That one LOTR moment...

Yeah, I'd have to go with the TTT charge of the Rohirrim too.

"Theoden King stands alone."

"No. Not alone. Rhohirrim! To the King!"

Get's me everytime.

anytime Orlando Bloom is on-screen and attempts "acting"

Worthy all, but the one that has me pretending something got in my eye is always at the very end...

"My friends, you bow to no one."

YES.

I always get it bad at the end of ROTK when they are on the shores of the sea saying their goodbyes. After the Elves get on the boat, and Gandalf turns around to say his goodbye. Just the way he says "farewell" gets me every time. I love it. To those who said that the ending of that movie was too long, I say fuck off. I LOVE the end of ROTK. Fuckin perfect.

In FOTR, I really get emotional when Frodo tells the council that he will take the ring to Mordor. Gandalf has this look on his face right after Frodo says it and it's just great. I think that PJ said something on the commentary to the effect that he told Ian to pretend that his child just told him that he was going off to fight in WWI or something. It's just powerful.

There's so many great moments like that in these movies. That what makes them so great. I've never watched a movie where I got so emotionally involved as these films. Absolutely great.

for me the one that's drawn the most tears has got to be right outside moria. it has little to do with gandalf actually falling, and everything to do with those pure reactions that perfectly reflected each character.

special mention goes to the moment between sam and frodo that is so strong as to almost redeem the cheesy slomo reunion scene. and the "you can't go home again" look between all 4 hobbits at the green dragon... which is countered so beautifully when that becomes the moment sam decides to go talk to rosie. the hobbits reactions are priceless and the way jackson cut that right at the perfect point straight to the wedding scene was awesome. a profound combination of happiness, sadness, humour, and back to happiness all in the space of about 10 seconds using zero dialogue.

Fellowship of the Ring: Frodo standing at the shore with tears on his face, and we hear Gandalf saying, "All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you," but the look on his face and tone of his voice are so different than when he said it before...And then Frodo works himself up and jumps in his boat, just as the score kicks in....And then Sam comes down the hill, does his drowning bit, and Frodo reaches for his hand as the most powerful bit of the score hits in....Jesus, man that whole part just fucking tears me up.

The Two Towers: Sam and that fucking speech. Man, it's like he's talking about us, those of up who'd grown up re-visiting these books annually, completely losing ourselves in this fantasy world that was so real and tangible...And now here we are, seeing it, watching it come to life before us. "Those are the stories that matter." The sun fucking comes up, the Ents stand tall against the wave; the orcs are driven from almost certain victory by Gandalf. It's beautiful.

Return of the King: Everything from the slopes of Mount Doom until THE END flashes up on screen. Period. To those who say it's too long or there are too many endings, I say Fuck you with a middle finger shoved squarely up your rectum.

I'll list one from each film.

FOTR- When the Fellowship steps out of Moria and into sunlight, and grieves the fall of Gandalf. The audience has just endured 25 minutes of fighting goblins, a troll, the Balrog, and Escher's staircase while wandering through dark caverns and stunning special effects. We've just seen the one character who seems most capable of leading this journey fall into an abyss. Then comes this scene- the blinding light, white volcanic rock, no sound except a boy soloist, and the rest of the Fellowship crying their guts out. All your emotions fire at once... relief for finally getting out into the light, sadness and horror that Gandalf is gone, empathy with the survivors. Just a great marriage of visuals, story, sound, and performance.



TTT- "Where is the horse and the rider?" The Two Towers is two hours and fifty-nine minutes long, much longer than the standard Hollywood film, long enough to lose one or two screenings per day, per screen. At that length it still feels pretty cramped. In the middle of this, right before the beginning of the battle that's the centerpiece of this film, Peter Jackson takes one minute and forty seconds to let a character muse over the plot, slowly and thoughtfully, and then quote a few lines of a poem. We learn a lot about Theoden King in that minute and forty seconds- he's a man who has real self-doubts. He's on the edge of despair. Theoden asks Gamling "Do you trust your king?" The unspoken question is "Why?"

