I remember the first time I saw this with a group of friends in theaters. The volume was set higher than normal, and the Witch King's scream left us clutching our ears right along with the characters. It was one of most effective methods of immersion that I've had the simultaneous pleasure and misfortune of experiencing.
Same here, the film was loud in the cinema! And at 1:34 I thought I had been struck deaf, but then you realise it's a trick of sound editing when the white flame goes up.
He’s also on horseback during the siege of Minas Tirith, in which he rides and blasts open the gates alongside Grond. He then stares down Gandalf, before leaving to deal with arriving Rohirrim, at which point he swaps to the fell beast, which he uses to ride down Theoden.
This scene definitely earned the academy award for best sound editing. From the sound of Minas Morgal answering Sauron's call to the earpiercing shriek of the witch king. It still gives me goosebumps to this day. I wish I could have experienced this in theatres.
It even had it's own "laser going into the sky" trope. Did it invent that at all? Seems here it was merely to tell Gondor that they're on their way, hence all the scared reaction shots.
Not sure why but I honestly feel like Minas Morgul was truly the most dark, cursed place in Middle Earth. Even Barad Dur couldn’t seem to hold a candle to it. Like the souls of who once lived there before the agents of darkness still remain, forced to live on in constant unimaginable agony.
Dol Goldur is up there too. Sauron disguised as the necromancer, a shadowmaster with dark powers. I'd put Angmar in there too. We've never seen much of the north in the movies besides the Lonely Mountain.
Gollum has good and bad in him so half the good helped too 😊 pity he didnt survive after the ring would be destroyed he sure would wake up from the curse too .
Well. it's no surprise that The Return of The King has won 11 Academy Awards including "Best Sound Mixing". The LOTR trilogy won a total of 17 Academy Awards. In total, the trilogy won 475 awards worldwide, making it the most awarded film series in cinematic history!
Seeing Frodo become momentarily possessed, walking towards the gate, seeing the city slowly seem to "wake up" to his presence- that was chilling. The entirety of the scene just radiates evil, seeming to just envelop it, like smoke.
Hmm, I wonder if Carn Dum, the capital of Angmar and former seat of the Witch-King, was also as hauntingly ghostly as Minas Morgul, formerly known as Minas Ithil back when it was under the control of Gondor
LOTR will be the best triology for ever. No fckn movie nowadays can keep up with this masterpiece. If there was anything like this again I would go to the cinema immediately and book a love chair for myself
yeah, it's one of the alltime greats. i am thankful to have been able to watch this in the cinema when it came out. I watched every movie around 10-15 times in the cinema, can you believe it
Imagine them recounting their adventure at the end. "Hey, you guys remember when Minas Morgul lit up that one night?" "Yea." "Lol, that was us, I think. We were right there at the door." "Woah, no shit."
Jeff Greenwade Frodo: Sam remember when I told you to go home because I thought you ate the bread and wanted to take the ring from me?! Sam: 😂 yeah I remember that, I was sobbing like a baby!
It wasn't caused by them. 🤦♂️ Don't you think they'd have been in a bit of trouble if that were the case? What do you even think is happening in this scene? Why do all the orcs come out?
You don’t realize how close the ring was to being found here. In the books the witch king feels like he senses the ring, and Frodo is extremely close to putting it on, but Sam stops him and since the witch king is on a tight schedule to lay siege to Gondor, he ignores the feeling. It’s awesome how on edge it is
@@ArshadKhan-ys9ey that fat piece of shit would have succumbed much earlier than frodo. I don't know why frodo is so underappreciated. Probably its because of idiots like you who only watched the movies
@@darkseidistheboss5781 chill out mate. As someone who seems to glorify in the books, you should know that Tolkien himself said that Sam is the chief hero of the story, without whom Frodo would have failed miserably. So quick to lash out and judge others...
What i like about this scene is it lets the audio and music take over the tone. Movies nowadays don't have that anymore it's all about "Top Notch CGI" and not much else. This scene gives off strong ambience creating an atmosphere even the audience start to fear, from the screeching gate effect when Frodo looks upon it down the bridge *0:56* to the Witch King screaming. I think it's important for movies to create the experience allowing the audience to feel as if they're part of the adventure too. These movies do it so well.
@@xiserhoff Well. it's no surprise that The Return of The King has won 11 Academy Awards including "Best Sound Mixing", not in sound editing. Best in sound editing was won by the movie, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World during the 76th Oscars. The LOTR trilogy won a total of 17 Academy Awards. In total, the trilogy won 475 awards worldwide, making it the most awarded film series in cinematic history!
*_How come early 2000’s CGI is millions times more convincing than this shit we have to today? look at that dragon and how real it fuccing looks it’s unbelievable!!!_*
That CGI model looks average at best by today's standards. The textures lack depth and appear very plain. The lighting only appears acceptable because of the setting, it would look hideous in a brightly lit scene. It lacks many of the finer details we've come to expect.
Morgul is the personal domain of the Witch King. Despite being a mere undead shadow, completelly obedient to Sauron, he still have a remant of the (surely) pompous nature he had as an ambitious Second Age human king. Even as an enslaved ghost he still have the need to hold a worthy seat to call as his own. His personal Morgul troops even had a separate chain of command from the ones of Mordor, as well as the personal sigil of the Witch King as war banner (a skull and a Moon if i remember correctly). In the books it's even hinted there is some form of "rivalry" between the orcs directly under the command of Sauron and those under the Witch King
This is hinted at in the film as well, there's a scene were a Mordor Orc tells another Orc "I don't take orders from stinking morgul rats!" Insinuating the second Orc to be of the morgul "tribe" :)
When looking at Minas Morgul castle, it is one of the only castles in the LOTR which is the most effectively built to be impossible to conquer. It only has a long narrow bridge towards the entrance gate, it has large water body in front of the walls (no ladders or siege towers could be set up), mountainous terrain on the sides, the walls are extremely tall (no ladder could reach up, even too far for arrows), the narrow passage to the castle is easy to defend and an army would hardly even reach the main gate, the castle even had some kind of bastions so defenders could shoot attackers from many sides. Of course its not perfect
@@luvfreedom1470 they have the Nazguls on the dragons who would see every threat in that valley from that high, the ground troups would be warned pretty wuick. But yea the narrow path also could be easily defended from the other side, like the battle of Thermopylae in 300
It was built by the Numenoreans, Minas Ithil, and was the seat of Isildur. Years after, when the great plague came was abandoned. In 2002 the Nazgûl took it with an army of Uruk-Hai. PD: English it's not my mother's tongue, I try to make my best
This is the place in entire Middle-Earth I wish we could have spent more time on. The design of Minas Morgul was haunting, absolutely perfect and I'd have loved to see the inside of it !! It's crazy how Return of the King turned 20 just a couple of weeks ago. After twenty years, still the best movie of all time
For people asking why the orcs didn't spot Frodo and Sam climbing the stair. Remember what Celeborn from Lothlorien said to the fellowship during the gift giving in FOTR, "May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes" we even saw this effect in Two Towers at the Black Gate. Had the orcs looked where they were they would have seen nothing but cliff edges, as for Gullom, Sauron isn't concerned all that much about him since he doesn't hold the ring.
I think the Witch-King's fell beast might have seen them. When it roars, it seems to be looking in their direction, then he looks over and they duck down behind the rocks. It keeps roaring and he brings it to heel with a sharp tug on the reins. He was in haste to begin the assault on Gondor swiftly under Sauron's orders, but imagine if he decided to fly over and check the stairs.
