What a lot of people don't realize here is that when King Theoden is giving the speech about a "Red Day" (bloody day) and screaming "DEATH", he means they're prepared to die. Because they all expected themselves to die there. The books make it pretty clear. They didn't have enough men. It's why you see Eowyn hug Merry. She understood what lay before them. Their cavalry advantage wasn't going to be great enough to destroy the enemy host. Not by a long shot. So they were going to charge into the enemy and do enough damage in order for the castle to survive. You need a 3x to 5x numbers advantage when sieging a castle. The Riders were hoping to destroy enough equipment and enemies to make it impossible for the orcs to continue. But at the cost of their lives, because it was their duty. Once you understand that, the scene becomes even more incredible. They were riding into impossible odds because it was their honor and duty to do so.
What I don't understand is why people think they're shouting, "Death!" They shout, "Day!" Theoden calls it, "... a sword DAY, a red DAY, and THE SUN rises!" They're approaching from the east with the DAYbreak at their backs, about to charge an army that literally has to travel under darkness. Theoden is comparing the Rohirrim to the dawn, the DAYlight that PIERCES THE DARKNESS. They're shouting, "DAY!"
@@michaelpeer1753 if you can't make out "DEATH" over "DAY" you might need hearing aids brother. They scream because they no longer fear Death. They scream because they're going to their Deaths. They scream because they'll inflict Death on their enemies.
Unless you were there you’ll never understand how epic this scene was in the theatre. Everyone was going beserk and cheering at the same time. It was a scene to behold!!
Hell yeah!!... If our sacrifice is for something, and it's not going to be in vain, plus it's going to be heroic, cinematic and with an epic soundtrack??!!... *SIGN ME THE F*CK UP!!* 😂
Tolkien based the Rohirrim here on pure Norse fatalism, echoing the Battle of Ragnarok--a good death is one in battle, facing your foe and taking as many of them with you as possible.
@@rikk319 Not really. He based the Rohirrim on ancient Anglo-Saxons. Anglo-Saxons were a Germanic people who migrated to England in the 5th Century. While many confuse the Rohirrim with Vikings, they were not based on Vikings (or Norse people).
"Then suddenly Merry felt it at last, beyond doubt: a change. Wind was in his face! Light was glimmering. Far, far away, in the South the clouds could be dimly seen as remote grey shapes, rolling up, drifting: morning lay beyond them. But at that same moment there was a flash, as if lightning had sprung from the earth beneath the City. For a searing second it stood dazzling far off in black and white, its topmost tower like a glittering needle; and then as the darkness closed again there came rolling over the fields a great boom. At that sound the bent shape of the king sprang suddenly erect. Tall and proud he seemed again; and rising in his his stirrups he cried in a loud voice, more clear than any there had ever heard a mortal man achieve before: Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden! Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter! Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered, A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor! With that he seized a great horn from Guthláf his banner-bearer, and he blew such a blast upon it that it burst asunder. And straightaway all the horns in the host were lifted up in music, and the blowing of the horns of Rohan in that hour was like a storm upon the plain and a thunder in the mountains. Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor! Suddenly the king cried to Snowmane and the horse sprang away. Behind him his banner blew in the wind, white horse upon a field of green, but he outpaced it. After him thundered the knights of his house, but he was ever before them. Éomer rode there, the white horsetail on his helm floating in this speed, and the front of the first éored roared like a breaker foaming to the shore, but Théoden could not be overtaken. Fey he seemed, or the battle-fury of his fathers ran like new fire in his veins, and he was borne up on Snowmane like a god of old, even as Oromë the Great in the battle of the Valar when the world was young. His golden shield was uncovered, and lo! it shone like an image of the Sun, and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his steed. For morning came, morning and a wind from the sea; and darkness was removed, and the host of Mordor wailed, and terror took them, and they fled, and died, and the hoofs of wrath rode over them. And then all the host of Rohan burst into song, and they sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them, and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the City" -J R.R. Tolkien
When Peter Jackson asked for riders with their own horses as extras, 600 women from local riding schools turned up. And what did the Director Extraordinaire do? He had the ladies decked out in armour and weapons with beards and moustaches and made Rohirrim! What's more, in a blink and you'll miss it moment, he is among them in gold chainmail! So, 99% of the warriors screaming 'Death!' with Théoden King were ladies up for a fight and believe me, they made the Victory party something else!
My favorite scene in all of cinema and probably my favorite passage in all of printed prose. Every single time I watch this I just SO PUMPED! Theoden's words, the music of the horns, the grim battle-fury of these warriors shouting DEATH as their warcry, Howard Shore's absolutely incredible soundtrack that's telling the story as much as the images on screen - it's just phenomenal on all levels. I can't believe I get to live in the timeline that gave us this masterpiece, and that goes for this scene as well as the whole of The Lord of Rings.