The cinematography is radical and breathtaking, with bright light from the background washing out everything except the center of frame. Bernard Hill's voice is given a dreamlike quality. It's all very moving to me, most of all because it tells so much about Theoden in such a short time, and it gives the audience a chance to take a "deep breath before the plunge". The more you know about Theoden's journey through TTT and ROTK, the more moving it is.



ROTK- Wow, it's very hard to pick just one scene from this film. There are at least half a dozen scenes that hit me like a bag of dodgeballs. If I had to choose one... Frodo and Sam waiting to die on the slopes of Mount Doom. They sit and talk and simply tell each other their last regrets. It is the end of all things - for them. This is the best way to die, with time to think about it, to say what you want to say to a friend, then simply sit and wait for it. Sam says his greatest regret is not marrying Rosie Cotton, and it's so damn real... he's not saying he wanted to win some great treasure or become famous or kill a dragon or some other fantasy nonsense. He just wished he could have led a normal life. It's at that moment you remember the sacrifices Sam made along the way. Over and over again he has opportunities to turn back, or to be left behind, and over and over again he stays faithful.

Of course they don't die. Fade to black, then we see the same scene, and the eagles slowly approach from directly out of the sunlight. Gandalf appears, like an angel descending. Very very moving.

All these are good ones. The death of Boromir turned me into a teary-eyed pansy, due to a combination of "Oh my God, I've been waiting twenty years to see this scene in a movie theater", and the way that Sean Bean truly elevated that character into someone you don't just give a damn about, but deeply wish could've made it to the end and lived content in peace and prosperity with his people.

The most weepy-ass I ever got in any of the films was Theoden's "No parent should ever have to bury their child" line and subsequent breakdown. I was a young parent (my daughter wasn't quite 1 at the time I saw Towers), and it hit me like a ton a' bricks. Bernard Hill done good.

From the moment Aragorn declares "I would have followed you to the end" all the way thru the death of Boromir. THE greatest sequence in the Trilogy.

Ranks up there with ROTJ and Luke's yell of "NOOOOO!" Just longer...

I also have to pick the exit of Moria as the single most eye-misting moment.

It's so goddamned *hard*... nyagh!

In ROTK it's probably going to be the Grey Havens. It's done so beautifully. Frodo's sailing off into a figurative death and as he hugs each of his weeping companions, you can see them pulling themselves together, their grief melting into a kind of happy-sadness. And his smile and tip of his head at the end is golden, as if he's doing the same thing to the audience.

As a scene it's got heavy competition, however, particularly from Mount Doom, and also to me, from Sam facing off against Shelob. I'm just so bloody pleased to see that little guy just then, in a jumping up and down kind of a way.

In FOTR all of the scenes mentioned are deeply praiseworthy, and I'm hard-pressed to choose. I'll probably go with the fallout from Moria. Jackson totally rehabilitates Boromir.

TTT - probably the charge of the Rohirrim. Probably. But I do like Treebeard coming upon the ruined forest, too.

I never got why people got all misty when the hobbits bowed to no one....I have the same indifference to "superman" in iron giant.

(maybe I'm dead inside)

or not.

Theoden leading the charge though gets to me. His last words with Eowyn. That gets to me. Merry & Pippen crying after Moria does it too.

My pick right now would be Sam surrounded by lava:

Rosie Cotton, dancin'. She had ribbons in her hair. If ever I were to marry someone, it would've been her. It would've been her.

Don't sweat it. "Bow to no-one" leaves me cold too. I mean, it's nice, but that's it. There's tons of stuff that affects me more.

This shot simply destroys me. If that isn't art, I don't know what is.

ROTK - When Gandalf and the eagles save Frodo and Sam. That shot of an eagle holding Frodo over the lava tears me up. The music is so awesome and finally seeing peace in Frodo eyes was great.

TTT - The charge of the Rohirrim and Gandalf. Very very emotional when I saw it for the first time in cinema.

FOTR - The death of Gandalf.

ROTK - Faramir´s suicide mission and Pippins song for Denethor. Brilliant scene PJ.

It's hard to limit myself to one particular image, so...