I LOVE in these movies when we get shots like 1:57 - showing the soldiers looking startled and scared. In these kind of fantasy settings, it’s hard to remember that the knights in shining armor are still ordinary people. Frightened people. People who are standing up to fight anyways because they have families and a home to protect. I don’t think the battle scenes of this trilogy would be quite as impactful without those shots. ❤️
There's tons of moments like that. The mother embracing her baby before the Rohirrim set out from Edoras. The boy wearing an ill-fitted helmet at Helm's Deep. The woman offering a flower to a knight in Faramir's suicidal charge.
@@timovangalen1589 Legit though, the scenes of the boys and old men being taken away to fight in Two Towers gets me WAY more choked up then it used to. And the scenes like you were talking about. The ones of the soldiers just have that extra punch for me. They're the ones on the front lines, scared but standing. 😭
Fun fact: when Aragorn was leading the armies of men out to attack the black gate he briefly considered turning aside to retake Minas Morgul now that the Witch King was dead and the fortress was practically undefended. But Gandalf convinced him not to because that place was so SUPER EVIL after the Nazgul had ruled it for centuries that he worried that even with it undefended it was still way to dangerous to take the army there. It was safer to attack the Black Gate and all or Suaron's armies then it was to fight the left over dregs in Minas Morgul.
This is my favorite city design in all of the movies. I love its aesthetic and design, with the jagged spires and perpetual eerie ghostly glow that surrounds it all.
The Witch King's screech in this scene never fails to give me goosebumps. The typical Nazgul scream is already terrifying, but in this scene the Witch King takes it up to 11 and then keeps going. It's so long, loud, and sounds even more nightmarish, and it has a very noticeable echo too, as if it's blaring all through the surrounding mountains. Fitting for the lead Nazgul and Sauron's number two.
The Witch King is like what Darth Vader is to the Emporer, their loyal champion. Even if they arnt on the same tier as Sauron, it makes sense why the dark lord declared him as his right hand and champion
It's easily one of the best and most effective shots of cinematography from the entire trilogy. And that's saying a lot because the entire trilogy is a masterpiece
@@jayv8068 yeah! It captures the screech of the Fellbeast in all of its ferocity and then immediately after shows you the march of the Minas Morgul army. It doesnt give you the chance to breath and overwhelms you with the might of Sauron's forces. It's very effective.
For me this is the best scene in the series. Everything is perfect. It’s so horrifying so enrapturing. The special effects. The lilting camera. The music. The sound of the Nazgûl, the sound of the dragon. Everything is so perfect. My favorite scene
Something people who havent read the books might not realize: Minas Morgul was actually built by Gondor (hence the ‘minas’ name) and basically served as the first bulwark against Mordor as well as a twin to Minas Tirith. It had a different name, but when the forces of Sauron eventually conquered it they changed it to Minas Morgul as a mockery of its origin.
One of the best scenes to witness in theaters when it premiered. Nobody ever forgot just how insane the Witch King's scream sounded...peak cinema experience.
@@DeathGoesCrazy Nope, since the magic and heroes from the First Age are far more powerful than later ages. For example two balrogs dies at the hands of elfs during the battle of Gondolin. One get tossed from a cliff, the other (Gothmog chief of the balrogs) gets headbutted in to a fountain and drowns.
And the iron dragons, too. Basically, Middle-earth's equivalent of tanks. Tolkien first started writing The Fall of Gondolin while recovering from the Battle of the Somme.
I still remember seeing this in theaters. It was some roller coaster of immersion: 0:53 I had a legit anxiety attack. 1:34 Then came the panic attack. They also did some sort of special effect so that it felt like the whole theater was shaking. 2:14 I was simply scared. I remember wishing that those gates would stay shut. I didn't want to see what was about to come out. 2:32 *THAT FUCKING SCREAM!* 2:50 The orcs started marching and the sound of their footsteps felt like it was coming all around. It was mind blowingly amazing.
I think you need to not immerse yourself so hard if your having actual anxiety attacks. I understand it's a good movie but relax. No need to be having panic attacks.
The orange glow that appears when the the earth starts trembling is described in the books as a red beacon like light that came from Barad-dur, it was Sauron's saying to the Witch-King "Now.", and the green light that came from Minas Morgul was the Witch-King saying "Okay.". Bad guys do know how to be dramatic.
I wish they showed more of Saurons beacon in the movies and not just a few flashes of red light reflecting on the ground and rocks. It would have made it way more clear what the hell the green light was for.
I remember seeing this for the first time and the soldier at 3:23 literally sent chills down my spine. The makeup and costume design for this trilogy is still unmatched.
A recurring theme in Tolkien's works is that places that were once full of joy and good that have not only been abandoned, but taken over by evil creatures and further tainted by their doings, are the most frightening places in Middle Earth. For example, in the books the Barrow-Downs are the haunted tombs of kings, and Moria is written as actual nightmare fuel. Minas Morgul was once Minas Ithil (Tower of the Moon), the City of Isildur, and it was very similar to Minas Tirith (back then known as Minas Anor, Tower of the Sun), and I don't mean in architecture but in the people who lived in it and their lifestyle: a fortified citadel filled with homes, inns, market stalls, stables, manors, and busy streets. The first White Tree of Gondor was planted here by Isildur himself. Minas Morgul (Tower of Dark Sorcery) is the result of the conquering of Minas Ithil by the Witch King. The books say there are flowers that grow around it, but they are deformed and stink of rot. Frodo and Sam both drink from a stream in *Mordor* and they're fine, though the water tastes yucky, but Faramir warns them not to drink the water of the river around Minas Morgul because it has maddening effects on people. This scene encapsulates that dreadful, unknown madness that shrouds the city: the green light, the music, the whispering noises, the shots of the statues that suggest they're sentient and talking. Moria in the movies is faithfully presented, though it doesn't scare me as much as it did in the books. Minas Morgul, on the other hand, is chef's kiss absolutely gorgeous audiovisual design that shrouds the city in its characteristic aura of mystery and dread.
“Upon the further side, some way within the valley's arms, high on a rocky seat upon the black knees of the Ephel Dúath, stood the walls and tower of Minas Morgul. All was dark about it, earth and sky, but it was lit with light. Not the imprisoned moonlight welling through the marble walls of Minas Ithil long ago, Tower of the Moon, fair and radiant in the hollow of the hills. Paler indeed than the moon ailing in some slow eclipse was the light of it now, wavering and blowing like a noisome exhalation of decay, a corpse-light, a light that illuminated nothing.”
I remember seeing this in theaters. This scene was truly unsettling. I still feel chills every time I see it. The sound, music, and so on was just done SO well.
Pootis Pencer I am not calling the screech bad. I’m saying using headphones with that screech and how high pitched it is, can be bad for your ears. I love the speech itself.
@@combineadvisorwithinternet6040 fun fact, the nazgul scream is composed of a man screaming, the dude who made the movies wife screaming, and a horse orgasm
I love how Gollum paused before saying it was full of "Enemies," not Orcs specifically. Because even just by looking at that place you can tell there are far worse things in there than Orcs.
Frodo, Sam and Gollum's arrival at Minas Morgul was actually perfectly-timed - if they'd been late, they probably never would've avoided being seen by the orc army while they were marching out; and if they'd arrived earlier and had been on the Stair when Morgul's army marched out, they would've either fallen from the shock when Morgul's tower blasted out its light or from the Witch-king's shriek, or otherwise would've probably been seen by the Witch-king on his fell-beast.
The same can be said for the beginning of their journey as well. Pretty sure there was a Black Rider ALREADY in Hobbiton as they were leaving (at least in the book). If they left even a hour later it probably would've found and killed them.