I love it when Eowyn says, "Courage, Merry. Courage for our friends." She knows what she, and all of them, are fighting for, and what it will probably cost. That is the courage of the soldier.
There is NO other scene in cinematic history that puts you at EVERY level emotionally all at once. The excitement you get when you see the riders come over the hill. Only to be obliterated into fear and hopelessness when they pan to the orcs. The hope when you see how deep the ranks are, the fearless brought from Theoden’s speech. How connected you feel to tell the riders as they ride toward their inevitable end with the only hope being to save the world at the cost of their lives. Tears of joy, sorrow, excitement, fear, and everything in between. Amazing. Absolute masterpiece. Never seen any scene bring all these moments out of everyone SO fast and so sudden. It’s perfect.
I think this is such a powerful scene that draws the emotion right out of us because subconsciously, we understand that what they are ultimately facing is their mortality. This scene embodies so well man’s will to fight to the death. To live.
I first saw this when I was deployed to Iraq. We set up a movie viewing spot and watched it. Imagine a ton of soldiers screaming " Death!" as Theoden did and youll get chills. The viewing building shook with our voices and for a moment we WERE the Rhohirim.
@@frankgesuele6298 The humans didn't get a say in it either, in this case. They're not fighting for land or glory or loot, they're fighting to prevent the total obliteration of humanity, and they don't expect to win; but they're fighting anyway. Sorry, but the horses will just have to suck it up, like their riders.
@@duralumin594 they mean is that soldier's signed up to be soldiers. They know they're going to war. Horses just want to eat and run around but got sent into carnage as a vehicle
If you read the books, even with the Rohirrim, Sauron's army still vastly outnumbered the combined forces. It wasn't until Aragorn arrived with the armies from southern Gondor that they were able to defeat Sauron's forces. And, no, there were no "ghost forces" when Aragorn arrived. He actually arrived with an actual army that he mustered from southern Gondor.
Two things- 1. Seeing this in I-Max was legendary. 2. Regarding them shouting 'Death!' there's a couple of interpretations. The first is, they're calling down Death to ride alongside them into the battle, to bring low their enemies. The second interpretation, which I favor, is they are calling to Death, riding to meet Death head on, knowing that by all means, many of them will die. And they know it and don't care because they're taking their enemies with them.
In rode the Lord of the Nazgûl. A great black shape against the fires beyond he loomed up, grown to a vast menace of despair. In rode the Lord of the Nazgûl, under the archway that no enemy ever yet had passed, and all fled before his face. All save one. There waiting, silent and still in the space before the Gate, sat Gandalf upon Shadowfax: Shadowfax who alone among the free horses of the earth endured the terror, unmoving, steadfast as a graven image in Rath Dínen. "You cannot enter here," said Gandalf, and the huge shadow halted. "Go back to the abyss prepared for you! Go back! Fall into the nothingness that awaits you and your Master. Go!" The Black Rider flung back his hood, and behold! he had a kingly crown; and yet upon no head visible was it set. The red fires shone between it and the mantled shoulders vast and dark. From a mouth unseen there came a deadly laughter. "Old fool!" he said. "Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!" And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade. And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the city, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of war nor of wizardry, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn. And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns, in dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the north wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last.
This scene is so epic and well done. All I miss is the Rohirrim singing while slaughtering the orcs like it's written in the books. Imagine that: thousends of soldiers singing during the fight of their lifes. Goosebumps all over your body...
It reads cool, but isn't practical in reality, when you're doing something as physically demanding as fighting in armor with a metal sword, for hours, simply trying to breathe, to add singing a song on top of that.
The sheer display of valor in this scene, and in Theoden's character arc, is just beautiful to watch again and again and again. Chanting death not necessarily at your enemy, but as a means of acceptance that you embrace death in a final act of bravery... God fucking damn it man, I'm in tear again.
What makes this particular scene amazing to me is the idea of that many cavalry units on the field and charging the enemy and what the orcs must have felt through the ground. I have heard stories of being able to feel, at least a mile or more away, when the fighting at pennsic starts and the amount of cavalry here outweighs the people at pennsic by at least x5. (Pennsic is one of the largest battles for the Society for Creative Anachronism)
Simply the most epic part of The Lord of the Rings. DEATH.......!❤🔥 I would like to make a suggestion, a reaction to the dialogue between Gandalf and Pippin at the siege of Gondor. It is a passage that goes unnoticed, perhaps because it concerns the christian concept of death. Thank you for this beautiful edit. Hugs from Brazil.
