|
Scene 17 ~ The Midgewater Marshes
|
They come to some
Marshland and stumble through the water and grass hillocks. Midges fly
everwhere, biting the hobbits
. |
| MERRY: |
(swatting a midge) What are
they eating when they can't get hobbit ?
|
| They stumble on through
the Marsh. Pippin falls into the water
Night falls and they stop to rest. Strider brings a deer he has killed
to the hobbits sitting on the ground. Later as the hobbits sleep.
Strider sits on watch, smoking his pipe. He sings.
|
| STRIDER: |
(singing)
Tinśviel elvanui,
Elleth alfirin ethelhael
O hon ring finnil fuinui
A renc gelebrin thiliol.
(Tinśviel the elven-fair,
Immortal maiden elven-wise,
About him cast her night-dark hair,
And arms like silver glimmering.)
|
| FRODO: |
(sitting up to listen) Who is
she ? This woman you sing of ?
|
| STRIDER: |
Tis the Lady of Lśthien. The Elf Maiden who gave her love
to Beren ... a mortal
|
| FRODO: |
What happened to her?
|
| STRIDER: |
(shakes his head) She died.
(turning to face Frodo) Get some sleep Frodo
|
Frodo lies back down.
Aragorn looks into the night air and sighs
|
| |
|
|
Scene 18 ~ The Spoiling of Isengard
|
Saruman's
long-fingernailed hand hovers over the Palantķr.
|
| SARUMAN: |
The power of Isengard is at your command
|
The eye appears in the
Palantķr.
|
| SARUMAN: |
Sauron. Lord of the Earth
|
| SAURON VOICE: |
(speaks in Black Speech) Build
me an army worthy of Mordor
|
Saruman sits in his
library, arms wrapped around himself. Three orcs walk in
|
| ORC: |
What orders from Mordor my Lord? What does the Eye command?
|
| SARUMAN: |
We have work to do
|
The orcs run around
outside the Tower of Orthanc, felling trees at night. Gandalf on the roof
top, suddenly wakes from the noise of the felling. His face is bloodied. It
starts to rain. Huddling his arms around himself he watches more trees
being felled. Saruman arrives to watch the orcs work
|
| ORC: |
The trees are strong my Lord. The roots go deep
|
| SARUMAN: |
Rip them all down
|
Gandalf settles down next
to a pillar, trying to shelter himself from the rain. All around on
the ground trees are being felled by the orcs
|
| |
|
|
Scene 19 ~ A Knife in the Dark
|
Strider and the hobbits
walk over the top of the hills, arriving at the ruins of a temple, on top of
a hill
|
| STRIDER: |
This was the great watch tower of Amon
Sūl (he turns to look
at the hobbits) We shall rest here
tonight.
|
They reach the watch
tower. The hobbits drop their bags and sit down. Strider looks
out over the plains below.
|
| STRIDER: |
(bends down and unwraps some small
swords and hands them out to the hobbits) These are for you.
Keep them close, I'm going to have a look round (the
hobbits unsheath their swords and look at them) Stay here
(he leaves)
|
Frodo is asleep. He
is woken by the others talking.
|
| MERRY: |
My tomato's burst!
|
| PIPPIN: |
Can I have some bacon?
|
| MERRY: |
OK. Want a tomato Sam ?
|
| FRODO: |
(sitting up in panic)
What are you doing ?
|
| MERRY: |
(sitting around a campfire pointing
at it) Tomatoes, sausages, nice crispy bacon
|
Frodo scrambles to his
feet
|
| SAM: |
(holding out a plate) Saved
some for you Mr Frodo
|
| FRODO: |
Put it out you fools! (he stamps on
the fire) Put it out!
|
| PIPPIN: |
Well that's nice! That's nice! Ash on my tomatoes!
|
From the fields below,
the fire is seen and as it is put out, the screeches of the Nazgūl are
heard. Frodo looks down over the edge. The see four Nazgūl striding
towards the Watch Tower. Frodo draws his sword
|
| FRODO: |
Go!
|
They run up to the top of
the tower and stand in the middle of the circle of pillars back to back,
looking around frantically. Suddenly Frodo stops and looks between two
pillars. A Nazgūl slowly advances between them. Frodo looks
horrified. The Nazgūl draws his sword and holds it before its face. Five
Nazgūl now walks slowly towards the hobbits, swords held in front of them.