@@thisisausername1506currently rereading the book and got done with that part recently. That’s one of those things you don’t even realize until you reread how close it really was. Just another one of Tolkien’s little details that makes it so great
You know I just now realized that those two statues at the front of the bridge are Balrogs. Which honestly feels like a neat subtle reference to their history with Sauron and Morgoth.
Yep, well I'm pretty sure they just stole peoples metal garden fences and cut the railings out and told the orcs they were proper spears when they handed them out. The poor orcs probably knew better but were too afraid to argue back
Many of those were actual weapons. Look up medieval pikes. The armour on the orcs during the battle of Minas Tirith was serious. Not many armies even in the real world medieval times could afford to arm a few hundred men with heavy armour, not even speaking about a thousand.
@@scudb5509 but, I think only those orcs had better arms and armour where as the urukhai all had formidable Spears, Shields, swords, and or crossbows. The orcs if Minas Morgul under the witch King and those under Sauron from Mordor weren't as greatly equiped altogether.
I think this scene freaks me out a lot more now that I'm older. The pure unadulterated desperation in Frodo's eyes is pretty unsettling to me, and the shot of the stairs at 0:42 especially damn near sent shivers up my spine.
in my opinion, there is no doubt that this is the best trilogy of all time, when you think about its quality and QUANTITY. so many good moments, so many good scenes, so many good speeches. you can go hours talking with your buddies just going through everything good in this.
1:28 I was 11 when this movie came out, and when that beam fired into the sky, it was scaring the ever loving shit outta me. I had no idea what was going on, I thought they accidently triggered something by getting too close to the city. I was about to close my eyes in terror
When I was a kid, this scene along with the Nazguls surrounding the hobbits in the first movie, always creeped me out. Always got scared when it zoomed in on the gargoyle. The directors perfected this city in making it have a super eerie feel as well as keeping it mysterious.
To be the main villain one doesn't need to be at the top of his hierarchical system. Darth Vader is both the main villain and the main character in Star Wars, being at the center of everything
@@eikamik1123 Although the series as a whole has no true main character, Luke would be the closest possible thing to a main character regarding the films and some of the EU, Lucas himself even stated this. Also, MAIN villains kind of DO have to be at the top of their hierarchy. Or at the very least, they have to be the biggest source of misfortune in the protagonist's world (which almost always corresponds with the evil-doers at the top of their hierarchy). Also, Darth Vader is the central antagonist of the Star Wars films but not the main villain, that would be Palpatine. Villain and antagonist are two different things. The villain is the character from which all of the negative "forces" of the story derive from, the "Big Bad" so to say, the spider at the center of the web. It is through the villains machinations that all of the unfortunate events happen in the story to propel the hero into the situation he's in currently, I.E Sidious corrupting Anakin, leading to the birth of Darth Vader yet the death of Anakin and Padme (Probably the most crucial event in Lukes' life, and it was all Sidious' doing). The antagonist on the other hand, is just the being that the main character comes into direct conflict with the most. For example, Sauron is the central antagonist of the LOTR but the main villain of the franchise is Melkor, who Sauron is really just a lieutenant of. It was Melkors actions that LITERALLY birthed evil into the world, created Orcs, Balrogs, AND Dragons, THEN topped it off by corrupting Sauron. He's the single biggest source for all of the misfortune of the main characters, making him the main villain, even though you NEVER see him and the main character never comes into direct conflict with him, meaning he cannot be the main antagonist. For a real world analogy: If you believe in God, Lucifer would be the main villain for us, but Donald Trump would probably be the central antagonist as of right now lmao. (Sarcasm, I could care less for politics I'm more of a private sector guy).
I remember the first time I watched this scene. I was holding my breath as Frodo, Sam, and Gollum climbed the secret stairs while Sauron's army marched on. It was terrifying to think that they could have been spotted at any moment, especially because it was a very high staircase to fall from!
I remember this scene at the cinemas. I was there 3,000 years ago. When the Nazgul screamed it felt like it went on for an uncomfortable amount of time.
I always wondered why there was a light that shined on the rocks before the beam of light from Minas Morgul shot up into the sky. But now I understand that the first set of lights was Barad-Dur signaling to Minas Morgul to start the attack, and Minas Morgul responded. I remember seeing this in theaters with my parents when it first came out, and I had to keep my ears covered for half the movie from how loud it was. But man, what an experience, and I still remember it to this day.
'So great an army had never issued from that vale since the days of Isildur's might; no host so fell and strong in arms had yet assailed the fords of Anduin; and yet it was but one and not the greatest of the hosts that Mordor now sent forth' JRR Tolkien, The Two Towers, 1954
Orc Accountant: "Mr. Witch King sir, according to my calculations, we've spent over 300% more on our electricity bill since you insisted on installing all those green lights outside the city walls. Upper management is not going to like this, we're literally hemorrhaging funds here. Are they really that important?" Witch King: "yes they are!"
Fun fact: the beam of green light had 2 functions 1: it was a response to another beam of light send from another outpost/ fortress Edit: turns out the red light came directly from Barad-dûr, AKA the tower with sauron's eye in mordor. 1:28 that light being reflected of the characters faces. 2: sauron likely knew it was visible in minas tirith, so its a great way of intimidating. As i assume most gondorians know about the dead city. Especially as minas morgul (formely known as "minas ithil") Used to be a gondorian/numenorian fortress
the red light reminds me of Fellowship of the Ring, where it is shown as if Mount Doom errupting is a signal for the Nine to leave Minas Morgul in search of Baggins
0:56 That metal scraping sound is so damn effective! It just nails how the evil essence of the place is starting to deliver a sickening feeling to Frodo.
It's a sound that send shivers down my spine I have watched these series a thousand times and for some reason now, this scene is one of my favourites !
Even knowing this scene by heart, this sound always makes me cringe at the simple idea of Morgul’s gate opening and revealing the horrors hidden in the dark city.
It's the sound of the outer Void or the timeless Dark, beyond the Borders of Ea, where Morgoth used to seek the secret of creation but was unsuccessful.
I think I love this scene because of how much it drew on horror to make this place actually seem terrifying. Minas Morgul looks dark and creepy sure but that music swelling up to the horn and giving that pause to take in the moment. That beam if light when you're just some guys taking a ring to a mountain is overwhelming. And that screeching from the Witch King, just when you think the sound can't get any sharper is does and slices your hearing. Such a beautiful way to make the first steps into the dark lands make you feel small and helpless
The tragedy about Minas Morgul is that it was once Isildur's very own City. It was once called Minas Ithil (Tower of the Moon in Quenya) And was built by Isildur himself after he and His brother, Anarion, escaped from the fall of Númenor. Minas Morgul is like Isildur after taking the One Ring, being succomed to it's evil and blighting him and so does the City after it was taking by the Witchking
I was 10 when it came out and I seen it with my older sisters .....I was literally speechless. That was until king theoden and Aimir were commanding the troops from their camp and theoden says ride now to gondor and I saw all of the rohirrm. I said wooooow so loud and joyfully my sisters covered my mouth and half the theatre errupted into laughter. Think I pissed off a couple of people aswel for ruining such an epic scene 🤣
In the books Saruman started to gather orcs around him around 2950 T.A. while the ring wars are in 3018-3021 T.A. took Saruman 70 years to build up his entire army. Also Orcs have bad PR in the movie, they are actually kinda crafty according to Tolkien if they have the right "motivation", they make all their weapons, armors, siege equipments, buildings themselves, don't forget they built Barad-Dur and had an entire slave army made of men working on farms at the sea of Nurn ( a inland sea in the south east of Mordor ). Pretty good considering they hate everything including Sauron, life in general and themselves.