White shores is an amazing speech. Reassuring that no matter how or when you die. There is something beyond waiting for you. Something beautiful and untouched by evil. I’d also want to see them reacting to Theoden’s passing.
This Charge and the Charge at Helm Deep are both based on the Largest Cavalry charge in history 13,000 Horsemen led by 3,000 Polish winged hussars broke the siege of Vienna by the Ottoman empire in 1683
It's based on the Gothic charge at the Battle of Chalons in 451 AD, when the king died in much the same way as Theoden. The siege of Vienna was trivial by comparison. Also, Mongol armies often consisted of 40,000 or 60,000 cavalry, so a few thousand at Vienna was small beer.
All the people saying 'look at how many there are' about the Rohirrim don't seem to realise how *small* a number it actually is (6,000) compared to the number of Orcs and Southrons ('tenS of thousands')...
It's been mentioned in other comment sections involving this scene, but it's so poetic that the downfall of Númenor was their rejection of death, the 'Gift' of Men, and here the Rohirrim are embracing it as a battle-cry, perhaps one of the few improvements on the books that I, an occasional pissy purist, will admit.
Toiken modeled this charge after the largest cavalry charge in history the 20,000 Polish cavalry that charged 200,000 Ottoman Turks at the city of Vienna and defeated the Ottomans. Same scenario here in the movie.
They weren't alone--they were coming to relieve the allied army that was already battling the Turks. Getting hit in the flank by such a huge heavy cavalry charge is bound to ruin your day!
Interesting fact, the orc leader is modeled after Harvey Weinstein because him and Peter Jackson were at odds when Weinstein had the rights to the movies.
According with the book in the ride took part 6000 troops, and was inspired in the charge during the siege of Vienna on September 12, 1683,this day 18000 cavalry troops attacked the ottoman army, in the front line were 3000 of the Polish Winged Husars (the most fantastic cavalry in history) with his King Juan III Sobieski, it was the biggest cavalry charge of all times...
something that most people don't realize....King Theodan stated that so few had come and that they didn't have time to wait for more....how many more could Rohan have fielded if they had time.
@@DraconimLt quantity has a quality all its own..imagine twice the number or Rhorrihm attacking. It would have been a slaughter and I think numbers would have even laid low the Haradrim
It is always worth taking a look at the history of humanity. "The Battle of Cannae" and its outcome shows how mass can turn into a disadvantage. The battle is the epitome of total defeat.
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Orc Chief: [To archers] Fire at will! Rohan rider named Will: Oh, Shi.. [THUNK -THUNK -THUNK - THUNK]
Numbers for Mordors Arny werent given, but various estimates would give a figure of 70,000 to 240,000. At 70,000, the Rohirrim would be outnumbered 10-1. And they still charged. Its likely this scene was based on the Charge of the Polish Winged Hussars at the Siege of Vienna in 1683.
To stand against a massed cavalry charge was simple in theory. Horses won't charge into a row of pointed objects. They'll just trot to a stop or divert. So...all you have to do is form a line of spears and then simply stand your ground...simply. Very few infantry formations in history could do it. It took huge amounts of both discipline and esprit de corps to stand in front of a thundering stampede of thousands of pounds of horse, rider and steel. Most would start wavering, losing men who would drop their weapons and turn to run causing others to do the same until panic gripped the whole unit and they fled en masse. Then the cavalrymen would just cut them down from behind in a mass slaughter that only stopped when their arms got too tired to swing a sword. The Romans and Brits, more than anyone else, mastered the combination of training, discipline, pride and leadership that it takes.
I am proud to say that Rohan was based on the Old Norse. Tolkien just replaced their naval prowess with cavalry prowess. Instead of rolling seas and fjords, he gave them rolling hills and steppes.
That's fine, and not surprising that Tolkien the Linguist would use words and phrasing from all sorts of cultures. Heck, Elven is directly based on Finnish. Rohan, their culture, art, arms, armor, architecture, afterlife, etc. All Norse.
@DraconimLt Nope. So-and-so Son of so-and-so, going to the halls of one's fathers, crossed dragon heads on buildings, the scale mail, and style of helms many of the riders wore. Their bearded axes, Theoden's sword. And most importantly: Theoden's palace was a mead hall. All of that together: Norse with a capital V(iking).
