Yesterday I stood in line to get good seats for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and it was completely worth the wait. Tremendous vistas lend timeless grandeur to every scene, and I could feel my mind's eye recognize the land that Tolkien described and I traveled to in my imagination in the final chapter of the tale of the Ring. Minas Tirith stands strong like the bones of mountains, while Minas Morgul and the Vale glow with sickness and insane despair.
As Frodo, Sam, and Gollum cross into Mordor the Ring's Song grows ever more debilitating, suggesting foul play and false witness in order to slow their march towards Mount Doom to destroy the evil thing. Meanwhile, Gandalf plans to distract Sauron by having Aragorn and company put up a good fight in Gondor against the swarms of nasty creatures who are about to put an end to the age of men.
I think this movie had some very strong yet simple messages for me. You will know who your friends are because they will be right at your side when the world is crashing down around you. And sometimes a piece of your innocence might be lost forever, but somewhere a flower is blooming.