Brady Lyter not really, the fact that they dont look the same doesnt mean that they are armed badly, actually those Morgul orcs were well trained and well armed comparing to any other orc armies, maybe except the army of orcs in Hobbit book and the armies of Gundabad orcs from the times of conquer of Arnor by the Witch King. But if we talk about every orc armies created by Sauron, these Morgul orcs were the best ones.
I always have to turn the volume during this scene. In theaters this scene damn near deafened me, but even at home it's overwhelming. Howard Shore's score, the sound effects, and that scream come together to make a scene that seriously sets my teeth on edge.
Am i the only one who is weirdly satisfied and addicted to the moment the orcs began marching? Like I am vibing so hard on the drum beats and the marching lmao
![The Lord of the Rings (2003) - Haradrims vs Rohan army (The Mumakil) [4K]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Jl8TiA3RwIY/mqdefault.jpg)
Gollum's Yelp review of Minas Morgul: *"Very nasty place"*
yeah, by hearing this i just want to say: "look who's talking" :D
@Philip Martin Same with me, legit laughter :D
"...Two stars"
Full of... enemies.
500!!! I expect a balloon drop from the ceiling.
I remember the first time I saw this with a group of friends in theaters. The volume was set higher than normal, and the Witch King's scream left us clutching our ears right along with the characters. It was one of most effective methods of immersion that I've had the simultaneous pleasure and misfortune of experiencing.
Same here, the film was loud in the cinema! And at 1:34 I thought I had been struck deaf, but then you realise it's a trick of sound editing when the white flame goes up.
Peredhil H I wish I was old enough to remember my experience
Just Me I wish I was old enough to see it then.
That, and the bass from the green light thingy shook the theater
I watch the appendices and it was actually made using one of the co directors horrible scream with some audio editing I thought that was funny
In the book a beam of light went up from Barad-Dur to signal the witch king to launch the attack. This was Minas-Morguls reply.
Correct. The one from Gorgoroth was red in aspect.
1:27 I think this is it, you can see the light reflected off their faces.
How did sauron communicate with his officers anyway? Did he talk to the witch king?
@@Magido89 he used his plantir and telepathy
@@Greatermememan that or face book
The entrance of the Witchking is the definition of real badass.
Dude goes ‘All right stop your grunting let me flex with a massive screech real quick’
@@benaoao6753 XD
In the book, the Witchking was only riding a horse in this scene, not the dragon. Glad they amped it up.
@@joshweiner4645 yeah I remember in the book he was riding his horse but in the movie he's riding a fell beast
He’s also on horseback during the siege of Minas Tirith, in which he rides and blasts open the gates alongside Grond. He then stares down Gandalf, before leaving to deal with arriving Rohirrim, at which point he swaps to the fell beast, which he uses to ride down Theoden.
This scene definitely earned the academy award for best sound editing. From the sound of Minas Morgal answering Sauron's call to the earpiercing shriek of the witch king. It still gives me goosebumps to this day. I wish I could have experienced this in theatres.
Shit, you and me both. Maybe they’ll rerelease it again in the cinemas for the anniversary? 🤷♂️
@@Therealmoseslupai They actually just released the movies in 4K with remastered audio for Dolby Atmos
Oh really? Where? In select theaters?
@@Therealmoseslupai UltraHD Blu-Ray. A little disappointing
Aw damn, thanks for the info tho man. Stay blessed.
A movie that was ahead of its time
yes
It even had it's own "laser going into the sky" trope. Did it invent that at all? Seems here it was merely to tell Gondor that they're on their way, hence all the scared reaction shots.
wtf does that mean ?
Don Carbon you prolly have no brain cells
Jin Lee Not to mention, it's better than a lot of films that Hollywood are making nowadays. :)
Not sure why but I honestly feel like Minas Morgul was truly the most dark, cursed place in Middle Earth. Even Barad Dur couldn’t seem to hold a candle to it. Like the souls of who once lived there before the agents of darkness still remain, forced to live on in constant unimaginable agony.
So, like hell, but not as bad
Dol Goldur is up there too.
Sauron disguised as the necromancer, a shadowmaster with dark powers.
I'd put Angmar in there too. We've never seen much of the north in the movies besides the Lonely Mountain.
Read the passage describing it in the book. Straight up Lovecraftian.
@@Archetype77 minas morgal was good at one point I believe. Until the witch king and his other nazgul
I'd say utumno took the cake for most depraved dark places in middle earth.
I like Sam and Gollum working together to pull Frodo back. Its always interesting to see enemies have a common goal and work together.
Well Gollum pulled him back because if the witch king got the ring he would not have got his "precious" back
He wants to bring them to Shelob. She'll kill the hobbits but won't care about the ring.
Gollum out of his love for the ring, Sam out of his love for Frodo.
Gollum has good and bad in him so half the good helped too 😊 pity he didnt survive after the ring would be destroyed he sure would wake up from the curse too .
pavel stefanovic his fate was tied to the ring no ring no Gollum deagol his hobbit persona was long dead by that time
The blending of practical and CGI in this scene still holds up insanely well.
I like how Gandalf puts an arm around Pippin, to comfort him. Very subtle, but that was cool.
The music throughout this entire scene is amazing.
The music throughout this entire trilogy is amazing.
@@erinelizabeth1110 can we agree LOTR has The best musics with Star Wars ?
Well. it's no surprise that The Return of The King has won 11 Academy Awards including "Best Sound Mixing". The LOTR trilogy won a total of 17 Academy Awards. In total, the trilogy won 475 awards worldwide, making it the most awarded film series in cinematic history!
@@thorfinnkarlsefni.1114 it's better than star wars
Seeing Frodo become momentarily possessed, walking towards the gate, seeing the city slowly seem to "wake up" to his presence- that was chilling. The entirety of the scene just radiates evil, seeming to just envelop it, like smoke.
Hmm, I wonder if Carn Dum, the capital of Angmar and former seat of the Witch-King, was also as hauntingly ghostly as Minas Morgul, formerly known as Minas Ithil back when it was under the control of Gondor
@@mechadoggyI doubt it. Places created by evil pale in comparison to the places of good they corrupt.
1:35 that moment of silence always gives me goosebumps
LOTR will be the best triology for ever. No fckn movie nowadays can keep up with this masterpiece. If there was anything like this again I would go to the cinema immediately and book a love chair for myself
You say no movie now could but what about back then, like the Matrix, that was a good trilogy
yeah, it's one of the alltime greats. i am thankful to have been able to watch this in the cinema when it came out. I watched every movie around 10-15 times in the cinema, can you believe it
Not at same level, but the batman trilogy was great , in my opinion.
What we have now is MCU... and it's just so sad...
Wait we always have Avatar 2 3 4 and 5 to look for!!! .....................................
no the best trilogy ever is sw prequels but lotr is good too
Imagine them recounting their adventure at the end.
"Hey, you guys remember when Minas Morgul lit up that one night?"
"Yea."
"Lol, that was us, I think. We were right there at the door."
"Woah, no shit."
Jeff Greenwade Frodo: Sam remember when I told you to go home because I thought you ate the bread and wanted to take the ring from me?!
Sam: 😂 yeah I remember that, I was sobbing like a baby!
How was Frodo and Sam responsible for the light? They weren't even in the building.
I think the light was sauron's magic.
I like to think that’s how they talk in middle earth
It wasn't caused by them. 🤦♂️ Don't you think they'd have been in a bit of trouble if that were the case? What do you even think is happening in this scene? Why do all the orcs come out?
this movie would've been over so quick if one of those thousands of orcs just happened to look up
Derrick Ranshaw It's lucky for Frodo and Sam that they didn't!