Based off a real life battle between the Austrians at the Battle of Viena and when the Ottoman Empire attempted to force the Christians in Europe to be Muslim or die, the Poles got word of the Austrians being it trouble and sent they calvary and obliterated the Ottoman, sending them running all the way back to the middle east
Fuck anyome who thinks the Avemgers Assemble scene from Endgame is anywhere near the level of epicness from this scene. It is a great scene but it honestly doesn't come close. 6000 real horses were used for this calvary charge, by far the most ever used. Many of the riders were actually local and several were woman made up to be men because they needed every professional rider they could get
Wait they are adults and watchin lotr for first time, tf i am 15yo and i watched whole lotr, hobbit, and power of rings, i am fan of middle earth What have they been doing all this time without watching these movies? 😂
Why so many People care about horses? There is so much at stake at that moment yet People only gives a shit about some horses and Just horses not even the rider on top of it
Love your channel brother. Great work.
What work? He just spliced together several segments of other people's work and just putting a video of himself in the top right corner.
What a lot of people don't realize here is that when King Theoden is giving the speech about a "Red Day" (bloody day) and screaming "DEATH", he means they're prepared to die. Because they all expected themselves to die there. The books make it pretty clear. They didn't have enough men. It's why you see Eowyn hug Merry. She understood what lay before them. Their cavalry advantage wasn't going to be great enough to destroy the enemy host. Not by a long shot. So they were going to charge into the enemy and do enough damage in order for the castle to survive. You need a 3x to 5x numbers advantage when sieging a castle. The Riders were hoping to destroy enough equipment and enemies to make it impossible for the orcs to continue. But at the cost of their lives, because it was their duty. Once you understand that, the scene becomes even more incredible. They were riding into impossible odds because it was their honor and duty to do so.
What I don't understand is why people think they're shouting, "Death!" They shout, "Day!" Theoden calls it, "... a sword DAY, a red DAY, and THE SUN rises!" They're approaching from the east with the DAYbreak at their backs, about to charge an army that literally has to travel under darkness. Theoden is comparing the Rohirrim to the dawn, the DAYlight that PIERCES THE DARKNESS. They're shouting, "DAY!"
@@michaelpeer1753 Lol what? Read the book champ, Théoden literally cries 'DEATH!'. It is not even up for debate.
@@michaelpeer1753Watch the movie with the subtitles and you’ll see that they screaming death
@@michaelpeer1753 if you can't make out "DEATH" over "DAY" you might need hearing aids brother.
They scream because they no longer fear Death. They scream because they're going to their Deaths. They scream because they'll inflict Death on their enemies.
Unless you were there you’ll never understand how epic this scene was in the theatre. Everyone was going beserk and cheering at the same time. It was a scene to behold!!
Absolutely! 13 year old me went to see it 6 times!
I worked at the theatre and saw the movie 10 times in theatre's and this scene maybe over 50 times
You didn't see/hear this scene. You FELT this scene. The bass vibrated through your soul.
@joshuawiedenbeck6944 THIS. I remember feeling.... inspired
I saw this in the theater 17 times because I thought it would never be in theaters again and I’d never get to experience it like that ever again.
Éomer looks downright like a madman as he charges. I'd be more terrified of him then of 10 orcs
the moment bernard hill won his immortality!! 🤩👍
King Theodon: we're gonna die today and it's going to be *AWESOME*
Hell yeah!!... If our sacrifice is for something, and it's not going to be in vain, plus it's going to be heroic, cinematic and with an epic soundtrack??!!...
*SIGN ME THE F*CK UP!!* 😂
Tolkien based the Rohirrim here on pure Norse fatalism, echoing the Battle of Ragnarok--a good death is one in battle, facing your foe and taking as many of them with you as possible.
@@rikk319 Not really. He based the Rohirrim on ancient Anglo-Saxons. Anglo-Saxons were a Germanic people who migrated to England in the 5th Century.
While many confuse the Rohirrim with Vikings, they were not based on Vikings (or Norse people).
"Then suddenly Merry felt it at last, beyond doubt: a change. Wind was in his face! Light was glimmering. Far, far away, in the South the clouds could be dimly seen as remote grey shapes, rolling up, drifting: morning lay beyond them.
But at that same moment there was a flash, as if lightning had sprung from the earth beneath the City. For a searing second it stood dazzling far off in black and white, its topmost tower like a glittering needle; and then as the darkness closed again there came rolling over the fields a great boom.
At that sound the bent shape of the king sprang suddenly erect. Tall and proud he seemed again; and rising in his his stirrups he cried in a loud voice, more clear than any there had ever heard a mortal man achieve before:
Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden!
Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter!
Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered,
A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!
Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!
