THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING [2001]

Fate Has Chosen Him

A Fellowship Will Protect Him

Evil Will Hunt Them

It all began with the forging of the Great Rings. 

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. 

And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of Men, who above all else desire power. 

For within these rings was bound the strength and the will to govern over each race. 

But they were all of them deceived, for another ring was made. 

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. 

 And into this ring he poured all his cruelty, his malice and his will to dominate all life. 

One ring to rule them all. 

One by one, the free peoples of Middle Earth fell to the power of the Ring. 

But there were some who resisted. 

A last alliance of men and elves marched against the armies of Mordor, 

and on the very slopes of Mount Doom, they fought for the freedom of Middle-Earth. 

Victory was near, but the power of the ring could not be undone. 

It was in this moment, when all hope had faded, 

that Isildur, son of the king, took up his father's sword. 

And Sauron, enemy of the free peoples of Middle-Earth, was defeated. 

The Ring passed to Isildur, who had this one chance to destroy evil forever, 

but the hearts of men are easily corrupted. 

And the ring of power has a will of its own. 

It betrayed Isildur, to his death. 

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, the ring ensnared a new bearer. 

The ring came to the creature Gollum, 

who took it deep into the tunnels under the Misty Mountains, and there it consumed him. 

The ring gave to Gollum unnatural long life. 

For five hundred years it poisoned his mind; and in the gloom of Gollum's cave, it waited. 

Darkness crept back into the forests of the world. 

Rumor grew of a shadow in the East, 

whispers of a nameless fear, and the Ring of Power perceived. 

Its time had now come. 

It abandoned Gollum. 

But then something happened that the Ring did not intend. 

It was picked up by the most unlikely creature imaginable. 

A hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, of the Shire. 

For the time will soon come when hobbits will shape the fortunes of all... 

Frodo: You're late.
Gandalf: A wizard is never late, Frodo Baggins.
 Nor is he early.
He arrives precisely when he means to.

Frodo, handed Gandalf the ring: Take it, Gandalf, take it!

 Gandalf: You must take it!

Gandalf: You cannot offer me this ring!

 Frodo: I'm giving it to you!

Gandalf: Don't tempt me, Frodo!

I dare not take it, not even to keep it safe.

Understand, Frodo, I would use this ring from a desire to do good.

But through me, it would wield a power too great and terrible to imagine.

Frodo: What are they?

Aragorn: They were once men, great kings of men.

 Then Sauron The Deceiver gave to them 9 rings of power.

Blinded by their greed, they took them without question.

One by one, falling into darkness.

Now they are slaves to his will.

They are The Nazgul, Ringwraiths.

Neither living nor dead.

I miss The Shire.

I spent all my childhood pretending I was off somewhere else.

Off with you, on one of your adventures.

But my own adventure turned out to be quite different.

~Frodo Baggins

Elrond: Gandalf, the ring cannot stay here.

This peril belongs to all Middle-earth.

They must decide now how to end it.

The time of the elves is over.

My people are leaving these shores.

Who will you look to when we've gone? The dwarves?

They hide in mountains seeking riches.

They care not for the troubles of others.

Gandalf: It is in men that we must place our hope.

Elrond: Men? Men are weak.

The race of men is failing.

The blood of Numenor is all but spent, its pride and dignity forgotten.

It is because of men the ring survives.

Frodo: I will take it. 

I will take the ring to Mordor.

Though... I do not know the way.

Gandalf: I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins, as long as it yours to bear.

Aragorn: If by my life or death I can protect you, I will.

You have my sword.

Legolas: And you have my bow.

Gimli: And my ax.

Boromir: You carry the fates of us all, little one.

If this is indeed the will of the Council, then Gondor will see it done.

Sam: Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me.

Elrond: No indeed it is hardly possible to separate you 

even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not.

Merry: Oy, we're coming too!

You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us.

Pippin: Anyway, you need people of intelligence on this sort of... mission...

quest... thing...

Merry: Well, that rules you out, Pip.

Elrond: 9 companions.

So be it.

You shall be The Fellowship of the Ring.

Pippin: Great!

Where are we going?

Elrond: She wanted to protect her child.
She thought in Rivendell you would be safe.
In her heart, your mother knew you'd be hunted all your life,
that you'd never escape your fate.
 The skill of the elves can reforge the sword of kings, 
but only you have the power to wield it.
Aragorn: I do not want that power.
I have never wanted it.
Elrond: You are the last of that bloodline. 
There is no other.

Gandalf: You feel its power growing, don't you?
I've felt it too.
You must be careful now.
Evil will be drawn to you from outside the fellowship.
And, I fear, from within.
Frodo: Who then do I trust?
Gandalf: You must trust yourself. Trust your own strength.
Frodo: What do you mean?
Gandalf: There are many powers in this world for good or for evil.
Some are greater than I am.
And against some I have not yet been tested.

Gandalf: Smeagol's life is a sad story.
Yes, Smeagol he was once called, before the ring found him, before it drove him mad.
Frodo: It's a pity Bilbo didn't kill him when he had the chance.
Gandalf: Pity? It is pity that stayed Bilbo's hand.
Many that live deserve death.
Some that die deserve life.
Can you give it to them, Frodo?
Do not be too eager to deal out death and judgement.
Even the very wise cannot see all ends.
My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill before this is over.
The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.
Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me.
I wish none of this had happened.
Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times.
But that is not for them to decide.
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.
There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides the will of evil.
Bilbo was meant to find the ring.
In which case, you also were meant to have it.
And that is an encouraging thought.

 Frodo: I cannot do this alone.
Galadriel: You are a ring-bearer, Frodo.
To bear a ring of power, is to be alone.

Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.
~Galadriel

Saruman: Do you know how the orcs first came into being?
They were elves once.
Taken by the dark powers, tortured and mutilated.
A ruined and terrible form of life.
And now... perfected.
My fighting Uruk-hai, whom do you serve?
Uruk-hai: Saruman.

Boromir: I have failed you all.
Aragorn: No, Boromir, you fought bravely.
You have kept your honor.
Boromir: The world of men will fall and all will come to darkness, and my city to ruin.
Aragorn: I do not know what strength is in my blood, 
but I swear to you, I will not let the White City fall, nor our people fail.

I would have followed you, my brother.
My captain.
My king.
~Boromir


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