I wouldn't say quick seeing as this was probably at the 3 hour mark
but the orkceses are so stupid , yes , master frodo can pass easily he just have to avoid the nazgul yes , evil nazgul , shrieks , evil soundeses
ArtyPreventsCamping
You don’t realize how close the ring was to being found here. In the books the witch king feels like he senses the ring, and Frodo is extremely close to putting it on, but Sam stops him and since the witch king is on a tight schedule to lay siege to Gondor, he ignores the feeling. It’s awesome how on edge it is
I lost half of my audition ability in the theather when the Nazgul screamed...and I don't regret at all ! :D
Kevin Mura I think Sam instead of Frodo should have carried the ring!
Arshad Khan “... but that is not for them to decide...”
@@ArshadKhan-ys9ey that fat piece of shit would have succumbed much earlier than frodo. I don't know why frodo is so underappreciated. Probably its because of idiots like you who only watched the movies
@@darkseidistheboss5781 chill out mate. As someone who seems to glorify in the books, you should know that Tolkien himself said that Sam is the chief hero of the story, without whom Frodo would have failed miserably. So quick to lash out and judge others...
Pretty sure that's the witch king, but I don't even know. Never read the books or watched the movies. I dunno why I'm even here lol
What i like about this scene is it lets the audio and music take over the tone. Movies nowadays don't have that anymore it's all about "Top Notch CGI" and not much else. This scene gives off strong ambience creating an atmosphere even the audience start to fear, from the screeching gate effect when Frodo looks upon it down the bridge *0:56* to the Witch King screaming. I think it's important for movies to create the experience allowing the audience to feel as if they're part of the adventure too. These movies do it so well.
Underrated comment. Should have a thousand likes
I think this scene is what won the oscar for best sound editing.
Preach!
@@xiserhoff Well. it's no surprise that The Return of The King has won 11 Academy Awards including "Best Sound Mixing", not in sound editing. Best in sound editing was won by the movie, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World during the 76th Oscars.
The LOTR trilogy won a total of 17 Academy Awards. In total, the trilogy won 475 awards worldwide, making it the most awarded film series in cinematic history!
Top notch cgi? Fucking Phantom menace or even attack of the clones had better cgi than any modern marvel movies
*_How come early 2000’s CGI is millions times more convincing than this shit we have to today? look at that dragon and how real it fuccing looks it’s unbelievable!!!_*
Its a fellbeast
Even Terminator 2 had so much better CGI than movies nowadays.
@@jalmaritammela8642 It's funny because it's true.
2001 a space odyssey has better effects than most movies nowadays
That CGI model looks average at best by today's standards. The textures lack depth and appear very plain. The lighting only appears acceptable because of the setting, it would look hideous in a brightly lit scene. It lacks many of the finer details we've come to expect.
that scream. omg
Loud
hello Kitty loves me and my mom ko
Paulo Lopes Frodo’s face...
Sends a chill down my spine every time I hear it. Imagine these guys existing in real life!
Petr Jackson’s wife scream,she was the one who screamed here
Morgul is the personal domain of the Witch King. Despite being a mere undead shadow, completelly obedient to Sauron, he still have a remant of the (surely) pompous nature he had as an ambitious Second Age human king. Even as an enslaved ghost he still have the need to hold a worthy seat to call as his own. His personal Morgul troops even had a separate chain of command from the ones of Mordor, as well as the personal sigil of the Witch King as war banner (a skull and a Moon if i remember correctly). In the books it's even hinted there is some form of "rivalry" between the orcs directly under the command of Sauron and those under the Witch King
I thought the Witch King was Sauron’s top lieutenant? Wouldn’t that make him superior to the orcs of Barad-Dur?
@@stellarwind1946 The "rivalry" Is simply within the orcs, as they are tribalistic in nature. The Nazguls are 100% loyals to Sauron.
This is hinted at in the film as well, there's a scene were a Mordor Orc tells another Orc "I don't take orders from stinking morgul rats!" Insinuating the second Orc to be of the morgul "tribe" :)
Really interesting. I really need to read the books.
@@IronFatherKagaan I assumed the other orc was Saruman's, but I realise now he had no white mark... silly me... lol
When looking at Minas Morgul castle, it is one of the only castles in the LOTR which is the most effectively built to be impossible to conquer. It only has a long narrow bridge towards the entrance gate, it has large water body in front of the walls (no ladders or siege towers could be set up), mountainous terrain on the sides, the walls are extremely tall (no ladder could reach up, even too far for arrows), the narrow passage to the castle is easy to defend and an army would hardly even reach the main gate, the castle even had some kind of bastions so defenders could shoot attackers from many sides. Of course its not perfect
That bridge would have been a perfect ambush spot against the troops marching out of the castle, just saying.
@@luvfreedom1470 they have the Nazguls on the dragons who would see every threat in that valley from that high, the ground troups would be warned pretty wuick. But yea the narrow path also could be easily defended from the other side, like the battle of Thermopylae in 300
@@m.hoffman2889 Eh eagles would neutralize the nazguls.
It was built by the Numenoreans, Minas Ithil, and was the seat of Isildur. Years after, when the great plague came was abandoned. In 2002 the Nazgûl took it with an army of Uruk-Hai.
PD: English it's not my mother's tongue, I try to make my best
You haven't played shadow of war then.
Glad to know these amazing films are standing the test of time so far.
So far? They always will.
Ironically, these films are far better than the modern ones with everything made of crappy CGI. This was real filming.
Late 90s were really best time for movies
@@twinkthatloveslotrtrilogy7676 this was 2001 wasn’t it
@@JoeSmith-hv7oe LOTR was shot in 1999/2000
This is the place in entire Middle-Earth I wish we could have spent more time on. The design of Minas Morgul was haunting, absolutely perfect and I'd have loved to see the inside of it !! It's crazy how Return of the King turned 20 just a couple of weeks ago. After twenty years, still the best movie of all time
For people asking why the orcs didn't spot Frodo and Sam climbing the stair. Remember what Celeborn from Lothlorien said to the fellowship during the gift giving in FOTR, "May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes" we even saw this effect in Two Towers at the Black Gate. Had the orcs looked where they were they would have seen nothing but cliff edges, as for Gullom, Sauron isn't concerned all that much about him since he doesn't hold the ring.
I think the Witch-King's fell beast might have seen them. When it roars, it seems to be looking in their direction, then he looks over and they duck down behind the rocks. It keeps roaring and he brings it to heel with a sharp tug on the reins. He was in haste to begin the assault on Gondor swiftly under Sauron's orders, but imagine if he decided to fly over and check the stairs.
I always thought of the Witch King as like a little dark lord, giving off his own unlight and with his own power. Morgoth to Sauron to the Witch King.
When Sauron disappeared technically witchking was the new dark lord
Witch king and Saroun are just Servants. Melkor forever.
In shadow of war Sauron battle Bright Lord for eternity
StreetEve shadow of war is not canon at all
And yet the Witch King was stabbed and killed by a girl...
They don't make them like this anymore lads.
:-(
If only Jackson directed Amazon Lotr
@QE ornotQE the Jews?
@@twinkthatloveslotrtrilogy7676 we haven't seen the series yet, but if it's bad then this is the comment of the sad reality
@@visionist7 Fool of a jew!