With that he seized a great horn from Guthláf his banner-bearer, and he blew such a blast upon it that it burst asunder. And straightaway all the horns in the host were lifted up in music, and the blowing of the horns of Rohan in that hour was like a storm upon the plain and a thunder in the mountains.
Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!
Suddenly the king cried to Snowmane and the horse sprang away. Behind him his banner blew in the wind, white horse upon a field of green, but he outpaced it. After him thundered the knights of his house, but he was ever before them. Éomer rode there, the white horsetail on his helm floating in this speed, and the front of the first éored roared like a breaker foaming to the shore, but Théoden could not be overtaken. Fey he seemed, or the battle-fury of his fathers ran like new fire in his veins, and he was borne up on Snowmane like a god of old, even as Oromë the Great in the battle of the Valar when the world was young. His golden shield was uncovered, and lo! it shone like an image of the Sun, and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his steed. For morning came, morning and a wind from the sea; and darkness was removed, and the host of Mordor wailed, and terror took them, and they fled, and died, and the hoofs of wrath rode over them. And then all the host of Rohan burst into song, and they sang as they slew, for the joy of battle was on them, and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the City" -J R.R. Tolkien
Magnificent. There will never be another like Tolkien. 👏👏👏
Simply one of the finest things pen has ever set to paper.
My favorite passage. I go back and read it again and again. Well done.
The video of Tolkien reading/narrating over this scene is amazing too.
And they sang as they slew. Magnificent.
One of the top ten scenes in cinema history, in my opinion. Great choice!
Simply the greatest pre battle speech in cinematic history. King Theoden aka Bernard Hill, just phenomenal.
Orc Commander: FIRE AT WILL!
Orcs: Which one's Will?!?
Har har 🤣
Will Ferrell?! What'd he ever do to the Orcs? Make a bad joke about them?!
Will was that one rider that looked REALLY enthusiastic, like he was determined to pass all of his brethren to be first to the orc lines
When Peter Jackson asked for riders with their own horses as extras, 600 women from local riding schools turned up. And what did the Director Extraordinaire do? He had the ladies decked out in armour and weapons with beards and moustaches and made Rohirrim! What's more, in a blink and you'll miss it moment, he is among them in gold chainmail!
So, 99% of the warriors screaming 'Death!' with Théoden King were ladies up for a fight and believe me, they made the Victory party something else!
My favorite scene in all of cinema and probably my favorite passage in all of printed prose. Every single time I watch this I just SO PUMPED! Theoden's words, the music of the horns, the grim battle-fury of these warriors shouting DEATH as their warcry, Howard Shore's absolutely incredible soundtrack that's telling the story as much as the images on screen - it's just phenomenal on all levels. I can't believe I get to live in the timeline that gave us this masterpiece, and that goes for this scene as well as the whole of The Lord of Rings.
I guess IM the weird one. That second blowing of the horns, before the charge always made tears well up for me.
I love it when Eowyn says, "Courage, Merry. Courage for our friends." She knows what she, and all of them, are fighting for, and what it will probably cost. That is the courage of the soldier.
There is NO other scene in cinematic history that puts you at EVERY level emotionally all at once.
The excitement you get when you see the riders come over the hill.
Only to be obliterated into fear and hopelessness when they pan to the orcs.
The hope when you see how deep the ranks are, the fearless brought from Theoden’s speech. How connected you feel to tell the riders as they ride toward their inevitable end with the only hope being to save the world at the cost of their lives. Tears of joy, sorrow, excitement, fear, and everything in between. Amazing.
Absolute masterpiece. Never seen any scene bring all these moments out of everyone SO fast and so sudden. It’s perfect.
Women: “I want to die peacefully in my bed at an old age.”
Men: “Deeeeaaaaatthhh!!!”
6000 strong light cavalry charge against an army with no long spears on their flanks caught unprepared. So epic
I think this is such a powerful scene that draws the emotion right out of us because subconsciously, we understand that what they are ultimately facing is their mortality. This scene embodies so well man’s will to fight to the death. To live.
I first saw this when I was deployed to Iraq. We set up a movie viewing spot and watched it. Imagine a ton of soldiers screaming " Death!" as Theoden did and youll get chills. The viewing building shook with our voices and for a moment we WERE the Rhohirim.
Also, it's funny how so many people mention how sad it is to see so many horses die and pay less attention to the human warriors dying too haha
I noticed that too lol!
It's really annoying. I notice it a lot when reactors are watching older movies.
Well,unlike the humans,the horses didn't get a say in being there.🐎🐎🐎🐎
@@frankgesuele6298 The humans didn't get a say in it either, in this case. They're not fighting for land or glory or loot, they're fighting to prevent the total obliteration of humanity, and they don't expect to win; but they're fighting anyway. Sorry, but the horses will just have to suck it up, like their riders.
