I love how real this fight choreography is, and how she survives on her sheer INNER strength. She clumsily dodges, she's not necessarily big enough to wield the armor and weapons she has elegantly, she doesn't have any real experience in the battlefield, and most physical force can knock her back pretty far. Yet, she NEVER once drops eye contact from the Witch King despite her sheer terror, and that is what courage is. Looking it in the eye, whatever "it" is, despite everything in you saying to run. Her final blow is a messy yet adrenaline-fueled, beautiful act of defiance that also betrays prophecy. This is such a dope scene.
FWIW I think this is actually another example of Jackson really paying intense attention to the lore. Tolkien specified that the Nazgûl were not THAT much more powerful than regular men, but their one supernatural ability was that they inspire terror in their foes. When they encounter someone like Aragorn who isn’t afraid of them, they’re easily beaten. In this scene I think the actress is accurately portraying that when she comes face to face with the Witch King, her fear takes over and she forgets how to fight, just reduced to clumsily dodging attacks, until Merry uses the dagger and cripples him.
@@mrhentrich this is honestly such a dope fact, I haven't really delved into the books as much. These movies appear to be such amazing love letters to the source text, though.
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The saddest part is (in the book) Theoden King dies not knowing that Éowin saved him. It's so sad. I'm glad in the movie they can say goodbye to each other. Miranda did an amazing job. I always cry in that scene "I know your face... Éowyn".
This is the female hero we need in movies today. She's knows her odds, she's terrified, and she certainly isn't as physically strong as the Witch King. But through love and sheer bravery, she took him on, knowing she would probably die
@@kevincaruthers5412 The writing is actually even better, because in the books you do not know it is her until this moment. Obviously that's easier in a book than a film.
One thing the movies didn’t convey was the bowel watering absolute terror the Nazgûl could induce in the bravest man. Reduce him to a gibbering, cowering wreck just by proximity. For Eowin and Merry to actually stand in his presence let alone attack him was the most courageous moment in the 3 books imo.
same, man. i was sitting on the stairway of the cinema cuz there was no more space. all women on the movie theater cheered and it was something ill never forget. One of my favourite scenes for sure.
And the opposite for the Hobbit trilogy. What happened ? Something bad happened. The music is not even in the making ofs appendixes of the long version. It is in LOTR's.
This scene is so elegant. It shows that those who are often perceived by the strong as weaker can help in such surprising ways when given a chance - yet without pretention or pandering, and without insulting the physically strong. It also portrays beautifully how complete arrogance is the eventual downfall of even those who consider themselves invincible.
well-said. Right after she sticks the sword in his face, his first reaction is that he can't believe what is happening? Huh? What? How? And then.... he meets his fate. Pride goeth before the fall.
Exactly. She is terrified almost out of her wits, and yet she overcome her primal fear and fights back. She is not match for the Witch King, and yet she doesn't yield. She is almost overwhelmed by the servant of Mordor but she masters her fear. Her triumph at the end is against despair as much as against the Nazgûl. She is heroic not because she is the better fighter, but because of her willingness to sacrifice her life to save others.
Read the book. In the movie she appears fearful. In the books she is not. She is filled with battle lust, not fear. She challenges him. The movie has actually weakened the character at this moment
“Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!" A cold voice answered: 'Come not between the Nazgûl and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye." A sword rang as it was drawn. "Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may." "Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!" Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel. "But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund’s daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.”
@@daniellecollins5675 This is why the original Tolkien is so epic to read. Small wonder that fans of the books often re-read them every few years. Yep, it's time for me to break out my cherished collection and sit back and enjoy again. Ironically, one of the cut scenes from the original cinematic release of the The Return of the King featured the Witch King confronting Gandalf and Pippin in Minas Tirith. Some of the exchange between Gandalf and the Witch King was very Tolkenesque in prose. I think it was a shame they decided to edit it out for the cinema release.
Considering Lord of the Rings was written during the 1940s, and still comes strong with well written female characters, is absolutely insane to me. Thank you J. R. R Tolkien 🫶
Don't forget that Tolkien's stories are influenced by his Catholic religion, which is why he know the true power of both women and men as well as their weaknesses. St Joan of Arc, Ruth, St Therese are just a fraction of the strong ladies that he would have read about. England, his country, was also ruled by queens such as the recent Queen Elizabeth II and Victoria.
There are many strong female characters in the saga (mainly good, but one pure evil and one just selfish and greedy). Tolkien was way ahead of his time.
the 1940s was temporal ground zero for strong female characters - their men had been slaughtered - the women who ran the armaments factories, delivered warplanes and tanks to the front line, raised the next generation... must have been an inspiration. they were also afraid, ill-prepared, and had to draw upon every reserve they had of courage to do what had to be done
My favorite movie in the series was definitely the first one, The Fellowship of the Ring. For me all of the best scenes in the series come from that movie, but I do agree that this scene is one of the best from Return of the King.
Gandalf arriving The chase to Rivendale The blade being reforged One does not simply walk into Mordor You shall not Pass The Mirror of Galadriel They're taking the hobbits to Isengard Aragorn breaking his toe You have no power here Gandalf the Grey The dead marshes The Battle of Helms Deep Eowen's terrible stew Gondor calls for aid and Rohan will answer Shelob's lair Denethor's death Pippin getting ready with Eowen For Frodo The ring being destroyed ...sure that's the best scene of the trilogy, ok buddy...
@@spencerallison3196 You are out of your mind If you are comparing Eowyn making bad stew for Aragorn to Eowyn slaying the Nazgul King and saying that they are in any way similar in impact. I will take this scene over virtually all of those scenes for overall emotional impact. Now, other competitors for best scene would include Sam Defeating Shelob, "I can't carry it, but I can carry you," and yes, one that you mentioned The Ring being destroyed; however, that last is the freaking climax of the entire movie, and really doesn't have much more impact that Eowyn slaying the Nazgul King.
@@HighFalutinTootin Yes, she discovers powers inside herself she never knew before that she had them. :D She was so furious that she just decapitate that creature in two seconds. Great shown body movement towards that Morgenstern frigthning weapon and the sword of the witch king much longer than hers. Really powerful. And with this teamwork it´s great to see the improvement of what support really means. Tolkien shows that even the smallest can have an impact way beyond your imagination. :) (I mean Eowyn and Hobbit, because both of them are way smaller than the strong men fighting there.)
@@HighFalutinTootin Scared? Read the book. The Witch King had no power over her because she actually went to battle SEEKING death. She had no fear because of that. Eowyn is just life depressed and wanted to die. What better way to die than defending those you care for?
right, it was something lost in the film because you know from the start it's a woman, in the book it's a surprise. possibly one of the best in the entire trilogy as merry hears laughter over it.
