Everyone always talks about “too many endings” to The Lord of the Rings. Well, there’s only one, and that’s the one Tolkien wrote and thankfully that’s the one Jackson included. Please note I am working from the extended edition DVD and at this point I forget what may have been spliced in and not included in the original theatrical release (and besides, the more options the merrier…or pippinier…or…well…)
But from the standpoint of someone who hadn’t read the books, there’s a number of spots where the movie could have logically ended. I am presuming that if Jackson had chosen one of these alternate endings, he would have taken a couple of minutes of screen time to wrap up Arwen/Aragorn before the final battle if necessary (the first two options).
IMPORTANT NOTE: Feel free to consider this a question of favorite alternate ending if you like.
“Here at the end of all things!” The ring destroyed, the burden lifted, Frodo can remember the good things in life that he was struggling to save. With no further strength to flee the titanic eruption, Sam and Frodo embrace as comrades one last time, fade to black, roll credits. If I can wipe the book from my mind, this is actually a pretty good (if tragic) ending.
“Sleeping Beauty Awakens”. Frodo awakens in bed to see Gandalf alive, the rest of the Fellowship joins in the room, with Sam coming in last. They share a look that only those two can understand. Fade to black, roll credits. A happy ending that doesn’t drag things out too much.
“Now comes the days of the king!” Aragorn crowned, Arwen wed, and all bow to the small and humble hobbits who’s courage saved the day. Camera pulls out, roll credits over the map of Middle-earth. The traditional happy ending, with all the loose ends reasonably tidied up. A very easy point for Jackson to have ended the film.
Sam and Rosey Cotton Marry. (or “Return to the Shire/ Sam’s Wedding”, since I couldn’t view what I wrote here while filling out the poll options) Fly over of the map, the Hobbits make it back to the Shire at long, long last. A quiet scene where they all sit together at the inn, Sam works up the courage to go to Rosey, meld to their wedding, one last look at a smiling Frodo, roll credits. There! All the lose threads tied up! Dammit, a happy ending! I suppose it could have also ended with them just looking at each other and hoisting their cups to each other in a final salute, but it’s just a few seconds to add the wedding, so there.
The Red Book of Westmarch. Okay, they’d have to cut out the part about some hurts go too deep, but Frodo shows Sam that he has completed the epic work, and closes the book (and the film). There! Even a metaphor for closing the story! Yes, I own the Red Book of Westmarch version of LotR ($30 at the time - what is it now? $75?)., so I had to shoehorn this one in.
Into the West. The hobbits and Gandalf gather at the havens, Frodo passes over the Red Book. Final farewells, and the Fellowship is ended as Frodo, Bilbo and Gandalf pass into the Uttermost West. The music swells with familiar themes, their ship sails into the setting sun, fade to white, roll credits! Okay - really now! That must be it! The bittersweet ending, the characters all truly and well wrapped. Everyone gets out of their seats and heads for the exits…
“I’m back!” …unlike the others, Arnold Schwarzenegger senses that he shouldn’t get out of his seat. Just that little lift, Sam returns to home and family, and we see reassurance that there are those that can live on and build new lives after tragedy. The Tolkien ending! There can’t be any other options…can there?
8. Appendixitis. Apparently Jackson gave thought to this, covering the final ends of all the members of the Fellowship as listed in the appendices of The Return of the King. Only when that last homely ship that carried Legolas and Gimli to Valinor does the Fellowship of the Ring truly end. Nothing further is known of what happens in Middle-earth after that. And Tolkien did consider ending it with this, too, though he decided to end the story proper with the one immediately above, and included the various fates of the Fellowship members in the appendices.
Oh damn! I forgot the “Shit-bonerz” option again!
But I did Tolkienize it properly with hyphen and lower case second word.
“Days of the king” in my opinion. It tied up all the characters that we cared about at that point, Middle Earth was safe, and it would have given the cinematic opportunity to pan out and end the movies by showing the beautiful scenery that was showcased just one last time.
“Days of the King” would have been a functional ending (with such wonderful music), but I’m glad Jackson went as far as he did and ended it with Sam’s return home.
