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On finally seeing Return of the King
May. 30th, 2004 05:26 pmIt was a powerful movie, and I'm all wrung out... and I'm disappointed that they left out what I consider the emotional high point of the whole story.
"Where are you going, Master?" cried Sam, though at last he understood what was happening.
"To the Havens, Sam," said Frodo.
"And I can't come."
"No, Sam. Not yet anyway, not further than the Havens. Though you too were a Ring-bearer, if only for a little while. Your time may come."
And then in Appendix B:
"1482. Death of Mistress Rose, wife of Master Samwise, on Mid-year's Day. On September 22 Master Samwise rides out from Bag End. He comes to Tower Hills, and is last seen by Elanor, to whom he gives the Red Book afterwards kept by the Fairbairns. Among them the tradition is handed down from Elanor that Samwise passed the Towers, and went to the Grey Havens, and passed over Sea, last of the Ring-bearers."
The acknowledgment of Sam as a Ring-bearer, and the idea that eventually he is reunited with Frodo, are the emotional heart of the book for me, even surpassing Eowyn's slaying of the Nazgul king (and the scene in Mount Doom, which I suppose is supposed to be the high point). I don't hold out much hope for their reinstatement in the Extended version, either, since the film has this notion of a "last ship" for the Havens and no conversation between Frodo and Sam before the ride west.
Alas.
The reason this part is so special for me is because it subtly acknowledges that simple Sam -- by virtue of his pure love for Frodo -- is more powerful even than the One Ring, with Sam the only Ring-bearer uncorrupted in any way. And that's quite a message.
"Where are you going, Master?" cried Sam, though at last he understood what was happening.
"To the Havens, Sam," said Frodo.
"And I can't come."
"No, Sam. Not yet anyway, not further than the Havens. Though you too were a Ring-bearer, if only for a little while. Your time may come."
And then in Appendix B:
"1482. Death of Mistress Rose, wife of Master Samwise, on Mid-year's Day. On September 22 Master Samwise rides out from Bag End. He comes to Tower Hills, and is last seen by Elanor, to whom he gives the Red Book afterwards kept by the Fairbairns. Among them the tradition is handed down from Elanor that Samwise passed the Towers, and went to the Grey Havens, and passed over Sea, last of the Ring-bearers."
The acknowledgment of Sam as a Ring-bearer, and the idea that eventually he is reunited with Frodo, are the emotional heart of the book for me, even surpassing Eowyn's slaying of the Nazgul king (and the scene in Mount Doom, which I suppose is supposed to be the high point). I don't hold out much hope for their reinstatement in the Extended version, either, since the film has this notion of a "last ship" for the Havens and no conversation between Frodo and Sam before the ride west.
Alas.
The reason this part is so special for me is because it subtly acknowledges that simple Sam -- by virtue of his pure love for Frodo -- is more powerful even than the One Ring, with Sam the only Ring-bearer uncorrupted in any way. And that's quite a message.