The prophecy was doubly true here. No man did kill the Witch King. A woman and a hobbit did. In the books it was even truer. The Witch King did proclaim that no _living_ man may kill him, and it was the barrow blade Merry carried, forged long ago by most likely a man, but very certainly a _dead_ man, that undid the enchantments protecting the Witch King, and allowed Eowyn to strike the killing blow.
In the book there was told, that King of Angmar - as said Glorfindel: "Do not pursue him! He will not return to these lands. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man shall he fall".
the Barrow-blades were created by the Dúnedain of Cardolan during their war against the Witch-king of Angmar. They were made for fighting forces sent from Angmar.
@@Profes79my belief is Glorfindel had a vision of the witch kings demise, which may not have been completely detailed, but that it was far off etc. anyways, this prophecy eventually made its way to the witch king
I have thought about this scene since I was an eight year old girl watching this movie for the first time and I think about it every day as a 30 year old, it might be the only thing I think about and reflect on every single day, without fail
One thing that I really love about this entire fight, is that you can actually tell that she is scared to death, she does not fight him just to prove how tough or cool she is, she is protecting her uncle who just got wounded, for me this is one example of what a strong woman really is, someone who is humble, devoted, loyal, true to herself, compassionate, and someone who's willing to do whatever it takes for those she loves and cares about, Eowyn was all of those things, and that's why she's my favorite female character in lotr, at the end of the day she did'nt want to be the cause of so much bloodshed or see all of the death that she did, but it was her selflessness, her courage, and her devotion to her loved ones that caused her to go to war and then almost die herself saving her uncle, they just don't build up women characters in movies like that anymore, Eowyn was inspiring and interesting, I don't know what the hell they have nowadays!!!
I will not say I've never heard men saying they value humility in a male hero, but I don't hear it nearly as often. If you want women "humble," that is, lesser than men, even when being heroic then you don't want strong women. Men need to stop it with this making everyone submit to them. It got boring 10,000 years ago and it's downright destructive now.
I agree, he is extremely misogynist, I seriously doubt he would ever say a male hero needs to be "humble" when killing a main villain... @@urthboundmisfit
And just like that, she made history as the only person to both kill a Nazgul and the Witch King leading the enemy. Her ancestors looking on in the afterlife were VERY pleased!!
saw a dude on twitter complaining that this scene was "woke", even though it's literally in the book which came out in the 1950s. really grim stuff, man
@@mrnygren2 "But suddenly he too stumbled forward with a cry of bitter pain, and his stroke went wide, driving into the ground. Merry's sword had stabbed him from behind, shearing through the black mantle, and passing up beneath the hauberk had pierced the sinew behind his mighty knee. 'eowyn! eowyn!' cried Merry. Then tottering, struggling up, with her last strength she drove her sword between crown and mantle, as the great shoulders bowed before her. The sword broke sparkling into many shards. The crown rolled away with a clang. eowyn fell forward upon her fallen foe. But lo! the mantle and hauberk were empty. Shapeless they lay now on the ground, torn and tumbled; and a cry went up into the shuddering air, and faded to a shrill wailing, passing with the wind, a voice bodiless and thin that died, and was swallowed up, and was never heard again in that age of this world." Looks like Eowyn had the final stab in the book, not Merry. Merry stabbed the back of his knee and then Eowyn drove her sword into his face.
I remember seeing this as a kid the weekend it came out, and "I am no man" was easily the coolest, most badass thing I'd ever seen a girl do in a movie. I'd been rooting for her for so long and she's still one of my favorite characters. 😍
I saw this film in theaters when it came out. When Ewen was fighting the whole audience was quiet and tense. When she uttered that epic line, the whole audience went apeshit and cheered.
In the books, Merry had an enchanted sword from the Barrow Downs, given him by Tom Bombadil. No ordinary sword could have hurt the Witch King. And I love Gimli's line, "There's plenty for both of us, may the best dwarf win!"
The prophecy has 3 interpetetions, all of them were prefilled: He was slain by a woman, not a man. He was slain by a hobbit also, not part of the race of Men. He was slain by two people, and not just one. ("Man" being there to say a single person.)
Also, 4, he was slain by a man no longer living, as the blade merry had found in the barrow was enchanted by a man of the race of numenor, long since dead
@@samcochran8203 Thank you for adding this bit. It speaks to Tolkein's ability setting up at many levels one of the best moments in both book and movie.
@@OlOleander As a linguist, Tolkien definitely knew how to play with language. It seems fitting that he was able to come up with a scene that can be interpreted in multiple ways just by how you read "no man"
Credit to the writing, choreography and the actress. She's out of her wits scared, dodges a few basic attacks from the flail but is immediately taken out of the fight by a single hit - which landed on her shield mind you. Without Merry's surprise attack, she never would've won. Badass.
In the book this is the scene where the reader finds out that the soldier was Éowyn all along. I remember being so shocked when I read it. This is such a fantastic moment in the movies as well. Great job to the filmmakers. The change in suspense enabled the wonderful scene between Merry and Éowyn where she picks him up and says "Ride with me." No matter how fantastic a book is, you don't have to stick to it word for word to enable effective storytelling for an audience. And just to add, the acting is terrific because Éowyn is afraid, as she should be. Yet, still she stands her ground. This shows character while keeping alive the myth around the Nazgûl and how scary they are within this world.
No matter how many times I watch this it's still one of my favorite clips. Making a side character such a strong role in an instant. Sometimes I just think it would be awesome if they had a deleted scene or something where she's like I am Eowin daughter of Thoedin shieldmaiden of Rohan! And stabs him in the face
Nah the I am no man was perfect. She didn’t need to brag about who she was. A quick declaration and stab to the face was enough. Any more and the scene would of felt really forced
I didn't like how she was portrayed in the films. In the book, she's fierce as hell, but also stoic, intelligent, but also a bit depressed. In the film, she appears frail, insecure, emotional, and lovesick. I imagined her more like Uma Thurman's bride in Kill Bill. No shade on Miranda Otto, though. She did a good job.
In the book Tolkien writes a whole eulogy to Merry's blade which was made in the North while the Dunedain were battling Angmar. Without Merry using it no way Eowyn wins.
A heroic convergence between her courage facing down the Witch King to protect her Uncle allowing Merry to drive a blade crafted by a nameless smith in the North long ago to weaken the spells holding him together allowing her killing blow.
Without Eowyn, Merry probably would have died. No one has more value than the other. The (great) situation was Eowyn tanking Witch King, who doesn‘t payed any attention to little unimportant Hobbit on the ground. 🤷🏻♂️
For those who haven't read the Tolkien's books: A thousand years earlier, at the Battle of Fornost, where the Lord of the Nazgul (then known as the Witch King of Angmar) was defeated and rides off into the night, the elf Glorfindel says "Let him go! Far off is his doom. And not by the hand of man will he fall". Using an enchanted blade, that had been forged at the time when the Nazgul was the Witch King, and had been endowed with special spells particularly for his destruction. Merry first stabs the Lord of the Nazgul in the lower leg. "Breaking the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will". Thus allowing Eowyn to deliver the coup de grace by a thrust in the face. Thus the prophecy "not by the hand of man" was fulfilled. The Lord of the Nazgul was destroyed by a woman and a hobbit.