As they get closer they hold their swords out pointed towards the group of
hobbits who are walking backwards.
|
| SAM: |
Backl you Devils! (he takes a swipe
at one of the Nazgūl with his sword, who swipes back at him knocking him
back into a rock. The other hobbits grouped together)
|
A Nazgūl reaches forward
and throws Merry and Pippin aside. Frodo looks shocked, drops his
sword and turns to run, fatlling as he does. He gropes in his pocket
for the Ring. It whispers to him in Black Speech. The Witch King hears
the Ring and walking towards Frodo draws his sword. Frodo scrambles
backwards until he is against a rock. The other Nazgūl group behind
the Witch King. Frodo terrified puts on the Ring and disappears just as the
Witch King is about to stab him with his sword. He sees the whispy, ghostly
shapes of the Nazgul, their skeletal faces wearing crowns upon their heads.
The Witch King reaches out for the Ring, which is glowing. Frodo's hand is
drawn to the hand of the Witch King. At the last moment he pulls it
away. The Witch King stabs Frodo in the shoulder reaching out his hand
again. He pauses as he hears someone shout. Strider arrives with a
burning torch and waves it around the Nazgūl scaring them away from Frodo.
Frodo, groaning with pain, removes the Ring.
|
| SAM: |
(scrambles towards Frodo)
Frodo!
|
Strider continues to
fight off the Nazgūl who are screeching, with torch and sword.
|
| FRODO: |
Oh Sam!
|
Strider sets light to the
clothing of the Nazgūl with his torch, scaring them away from the Watch
Tower, whilst all the hobbits huddle around Frodo. From behind him, Strider
senses the last Nazgūl and throws a burning torch into its face. It
runs away. Frodo is still moaning with pain
|
| SAM: |
Strider! (Strider runs over)
Help him Strider!
|
| STRIDER: |
(picks up a broken sword on the
ground) He's been stabbed by a Morgul blade.
(It suddenly burns up and disappears into ash.
Strider drops it) This is beyond my skill to heal. He needs
elvish medicine (he picks Frodo up and carries him
away)
|
They run through
woodland, hearing the screeches of the Nazgūl behind them
|
| STRIDER: |
Hurry!
|
| SAM: |
It's six days from Rivendell! He'll never make it!
|
| STRIDER: |
(Frodo is mumbling on Strider's
shoulder as he is carried) Frodo Frodo
|
| FRODO VOICE: |
GANDALF!
|
| |
|
|
Scene 20 ~ The Caverns of Isengard
|
Isengard is now
surrounding by deep ravines in the ground, which glow orange. Wooden
structures stand around the ravines. Inside the ravines, wooden walkways and
pulleys have been built, where hundred's of orc are working. A moth flies
over the caverns to the top of Orthanc, where Gandalf sits dozing. As
it flies past him, he quickly reaches out a hand and gently grabs it.
|
| GANDALF: |
(whispering to the moth in an unknown
language) Gwaihir go! Gwaihir
|
| The moth flies off.
Deep inside the caverns the orcs are forging rough weapons. Trees continue
to be felled and thrown into the pits, to be burnt in the fires in their
depths. Saruman walks around in them, watching the iron being smelted and
poured into moulds as helmets and more weapons are made around him. In one
corner of the caverns, some orcs are trying to prize something that is
moving from the mud. Saruman arrives to watch. Through the membranes
beneath a huge creature emerges, and grabs the orc nearest to it and kills
it. Some orcs go to intervene, but Saruman holds them back. The huge
creature, an Uruk Hai stands up, growling, holds out his hand and looks at
it. Saruman smiles slightly watching it`. |
