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Several people have mentioned that on this day in 2003, ROTK came out. I spent it (the entire day AND night) at Trilogy Tuesday, seeing the whole shebang on the screen of the Cinerama Dome, which believe you me was the PERFECT VENUE. Finally staggered out around 1:00 A.M., wrung out with emotion, and then proceeded to a nearby Denny's to hash it over for another couple of hours with friends. *sigh* Them's were the days.

So anyway, I thought I'd repost something about ROTK for the Anniversary. This isn't about my first viewing, but it was still a significant moment for me, and says a great deal about PJ's achievement...


Just a movie? Maybe not.


When ROTK came out, I went for my third viewing to a theater just a few blocks from my house. I got there right before the show so it was really packed. (The only seat I could find was in the front row, yikes!)

Now you all know when a theater is packed you can't pick and choose who you'll sit next to. I sat down with a bit of trepidation next to two teenage guys who had that smartass look about them. But hey, ROTK! I'm not gonna miss a showing just 'cause other people aren't Ringers.

So the show started and soon my fears came true. The guys started making comments. Not loud ones, and not nasty, but they didn't take the film very seriously. (Although they did like it, I could tell.) So I just ignored them.

Now, with ROTK during its theatrical run, I cried every damn time. (Except the first time, when I was too busy getting used to the shape of the film story and couldn't dive into the emotions. Also, I was exhausted from the precious NINE HOURS.) But each time, I cried at a different spot. This time it was Pippin's song that did me in, and I started to sniffle, really wanting to sob, but you know - quiet scene, plus crowd.

So I'm trying to breathe, and tears are running down my face. The guys are joshing, and then the one sitting next to me heard me sniffling and looked over at me. I could see out of the corner of my eye that he was surprised, and then he turned and whispered something I couldn't hear to his friend. And guess what?

They never said another word.

All through the rest of the film, they were quiet. They just watched, and by the end I could tell they appreciated the story in a different way than they had enjoyed it at first. I think it stopped being something to roll their eyes at, and that maybe seeing me crying had opened them up to the possibility that there might be something there for them that they hadn't known before. Maybe that taught them something they might take into the real world. Who knows?

It's a little thing, but for me it summarizes so much about LOTR, the films, the impact they had, and what film can accomplish, writ large as well as writ small. Maybe some people might be turned off a bad path by these movies (as they have been by the books). I don't know. I just know it was a really important moment for me.

To quote Ten Bears, "That is all I have to say."

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This is cool.

That's a link to a Film Score Monthly podcast about the new ROTK Complete Recordings. Doug Adams, who wrote the liner notes for all three of the completes, and who spoke so engagingly at ORC this year, presents the material. He's very energetic and into it.

The podcast includes listener questions. Here's one that made me roll my eyes:

The Return of the King soundtrack is much more complex than the other films. Was that a conscious decision?

Noooo. It just kinda happened in the studio while we were playing it. All of a sudden all the musicians took off busking and we ended up with this massive THING. *snort*

Another treat: at the end of the podcast we get to hear 30 seconds of an alternate scoring for the Argonath scene in FOTR, which did not get used in that film.

Enjoy!


P.S. If you stay on after the end, the next podcast (which comes up automatically) is a very interesting discussion of the enduring popularity of the Dies Irae theme. This is a piece of music written in the 1300's that is still popular, used as thematic material by composers in all kinds of instances. (Even if you don't recognize the name, believe me, you know this music.) Take a listen, it's fascinating.