When she was with the rider's or rohan she told the hobbit with her "courage" We saw that courage here thus very moment! She fought with courage for love and for freedom! Still one of my best movie's THE LORD OF THE RINGS
Which means the Witch King was double-owned by the prophecy: Merry - a man but not human - injured him and allowed Eowyn - a human but not a man - to do the honors. Merry alone could not kill him because he got injured in the process, Eowyn alone could not kill him because the enchantment was still in place. Teamed up on by two people that were not human males.
In the books it was Merry - a hobbit - that slayed the Witch King because he wasn't a human - but in the movie they changed that to Eowyn because "she's a woman"... I hated this change back in 2003... Eowyn did fight the nazgul though and kill the Felbeast - but she certainly didn't kill the Witch King - that was Merry the Hobbit.
@mrnygren2 But suddenly he too stumbled forward with a cry of bitter pain, and his stroke went wide, driving into the ground. Merry's sword had stabbed him from behind, shearing through the black mantle, and passing up beneath the hauberk had pierced the sinew behind his mighty knee. 'Éowyn! Éowyn!' cried Merry. Then tottering, struggling up, with her last strength she drove her sword between crown and mantle, as the great shoulders bowed before her. The sword broke sparkling into many shards. The crown rolled away with a clang. Éowyn fell forward upon her fallen foe. But lo! the mantle and hauberk were empty. Shapeless they lay now on the ground...; and a cry went up into the shuddering air, and faded to a shrill wailing..., a voice bodiless and thin that died, and was swallowed up, and was never heard again in that age of this world.
@@mrnygren2 sort of true, it wasn't quite the same as in the books Then out of the blackness in his mind he thought that he heard Dernhelm speaking; yet now the voice seemed strange, recalling some other voice that he had known. 'Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!' A cold voice answered: 'Come not between the Nazgûl and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye.' A sword rang as it was drawn. 'Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may.' 'Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!' Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed.... 'But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.'
Merry was carrying the Barrow Blade given to him by Tom Bombadil. It was found in the barrow of the last king of Cardolan, from which the Hobbits were rescued. Cardolan was the northern kingdom destroyed by the Witch King of Angmar in long ages past. When it was forged it was enchanted with the power to kill the Witch King of whom Glorfindel prophecized "not by the hand of man shall he fall".
Decide for yourself if Hollywood improved on the words of Tolkien. This is Merry at first: “Then out of the blackness in his mind he thought that he heard Dernhelm speaking; yet now the voice seemed strange, recalling some other voice that he had known. ‘Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!’ A cold voice answered: ‘Come not between the Nazgûl and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured and thy shriveled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye.’ A sword rang as it was drawn. ‘Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may.’ ‘Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!’ Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel ‘But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am… Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.'” For the first time in centuries of existence, the Lord of the Nazgûl feels fear. There was a prophecy made, long ago, that said no living man would kill him, and so he felt secure for so long. Dead men cannot fight, after all. But now a woman stands before him, fearless and strong, and he is afraid. Merry, meanwhile, finds his courage and starts to move toward them. The beast leaps forward towards Éowyn, but she steps to the side, sword drawn, and cuts its head off in one stroke. It collapses, and the Nazgûl steps forward, mace in hand, and strikes at Éowyn. She blocks his stroke with her shield, but it shatters and breaks her arm. He raises his mace again for the killing stroke, but suddenly he stumbles. Merry has crept up behind the Nazgûl and, using the sword of Westernesse he got from the barrow long ago on the borders of the Shire, he strikes the Nazgûl behind the knee. Éowyn seizes the opportunity and plunges her sword into the space between the Nazgûl’s crown and mantle. The blade shatters, the crown clatters away, and the Nazgûl dies and disappears with a shrill wail that, according to the text, was not heard again in that age of the world. Which makes it sound like it could be heard again because Evil is not a force that can be defeated once and for all. Éowyn, meanwhile, collapses over the empty cloak.
Another scene where Jackson should have followed Tolkien to the letter. First, Eowyn, in the text, slays the beast with a single stroke. In the movie, it looks like she is cutting a piece of beef. More importantly, the doubt of her being a women was not communicated in the scene. In the text, there is a pause as the Witch King ponders her being... well, her. It is that moment, however brief, that would have given that scene a lot more impact.
@@chrisdaigle5410 Not only that, he threatens her with eternal torture and what does she do? She freakin' LAUGHS at him and threatens him right back. And stabs him in the FACE. Eowyn was badass in the book
@@stephenwhalen5632gotta credit Jackson on one thing ...for her size and the size of the weapon, vs the size of the beast, hacking at a side of meat is about the right look. Sweeping it's head off in a single elegant blow would have seemed a bit too anime.
This isn't done to prove a point This isn't done to be seen as a hero This was done out of love and the desire to protect someone dear. Modern Hollywood has nothing on this.
See Amazon, this is how you do it. You don’t need to make women look like men, to deliver a strong woman performance. She is strong, powerful and beautiful and she is no man.
‘Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!’ ‘Come not between the Nazgul and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye.’ ‘Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may.’ ‘Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!’ ‘But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Eowyn I am, Eomund’s daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.’ Now isn't that better? More authentic, more in keeping with the time and place?
@@TravKidd Well, funny you should mention that. Tolkien used a lot of style elements from the King James bible in the later parts of the Lord of the Rings. It was designed to make the reader feel that they were reading an old document which depicts real events. The King James bible took a lot of its material from the Tyndale Bible which in turn was influenced by Whycliffe. So the tradition continues through Tolkien to this very day!
Witch King of Angmar : “ No man can kill me ! Die now !” Eowyn : “ Iam no man ! “ Badass ! Best gender reveal of all time, Eowyn 😂 I looooove this scene so much, great example of a stronge female character in a movie ❤
The whole theater, including me, just erupted into cheers at this moment. Watching the first run of the LOTR movies when they came out in theaters was the best movie experience I ever had.
