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[A-V-B]

Definitely Theoden's. I always hear people quoting it, to boot.

 

[Syf]

Theoden, but I've always felt that if they didn't change the tone of Aragorn's speech from what it was like in the trailer I'd have liked it better. They're both excellent though.

 

[sunshine and gasoline]

Theoden's speech gave me shivers when I first heard it and it lead to one of my favorite cinema moments in a film. It is easily the more rousing of the two speeches.

 

[yogloo]

Theoden. No contest. It saddens me when I look at this then remember how the hobbit turns out.

 

[Dommo]

Never really understood the love for Theoden's speech specifically. It's fine as a motivational speech for his warriors, but it never did anything for me emotionally. The charge itself coupled with the music and the context of Rohan reuniting with Gondor makes it one of the most emotionally-charged scenes in the entire trilogy for me, but it's not necessarily because of Theoden's speech itself.

Aragorn's speech is actually pretty great. It calls to mind this massively flawed, lumbering, somewhat clunky behemoth that is The race of Men, that's emotional and passionate enough that, when motivated, can do great things. And that in this moment here, regardless of their past or future sins and failings, they are a force to reckoned with. Humans being flawed, wreckless and careless but ultimately capable of great, heroic things is one of the major ideas of the trilogy, so it's super powerful when it's all tied together by Aragorn at the end. I'll say this though - the trailer version of the speech has always been, to me, a much better take from Viggo. He's stern but calm in the trailer. In the film itself he's always sounded a bit rushed and angry.

 

[Obliterator]

I mean how epic is Theoden

"Ride to ruin, and the worlds ending!"

I mean Theoden is just fucking incredible. And Tolkiens description of his charge (the greatest calvary charge ever possibly) is just unreal

Suddenly the king cried to Snowmane and the horse sprang away. Behind him his banner blew in the wind, white horse upon a field of green, but he outpaced it. After him thundered the knights of his house, but he was ever before them. Éomer rode there, the white horsetail on his helm floating in his speed, and the front of the first éored roared like a breaker foaming to the shore, but Théoden could not be overtaken. Fey he seemed, or the battle-fury of his fathers ran like new fire in his veins, and he was borne up on Snowmane like a god of old, even as Oromë the Great in the battle of the Valar when the world was young. His golden shield was uncovered, and lo! it shone like an image of the Sun, and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his steed. For morning came, morning and a wind from the sea; and the darkness was removed, and the hosts of Mordor wailed, and terror took them, and they fled, and died, and the hoofs of wrath rode over them. 

Fucking goosebumps just reading that man

 

[Syf]

I'll say this though - the trailer version of the speech has always been, to me, a much better take from Viggo. He's stern but calm in the trailer. In the film itself he's always sounded a bit rushed and angry.

Yep, agreed for sure. I just watched the trailer again and man he sounded good there. Wish they had gone with that delivery.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

I'm picking Theoden, and I'm picking it for the most superficial, petty reason:

Viggo Mortensen's voice gets all reedy and nasal and vibrato up there on that horse trying to project, and he sounds like a theater kid trying to hit the cheap seats instead of a leader of men rallying them to their death.

"Tayyyke the hart of mieeee."

I love the speech. I love it more when it ends.

 

[TheXbox]

Aragorn's speech drives closest to what The Lord of the Rings is all about: the vanishing of the old world and its reconquest by the western kingdoms of Europe-I-mean-Middle-earth.

But Theoden and his army screaming "DEATH" is pretty fucking metal.

 

[ohlawd]

I forgot Aragorn even had a prebattle speech at the gate so Theoden

 

[elrechazado]

DEATH

I thought aragorn's was pretty poor.

 

[Chichikov]

Theoden's, which has the added benefit of being the preamble to the greatest cavalry charge ever put to film.

Not even close.

 

[Currygan]

they're both superlol, but I slightly prefer Theoden's

 

[jett]

Not even close.

You.

You're one of the good ones.

 

[OricWindstar]

Aragorn for sure. His is hopeful whereas Theoden is resigned to death and going out with a blaze of glory.

That's why I love it. Bravery in the face of certain demise.

Not even close.

Good call, though.

 

[Verendus]

The one true king.

 

[Joeku]

Yup. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnYbsAVdkYw

Suddenly the king cried to Snowmane and the horse sprang away. Behind him his banner blew in the wind, white horse upon a field of green, but he outpaced it. After him thundered the knights of his house, but he was ever before them. Éomer rode there, the white horsetail on his helm floating in his speed, and the front of the first éored roared like a breaker foaming to the shore, but Théoden could not be overtaken. Fey he seemed, or the battle-fury of his fathers ran like new fire in his veins, and he was borne up on Snowmane like a god of old, even as Oromë the Great in the battle of the Valar when the world was young. His golden shield was uncovered, and lo! it shone like an image of the Sun, and the grass flamed into green about the white feet of his steed. For morning came, morning and a wind from the sea; and the darkness was removed, and the hosts of Mordor wailed, and terror took them, and they fled, and died, and the hoofs of wrath rode over them.

Goddamn, Tolkien. Goddamn.

 

[Madness]

Theoden. I feel it deep down when the horns come and you see the Rohirrim under the sunlight. And then his speech and the music. Just gets me pumped up.

 

[Agraavan]

Theoden's. That speech gives me goosebumps everytime I hear it. Aragorn's is good, but it's not on the same league.

 

[DrForester]

edit: ^5

Theoden. It's no contest. Aragorn's was nice, but Theoden was just in another league.