FOTR - The Bridge of Kazad-Dun sequence. Even without the film, just listening to the score gets my heart racing. Boromir's "...not with 10,000 men could you do this..." speech and his noble end. Also, the shot of the Nazgul gliding into The Prancing Pony with jagged swords drawn will forever haunt my memory in a good way.

TTT - Just about anything with Theoden, but especially the scene after he throws Wormtongue out and truly is the King of the Golden Sun (complete with sunlight for backlighting) and his farewell to his late son. During the attack on Isengard there's one scene where the crane or whatever it is falls into the cavern. The choral work accompanying it gives me chills each and every time I hear it. It's at the 4:37 mark on track 17, Isengard Unleashed for those with the score CD.

ROTK - Pippen's song/Faramir's charge is powerful stuff, but what gets me is the practically the whole (DVD chapter of) The Return of the King: the reunion of the surviving Fellowship, the coronation complete with Elvish song, Arwen's return, "You bow to no one," and the return to the Shire. The music throughout these scenes is my favorite of the entire trilogy.

Boromir's death in Fellowship is, for me, the most emotional moment in the entire trilogy. The reasons have already been stated above by others; but this is the one scene that gets me every time.

Other than that, from the FOTR:EE I would have to say that Gimli relating Galadrial's gift to Legolas as they pass down the river is such a beautiful and moving scene. "I asked her for one hair from her golden head... she gave me three." Amazing.

And from ROTK I really love the quiet little scene in the pub between the Hobbits. Reflected in their looks are all the ups and downs of the whole saga and it's wonderful to see them sharing the experience together again in their home. But that being said, its Eowyn's defense of her fallen uncle that leaves me whimpering like a puppy.

Pippen's song.

I broke down and sobbed.

Chavez nailed it pretty much. But there's one bit that gets me just as much:

'For Frodo.'

That's what I don't get about the critics who say these movies lack emotion. I think they're VERY emotional, and if someone can't get past the goblins and wizards to see this.... pity.

That's a great line in the TE, but I suspect it will totally wreck me if the EE puts it in better context. (EE SPOILER: Having been deceived by the Mouth of Sauron that Frodo is dead and the quest has failed, Aragorn is saying it in memory of him.)

Gnadalfs decent in TTT had me in tears it was so god damn cool.

One moment that kinda choked me up was in TTT when Frodo first called Gollum "Smeagol" and the awestruck look that ensued from Gollum-- "What did you call me?"

The animators were able to portray the powerful emotional resonance this caused within Gollum. They really nailed it!

They definitely earned their money in that shot!

FOTR
At the end, Frodo standing at the river, the music, then Gandalf:

"So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide..."

TTT
Treebeard and the ents before Isengard, don't know if this is quite right...

"It is perhaps that we go to our doom, the last march of the Ents"

ROTK
Love when the Rohirrim show up at Gondor but my fav has to be on the slopes of Mount Doom, Sam holds Frodo and says

"Do you remember the Shire Mr Frodo?"

*weeping like a bitch*

Christ, I hadn't thought of that.

That's it. I'm done. These movies have officially fucked me up on an emotional level.

You guys have mentioned a lot of my favorites, and it's fun reading through and remembering them. For the sake of adding something that hasn't been said, I'll add one of my favorites from the FOTR EE.

It's the scene where the fellowship leaves Rivendell, and Gandalf says "The fellowship awaits the ringbearer." I just love the new music, the way everybody watches as tiny Frodo walks past them starting down their long road, the endearing humor as Frodo asks which way to Mordor and Gandalf quietly answers, and the last look between Arwen and Aragorn, who we know after seeing TTT has just tried to return the Evenstar to her. He gives his little nod as the choir dominates the score, then they're off and we go straight into the big walking scene with the first full appearance of the fellowship theme. Just a great series of quiet moments and one of the best additions to the movie in the EE.

Man, I click on this thread and iTunes decides it's time to play the track "The Breaking of the Fellowship" from FOTR.

One scene that always gets me: Opening of ROTK, Sam is talking about the amount of lembas bread they have left.

"For what?"

"The journey home."

A scene that I'm sure will hit home when it's in the EE: There's a line in the ROTK trailer, where Merry says "We will see the Shire again." The reading is perfect, I can't wait to see the scene.