She's face to face with Death inspiribg in her mind the baddest thoughts and feelings, she's just brokenr an arm and she stands up and FIGHT BACK for that she loves. ALIVE LEGEND
Down, down it came, and then, folding its fingered webs, it gave a croaking cry, and settled upon the body of Snowmane, digging in its claws, stooping its long naked neck. Upon it sat a shape, black-mantled, huge and threatening. A crown of steel he bore, but between rim and robe naught was there to see, save only a deadly gleam of eyes: The Lord of the Nazgûl. To the air he had returned, summoning his steed ere the darkness failed, and now he was come again, bringing ruin, turning hope to despair, and victory to death. A great black mace he wielded. But Théoden was not utterly forsaken. The knights of his house lay slain about him, or else mastered by the madness of their steeds were born far away. yet one stood there still: Dernhelm the young, faithful beyond fear; and he wept, for he had loved his lord as a father. Right through the charge Merry had been borne unharmed behind him, until the Shadow came; and then Windfola had thrown them in his terror, and now ran wild upon the plain. Merry crawled on all fours like a dazed beast, and such horror was on him that he was blind and sick. "King's man! King's man!" his heart cried within him. "You must stay by him. As a father you shall be to me, you said." But his will made no answer, and his body shook. he dared not open his eyes or look up. Then out of the blackness in his mind he thought that he heard Dernhelm speaking; yet now the voice seemed strange, recalling some other voice that he had known. "Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!" A cold voice answered: "Come not between the Nazgûl and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye." A sword rang as it was drawn. "Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may." "Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!" Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel. "But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him."
the first time I read this in the books, it was one of the greatest moments in the book. when 'dernhelm' is revealed. it loses osmething in the film since you knew it was eowyn all along
Merry stabs the Witch King with a barrowwight's blade, forged by Numenorians in the old days, specifically to fight his kind, undoing the protections woven around him for long years ... and so a simple mortal blade can finally defeat him, and according to legend no man can defeat him, but a simple hobbit and a sheildmaiden can ...
Nazgul did not have a chance. Eowyn is motivated by love. Wish you kept the part in, where King Theoden tells her that he can go to the hall with his forefathers. His battles are over.😢
The movies do not convey the sheer amount of destruction, terror, and tragedy the Witch-King was responsible for. He, as much as Sauron, is responsible for the near post-apocalyptic state the world is in when the story starts. This was like cutting a tumor off the face of Middle-Earth.
Gimli: That still only counts as one.
Hahahahaha
Haha! And the Hobbit helped too.
when you realize gimli is also sallah from indiana jones.. a truly legendary friend
2 kills, with an assist to Merry
My reply would be "It was the only one I needed"
I love how real this fight choreography is, and how she survives on her sheer INNER strength. She clumsily dodges, she's not necessarily big enough to wield the armor and weapons she has elegantly, she doesn't have any real experience in the battlefield, and most physical force can knock her back pretty far. Yet, she NEVER once drops eye contact from the Witch King despite her sheer terror, and that is what courage is. Looking it in the eye, whatever "it" is, despite everything in you saying to run. Her final blow is a messy yet adrenaline-fueled, beautiful act of defiance that also betrays prophecy. This is such a dope scene.
there is actually no choreography, they fight for real
piter jackson brought a real witch king to render the scene as much authentic as possible
Well said
YES! YEs!!! YES!!!
FWIW I think this is actually another example of Jackson really paying intense attention to the lore. Tolkien specified that the Nazgûl were not THAT much more powerful than regular men, but their one supernatural ability was that they inspire terror in their foes. When they encounter someone like Aragorn who isn’t afraid of them, they’re easily beaten.
In this scene I think the actress is accurately portraying that when she comes face to face with the Witch King, her fear takes over and she forgets how to fight, just reduced to clumsily dodging attacks, until Merry uses the dagger and cripples him.
@@mrhentrich this is honestly such a dope fact, I haven't really delved into the books as much. These movies appear to be such amazing love letters to the source text, though.
The saddest part is (in the book) Theoden King dies not knowing that Éowin saved him. It's so sad. I'm glad in the movie they can say goodbye to each other. Miranda did an amazing job. I always cry in that scene "I know your face... Éowyn".
Love the implication that he knew, and mentally, addressed her directly as he said "RIDERS OF ROHAN,"
Dude, that I know your face quote just hit me deep
He says that to her in Two Towers (movie, not book) as well. Right after he was de-oldmanified by Gandalf.
That was cheap.
I believe he knew because he saw Eowyn's fight and she survived.
This is the female hero we need in movies today. She's knows her odds, she's terrified, and she certainly isn't as physically strong as the Witch King. But through love and sheer bravery, she took him on, knowing she would probably die
Also luck with Nazgul's power loophole and Achilles' heel: "No man can't defeat him"
Exactly!
She did not have to be a MarySue to be a strong character.
This is what good writing looks like.
@@kevincaruthers5412 The writing is actually even better, because in the books you do not know it is her until this moment. Obviously that's easier in a book than a film.
@@stretchchris1 I love Tolkein! :D
Have read all the major works and most of the lesser known.
She is a brave warrior and a little magic debuf delivered by hobbit with a blade made to damage Nazgul always helps😊
One thing the movies didn’t convey was the bowel watering absolute terror the Nazgûl could induce in the bravest man. Reduce him to a gibbering, cowering wreck just by proximity. For Eowin and Merry to actually stand in his presence let alone attack him was the most courageous moment in the 3 books imo.
I think it was shown quite clearly in the earlier scene when Pippin completely freezes near Angmar on the top of Minas Tirith
@@dronfim And the shots of Gondorian soldiers running from their posts as the nazgul fly over the city.
I am no man!!!!! I agree. The best scene in the books.
A hobbit also is no man so the prophecy applies double 😊
@romo9122, same as an elf or a dwarf.
I still remember seeing this opening weekend. The whole cinema stood up and cheered.
Sounds annoying. I watched it too back in 2003, but stayed in my seat...
same, man.
i was sitting on the stairway of the cinema cuz there was no more space. all women on the movie theater cheered and it was something ill never forget.
One of my favourite scenes for sure.
@@00Kuja00you sound fun.
@@oddemily0404 Correction: I sound swedish, which I am, and that's the cinema culture here.
@@00Kuja00 I'd have stayed in my seat, too. I don't cheer or clap at movies. That is ridiculous.
When she said "I am no man" everyone in the theater went crazy.
Back in the day or on a recent release?
@@misterfevillord1588 Nowadays it would be gender politics and manufactured profitable social media rage.
Today all the conservatives would be complaining that Eowyn was just a woke character
@@theshillneckedlizard8364are the books yet banned in Florida?
@@woutmoerman711 I wouldn't know, I'm not American. Ask someone from the USA. Fortunately my own country has retained it's common sense.
The one time "slay queen" was taken literally.
🔥🔥
Watch the deleted scene that happen before this and it add to it and you see why the witch went after her
The soundtrack on this series is absolutely remarkable
Howard Shore sure knows how to Lord Of The Rings.
Behind destine inventory update!
The best ever
U was so invested in the movie I was CONVINCED there was no music!
And the opposite for the Hobbit trilogy. What happened ? Something bad happened. The music is not even in the making ofs appendixes of the long version. It is in LOTR's.
