water rises above Sam’s waist, then above his shoulders, but still he keeps moving towards the boat. Frodo watches him with growing horror.)
Frodo: You can't swim, Sam!
(Sam's head goes under water and bubbles float to the surface.)
Sam!
(Sam sinks gently towards the bottom of the river, the water roaring in his ears as he tries vainly to reach to the surface with one hand outstretched. Suddenly his hand is gripped tightly by another one and he is pulled out of the water. Frodo drags him into the boat, but before Frodo can utter a word...)
Sam: (shivering) I made a promise, Mr. Frodo. A promise. ‘Don't you leave him, Samwise Gamgee.’ And I don't mean to. I don't mean to.
Frodo: Oh, Sam... (they hug and cry; finally Frodo pulls away and claps him on the shoulders) Come on, then.
(They row off, and the image of their boat dissolves into a second boat, where Boromir is lying with his sword and shield at hand. He looks more peaceful than he ever has in his life as the boat is carried away by the current and slips over the falls of Rauros, disappearing forever into the mist. Legolas pushes the third boat away from the shore.)
Legolas: Hurry! Frodo and Sam have reached the Eastern Shore!
(Aragorn makes no sign of following.)
(slowly, not a question) You mean not to follow them.
Aragorn: Frodo's fate is no longer in our hands.
Gimli: (roughly) Then it has all been in vain. The Fellowship has failed.
(Aragorn turns to them both, and suddenly he is no longer a Ranger, but a king—not Strider anymore, but Aragorn son of Arathorn.)
Aragorn: Not if we hold true to each other. We will not abandon Merry and Pippin to torment and death—not while we have strength left. Leave all that can be spared behind. We travel light.
(He packs up and turns to them again.)
Let's hunt some orc.
Gimli: (delighted) Yeah!
(Legolas smiles and they run off, following Aragorn over the hill. Cut to Frodo and Sam, who are standing on a cliff looking over the desolate ruins of Mordor.)
Frodo: Mordor. I hope the others find a safer road.
Sam: (confidently) Aragorn will look after them.
Frodo: I don't suppose we'll ever see them again.
Sam: We may yet, Mr. Frodo. We may.
Frodo: (turning to smile at him) Sam. I'm glad you're with me.
(He sets off down the hill. Sam grins and, without a backward glance, follows him down the path and into Mordor. Fade out to end credits.)