Frodo's look after that line is priceless. Along with the little snip of Shore's score, it makes for a great little moment that really sets the tone for what ROTK is all about. After that, I knew it was gonna be something special.

You expect me to choose my favorite scenes, Rain Dog? As though choosing a favorite child? Ah hell, I'll do it anyway.

The Fellowship of the Ring
The reveal of the Shire. I'd read Lord of the Rings for the first time a few months before the film's release and was totally caught up in the magic. When I saw the Shire on screen... wow.

The formation of the Fellowship. From Frodo's "I will take the Ring to Mordor! ...But I do not know the way," to Pippin's "Great, where are we goin'?" It manages to be extremely dramatic, and yet comedic, at the same time.

Mines of Moria. Need you ask? "You shall not pass!" And of course the weeping of the fellowship.

The Gift-Giving. I really believe the Extended Edition helped the Lothlorien section of the film. Galadriel came off as a very wise and kind figure, and I find John Rhys-Davis' line reading of "I asked her for one hair from her golden head. She gave me three" to be absolutely splendid.

Amon Hen. Yeah, five scenes. So what? I love Pelennor Fields, but the Battle of Amon Hen is very much so my favorite action scene in the trilogy. It's very emotional and once again helped by the EE. And Boromir's death scene... God, "My brother... my Captain... my King" gets me going every time.

The Two Towers
Nearly everything featuring Rohan was perfect. Bernard Hill is splendidly cast as Théoden. The "Where is the Horse and the Rider?" poem was breathtaking, and Jackson's brilliant intercutting of the citizens preparing for war added to the entire scene.

Helm's Deep. You need a description?

Faramir. Yep, good 'ol "they butchered him!" Faramir. Specifically just before the end of Disc 1, in which he remarks to Frodo that the servents of the Enemy wanted to see home just as much they do, and that many were driven from their lands to fight.

The Return of the King
From "You wish now that our places had been exchanged..." to The End. And call me crazy and a fanatic and the like, but I got a little wheepy-eyed when Gandalf rode through Minas Tirith with Pippin for the first time.

The scene where Theoden gives the speech to the riders and clanks his sword against their spears.

Thats my favourite scene as well ....."Ride To Ruin!"

I am in total agreement!

The 'What did you call me?' hits me every time....Sublime!!

The shot in the FOTR teaser with the Fellowship going over the mountain.

In FOTR, Frodo's moment of contemplation holding the ring in his hand, with Gandalf's narration.

In the original TTT, where Aragorn and Eowyn embrace. In the Extended, where Faramir remembers Boromir.

In ROTK, where Frodo explains why he has to leave.

I just wish in the very last scene they had Sam realize that he would take a ship himself someday, since he too was a ringbearer, if only for a little while.

You calling Sam a Mule?...cause he ain't...

The guy has hobbit pussy too much in his head to be a Grey Haven pedestrian...

"I can't carry it for you, But I can Carry you!"

Instant waterworks.......Me weeping like a little girl with a skinned knee.

Faramir's charge and Theoden's speech both get me a bit teary.

There's a lot of good ones already on here. I wasn't able to just name one or two so I had to do a top five list with a bunch of honorable mentions.

1. I would have gone with you to the end. Into the very fires of Mordor. -Aragorn

2. No father should have to bury his son. -Theoden

3. Boromir's Death

4. Pippin's Song/Faramir's Charge

5. Gandalf after Frodo says he will take the ring during the Council of Elrond.

Honorable mention: Merry's "He's Leaving" and "Run Frodo, Go!", Frodo on the shore deciding to leave the fellowship, "We will not abondon Merry and Pippen to torment and death", Boromir and Faramir in Osgilliath, Two Towers end credits, "Ride to Ruin!", Theoden's Death, "For Frodo" (especially in the EE context), "You bow to no one", Gray Havens

And I'm sure I still forgot a bunch but there are definitely more. If you really want just one I would say from my number one until the end of the extended edition of Fellowship is it. I have to agree with CTDeLude that it's the best sequence in the trilogy and probably my favorite in all of cinema. That's about as narrow as I can get it.