This scene is so elegant. It shows that those who are often perceived by the strong as weaker can help in such surprising ways when given a chance - yet without pretention or pandering, and without insulting the physically strong. It also portrays beautifully how complete arrogance is the eventual downfall of even those who consider themselves invincible.
well-said. Right after she sticks the sword in his face, his first reaction is that he can't believe what is happening? Huh? What? How?
And then.... he meets his fate. Pride goeth before the fall.
Still looks good after 20 years.
And this is how you portrait a strong female character
Shhh. Don't let the Rings of Power producers/writers/actors hear that. Their heads would explode.
Oh, wait. What am I saying? Carry on then.
Exactly. She is terrified almost out of her wits, and yet she overcome her primal fear and fights back. She is not match for the Witch King, and yet she doesn't yield. She is almost overwhelmed by the servant of Mordor but she masters her fear. Her triumph at the end is against despair as much as against the Nazgûl. She is heroic not because she is the better fighter, but because of her willingness to sacrifice her life to save others.
Read the book. In the movie she appears fearful.
In the books she is not. She is filled with battle lust, not fear. She challenges him.
The movie has actually weakened the character at this moment
“Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!"
A cold voice answered: 'Come not between the Nazgûl and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye."
A sword rang as it was drawn. "Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may."
"Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!"
Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel. "But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund’s daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.”
@@daniellecollins5675 This is why the original Tolkien is so epic to read. Small wonder that fans of the books often re-read them every few years. Yep, it's time for me to break out my cherished collection and sit back and enjoy again. Ironically, one of the cut scenes from the original cinematic release of the The Return of the King featured the Witch King confronting Gandalf and Pippin in Minas Tirith. Some of the exchange between Gandalf and the Witch King was very Tolkenesque in prose. I think it was a shame they decided to edit it out for the cinema release.
Considering Lord of the Rings was written during the 1940s, and still comes strong with well written female characters, is absolutely insane to me. Thank you J. R. R Tolkien 🫶
I would'nt downcast the female heroes of that age. Just think of Christie's Miss Marple, as well as Tuppence. Not to mention the Narnia books.
@@toringepedersen9614 That’s definitely true and I totally agree, thank you for the book recommendations 😊
Don't forget that Tolkien's stories are influenced by his Catholic religion, which is why he know the true power of both women and men as well as their weaknesses. St Joan of Arc, Ruth, St Therese are just a fraction of the strong ladies that he would have read about. England, his country, was also ruled by queens such as the recent Queen Elizabeth II and Victoria.
There are many strong female characters in the saga (mainly good, but one pure evil and one just selfish and greedy). Tolkien was way ahead of his time.
the 1940s was temporal ground zero for strong female characters - their men had been slaughtered - the women who ran the armaments factories, delivered warplanes and tanks to the front line, raised the next generation... must have been an inspiration. they were also afraid, ill-prepared, and had to draw upon every reserve they had of courage to do what had to be done
This is one of the best scenes in the Lord of the Rings!
Not really
*me about every scene in LotR
My favorite movie in the series was definitely the first one, The Fellowship of the Ring. For me all of the best scenes in the series come from that movie, but I do agree that this scene is one of the best from Return of the King.
Gandalf arriving
The chase to Rivendale
The blade being reforged
One does not simply walk into Mordor
You shall not Pass
The Mirror of Galadriel
They're taking the hobbits to Isengard
Aragorn breaking his toe
You have no power here Gandalf the Grey
The dead marshes
The Battle of Helms Deep
Eowen's terrible stew
Gondor calls for aid and Rohan will answer
Shelob's lair
Denethor's death
Pippin getting ready with Eowen
For Frodo
The ring being destroyed
...sure that's the best scene of the trilogy, ok buddy...
@@spencerallison3196 You are out of your mind If you are comparing Eowyn making bad stew for Aragorn to Eowyn slaying the Nazgul King and saying that they are in any way similar in impact. I will take this scene over virtually all of those scenes for overall emotional impact. Now, other competitors for best scene would include Sam Defeating Shelob, "I can't carry it, but I can carry you," and yes, one that you mentioned The Ring being destroyed; however, that last is the freaking climax of the entire movie, and really doesn't have much more impact that Eowyn slaying the Nazgul King.
She stood against the Witch King because she wanted to protect someone she loved so dearly not because she wanted to prove she’s a powerful lady boss.
Love this the most greates power we know. Love goes over any border we know.
She was scared she was injured she fought bravely and is a badass character.
@@HighFalutinTootin Yes, she discovers powers inside herself she never knew before that she had them. :D
She was so furious that she just decapitate that creature in two seconds.
Great shown body movement towards that Morgenstern frigthning weapon and the sword of the witch king much longer than hers.
Really powerful.
And with this teamwork it´s great to see the improvement of what support really means.
Tolkien shows that even the smallest can have an impact way beyond your imagination. :)
(I mean Eowyn and Hobbit, because both of them are way smaller than the strong men fighting there.)
@@HighFalutinTootin Scared? Read the book. The Witch King had no power over her because she actually went to battle SEEKING death. She had no fear because of that. Eowyn is just life depressed and wanted to die. What better way to die than defending those you care for?
Not saying she was a lady boss, she definitely is a boss lady tho lol
The Witch king had a horrible day. Ran into the only woman on the battlefield lol😆😆😆
And the only hobbit
He should have read "Macbeth".
Woman and hobbit. So many people here are ignoring Merry.
He really had a horrible day.
"I am no man." The exact moment the Nazgul King realized he'd been screwed over by the wording of his protection.
Victory by technicality
I still remember the standing ovations in the theater
The faceoff was even better in the book, but this scene did a great job to convey the thrill of seeing the wyvern slain, and the dread of the combat.
Merry killed him in the books if I remember correctly
@@marcelolage1395Not the wyvern! :)
@@orelas167 I think I remembered it wrong. Looks like it was pretty similar to the books
right, it was something lost in the film because you know from the start it's a woman, in the book it's a surprise. possibly one of the best in the entire trilogy as merry hears laughter over it.
@@GravesRWFiA I really liked the brooding boy rider in the book!
The prophecy was doubly true here. No man did kill the Witch King. A woman and a hobbit did.
In the books it was even truer. The Witch King did proclaim that no _living_ man may kill him, and it was the barrow blade Merry carried, forged long ago by most likely a man, but very certainly a _dead_ man, that undid the enchantments protecting the Witch King, and allowed Eowyn to strike the killing blow.
In the book there was told, that King of Angmar - as said Glorfindel: "Do not pursue him! He will not return to these lands. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man shall he fall".
the Barrow-blades were created by the Dúnedain of Cardolan during their war against the Witch-king of Angmar. They were made for fighting forces sent from Angmar.
the blade Merry carried was designed to harm beings like Witch king actually
@@Profes79my belief is Glorfindel had a vision of the witch kings demise, which may not have been completely detailed, but that it was far off etc. anyways, this prophecy eventually made its way to the witch king
Merry was not a man either, he was a Hobbit.