The board is set... the pieces are moving.
good pieces
the gondor are all pawns in this movie xd so incompetent
Pip: f**k chess. Let me have a hit of that pipe
*"WE COME TO IT AT LAST.... THE GREAT BATTLE OF OUR TIME!"*
Magneto: In chess the pawns go first
I LOVE in these movies when we get shots like 1:57 - showing the soldiers looking startled and scared. In these kind of fantasy settings, it’s hard to remember that the knights in shining armor are still ordinary people. Frightened people. People who are standing up to fight anyways because they have families and a home to protect. I don’t think the battle scenes of this trilogy would be quite as impactful without those shots. ❤️
Even Gandalf is shaken.
There's tons of moments like that. The mother embracing her baby before the Rohirrim set out from Edoras. The boy wearing an ill-fitted helmet at Helm's Deep. The woman offering a flower to a knight in Faramir's suicidal charge.
@@timovangalen1589 Legit though, the scenes of the boys and old men being taken away to fight in Two Towers gets me WAY more choked up then it used to. And the scenes like you were talking about. The ones of the soldiers just have that extra punch for me. They're the ones on the front lines, scared but standing. 😭
Fun fact: when Aragorn was leading the armies of men out to attack the black gate he briefly considered turning aside to retake Minas Morgul now that the Witch King was dead and the fortress was practically undefended. But Gandalf convinced him not to because that place was so SUPER EVIL after the Nazgul had ruled it for centuries that he worried that even with it undefended it was still way to dangerous to take the army there.
It was safer to attack the Black Gate and all or Suaron's armies then it was to fight the left over dregs in Minas Morgul.
I didn’t know that. Was that in the book?
@@conn_man_249yes, Minas Morgul was a lovecraftian place which made Men mad only at looking it.
Minas Morgul could've potentially been made clean... after centuries. It would've just lain there and moldered.
Pretty sure after the war was over he had the place destroyed because it was unfit for any life to live there
This is my favorite city design in all of the movies. I love its aesthetic and design, with the jagged spires and perpetual eerie ghostly glow that surrounds it all.
The Witch King's screech in this scene never fails to give me goosebumps.
The typical Nazgul scream is already terrifying, but in this scene the Witch King takes it up to 11 and then keeps going. It's so long, loud, and sounds even more nightmarish, and it has a very noticeable echo too, as if it's blaring all through the surrounding mountains. Fitting for the lead Nazgul and Sauron's number two.
The Witch King is like what Darth Vader is to the Emporer, their loyal champion. Even if they arnt on the same tier as Sauron, it makes sense why the dark lord declared him as his right hand and champion
@@Massive_Legend_Here darth vader even if he was a slave was by choice, can't say the same for the nazgul
it’s what the normal scream is described in the book.
2:46 cinematic perfection
Proper facilities.
It's easily one of the best and most effective shots of cinematography from the entire trilogy. And that's saying a lot because the entire trilogy is a masterpiece
@@matthewbrown5464 Which shot ? the birsdeye shot looking over the armies coming out?
@@jayv8068 yeah! It captures the screech of the Fellbeast in all of its ferocity and then immediately after shows you the march of the Minas Morgul army. It doesnt give you the chance to breath and overwhelms you with the might of Sauron's forces. It's very effective.
Matt Brown The witch king was screeching, not the fellbeast.
The score for this one of my favorite scores in all of the LoTR soundtrack.
Spihk Heartbust!? Analyze & discuss effects upon Bozeman Hotmail Recipient from Bozeman Hotmail Recipient's video game mission by the name After show!
1:49 Thank you, Howard Shore. That music is just too damn perfect👏👏👏
ruclips.net/video/YdXQJS3Yv0Y/видео.html
For me this is the best scene in the series. Everything is perfect. It’s so horrifying so enrapturing. The special effects. The lilting camera. The music. The sound of the Nazgûl, the sound of the dragon. Everything is so perfect. My favorite scene
Something people who havent read the books might not realize: Minas Morgul was actually built by Gondor (hence the ‘minas’ name) and basically served as the first bulwark against Mordor as well as a twin to Minas Tirith. It had a different name, but when the forces of Sauron eventually conquered it they changed it to Minas Morgul as a mockery of its origin.
This scene was so amazing in the theater on IMAX back then, they could release this again on the big screen and I'd go again.
IMAX didn't exist when this movie came out.
@@AimForMyHead81 yes it did it just wasn't the Imax that is used today
@@AimForMyHead81 was just gonna say that.
I wish they would repeat these in cinema in Czech Republic
I saw them just a few weeks ago at the Imax cinema, and I wanna see them again already.
One of my favorite scenes
a good scene
For me are all best and favourite scenes😂
And favorite music. Damn so good
always liked how menacing it is
One of the best scenes to witness in theaters when it premiered. Nobody ever forgot just how insane the Witch King's scream sounded...peak cinema experience.
This is no doubt the coolest scene in any movie ever
Chillkrokette But it isn’t though is it.
+ Balrog roar + Saturn scene in Interstellar. My top 3 audio*visuals
Amazing scene it must have been terrifying during the First Age, with dragons, balrogs, trolls, and orcs, ect all heading towards Gondorlin.
It was a surprise attack so they didn't know the enemy where coming to Gondolin. ^^*
one balrog would be enough if you don't have a gandalf.
@@DeathGoesCrazy Nope, since the magic and heroes from the First Age are far more powerful than later ages. For example two balrogs dies at the hands of elfs during the battle of Gondolin. One get tossed from a cliff, the other (Gothmog chief of the balrogs) gets headbutted in to a fountain and drowns.
@@00Kuja00 up's i meant the war of minas tirith not the first age.
And the iron dragons, too. Basically, Middle-earth's equivalent of tanks. Tolkien first started writing The Fall of Gondolin while recovering from the Battle of the Somme.
I still remember seeing this in theaters. It was some roller coaster of immersion:
0:53 I had a legit anxiety attack.
1:34 Then came the panic attack. They also did some sort of special effect so that it felt like the whole theater was shaking.
2:14 I was simply scared. I remember wishing that those gates would stay shut. I didn't want to see what was about to come out.
2:32 *THAT FUCKING SCREAM!*
2:50 The orcs started marching and the sound of their footsteps felt like it was coming all around.
It was mind blowingly amazing.
I think you need to not immerse yourself so hard if your having actual anxiety attacks. I understand it's a good movie but relax. No need to be having panic attacks.
@@Shad0wj3ster567 immersion +100
do you know what an actual panic attack feels like?
The orange glow that appears when the the earth starts trembling is described in the books as a red beacon like light that came from Barad-dur, it was Sauron's saying to the Witch-King "Now.", and the green light that came from Minas Morgul was the Witch-King saying "Okay.". Bad guys do know how to be dramatic.
Being a supervillain is all about presentation.
@@pikppa megamind reference in an LOTR scene 😂
@@pikppa megamind reference in an LOTR scene 😂
2:33 when your tea kettle loses its sh*t
When you step on lego
I wish they showed more of Saurons beacon in the movies and not just a few flashes of red light reflecting on the ground and rocks. It would have made it way more clear what the hell the green light was for.
you don't have to spell out everything for the nabs. some things are better as a reward for the interested
IIRC the red light in the book was a volcanic plume from Gorgoroth (seen just fine at 1:42).
u can see the volcano b4 this video starts errupt n thts why gandalf started talking
I remember seeing this for the first time and the soldier at 3:23 literally sent chills down my spine. The makeup and costume design for this trilogy is still unmatched.
A recurring theme in Tolkien's works is that places that were once full of joy and good that have not only been abandoned, but taken over by evil creatures and further tainted by their doings, are the most frightening places in Middle Earth. For example, in the books the Barrow-Downs are the haunted tombs of kings, and Moria is written as actual nightmare fuel.