@@duralumin594 they mean is that soldier's signed up to be soldiers. They know they're going to war. Horses just want to eat and run around but got sent into carnage as a vehicle
If you read the books, even with the Rohirrim, Sauron's army still vastly outnumbered the combined forces. It wasn't until Aragorn arrived with the armies from southern Gondor that they were able to defeat Sauron's forces.
And, no, there were no "ghost forces" when Aragorn arrived. He actually arrived with an actual army that he mustered from southern Gondor.
The greatest, most glorious scene in cinema history!!! RIP Bernard Hill King Theoden ❤
Two things-
1. Seeing this in I-Max was legendary.
2. Regarding them shouting 'Death!' there's a couple of interpretations. The first is, they're calling down Death to ride alongside them into the battle, to bring low their enemies. The second interpretation, which I favor, is they are calling to Death, riding to meet Death head on, knowing that by all means, many of them will die. And they know it and don't care because they're taking their enemies with them.
In rode the Lord of the Nazgûl. A great black shape against the fires beyond he loomed up, grown to a vast menace of despair. In rode the Lord of the Nazgûl, under the archway that no enemy ever yet had passed, and all fled before his face.
All save one. There waiting, silent and still in the space before the Gate, sat Gandalf upon Shadowfax: Shadowfax who alone among the free horses of the earth endured the terror, unmoving, steadfast as a graven image in Rath Dínen.
"You cannot enter here," said Gandalf, and the huge shadow halted. "Go back to the abyss prepared for you! Go back! Fall into the nothingness that awaits you and your Master. Go!"
The Black Rider flung back his hood, and behold! he had a kingly crown; and yet upon no head visible was it set. The red fires shone between it and the mantled shoulders vast and dark. From a mouth unseen there came a deadly laughter.
"Old fool!" he said. "Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!" And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade.
And in that very moment, away behind in some courtyard of the city, a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of war nor of wizardry, welcoming only the morning that in the sky far above the shadows of death was coming with the dawn.
And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns, in dark Mindolluin's sides they dimly echoed. Great horns of the north wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last.
This scene is so epic and well done. All I miss is the Rohirrim singing while slaughtering the orcs like it's written in the books. Imagine that: thousends of soldiers singing during the fight of their lifes. Goosebumps all over your body...
It reads cool, but isn't practical in reality, when you're doing something as physically demanding as fighting in armor with a metal sword, for hours, simply trying to breathe, to add singing a song on top of that.
@rikk319 So you think we need more reality in fantasy stories?🤔
The sheer display of valor in this scene, and in Theoden's character arc, is just beautiful to watch again and again and again.
Chanting death not necessarily at your enemy, but as a means of acceptance that you embrace death in a final act of bravery... God fucking damn it man, I'm in tear again.
the greatest battle in the history of cinema and one of the most epic scenes in the history of cinema!!!!
What makes this particular scene amazing to me is the idea of that many cavalry units on the field and charging the enemy and what the orcs must have felt through the ground.
I have heard stories of being able to feel, at least a mile or more away, when the fighting at pennsic starts and the amount of cavalry here outweighs the people at pennsic by at least x5.
(Pennsic is one of the largest battles for the Society for Creative Anachronism)
still giving the chills .. proving that tools and AI and FX cannot make something great alone but are the people behind
So many reactions are so analytical or unaffected. Everytime I've watched this scene over 20 years I've cried. Give me more tears!!
When I saw this in theaters as a kid around Christmas and for years after I always thought they were chanting " day" for daylight😂
One of the best scenes in cinema history. Definitely set a gold standard for battle scenes in movies and shows afterwards.
Simply the most epic part of The Lord of the Rings. DEATH.......!❤🔥 I would like to make a suggestion, a reaction to the dialogue between Gandalf and Pippin at the siege of Gondor. It is a passage that goes unnoticed, perhaps because it concerns the christian concept of death. Thank you for this beautiful edit. Hugs from Brazil.
In the book, Theoden never shouted "DEATH", that was Eomer after he saw Theoden and Eowyn after the Witch-king.
White shores is an amazing speech. Reassuring that no matter how or when you die. There is something beyond waiting for you. Something beautiful and untouched by evil.
I’d also want to see them reacting to Theoden’s passing.
Nothing gets your attention like heavy cavalry charging your flank.
Hearing a thunderous roar of thousands upon thousands of hooves barreling straight at you would be horrifying.