I have thought about this scene since I was an eight year old girl watching this movie for the first time and I think about it every day as a 30 year old, it might be the only thing I think about and reflect on every single day, without fail
Hahahaha
If that is true you should really try to think about something else or get help. No pun intended.
Your math is off. If you are 30 now, you were born in 1993, and thus eight years old in 2001, before this movie was released.
@@GrislyAtoms12 she may have seen it on DVD/Bluray a few years after the cinema release.
One of the most satisfying moments in cinema history.
I love the little detail of the Fellowship keeping their cloaks and leaf clasps for the whole story
One thing that I really love about this entire fight, is that you can actually tell that she is scared to death, she does not fight him just to prove how tough or cool she is, she is protecting her uncle who just got wounded, for me this is one example of what a strong woman really is, someone who is humble, devoted, loyal, true to herself, compassionate, and someone who's willing to do whatever it takes for those she loves and cares about, Eowyn was all of those things, and that's why she's my favorite female character in lotr, at the end of the day she did'nt want to be the cause of so much bloodshed or see all of the death that she did, but it was her selflessness, her courage, and her devotion to her loved ones that caused her to go to war and then almost die herself saving her uncle, they just don't build up women characters in movies like that anymore, Eowyn was inspiring and interesting, I don't know what the hell they have nowadays!!!
I will not say I've never heard men saying they value humility in a male hero, but I don't hear it nearly as often. If you want women "humble," that is, lesser than men, even when being heroic then you don't want strong women. Men need to stop it with this making everyone submit to them. It got boring 10,000 years ago and it's downright destructive now.
I agree, he is extremely misogynist, I seriously doubt he would ever say a male hero needs to be "humble" when killing a main villain... @@urthboundmisfit
thank you for your virtue signal boomer
Eowyn: "I am no man."
Witch King of Angmar: "Oh $#!%"
Lost on a technicality!
And just like that, she made history as the only person to both kill a Nazgul and the Witch King leading the enemy.
Her ancestors looking on in the afterlife were VERY pleased!!
Her cousin was punching the air above his head very enthusiastically in the halls of Eru Illuvatar fo sho!
saw a dude on twitter complaining that this scene was "woke", even though it's literally in the book which came out in the 1950s. really grim stuff, man
Typically people who whine about things being woke these days, lack a brain.
I reckon that guy was probably being sarcastic
@@mrnygren2 "But suddenly he too stumbled forward with a cry of bitter pain, and his stroke went wide, driving into the ground. Merry's sword had stabbed him from behind, shearing through the black mantle, and passing up beneath the hauberk had pierced the sinew behind his mighty knee.
'eowyn! eowyn!' cried Merry. Then tottering, struggling up, with her last strength she drove her sword between crown and mantle, as the great shoulders bowed before her. The sword broke sparkling into many shards. The crown rolled away with a clang. eowyn fell forward upon her fallen foe. But lo! the mantle and hauberk were empty. Shapeless they lay now on the ground, torn and tumbled; and a cry went up into the shuddering air, and faded to a shrill wailing, passing with the wind, a voice bodiless and thin that died, and was swallowed up, and was never heard again in that age of this world."
Looks like Eowyn had the final stab in the book, not Merry. Merry stabbed the back of his knee and then Eowyn drove her sword into his face.
It's not the scene, it's the cringeworthy line
@@user-uw6rr5mv9h I agree, the line is too "woke" sounding.
_”No man can kill me.”_ But a hobbit and a woman can!
I remember seeing this as a kid the weekend it came out, and "I am no man" was easily the coolest, most badass thing I'd ever seen a girl do in a movie. I'd been rooting for her for so long and she's still one of my favorite characters. 😍
I saw this film in theaters when it came out. When Ewen was fighting the whole audience was quiet and tense. When she uttered that epic line, the whole audience went apeshit and cheered.
Epic performance from Otto!She deserved a bigger role here!
I love how absolutely terrified she looks, but is willing to die if it will give the people she loves a chance
This has always been my favorite scene from the entire trilogy
My favorite is the Balrog introduction.
@@GrislyAtoms12 Fellowship was my favorite for long time when I was younger because of that.
In the books, Merry had an enchanted sword from the Barrow Downs, given him by Tom Bombadil. No ordinary sword could have hurt the Witch King.
And I love Gimli's line, "There's plenty for both of us, may the best dwarf win!"
The prophecy has 3 interpetetions, all of them were prefilled:
He was slain by a woman, not a man.
He was slain by a hobbit also, not part of the race of Men.
He was slain by two people, and not just one. ("Man" being there to say a single person.)
Also, 4, he was slain by a man no longer living, as the blade merry had found in the barrow was enchanted by a man of the race of numenor, long since dead
@@samcochran8203 Thank you for adding this bit. It speaks to Tolkein's ability setting up at many levels one of the best moments in both book and movie.
@@OlOleander As a linguist, Tolkien definitely knew how to play with language. It seems fitting that he was able to come up with a scene that can be interpreted in multiple ways just by how you read "no man"
1:11 and this, people, is why you should level endurance.
Witch king: " No man may kill me."
Eowyn: "Well would you look at that..."
Brilliant scene. Still get goosebumps watching it.
Credit to the writing, choreography and the actress. She's out of her wits scared, dodges a few basic attacks from the flail but is immediately taken out of the fight by a single hit - which landed on her shield mind you. Without Merry's surprise attack, she never would've won. Badass.
COURAGE MERRY!!!!! COURAGE FOR OUR FRIENDS!!!!!!
In the book this is the scene where the reader finds out that the soldier was Éowyn all along. I remember being so shocked when I read it. This is such a fantastic moment in the movies as well. Great job to the filmmakers. The change in suspense enabled the wonderful scene between Merry and Éowyn where she picks him up and says "Ride with me." No matter how fantastic a book is, you don't have to stick to it word for word to enable effective storytelling for an audience.
And just to add, the acting is terrific because Éowyn is afraid, as she should be. Yet, still she stands her ground. This shows character while keeping alive the myth around the Nazgûl and how scary they are within this world.
No matter how many times I watch this it's still one of my favorite clips. Making a side character such a strong role in an instant. Sometimes I just think it would be awesome if they had a deleted scene or something where she's like I am Eowin daughter of Thoedin shieldmaiden of Rohan! And stabs him in the face
Strictly speaking, she's his niece, or "sister-daughter" as Theoden puts it in the book. But that would certainly have been a good scene.
Nah the I am no man was perfect. She didn’t need to brag about who she was. A quick declaration and stab to the face was enough. Any more and the scene would of felt really forced
I didn't like how she was portrayed in the films. In the book, she's fierce as hell, but also stoic, intelligent, but also a bit depressed. In the film, she appears frail, insecure, emotional, and lovesick. I imagined her more like Uma Thurman's bride in Kill Bill. No shade on Miranda Otto, though. She did a good job.