I was worried that he would end it at that point when I first saw it - and after all, it is a perfectly functional ending. Certainly those who were unfamiliar with the book were getting their things together to head out of the theater. Though honestly, in sitting there and watching all the various points where an unfamiliar audience might think it was at an end, I really like the tragic “Here at the end of all things”. No eagles to the rescue (shuts that crowd up who think the ring should have been sent by Manwe Express), the world is saved, but not for all (tragic self-sacrifice giving perhaps a more bitter than sweet ending). No prolonged denouement. Jackson would be lynched by fanatics, but I mean, considered on its own merits, I think it works rather well.
And I think this is the kind of thing I’m driving at - ignoring what was actually in the book, if you had been working from your own script, how would you have ended it, given those choices?
I would have liked to see an aragorn fight against sauron personally.
Possibly with final suicide attack where he manages to kill sauron but dies in the process. Extra points if he takes the ring, fights against its influence and then does a terminator 2 style “this is the only way” in to the lava to end things.
But who am i kidding, the ending they used was the best. although i really would have liked to see more sauron fighting.
It was considered - well, the fight Sauron bit. They pulled that for the troll. Which should have been Pippen’s troll, but alas, the movie version of Pippen was to be one-upped by Merry’s half credit for the Witch-king.
But yes, Aragorn did lead a suicide charge out. Tolkien’s combat at times is very much Saxon England circa 1066. Break the shield wall and die (Stamford Bridge, Hastings). What it did lack was Gandalf’s sense of portent, and his last great moment is robbed from him where Sauron’s troops falter as his will completely abandons the field as Frodo claims The Ring, and Gandalf has the sense of place to tell the men to stand, for the hour of doom was upon them.
Besides, if Aragorn dies before he is crowned, the movie title would have to be changed.
I think the movie should’ve had three or four more endings. Add the Tolkien appendix stuff, make up some more for movie specific stuff like show the audience the after-afterlife of the ghost army and graves of the various peripheral characters that got killed, then wrap it up with a musical number sung by members of the cast.
I thought there would be at least one fanatic out there who would like an epilogue with the appendix fates of the Fellowship members by now (I’m counting your response as simply facetious since you didn’t actually vote in the poll).
While the most powerful moment listed in these endings is the king crown “you bow to no one hobbits!!” I still chose Into the West. I feel like even though it’s not the total emotional roundhouse, it’s important to get that some wounds are too deep moment at the pub when the four realized you can’t go home again on some level. I feel like the natural wrap up for that is the good bye on the docks, so I sort of lump them together.
Honestly, I think the movie ended the best way it could’ve. I know people that only saw the movies thought it went too long, but for the book fans, it was nice to see the emotional tie-up.
My big issues with the current way the film ends are threefold:
[ul]
[li]I hate the bed wakeup scene; it’s far too long, boring and cheesy. I know you need to show what happens to Frodo after being picked up by the Eagles though.[/li][li]I love the “you bow to no one” moment, but don’t much care for the rest of the coronation scene: the stuff with Arwen and Elrond, the singing, etc.[/li][li]I’ve always thought Sam’s wedding stuff seemed rushed and tacked on.[/li][/ul]
So since we’re being totally presumptuous and changing things, here’s what I’d do:
Keep “Here at the end of all things” as it is, but take out the dialog about Rosie Cotton.
Merge the “Wake Up Sleeping Beauty” scene with the “Days of the King” scene:
Rather than take place in a single bedroom, have it in the Houses of Healing (ie: a bigger room, with other patients in the background). Frodo wakes up, his friends are there. Have Aragorn and Arwen come in, holding hands. Aragorn’s already been crowned. He doesn’t sing. It’s not in slow-motion. Have the emotions run a little less high, maybe add a few more characters like Faramir and Eowen. The hobbits see the crown, bow to Aragorn, cap it with the “You Bow to No One” line, and the entire Fellowship bows to the hobbits.
Keep the return to the Shire as is, with the drinks in the pub scene, but cut the bit where Sam goes off to talk to Rosie (ie: completely cut Sam’s wedding, etc).
Keep the writing of the book, and “Into the West” as-is, but less slow-motion, and try to get someone other than the horrifying midget from Poltergeist III to portray Bilbo in long-shot.
End with “Well, I’m back”, but instead of having Sam come back to a wife and kids, end with him seeing Rosie, looking hopeful, with a smile and a hint for what lies in store for him, saying the line, then going inside.