Minas Morgul was once Minas Ithil (Tower of the Moon), the City of Isildur, and it was very similar to Minas Tirith (back then known as Minas Anor, Tower of the Sun), and I don't mean in architecture but in the people who lived in it and their lifestyle: a fortified citadel filled with homes, inns, market stalls, stables, manors, and busy streets. The first White Tree of Gondor was planted here by Isildur himself. Minas Morgul (Tower of Dark Sorcery) is the result of the conquering of Minas Ithil by the Witch King. The books say there are flowers that grow around it, but they are deformed and stink of rot. Frodo and Sam both drink from a stream in *Mordor* and they're fine, though the water tastes yucky, but Faramir warns them not to drink the water of the river around Minas Morgul because it has maddening effects on people.
This scene encapsulates that dreadful, unknown madness that shrouds the city: the green light, the music, the whispering noises, the shots of the statues that suggest they're sentient and talking. Moria in the movies is faithfully presented, though it doesn't scare me as much as it did in the books. Minas Morgul, on the other hand, is chef's kiss absolutely gorgeous audiovisual design that shrouds the city in its characteristic aura of mystery and dread.
“Upon the further side, some way within the valley's arms, high on a rocky seat upon the black knees of the Ephel Dúath, stood the walls and tower of Minas Morgul. All was dark about it, earth and sky, but it was lit with light. Not the imprisoned moonlight welling through the marble walls of Minas Ithil long ago, Tower of the Moon, fair and radiant in the hollow of the hills.
Paler indeed than the moon ailing in some slow eclipse was the light of it now, wavering and blowing like a noisome exhalation of decay, a corpse-light, a light that illuminated nothing.”
I remember seeing this in theaters. This scene was truly unsettling. I still feel chills every time I see it. The sound, music, and so on was just done SO well.
Can we all admit that these movies were damn near perfection.
Good thing I'm watching this with my headphones plugged in.
Ronin Elenion bad for your ears though
@@alexrance3701 Bad ? How dare you call bad to a Nazgûl's screech ?
Pootis Pencer I am not calling the screech bad. I’m saying using headphones with that screech and how high pitched it is, can be bad for your ears. I love the speech itself.
@@alexrance3701 Ah I'm sorry, I read it wrong, I guess.
I'm sorry for wasting your time.
@@combineadvisorwithinternet6040 fun fact, the nazgul scream is composed of a man screaming, the dude who made the movies wife screaming, and a horse orgasm
We come to it at least, the great trilogy of our time.
I love how Gollum paused before saying it was full of "Enemies," not Orcs specifically. Because even just by looking at that place you can tell there are far worse things in there than Orcs.
Frodo, Sam and Gollum's arrival at Minas Morgul was actually perfectly-timed - if they'd been late, they probably never would've avoided being seen by the orc army while they were marching out; and if they'd arrived earlier and had been on the Stair when Morgul's army marched out, they would've either fallen from the shock when Morgul's tower blasted out its light or from the Witch-king's shriek, or otherwise would've probably been seen by the Witch-king on his fell-beast.
The same can be said for the beginning of their journey as well. Pretty sure there was a Black Rider ALREADY in Hobbiton as they were leaving (at least in the book). If they left even a hour later it probably would've found and killed them.
@@thisisausername1506 yes frodo hears the Black Rider Talking with sams dad
@@thisisausername1506currently rereading the book and got done with that part recently. That’s one of those things you don’t even realize until you reread how close it really was. Just another one of Tolkien’s little details that makes it so great
Sirens, trenches, exhaustion, clutchingyour head... definitely written by a combat veteran.
This scene alone was worthy of an Academy Award for Sound Design
You know I just now realized that those two statues at the front of the bridge are Balrogs. Which honestly feels like a neat subtle reference to their history with Sauron and Morgoth.
They do look a lot like balrogs dont they
They aren't balrogs, but deformed beasts.
they are not but close
3:13 Sauron and the Witch King have at least one weakness: They hire crummy blacksmiths to make weapons for their orcs.
Yep, well I'm pretty sure they just stole peoples metal garden fences and cut the railings out and told the orcs they were proper spears when they handed them out. The poor orcs probably knew better but were too afraid to argue back
Many of those were actual weapons. Look up medieval pikes.
The armour on the orcs during the battle of Minas Tirith was serious.
Not many armies even in the real world medieval times could afford to arm a few hundred men with heavy armour, not even speaking about a thousand.
Compared to the the urukhai of isengard, these orcs are lightly armed
Charles Danao Some separate orcs had heavy armour. Example are those that attacked Gandalf after they left the siege tower.
@@scudb5509 but, I think only those orcs had better arms and armour where as the urukhai all had formidable Spears, Shields, swords, and or crossbows. The orcs if Minas Morgul under the witch King and those under Sauron from Mordor weren't as greatly equiped altogether.
I think this scene freaks me out a lot more now that I'm older. The pure unadulterated desperation in Frodo's eyes is pretty unsettling to me, and the shot of the stairs at 0:42 especially damn near sent shivers up my spine.
in my opinion, there is no doubt that this is the best trilogy of all time, when you think about its quality and QUANTITY. so many good moments, so many good scenes, so many good speeches. you can go hours talking with your buddies just going through everything good in this.
1:28 I was 11 when this movie came out, and when that beam fired into the sky, it was scaring the ever loving shit outta me. I had no idea what was going on, I thought they accidently triggered something by getting too close to the city. I was about to close my eyes in terror
When I was a kid, this scene along with the Nazguls surrounding the hobbits in the first movie, always creeped me out. Always got scared when it zoomed in on the gargoyle.
The directors perfected this city in making it have a super eerie feel as well as keeping it mysterious.
3:24 that orc looks so badass
@TheLatiosnlatias02 In the books the Witch-king rode a horse and stopped for a moment, almost sensing the presence of the ring.
Literally came here to see if anyone else thought the same
That scream on surround sound makes me shiver
2:27 that must be the most bad ass side villain sense darth vader
James Gravil He's the emperor's puppet
Since*
@James Gravil He's the most famous villain but not the main villain. The main villain is Pal Patine AKA Darth Sidious
Darth Vader is his servant
To be the main villain one doesn't need to be at the top of his hierarchical system. Darth Vader is both the main villain and the main character in Star Wars, being at the center of everything
@@eikamik1123 Although the series as a whole has no true main character, Luke would be the closest possible thing to a main character regarding the films and some of the EU, Lucas himself even stated this. Also, MAIN villains kind of DO have to be at the top of their hierarchy. Or at the very least, they have to be the biggest source of misfortune in the protagonist's world (which almost always corresponds with the evil-doers at the top of their hierarchy).
Also, Darth Vader is the central antagonist of the Star Wars films but not the main villain, that would be Palpatine. Villain and antagonist are two different things. The villain is the character from which all of the negative "forces" of the story derive from, the "Big Bad" so to say, the spider at the center of the web. It is through the villains machinations that all of the unfortunate events happen in the story to propel the hero into the situation he's in currently, I.E Sidious corrupting Anakin, leading to the birth of Darth Vader yet the death of Anakin and Padme (Probably the most crucial event in Lukes' life, and it was all Sidious' doing).
The antagonist on the other hand, is just the being that the main character comes into direct conflict with the most. For example, Sauron is the central antagonist of the LOTR but the main villain of the franchise is Melkor, who Sauron is really just a lieutenant of. It was Melkors actions that LITERALLY birthed evil into the world, created Orcs, Balrogs, AND Dragons, THEN topped it off by corrupting Sauron. He's the single biggest source for all of the misfortune of the main characters, making him the main villain, even though you NEVER see him and the main character never comes into direct conflict with him, meaning he cannot be the main antagonist.