Like many other characters that were dumbed down for the films.
Absolutely the best line in all three films!
nice bait
In the book Tolkien writes a whole eulogy to Merry's blade which was made in the North while the Dunedain were battling Angmar. Without Merry using it no way Eowyn wins.
A heroic convergence between her courage facing down the Witch King to protect her Uncle allowing Merry to drive a blade crafted by a nameless smith in the North long ago to weaken the spells holding him together allowing her killing blow.
Without Eowyn, Merry probably would have died. No one has more value than the other. The (great) situation was Eowyn tanking Witch King, who doesn‘t payed any attention to little unimportant Hobbit on the ground. 🤷🏻♂️
The witch king of angmar is an unbelievable villain!
Just about my favorite of all time!
___
For those who haven't read the Tolkien's books: A thousand years earlier, at the Battle of Fornost, where the Lord of the Nazgul (then known as the Witch King of Angmar) was defeated and rides off into the night, the elf Glorfindel says "Let him go! Far off is his doom. And not by the hand of man will he fall". Using an enchanted blade, that had been forged at the time when the Nazgul was the Witch King, and had been endowed with special spells particularly for his destruction. Merry first stabs the Lord of the Nazgul in the lower leg. "Breaking the spell that knit his unseen sinews to his will". Thus allowing Eowyn to deliver the coup de grace by a thrust in the face. Thus the prophecy "not by the hand of man" was fulfilled. The Lord of the Nazgul was destroyed by a woman and a hobbit.
God, how powerfull is this moment. Honest, beatifull and brilliant INCLUSION. Thank again for this escene Mister Jackson.
When she was with the rider's or rohan she told the hobbit with her "courage"
We saw that courage here thus very moment! She fought with courage for love and for freedom!
Still one of my best movie's THE LORD OF THE RINGS
Eowyn - in the top five badass heroines in literary history.
Merry's barrow blade removed the Witch-king's invincibility, allowing Eowyn to kill him.
Which means the Witch King was double-owned by the prophecy: Merry - a man but not human - injured him and allowed Eowyn - a human but not a man - to do the honors. Merry alone could not kill him because he got injured in the process, Eowyn alone could not kill him because the enchantment was still in place.
Teamed up on by two people that were not human males.
This... makes so much sense.
In the books it was Merry - a hobbit - that slayed the Witch King because he wasn't a human - but in the movie they changed that to Eowyn because "she's a woman"... I hated this change back in 2003... Eowyn did fight the nazgul though and kill the Felbeast - but she certainly didn't kill the Witch King - that was Merry the Hobbit.
@mrnygren2
But suddenly he too stumbled forward with a cry of bitter pain, and his stroke went wide, driving into the ground. Merry's sword had stabbed him from behind, shearing through the black mantle, and passing up beneath the hauberk had pierced the sinew behind his mighty knee.
'Éowyn! Éowyn!' cried Merry. Then tottering, struggling up, with her last strength she drove her sword between crown and mantle, as the great shoulders bowed before her. The sword broke sparkling into many shards. The crown rolled away with a clang. Éowyn fell forward upon her fallen foe. But lo! the mantle and hauberk were empty. Shapeless they lay now on the ground...; and a cry went up into the shuddering air, and faded to a shrill wailing..., a voice bodiless and thin that died, and was swallowed up, and was never heard again in that age of this world.
@@thedrunkspacepilot4992 It was both.
But Eowyn didn't have a 'I'm no man' commentary.
@@mrnygren2 sort of true, it wasn't quite the same as in the books
Then out of the blackness in his mind he thought that he heard Dernhelm speaking; yet now the voice seemed strange, recalling some other voice that he had known.
'Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!'
A cold voice answered: 'Come not between the Nazgûl and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye.'
A sword rang as it was drawn. 'Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may.'
'Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!'
Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed.... 'But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.'
@@mrnygren2 not me get secondhand embarrassment. Do you have Alzheimer's?
Epic Female Empowerment.
Female empowerment DONE RIGHT!
Hello! Are you my professor at college?
And it made sense 😁
about the only female empowerment I approve of
Merry was carrying the Barrow Blade given to him by Tom Bombadil. It was found in the barrow of the last king of Cardolan, from which the Hobbits were rescued. Cardolan was the northern kingdom destroyed by the Witch King of Angmar in long ages past. When it was forged it was enchanted with the power to kill the Witch King of whom Glorfindel prophecized "not by the hand of man shall he fall".
Perfect summary!
Decide for yourself if Hollywood improved on the words of Tolkien. This is Merry at first:
“Then out of the blackness in his mind he thought that he heard Dernhelm speaking; yet now the voice seemed strange, recalling some other voice that he had known.
‘Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!’
A cold voice answered: ‘Come not between the Nazgûl and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured and thy shriveled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye.’
A sword rang as it was drawn. ‘Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may.’
‘Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!’
Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel ‘But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am… Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.'”
For the first time in centuries of existence, the Lord of the Nazgûl feels fear. There was a prophecy made, long ago, that said no living man would kill him, and so he felt secure for so long. Dead men cannot fight, after all. But now a woman stands before him, fearless and strong, and he is afraid. Merry, meanwhile, finds his courage and starts to move toward them.
The beast leaps forward towards Éowyn, but she steps to the side, sword drawn, and cuts its head off in one stroke. It collapses, and the Nazgûl steps forward, mace in hand, and strikes at Éowyn. She blocks his stroke with her shield, but it shatters and breaks her arm. He raises his mace again for the killing stroke, but suddenly he stumbles. Merry has crept up behind the Nazgûl and, using the sword of Westernesse he got from the barrow long ago on the borders of the Shire, he strikes the Nazgûl behind the knee.
Éowyn seizes the opportunity and plunges her sword into the space between the Nazgûl’s crown and mantle. The blade shatters, the crown clatters away, and the Nazgûl dies and disappears with a shrill wail that, according to the text, was not heard again in that age of the world. Which makes it sound like it could be heard again because Evil is not a force that can be defeated once and for all. Éowyn, meanwhile, collapses over the empty cloak.
Another scene where Jackson should have followed Tolkien to the letter. First, Eowyn, in the text, slays the beast with a single stroke. In the movie, it looks like she is cutting a piece of beef. More importantly, the doubt of her being a women was not communicated in the scene. In the text, there is a pause as the Witch King ponders her being... well, her. It is that moment, however brief, that would have given that scene a lot more impact.
@@stephenwhalen5632 Also, in the movie she's a frightened woman. In the book, she's angry and resolved to the task.