This Charge and the Charge at Helm Deep are both based on the Largest Cavalry charge in history 13,000 Horsemen led by 3,000 Polish winged hussars broke the siege of Vienna by the Ottoman empire in 1683
th-cam.com/video/CxlRJsQ7p2k/w-d-xo.html
It's based on the Gothic charge at the Battle of Chalons in 451 AD, when the king died in much the same way as Theoden. The siege of Vienna was trivial by comparison. Also, Mongol armies often consisted of 40,000 or 60,000 cavalry, so a few thousand at Vienna was small beer.
One of the best scenes in history no doubt! Eowyn gets me every time.
The best scene ever, seen it 1029 times, had chills and tears in my eyes every single time
This movie isnt that old. Why cant Hollywood remember it and produce movies/shows people actually want to watch??!!
All the people saying 'look at how many there are' about the Rohirrim don't seem to realise how *small* a number it actually is (6,000) compared to the number of Orcs and Southrons ('tenS of thousands')...
Every time, I get emotional of how perfect the scene looks & a masterpiece of hope has arrived. The horns signal the charge a wow.
RIP Bernard Hilll who played Theoden, who passed away earlier this year.
It's been mentioned in other comment sections involving this scene, but it's so poetic that the downfall of Númenor was their rejection of death, the 'Gift' of Men, and here the Rohirrim are embracing it as a battle-cry, perhaps one of the few improvements on the books that I, an occasional pissy purist, will admit.
This is the single greatest cinematic scene to ever be created btw
The score makes this so much more epic!!!
Toiken modeled this charge after the largest cavalry charge in history the 20,000 Polish cavalry that charged 200,000 Ottoman Turks at the city of Vienna and defeated the Ottomans. Same scenario here in the movie.
They weren't alone--they were coming to relieve the allied army that was already battling the Turks. Getting hit in the flank by such a huge heavy cavalry charge is bound to ruin your day!
It's somehow EVEN MORE EPIC in the books. (But it's fuckin' epic in the movies too.)
Interesting fact, the orc leader is modeled after Harvey Weinstein because him and Peter Jackson were at odds when Weinstein had the rights to the movies.
Best scene made in movie history
The scene that had the best extra work in the history of cinema. You know the rider I'm talking about.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG
I damn sure do...that was Will (why else would the orcs be so determined to kill him)
One of the most epic moments in cinema history
"DEATH!!!" is definitely the best war chant... it has 2 meanings... either the death to the enemy or sacrifice your life trying...
Вот она идеальная трилогия,а не тот шлак что снимают сейчас.За Фродо!
According with the book in the ride took part 6000 troops, and was inspired in the charge during the siege of Vienna on September 12, 1683,this day 18000 cavalry troops attacked the ottoman army, in the front line were 3000 of the Polish Winged Husars (the most fantastic cavalry in history) with his King Juan III Sobieski, it was the biggest cavalry charge of all times...
Rest in peace, Théoden King. You were a true leader of men
something that most people don't realize....King Theodan stated that so few had come and that they didn't have time to wait for more....how many more could Rohan have fielded if they had time.
well, he says this 6,000 is ''less than half of what I'd hoped for'', so at the least 12,000, maybe 15,000?
@@DraconimLt quantity has a quality all its own..imagine twice the number or Rhorrihm attacking. It would have been a slaughter and I think numbers would have even laid low the Haradrim
@@musicandmoviefan9217 well they did lay low the Haradrim in the end, stupid so-called 'tactics' on the film notwithstanding.
It is always worth taking a look at the history of humanity. "The Battle of Cannae" and its outcome shows how mass can turn into a disadvantage. The battle is the epitome of total defeat.
Orc Chief: [To archers] Fire at will!
Rohan rider named Will: Oh, Shi.. [THUNK -THUNK -THUNK - THUNK]
Numbers for Mordors Arny werent given, but various estimates would give a figure of 70,000 to 240,000. At 70,000, the Rohirrim would be outnumbered 10-1. And they still charged. Its likely this scene was based on the Charge of the Polish Winged Hussars at the Siege of Vienna in 1683.
even watching this on dvd gives me chills from my head to my toes deep into my bones
To stand against a massed cavalry charge was simple in theory. Horses won't charge into a row of pointed objects. They'll just trot to a stop or divert.
So...all you have to do is form a line of spears and then simply stand your ground...simply.
Very few infantry formations in history could do it. It took huge amounts of both discipline and esprit de corps to stand in front of a thundering stampede of thousands of pounds of horse, rider and steel. Most would start wavering, losing men who would drop their weapons and turn to run causing others to do the same until panic gripped the whole unit and they fled en masse. Then the cavalrymen would just cut them down from behind in a mass slaughter that only stopped when their arms got too tired to swing a sword.