FotR: definitely Gandalf vs Balrog and the Fellowship mourning him afterwards, and everything from Frodo's goodbye to Aragorn to the end credits. oh, and the scene with the moth in Isengard, and Gandalf's subsequent escape...

TTT: pretty much everything with Theoden... Eowyn's look as Legolas returns the Evenstar to Aragorn: realizing that Aragorn will never really love her. The Ents marching to war (great music)

RotK: "I will KILL you if you touch him!" great delivery on that line, hope the EE adds some more of the Witch King's dialogue from the book to that scene... and pretty much all scenes everybody else pointed out.

Pippin's song/Faramir's charge. I felt like I was floating above my seat during this scene. I can only pray to feel this way again when Obi battles Anakin in 2005. I kinda feel sorry for people who don't tear up a bit at movies

FOTR: The whole Bag End bit was great for me. I had only been familiar with "The Hobbit" and while it was one of my favorite books I had never read LOTR. Seeing Gandalf and Bilbo in Hobbiton on screen was like visiting old friends. Also though, the "death" of Gandalf.

TTT: My favorite of the Trilogy. I like G's explanation of how he comes back. Also Treebeard and they Ents, they were pretty cool. I LOVED the part when the burning Ent dives headfirst into the floodwaters to put himself out. Hoho.

ROTK: The movie as a whole hasn't quite grown on me yet, but I'm sure the EE will fix this. There are parts though- Gandalf's "Death" speech, the lighting of the beacons, and the little nod their neighbor as the Hobbits ride back into the Shire.

Good stuff.

All of the scenes mentioned herein are excellent. For me, however, one of the best moments is when Bilbo sees the ring at Gandalf's house and reaches for it. After the "gollum-esque" transformation Bilbo looks completely stricken and apologizes to Frodo. I've watched that scene repeatedly on several occasions, gets me every time. Wonderful job by Ian Holm.

FOTR- Boromir's death has been mentioned several times, so I'll get more specific. Merry and Pippin's reactions when he gets shot the last time gets me every time. When they pick up their swords and charge the orcs, there is a mixture of anger, grief, bravery, and desperation that just breaks my heart.

TTT- Elrond telling Arwen about her future, at least the best one she can hope for. The line "A image of the glory of the kings of men, undimmed before the breaking of the world." is gold and the reading is perfect.

ROTK- So many, but one that hasn't been said is Theoden telling Eowyn "No more despair." I love that moment, one simple line shows Theoden's entire journey. He has passed through fear, doubt, and despair, and now he has decided what to do with the time that is given him: he will fight, without hope of victory and with no regrets.

Damn those are good movies.

I had forgotten this one, but I totally agree with you here. When he says "I'm sorry for everything," he looks like such a broken little man that you really feel for him. The music in this scene is also very sweet.

I just love the whole charge of the Rohirrim scene.
The way the horn calls and you see them on the top of the hill, lined up in the rising sun.
The way they realise the absolute hugeness of the enemy they are about to fight and Eowyn tells Merry to be brave for our friends. And that despite the size of the enemy’s army they are going to charge anyway.
Theoden’s speech and the riders calling “death, death”.
The charge itself and the camera panning up to reveal more horsemen than I have ever seen.
The gradual changing expressions on the faces of the orcs as they realise that the Rohirrim will not be stopped or turned aside.
The mayhem of the aftermath.
And then the arrival of the Mumakil, an even more overwhelming enemy, and the way that, after a moments contemplation, Theoden just exhorts his men to reform the line.

The whole thing never fails to get the blood pumping.

Most of the moments described in this thread hit me pretty hard too.

I'll never forget seeing the teaser for FOTR for the first time. Just the shot of the Fellowship walking over the mountain took my breath away. It's astounding to think that one tiny sequence was enough to silence an entire theater.

Also, I'll never forget watching FOTR at the midnight screening. The audience reaction to Gandalf's fall was astounding. While the Fellowship weeped on screen you could hear people crying in the theater. Even the people who knew that Gandalf would return were weepy. Good stuff, man.