@@chrisdaigle5410 Not only that, he threatens her with eternal torture and what does she do? She freakin' LAUGHS at him and threatens him right back. And stabs him in the FACE. Eowyn was badass in the book
They're both awesome
@@stephenwhalen5632gotta credit Jackson on one thing ...for her size and the size of the weapon, vs the size of the beast, hacking at a side of meat is about the right look.
Sweeping it's head off in a single elegant blow would have seemed a bit too anime.
Truly one of the greatest scenes in the trilogy, but I still wish they would have shown how the Witch King's mace suddenly turned into a morning star
Yeah I always wondered lol
Witch King magic?
You mean a flail.
The greatest representation of girl power in cinema history.
Loved it. She wasnt cocky and proud while fighting. She was scared and barely holding on
This isn't done to prove a point
This isn't done to be seen as a hero
This was done out of love and the desire to protect someone dear.
Modern Hollywood has nothing on this.
I loved her character in the LOTR. so brave and confident inspirational and when she said “i am no man” waaah the feels
Barbie Movie: This is how you portray strong women.
Lord of the Rings: Hold my Palantir.
Best gender reveal of all time
Sword and Shield - Attack : 50, Defence : 50, Fatality : 50
Stew - Attack : 100+, Defence : 100+, Fatality : 100+
Fabulous, I am no man, I loved it!💖
I LOVE THIS SCENE.
The lotr trilogy is like that one beautiful spring morning which you will cherish and will never forget for the rest of your life.
One of my favourite movie scenes of all times ❤
See Amazon, this is how you do it. You don’t need to make women look like men, to deliver a strong woman performance. She is strong, powerful and beautiful and she is no man.
Glorfindel will laugh very loud after this.
I was at the theater when this history was shown 😍
Witch King: "No man can kill me"
The Joker: "Very poor choice of words"
‘Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!’
‘Come not between the Nazgul and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to
the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye.’
‘Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may.’
‘Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!’
‘But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Eowyn I am, Eomund’s daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him.’
Now isn't that better? More authentic, more in keeping with the time and place?
Sounds like a really bad reading of a King James Bible verse.
@@TravKidd Well, funny you should mention that. Tolkien used a lot of style elements from the King James bible in the later parts of the Lord of the Rings. It was designed to make the reader feel that they were reading an old document which depicts real events. The King James bible took a lot of its material from the Tyndale Bible which in turn was influenced by Whycliffe. So the tradition continues through Tolkien to this very day!
@@martinstent5339 But it's a movie, quite different from literature. A movie needs a snappy pace.
Just started reading The Hobbit to my 6-year-old, which means she's about 2 years away from seeing this. I can't wait.
Update: she's going as Eowyn for Halloween this year.
She went for the head not like thor
Lol. Good point. No wonder Thor keeps getting sucker punched by the Hulk.
Witch King of Angmar : “ No man can kill me ! Die now !”
Eowyn : “ Iam no man ! “
Badass ! Best gender reveal of all time, Eowyn 😂
I looooove this scene so much, great example of a stronge female character in a movie ❤
The Witch King of Angmar ran away from Aragorn after a brief scuffle at weather top
The whole theater, including me, just erupted into cheers at this moment. Watching the first run of the LOTR movies when they came out in theaters was the best movie experience I ever had.
She's face to face with Death inspiribg in her mind the baddest thoughts and feelings, she's just brokenr an arm and she stands up and FIGHT BACK for that she loves. ALIVE LEGEND
Down, down it came, and then, folding its fingered webs, it gave a croaking cry, and settled upon the body of Snowmane, digging in its claws, stooping its long naked neck. Upon it sat a shape, black-mantled, huge and threatening. A crown of steel he bore, but between rim and robe naught was there to see, save only a deadly gleam of eyes: The Lord of the Nazgûl. To the air he had returned, summoning his steed ere the darkness failed, and now he was come again, bringing ruin, turning hope to despair, and victory to death. A great black mace he wielded. But Théoden was not utterly forsaken. The knights of his house lay slain about him, or else mastered by the madness of their steeds were born far away. yet one stood there still: Dernhelm the young, faithful beyond fear; and he wept, for he had loved his lord as a father. Right through the charge Merry had been borne unharmed behind him, until the Shadow came; and then Windfola had thrown them in his terror, and now ran wild upon the plain. Merry crawled on all fours like a dazed beast, and such horror was on him that he was blind and sick.
"King's man! King's man!" his heart cried within him. "You must stay by him. As a father you shall be to me, you said." But his will made no answer, and his body shook. he dared not open his eyes or look up.
Then out of the blackness in his mind he thought that he heard Dernhelm speaking; yet now the voice seemed strange, recalling some other voice that he had known.
"Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!"
A cold voice answered: "Come not between the Nazgûl and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye."
A sword rang as it was drawn. "Do what you will; but I will hinder it, if I may."
"Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!"
Then Merry heard of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel. "But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Éomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him."
Thank-you!
Still gives me chills to this day. This is the kind of female hero we need more of!
Iconic!
the first time I read this in the books, it was one of the greatest moments in the book. when 'dernhelm' is revealed. it loses osmething in the film since you knew it was eowyn all along
Everything good about this movie literally this is a great movie ever ❤❤💍
Fight every battle like you're building up to "I am no man!"
Got him on a technicality!
I miss movies
The film is remarkable too
I love that scene .. she was full of passion and love to her uncle ❤
Love That Scene!
Merry & Eowyn the best tag team ever
The moment things look bleakest and then turns around is what Tolkien referred to as a “Eucatastrophy”. He used it a lot in his stories.
I love this scene. She’s not a whiny modern-day Mary Sue like Disney vomits forth on a regular basis nowadays.
0:59 when you are playing a game of EDH and the Opponent's commander is repping the [Inquisitor's Flail] plus trample. 😳
I always cry in this scene 🥹
Merry stabs the Witch King with a barrowwight's blade, forged by Numenorians in the old days, specifically to fight his kind, undoing the protections woven around him for long years ... and so a simple mortal blade can finally defeat him, and according to legend no man can defeat him, but a simple hobbit and a sheildmaiden can ...
I remember watching this in the theater (yes I know I’m old) and when she said “I am no man” the packed theater went crazy
No man can kill me....
I am no man..👩
It was the blade given to Merry by Tom Bombidil, who should have been in the movie
It was not “given” by Bombadil. They were found in the grave of the barrow wight. He merely pointed them out.
Being in movies was beneath the dignity of Tom B.
Such powetful scene.
Nazgul did not have a chance.
Eowyn is motivated by love.
Wish you kept the part in, where King Theoden tells her that he can go to the hall with his forefathers. His battles are over.😢
The reason Gollum fell into the lava is because ultimately, greed and chaos destroys itself.
The movies do not convey the sheer amount of destruction, terror, and tragedy the Witch-King was responsible for. He, as much as Sauron, is responsible for the near post-apocalyptic state the world is in when the story starts. This was like cutting a tumor off the face of Middle-Earth.