THE LORD OF THE RINGS The Fellowship of the Ring ...

1 THE LORD OF THE RINGS The Fellowship of the ring Screenplay by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson Based on the novels by Tolkien 2001 New Line Cinema 1. BLACK SCREEN SUPER: New Line Cinema Presents SUPER: A Wingnut Films Production BLACK CONTINUES: ..ELVISH SINGING .. A WOMAN S VOICE IS whispering, tinged with SADNESS and REGRET: GALADRIEL ( ) (Elvish: subtitled) I amar presten aen: han mathon ne nen, han mathon ne chae .. a han noston ned wilith. (English:) The world is changed: I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, I smell it in the air.

2 Much that once was is lost, for none now live who remember it. SUPER: THE LORD OF THE RINGS EXT. PROLOGUE - DAY IMAGE: FLICKERING FIRELIGHT. The NOLDORIN FORGE in EREGION. MOLTEN GOLD POURS from the lip of an IRON LADLE. GALADRIEL ( ) It began with the forging of the Great RINGS . IMAGE: THREE RINGS , each set with a single GEM, are received by the HIGH ELVES - GALADRIEL, GIL-GALAD and CIRDAN. GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) Three were given to the Elves: immortal, wisest .. fairest of all beings. IMAGE: SEVEN RINGS held aloft in triumph by the DWARF LORDS. GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) Seven to the Dwarf Lords: great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls.

3 IMAGE: NINE RINGS clutched tightly by the KINGS OF MEN .. as if holding-close a precious secret. GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) And Nine .. nine RINGS were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else desire power. (MORE) (CONTINUED) 2. CONTINUED: GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) For within these RINGS was bound the strength and the will to govern each race. FADE TO BLACK GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) But they were all of them deceived. FADE UP: An ancient PARCHMENT MAP of MIDDLE EARTH .. moving slowly across the MAP as if drawn by an unseen force the CAMERA closes in on a PLACE NAME.

4 MORDOR. GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) ..for another ring was made. TEASING SHOTS: SAURON forging the ONE ring in the CHAMBERS of SAMMATH NAUR. GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) In the land of Mordor, in the fires of Mount Doom, the Dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a Master ring to control all others. IMAGE: The ONE ring reflecting the FIERY LAVA! FIRE WRITING emerges on the plain BAND OF GOLD. GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) ..and into this ring he poured his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life. IMAGE: THE ONE ring falls through SPACE and into GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) One ring to rule them IMAGE: A GREAT SHADOW falls across the MAP.

5 Closing in around the realm of IMAGE: SCREAMING VILLAGERS, MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN, RUN from their homes, pursued by ARMIES OF HIDEOUS ORCS. (CONTINUED) 3. CONTINUED: (2) GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) One by one the Free lands of Middle earth fell to the power of the ring . FADE TO BLACK. GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) But there were some .. who resisted. FADE UP: ISILDUR, son of the KING OF GONDOR, leads an ARMY ACROSS the PLAINS OF GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) A last alliance of Men and Elves marched against the armies of Mordor.

6 On the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle-Earth. TEASING SHOTS: THE BATTLE OF DAGORLAD .. THE ELF LORD, ELROND, commands rack after rank of ELVEN ELROND (Elvish) Tangado haid! Leithio i philinn! (English) Hold positions! Fire the arrows! TEASING SHOTS: ARROWS FIRING .. ORCS RETREATING before the ARMY of the LAST ALLIANCE .. ELENDIL, KING OF GONDOR, holds aloft the great SWORD .. NARSIL! GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) Victory was near! IMAGES: THE HUGE, DARK FIGURE OF SAURON, bearing the ONE ring on his finger, looms over the field of GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) But the power of the ring could not be undone.

7 IMAGE: SAURON lays waste to the armies of the LAST ALLIANCE. With desperate courage, ELENDIL leads a charge .. THE BLACK MACE OF SAURON LASHES OUT!! IMAGE: ELENDIL S body falls like a crumpled rag IMAGE: ISILDUR cradles the body of his father in his arms. The SHADOW OF SAURON falls over him. (CONTINUED) 4. CONTINUED: (3) GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) It was in this moment .. when all hope had faded, that Isildur, son of the king, took up his father's sword. ISILDUR snatches up the BROKEN BLADE OF NARSIL .. The BLADE severs SAURON S FINGERS .. AND THE ONE ring FLIES from his body.

8 GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) Sauron, the enemy of the Free Peoples of Middle-Earth, was defeated. SAURON S ARMOUR clatters to the ground, his body GONE .. VAPROIZED! CLOSE ON: ISILDUR picks up the SEVERED FINGER and removes the ONE ring .. transfixed! GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) The ring passed to Isildur .. who had this one chance to destroy evil forever. IMAGE: GLADDEN FIELD .. ISILDUR leads a small column of MEN through DARKENING WOODS .. the ONE ring glinting on a CHAIN around his neck. GALADRIEL ( ) But the hearts of Men are easily corrupted. And the ring of Power has a will of its own.

9 SUDDENLY! ARROWS FLY! They are ambushed by ORCS .. ISIDULR is THROWN from his HORSE! ISILDUR stumbles to his feet and in a PANIC, puts on the the ring and DISAPPEARS! INVISIBLE ISILDUR flees from the BATTLE and jumps into the RIVER ANDUIN. ISILDUR MATERIALIZES UNDER WATER .. as the ring slips slowly from his finger. He grasps for it, desperately. ORCS on the RIVERBANK spot him in the WATER. They fire a BARRAGE OF ARROWS into him. ISILDUR JERKS. Ripples of light play across ISILDUR S PALE FACE .. he is DEAD. (CONTINUED) 5. CONTINUED: (4) GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) It betrayed Isildur to his death.

10 IMAGE: ISILDUR floats down the RIVER, ARROWS lodged in his back. IMAGE: THE ring falls through the MURKY WATERS of the RIVER ANDUIN .. and into GALADRIEL ( ) And some things that should not have been forgotten .. were lost. FADE TO BLACK GALADRIEL ( ) Thus a Third Age of Middle-Earth began. History became legend .. legend became myth. FADE UP: The waters of the ANDUIN RIVER lie dark and undisturbed. GALADRIEL ( ) (CONT D) And for two and a half thousand years, the ring passed out of all knowledge. IMAGE: SILT SWIRLS .. A THIN WHITE HAND reaches down.