For a real world analogy: If you believe in God, Lucifer would be the main villain for us, but Donald Trump would probably be the central antagonist as of right now lmao. (Sarcasm, I could care less for politics I'm more of a private sector guy).
There aren't many films that get any better than this trilogy, especially Return Of The King. Love this scene!
the green ray of light and the witch-Kings scream were freakin loud in theater, one of the best movie experiences ever
When a fortress has a theme, you know shit is about to go down
Gondorians: What does that light mean?
Witch king: Green means go.
Probably the most scary scene of cinematic history. Masterpiece
I remember getting chills when I was watching this scene as a kid the Nazgul was the terrifying and even this scene!
I remember the first time I watched this scene. I was holding my breath as Frodo, Sam, and Gollum climbed the secret stairs while Sauron's army marched on. It was terrifying to think that they could have been spotted at any moment, especially because it was a very high staircase to fall from!
3:07 wooww. The nazgul soundtrack and the march of orcs has make of this scene one masterpiece
I remember this scene at the cinemas. I was there 3,000 years ago. When the Nazgul screamed it felt like it went on for an uncomfortable amount of time.
2:20 GOD that is so nightmarish I love it
The sound editing is what really makes this one of the best scenes of the trilogy
The absolute terror on the soldiers faces as the light appears as well as the brilliant score from Howard Shore AMAZING ✨
I always wondered why there was a light that shined on the rocks before the beam of light from Minas Morgul shot up into the sky. But now I understand that the first set of lights was Barad-Dur signaling to Minas Morgul to start the attack, and Minas Morgul responded.
I remember seeing this in theaters with my parents when it first came out, and I had to keep my ears covered for half the movie from how loud it was. But man, what an experience, and I still remember it to this day.
The fel beasts Mottled roar is so badass there’s no words for it, it’s the coolest sound You’ve ever heard
The witch king’s scream is the best part of this video and the marching too.
My God this movie is getting old and still looks better than most of the crap we see today. LOTR Rings of Power is not even gonna come close to this.
'So great an army had never issued from that vale since the days of Isildur's might; no host so fell and strong in arms had yet assailed the fords of Anduin; and yet it was but one and not the greatest of the hosts that Mordor now sent forth'
JRR Tolkien, The Two Towers, 1954
The music just frozen with intensity. Then the scream. Perfection
Yep.
Audio Guy: "Mr. Jackson don't you think the Nazgul shrieks might hurt peoples' ea...?"
Jackson: "MAKE IT LOUDERRRRR!!!"
Orc Accountant: "Mr. Witch King sir, according to my calculations, we've spent over 300% more on our electricity bill since you insisted on installing all those green lights outside the city walls. Upper management is not going to like this, we're literally hemorrhaging funds here. Are they really that important?"
Witch King: "yes they are!"
is that orc the People Eater from modern Mad Max
Witch King: "Upper management is Sauron, and did you look at the size of His freaking skyscraper?"
Fun fact: the beam of green light had 2 functions
1: it was a response to another beam of light send from another outpost/ fortress
Edit: turns out the red light came directly from Barad-dûr, AKA the tower with sauron's eye in mordor.
1:28 that light being reflected of the characters faces.
2: sauron likely knew it was visible in minas tirith, so its a great way of intimidating. As i assume most gondorians know about the dead city.
Especially as minas morgul (formely known as "minas ithil")
Used to be a gondorian/numenorian fortress
the red light reminds me of Fellowship of the Ring, where it is shown as if Mount Doom errupting is a signal for the Nine to leave Minas Morgul in search of Baggins
I remember watching this at cinema.. Tt was damn epic! Minas Morgul looks awesome at that large screen!
0:56 still gives me goosebumps
0:56 That metal scraping sound is so damn effective! It just nails how the evil essence of the place is starting to deliver a sickening feeling to Frodo.
It's a sound that send shivers down my spine I have watched these series a thousand times and for some reason now, this scene is one of my favourites !
Even knowing this scene by heart, this sound always makes me cringe at the simple idea of Morgul’s gate opening and revealing the horrors hidden in the dark city.
It's the sound of the outer Void or the timeless Dark, beyond the Borders of Ea, where Morgoth used to seek the secret of creation but was unsuccessful.
That sound is from world of dead
They found the noise with which to make that sound effect from donkey screams.
2:13 I LOVE those two notes. Who knew just two notes can sound so badass! Perfect for the Witch King of Angmar.
I think I love this scene because of how much it drew on horror to make this place actually seem terrifying. Minas Morgul looks dark and creepy sure but that music swelling up to the horn and giving that pause to take in the moment. That beam if light when you're just some guys taking a ring to a mountain is overwhelming. And that screeching from the Witch King, just when you think the sound can't get any sharper is does and slices your hearing. Such a beautiful way to make the first steps into the dark lands make you feel small and helpless
1:34 That sound effect blew my mind.... I didn't expect so good work from a movie so old but it was too great
This scene is so powerful.
The tragedy about Minas Morgul is that it was once Isildur's very own City. It was once called Minas Ithil (Tower of the Moon in Quenya) And was built by Isildur himself after he and His brother, Anarion, escaped from the fall of Númenor. Minas Morgul is like Isildur after taking the One Ring, being succomed to it's evil and blighting him and so does the City after it was taking by the Witchking
Minas Morgul was described with decaying colour in the book, I think they really hit the perfect combination with that poisonous green and pale grey.
I remember sitting in the theater at 16 years old just being absolutely blown away. #greatmemories
You so lucky
I was 10 when it came out and I seen it with my older sisters .....I was literally speechless. That was until king theoden and Aimir were commanding the troops from their camp and theoden says ride now to gondor and I saw all of the rohirrm. I said wooooow so loud and joyfully my sisters covered my mouth and half the theatre errupted into laughter. Think I pissed off a couple of people aswel for ruining such an epic scene 🤣
The orcs are armed like peasants
And Saruman created that organized and well-armed fighting force within 2 weeks. That's impressive in itself
In the books Saruman started to gather orcs around him around 2950 T.A. while the ring wars are in 3018-3021 T.A. took Saruman 70 years to build up his entire army. Also Orcs have bad PR in the movie, they are actually kinda crafty according to Tolkien if they have the right "motivation", they make all their weapons, armors, siege equipments, buildings themselves, don't forget they built Barad-Dur and had an entire slave army made of men working on farms at the sea of Nurn ( a inland sea in the south east of Mordor ). Pretty good considering they hate everything including Sauron, life in general and themselves.
Brady Lyter not really, the fact that they dont look the same doesnt mean that they are armed badly, actually those Morgul orcs were well trained and well armed comparing to any other orc armies, maybe except the army of orcs in Hobbit book and the armies of Gundabad orcs from the times of conquer of Arnor by the Witch King. But if we talk about every orc armies created by Sauron, these Morgul orcs were the best ones.
Idk that orc with the axe looked pretty serious bro
They’re Orcs, they’re not supposed to be quality troops.
1:35 didn’t know Minas Morgul was a Death Star
That's no Minas Ithil...
@@Phoebe5448 Its a *very nasty place*
@@EatFuckingTimothy it's too big to be a nasty place. Sam, find us a way around.
I always have to turn the volume during this scene. In theaters this scene damn near deafened me, but even at home it's overwhelming. Howard Shore's score, the sound effects, and that scream come together to make a scene that seriously sets my teeth on edge.
God I love the look of the Orcs, those closeups are so good.
Am i the only one who is weirdly satisfied and addicted to the moment the orcs began marching? Like I am vibing so hard on the drum beats and the marching lmao