Aragorn for sure. His is hopeful whereas Theoden is resigned to death and going out with a blaze of glory.

Been a while, but in the books wasn't that how Aragorn and the others felt at the black gate? I seem to remember then pretty much believing Frodo was dead and deciding to go out in a blaze of glory.

 

[DrForester]

dang

 

[commish]

I mean how epic is Theoden

"Ride to ruin, and the worlds ending!"

I mean Theoden is just fucking incredible. And Tolkiens description of his charge (the greatest calvary charge ever possibly) is just unreal



Fucking goosebumps just reading that man

Nice post. Thanks.

And Theoden wins this showdown.

 

[Bobby Roberts]

Yeah, nobody rolling up to the Black Gates thought they were doing anything but buying time at best. Functionally, Theoden and Aragorn's speeches were the same thing: We're gonna go out fighting for the good.

Theoden's speech is much better at making you want to do that, both in content and definitely in delivery.

 

[Obliterator]

Yeah, nobody rolling up to the Black Gates thought they were doing anything but buying time at best. Functionally, Theoden and Aragorn's speeches were the same thing: We're gonna go out fighting for the good.

Theoden's speech is much better at making you want to do that, both in content and definitely in delivery.

Yeah both thought / knew they were doomed. Theoden was actually right in that, he rode bravely to his death.

 

[Grisby]

They all pale to-

The one true king.

My man.

DEATH

I thought aragorn's was pretty poor.

It felt too rushed. Yea, Theoden's was better.

 

[Discotheque]

I like the content of arargorn's more but I think it sounded better in the trailer. The take they used instead didn't sound as good.

Theodens is prolly better because of how glorious that scene is when it comes together. That rohan theme.

 

[Wray]

Aragorn's speech for butchered in ADR. Else it mighta been better. Watch the original trailers of that speech.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

They should have used the Aragorn speech from the trailer. The version they used in the actual movie was a lot worse.

 

[YesNOnoNOYes]

DEAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTHHHHHHHHH

Spoiler

theoden's

 

[Sephzilla]

The one true king.

Both of those LOTR speeches are great. But this one is in an entirely upper echelon

 

[longdi]

Theoden because the riders of rohan flute music afterwards made it uber epic

 

[Dice]

Theoden! It's the whole setup, man. They survived Helm's Deep. They have already been through hell and back. They are at the edge of survival but decide to be heroes. They gather everything they can and get out there and while they are supposed to be the saviors, the numbers against them are utterly staggering. Merry looks terrified, Eowyn looks just as terrified but tells him to have courage for their friends (cry every time) and then Theoden comes out with that speech of utter defiance. There is no reasoning to it, because there is no reason to the situation; the raw bloody battle for survival is all that is left. Surely death will come to many of them, but a righteous death even if all of them.

Aragorn tried to capture some of that feeling, but he passed the intensity of it. And really, that's kind of what it was supposed to be anyway. It was supposed to have less glory to it, less hope, more depressing, yet the ultimate in nobility. The whole thing about that battle is no one knew if they were even close with the ring, so there is that mystery of a chance in a truly hopeless fight. They were effectively giving themselves up as a distraction for Frodo to do it if he could, not descending into hell to start some shit.

 

[DrSlek]

Theoden King! After a speech like that, I'd follow Theoden to certain death.

 

[Thorgal]

i don't know , i was placed in the rear of those armies and i could not hear shit of what they where saying .

 

[Mega Caprison]

Not even close.

nah, didn't feel that

 

[ScreenSplitter]

Theoden's is probably more of an epic moment, but for the soldiers fighting probably Aragorn's! Theoden talks a lot about death as if they're going to definitely die, which, whilst it's awesome, doesn't promise a victory.

 

[Cpt.Underpants]

Theoden, his accent fits naturally with the speech

 

[Dice]

How about the opposite of Theoden's speech?

 

[ponpo]

Haldir's horns.

 

[FeD.nL]

It's such a shame that Bernard Hill didn't even get an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Theoden.

 

[Marz]

Theoden's easily.

 

[Spikematic]

Theoden's. But Aragorn's "For Frodo" was shiver inducing as well!

 

[Familienoberhauptvogel]

Easily Aragorn, he invoked hope, Theoden invoked glory in death.

Rousing though, easily Katniss Everdeen iykwim.

 

[kharma45]

TTT Theodon, then ROTK Theodon and finally Aragorn.

 

[TheChewyWaffles]

All of Aragorns speeches sucked.

 

[Thorgal]

All of Aragorns speeches sucked.

his strategy certainly does .

 

[WadiumArcadium]

I like both but Theoden's is the better speech and scene.

 

[Skellig Gra]

Been a while, but in the books wasn't that how Aragorn and the others felt at the black gate? I seem to remember then pretty much believing Frodo was dead and deciding to go out in a blaze of glory.

They all knew it was a suicide mission but it's the message that counts.

 

[Megalosaro]

It is a shame they didn't include the rohirrim singing as they fought in the movies. That was some of my favorite imagery from the novel.

 

[PhoncipleBone]

I mean how epic is Theoden

"Ride to ruin, and the worlds ending!"

I mean Theoden is just fucking incredible. And Tolkiens description of his charge (the greatest calvary charge ever possibly) is just unreal



Fucking goosebumps just reading that man

Theoden by a mile. That scene in the books and film are just magnificent. Theoden wanted blood, and by God he got it.
And then when the mumakil showed up he went even crazier.
"BRING IT DOWN! BRING IT DOWN! BRING IT DOWN!"