Screenplay critique

Caleb Barlow
Film Studies
1st McGuire
Screenplay Critique The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the continuation and the finale for The Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Fellowship parts ways to help win the final battle. Sam and Frodo follow the mysterious Gollum while they find their way to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring. Meanwhile
Aragorn, Gimli, Legolas confront the Army of the Dead to have a them as allies in the final battle.
Many problems arise with each character but the most important are those of Frodo and Aragorn. Frodo must Get through Mordor to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, and Aragorn must look within himself and realize he is the one true ruler and he will be the King of the Men I believe the theme of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is The Importance of
Redemption and Mercy. Redemption and mercy is shown through the whole movie but only by a few characters. The first key that shows you is the change in the protagonist. Frodo and Sam take the physical journey to Mordor but they are following the lead of Gollum who is making their life more difficult and harder but throughout all of it Frodo has willingly shown him mercy and has given him far many choices than most would do. Sam has seen Gollum’s treachery and wants to leave him or even kill him but Frodo was always about seeing Gollum as how he could be not for what he was. Another key is the dialogue that goes on between Gandalf and Denethor. Denethor is the squire who has taken charge of Minas Tirith while the Prince Faramir has been gone at battle. Faramir Shows up at the gate with an arrow, shot by a Nazrul, in him. Denethor thinks of him as a son and thinks
Faramir is dead so performs a ceremonial pyre to burn the prince and himself at. Before setting fire to himself and the prince, Gandalf barges in and tries to convince Denethor out of his wicked way.

Gandalf finally says, “Denethor I have given you many chances but this is the last. Make the right choice or I will!” Denethor does not, Gandalf saves Faramir and lets Denethor die. Gandalf could do nothing but watch as Denethor refuses the offer of redemption and leaps of the tower, falling to his death Symbols used in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King were limitless. The three most important, in my opinion, would be The One Ring to Rule Them All, the great city Minas Tirith, and the sword Andúril. The Ring is the reason this all started, it is the ambiguity of evil in the movie. It symbolizes both power and the horror of the man responsible of creating it, Sauron. Minas Tirith is the symbol of hope for humankind. The city sits the closest to Mordor and is the final barrier that must be breached for evil to win. The sword Andúril, originally name Narsil, symbolizes Aragorns true power and lineage. Aragorn’s ancestor used that sword to defeat sauron in the beginning which created this whole story. The sword was broken and was reforged. Aragorn carrying that sword proves that he is the
King of Men, and only the truth king can wield it. Also Aragorn used the sword to command the Army of the Dead, the one thing that that can kill them. One of the many examples that reflects human condition is the friendship between the fellowship, the bond of their brotherhood. The fellowship has been through everything together from hardship to hardship, yet they stay together and battle together to defend each other to the death.
Nothing can be more human than the friendship and bonds you make with others. They Have been together to the end of their quest and till the end further. The friendship of the fellowship has been there and back again.