The Romans and Brits, more than anyone else, mastered the combination of training, discipline, pride and leadership that it takes.
I am proud to say that Rohan was based on the Old Norse. Tolkien just replaced their naval prowess with cavalry prowess. Instead of rolling seas and fjords, he gave them rolling hills and steppes.
Even though the word 'Rohirrim' seems to be a Hebrew plural.
That's fine, and not surprising that Tolkien the Linguist would use words and phrasing from all sorts of cultures. Heck, Elven is directly based on Finnish. Rohan, their culture, art, arms, armor, architecture, afterlife, etc. All Norse.
wasn't it the Saxons, not the Norse?
@DraconimLt Nope. So-and-so Son of so-and-so, going to the halls of one's fathers, crossed dragon heads on buildings, the scale mail, and style of helms many of the riders wore. Their bearded axes, Theoden's sword. And most importantly: Theoden's palace was a mead hall. All of that together: Norse with a capital V(iking).
Actually Rohirric was based on Old English (aka Saxon English) , because the greeting Gandalf uses in the book was a Saxon greeting.
Based off a real life battle between the Austrians at the Battle of Viena and when the Ottoman Empire attempted to force the Christians in Europe to be Muslim or die, the Poles got word of the Austrians being it trouble and sent they calvary and obliterated the Ottoman, sending them running all the way back to the middle east
yadırgamıyorum ama bir insan bu yaşa kadar nasıl lotr izlemez
This music ❤❤❤
Merry's got an awesome war face. For a hobbit. 😏
The thumbnail shows Tiên from Asian Angels but she's not in the video...😢
There’s an angle as the Rohirm are trampling the orcs and there’s a riderless horse still charging with the others. 💪🏼
The horses had to fight for their world too. Shadowfax wouldnt take this invasion lying down.
They don't do movies like this anymore...
They didn't do movies like this before it, either.
Horses where the tanks of the pre-industrial era. They used them exactly like this in old-timey wars.
The average horse weighted the same as a small truck, being hit with 1,200+ pounds at around 40 MPH hurt
Fuck anyome who thinks the Avemgers Assemble scene from Endgame is anywhere near the level of epicness from this scene. It is a great scene but it honestly doesn't come close. 6000 real horses were used for this calvary charge, by far the most ever used. Many of the riders were actually local and several were woman made up to be men because they needed every professional rider they could get
Such an Epic event!
It's very telling how many people reacting prefer horses to humans.
Wait they are adults and watchin lotr for first time, tf i am 15yo and i watched whole lotr, hobbit, and power of rings, i am fan of middle earth What have they been doing all this time without watching these movies? 😂
Imagine even being an extra in this scene? Epic
All that effort and then the Ghost army show up and finish the battle, is a few minutes 😂
Reaction to eowyn slaying the witch king would be awesome
Another reason to read The Lord of the Rings....start with The Hobbit
Can we get the full gandalf vs Balrog? Including the full fall?
Isn’t the horn of Rohan the most hopeful inspiring things you’ve heard
There is only one thing in Return of the king that is more powerful than this.
For Frodo....
*_"My friends.... you bow to no one."_*
@@alejandropacheco7832 Ok... you're right about that one, too....
House Rohan - "We make entrances"
FEAR NO DARKNESS
A scene that will always be as epic as the first tine you saw it.
Jan sobek style
"Fire at Will!"
Who the hell is Will, and why does he deserve every damn orcfiring at him?
First comment...
I feel so stupid!!!
Why so many People care about horses? There is so much at stake at that moment yet People only gives a shit about some horses and Just horses not even the rider on top of it
The rider can choose to be there--the horse can't.
@rikk319 if you think the horse didn't choose, you need to study Rohan.
@@MundusTransitHorses didn't choose to be tamed. They didn't choose to be trained for war.
cutting off the scene every 3 seconds doesnt help capture the moments for reactions
This guy needs to stop putting himself in the top right of the clips, because it takes away from what he is trying to show.
Disclaimer: No CGI horses were harmed or killed in this film.
Another reminder of how terrible Rings of Power is.
Human voices don't carry that far. The majority of those men are going "What? What did he say? Something red something?"
Quick, name some other unrealistic parts of the fantasy story!
@@MundusTransit Relax. I made a joke along the lines of Monty Python's Life of Brian, the sermon scene.
No. He's reciting a well known poem. They know what he's saying.
Blessed are the cheese makers.
“If this is to be our end, then I would have them make such an end as to be worthy of remembrance!”