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I lost count of how many times I have seen this start clipping of this movie.
By far the best Narration I have ever seen or heard.
I really wanted this to be in my blog as a Tribute and there it goes.
Who so ever was the Narrator (Transcript), Hats off !!! Great Job ! Take a Bow!
[Black screen]
Narrator (V.O.) I amar prestar aen.
(The world is changed.)
Han mathon ne nen.
(I feel it in the waters.)
Han mathon ne chae.
(I feel it in the earth.)
A han noston ned 'wilith.
(I smell it in the air.)
Much that once was is lost. For none now live who remember it.
[The words 'The Lord of the Rings' appear in gold lettering on the screen, the screen fades back to black, then a fire comes onto the screen. A pair of tongs are seen pouring a heated liquid into a mould.]
It began with the forging of the Great Rings.
[Three Elf hands are seen, each wearing one of the elven rings, which each have jewels on them. We see the Elves looking at the rings on their fingers.]
Three were given to the Elves: immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings.
Seven to the Dwarf-lords: great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls.
[We see the dwarves take their rings.]
And nine. Nine rings were gifted to the race of men, who above all else desire power.
[The men are seen with their rings.]
For within these rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race. But they were all of them deceived.
[We see a map of Middle-earth, which darkens as the screen blacks out.]
For another ring was made.
[Map is shown again, this time showing Mordor.]
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.
[We see Mount Doom, a volcano, spitting out lava from the top. We see Sauron's face, wearing a golden mask. Then we see a more distant shot of Sauron, this time holding something up in his hand.]
And into this Ring he poured his cruelty, his malice, and his will to dominate all life.
[Fire blots out his image, and in the fire we see round, gold ring. We see a close shot of Sauron, with the Ring on his hand. The camera zooms in on the Ring, which has fiery Elvish letters on it.]
One Ring to rule them all.
[Once again, we see a map of Middle-earth. A dark cloud originating from Mordor spreads to the rest of Middle-earth.]
One by one, free lands of Middle-earth fell to the power of the Ring.
[The map blends into a village in Middle-earth, where people are running away from Orcs, who are brandishing axes, and burning down houses.]
But there were some who resisted.
[We see an army of men marching, then a long shot of the battle field, where there are thousands of Men, Elves, and Orcs in battle, marching towards each other. The camera moves up to show Mount Doom.]
A last alliance of Men and Elves marched against the armies of Mordor. And on the slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle-earth.
[We see an Orc snarling, then a line of archers shooting arrows. Once again, we see a long shot of the battle field, with Orcs falling off cliff tops as they are shot. There are tens of thousands on the battle field. Then we see close shots of an army of Elves and men, commanded by Elrond.]
Elrond:
Tangado haid! Leithio i philinn!
[Translation: "Hold [your] positions! Fire the arrows!"]
[The Elves/Men have their shields drawn, and as the Orcs charge towards them, they draw their swords and fight them. Many Orcs fall.]
Narrator (V.O.) Victory was near. But the power of the Ring could not be undone.
[Sauron appears, and with him, a hazy cloud. We see a close up shot of his hand, which is wearing the Ring. The fiery letters are very clear. Sauron swings his mace, and the men and Elves against him are flung outwards, yelling in pain. The king charges forward, trying to kill Sauron. Sauron slashes at him, flinging him to the ground. His sword falls. Isildur, his son, runs to his side, and takes off his helmet.]
It was in this moment, when all hope had faded, that Isildur, son of the king, took up his father's sword.
[As he grabs at the sword, Sauron steps on it, breaking it. Still holding the hilt of the broken sword, Isildur slashes at Sauron's hand, cutting off the finger which wears the Ring. The finger, still with the Ring on it, falls to the ground, as Sauron falls backwards. Isildur sits up and leans over the Ring, as Sauron is destroyed in a light that seems to come from his body. A bright light comes from him, and a cloud spreads over the battlefield, killing all the Orcs and Sauron's allies. Sauron's helmet falls to the ground, smoke coming out of it.]
Sauron, the enemy of the Free peoples of Middle-earth, was defeated.
[Isildur, amazed, picks up Sauron's finger, with the Ring on it.]
The Ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy evil forever.
[We see the Ring in Isildur's hand, and as he holds it, the finger of Sauron turns to powder.]
But the hearts of men are easily corrupted. And the Ring of power has a will of its own.
[We see Isildur on a horse, and the Ring on a chain around his neck. He is attacked by Orcs. One jumps onto his back, and the others shoot him with their arrows. He is seen in the Great River, dead, with three arrows in his back.]
It betrayed Isildur to his death.
[The Ring is seen floating down to the bottom of the river.]
And some things that should not have been forgotten were lost. History became legend; legend became myth. And for two and a half thousand years the Ring passed out of all knowledge. Until, when chance came, it ensnared a new bearer.
[The screen fades to black. Then we see the same part of the river, some time later. We then see the Ring, half buried, still on the river floor. A hand is seen closing over it.]
Gollum:
My preciousss.
[We see Gollum holding the Ring in his hand, then a shot of the Misty Mountains.]
Narrator (V.O.) The Ring came to the creature Gollum who took it deep into the tunnels of the Misty Mountains. And there it consumed him.
[We see Gollum, deep in a cave, squatting on a rock, looking at the Ring in his hand.]
Gollum:
It came to me. My own. My love. My own. My Preciousss... Gollum...
Narrator (V.O.) The Ring brought to Gollum unnatural long life. For 500 years it poisoned his mind. And in the gloom of Gollum's cave it waited.
[Screen blacks out, then we see an indistinct shape, which comes into focus: a full moon. The image sharpens more, and we see it behind the cover of a tree.]
Darkness crept back in the forest of the world. Rumour grew of a shadow in the East, whispers of a nameless fear.
[We see a ripple in the Great Lake, the screen merges into a shot of a red sunset.]
And the Ring of Power perceived its time had now come.
[We hear the sound of metal on rock, echoing through Gollum's cave, and see the Ring falling.]
It abandoned Gollum. But something happened then, the Ring did not intend. It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable.
[A hand is seen on the Ring.]
Bilbo:
What's this?
Narrator (V.O.) A Hobbit. Bilbo Baggins of the Shire.
[We see a full view of a Hobbit, who fingers it, then smiles.]
Bilbo:
A ring.
Gollum:
[Offstage, in the distance]: Lost! My Precious is lost!!! Narrator (V.O.) [We see the outside of the Misty Mountains, now moving away from them.]
For the time would soon come when Hobbits would shape the fortunes of all.
[The screen blacks out.]
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