Peter Jackson's The Return of the King Script/The Sacrifice of Faramir

 
EXT. MINAS TIRITH STREETS - DAY

ANGLE ON: FARAMIR leading a COLUMN of 200 KNIGHTS through the
STREETS towards the CITY GATE ... PEOPLE are rushing forward,
THROWING FLOWERS over the KNIGHTS.

CLOSE ON: GANDALF hurries alongside FARAMIR'S HORSE.

                    GANDALF
          Faramir! Your father's will has turned to
          madness! Do not throw away your life so
          rashly!

                     FARAMIR
               (deadened)
          Where does my allegiance lie if not here?

GANDALF reads the PAIN in FARAMIR'S eyes . . . he calls after
him, trying one more time to stop the YOUNG MAN.

                     GANDALF
          Your father loves you, Faramir!
               (quietly)
          And will remember it before the end.

EXT. MINAS TIRITH BATTLEMENTS - DAY

HIGH ANGLE: FARAMIR leads the 200 MOUNTED KNIGHTS through the
GATES OF MINAS TIRITH and across the PELENNOR FIELDS towards
the RUINS of OSGILIATH.

ANGLE ON: The people of MINAS TIRITH watch from the
BATTLEMENTS.

HIGH WIDE: FARAMIR'S KNIGHTS FAN OUT . . . to form one straight
line of 200 HORSEMEN.

EXT. WEST OSGILIATH - DAY

GOTHMOG and his MEN watch as the KNIGHTS approach.

                                      Final Revision - October, 2003 60,



INT. TOWER HALL, MINAS TIRITH - DAY

FAST PUSH IN . . . to PIPPIN looking on as DENETHOR eats.

                      DENETHOR
           Can you sing, Master Hobbit?

                      PIPPIN
                (uneasy)
           Well . . . yes, at least, well enough for my
           own people ... but we have no songs for
           great halls and evil times . . . we seldom
           sing of anything more terrible than wind or
           rain.

                      DENETHOR
           And why should your songs be unfit for my
           halls, or for hours such as these. Come -
           sing me a song!

PIPPIN'S simple, clear voice echoes through the VAST HALL.

                      PIPPIN V/0
           Home is behind, the world ahead,
           And there are many paths to tread.
           Through shadow to the edge of night
           Until the stars are all alight.
           Mist and shadow, cloud and shade:
           All shall fade, all shall fade.

                                                    INTERCUT WITH:

EXT. PELENNOR FIELDS/OSGILIATH RUINS - DAY

ANGLE ON: SLOW MOTION . . . TRACKING WITH THE 200 MOUNTED
KNIGHTS.

ANGLE ON: SLOW MOTION . . . GOTHMOG rises amidst the RUINS of
OSGILIATH.

ANGLE ON: SLOW MOTION . . . FARAMIR'S KNIGHTS - 75 yards away -
thundering towards camera.

PULL BACK . . . to GOTHMOG . . . he turns to CAMERA and RAISES
HIS BOW.
                                                       (CONTINUED)

                                      Final Revision - October, 2003 61
CONTINUED:


ANGLE ON: SLOW MOTION . . . Behind GOTHMOG - all over the
RUINED CITY - 5000 ORC ARCHERS rise to their feet . . . BLACK
ARROWS already strung on their BOWS!

CLOSE ON: SLOW MOTION . . . FARAMIR YELLING defiantly.

WIDE PROFILE: SLOW MOTION . . . FARAMIR'S 200 KNIGHTS ride
straight into a BLACK WALL of FLYING ARROWS . . .

AS ONE, the HORSES and HORSEMEN collapse into a CARTWHEELING,
TUMBLING HEAP . . . within seconds all are MOTIONLESS.

CLOSE ON: NORMAL SPEED . . . FAST CUTS of SCREAMING ORCS . . .

INT. TOWER HALL, MINAS TIRITH - DAY

THROUGHOUT the above sequence DENETHOR has continued to EAT.

ANGLE ON: PIPPIN finishes his bittersweet song . . . he looks
up at DENETHOR who continues as if he has not sent his son to
his death.

ANGLE ON: PIPPIN turns away, his SORROW etched on his YOUNG
FACE ...

EXT. MINAS TIRITH COURTYARD - DAY

GANDALF sits quietly in a COURTYARD, alone, defeated.

EXT. OSGILIATH BRIDGE - DAY

GREAT SIEGE TOWERS and CATAPULTS are ROLL along the REPARIED
BRIDGE which spans both sides of OSGILIATH ... They head
straight towards MINAS TIRITH ...