One Ring to Rule Them All...(The Lord of the Rings- The Fellowship of the Ring)

GALADRIEL VOICE OVER: I amar prestar aen (The world is changed).
Han mathon ne nen (I feel it in the water)
Han mathon ne chae (I feel it in the Earth.)
A han noston ned gwilith (I smell it in the air.)
Much that once was is lost. For none now live who remember it.

Lord of the Rings titles.

A forge appears where someone is casting some rings.

GALADRIEL VOICE OVER: It began with the forging of the Great Rings.

Three hands are shown.

GALADRIEL VOICE OVER: Three were given to the elves. (Galadriel looks at her ring Gil-Galad and Cirdan are behind her looking at theirs.) Immortal, wisest and fairest of all beings. (seven rings are shown on a table and picked up by dwarves who admire them and hold them up in the air.) Seven to the dwarf lords, great miners and craftsmen of the mountain halls. (The camera moves back and focuses in on nine men all holding one ring each and looking at them.) And nine, nine rings were gifted to the race of men. (They drop their arms to their sides) Who above all else, desire power. (They fade away to a black screen.)

Changes to show a map of Middle Earth.

GALADRIEL VOICE OVER: For within these rings was bound the strength and will to govern each race. (The map moves towards Mordor.) But they were all of them deceived. (Black screen.) For another ring was made. (Map reappears showing Mordor.) In the land of Mordor, (Mount Doom appears on the screen.) in the fires of Mount Doom (Changes to show Sauron wreathed in flames.) the dark Lord Sauron forged in secret a master Ring (Shows Sauron in full armour holding the Ring.) to control all others and into this Ring he poured all his cruelty, his malice (fire moves across the screen and the Ring appears spinning over and over.) and his will to dominate all life. (Shows Sauron's finger with the one Ring on it.) One Ring to rule them all.

The scene changes to show the map of Middle Earth again. Scenes of strife and war fade in behind the map

GALADRIEL VOICE OVER: One by one the free lands of Middle Earth fell to the power of the Ring. But there were some who resisted. (Changes to show soldiers advancing on a battlefield.) A last alliance of Elves and Men marched against the armies of Mordor. And on the slopes of Mount Doom they fought for the freedom of Middle Earth.

We see the armies of Orcs battling with the armies of Elves and Men.

ELROND: Tangado haid! (Hold positions!)

The Elves bring up their shields.

ELROND: Leithio i philinn! (Fire arrows!)

The Elves fire arrows into the Orc ranks. The Orcs advance and the Elves bring up their swords to slash into the front line. The battle ensues and is very fierce. We see Gil-Galad spear an Orc on the ground. Elendil brandishes his sword.

GALADRIEL VOICE OVER: Victory was near. (Elrond stops fighting, Elendil stops fighting, they look up in fear.) But the power of the Ring (Sauron steps onto the battlefield with the Ring on his finger.) could not be undone.

The Elves and Men back off looking fearful. Sauron comes forward. He swings his mace scattering Men and Elves all over the field. Elendil moves forward to try to engage him, but he is thrown away by the mace. He crumples against the rock, dropping his sword.

GALADRIEL VOICE OVER: It was in this moment, (Isildur moves towards his father, takes his helmet off and holds Elendil to him.) that Isildur, son of the King, took up his father's sword.

Isildur looks up at Sauron and dives for his father's sword. Sauron stamps on it breaking it. He makes a grab for Isildur who swipes at his hand with the broken sword, severing the finger with the Ring on it. It falls to the ground. Elendil opens his eyes and looks at it in astonishment. Isildur looks up at Sauron who begins to glow brighter and brighter. There is a massive explosion sending a shock wave all across the armies, knocking the soldiers from their feet. Sauron's helmet crashes to the ground.

GALADRIEL VOICE OVER: Sauron, the enemy of the Free Peoples of Middle Earth was defeated.

[jetman]

The greatest first 4 minutes in cinematic history, LOTR is a masterpiece.

[mikeygilmour]

It's okay. The rings of power can't hurt you here

[bartoni]

"Elves fairest and wisest of all"

Damn Galadriel, didn't know you had that much ego

[alenajanovic]

Watching this after amazon tv show trailer. Oh my lord, this is 20 years old and its still 20 times better

[J.G.H.]

It's amazing how this is actually a gross simplification of the history of what happened, and it still manages to be epic as hell, perhaps it's even better because it was simplified.

[Dinosaurs_with_laser_guns]

<Much that once was, is lost.
For none now live, who remember it.>
One of the most prolific lines in any movie opening. Sends shivers down my spine every time Lady Galadriel says it, and the fading in of the music and the title. Pure magnificent perfect art! Thank you everyone who worked on this amazing trilogy, not to forget J.R.R. Tolkien of course, and the amazing mind of his that made this possible in the first place.

[jamlym]

I can't get over everything I love about this scene. It's so intense.

[raantas]

The way she goes like "in the land of mordor, in the fires of mount doom, the dark lord sauron.. "
No villian has got such an epic intro

[StormW]

3:35 when you underestimate your enemy so much, that instead of killing him, you try to grab him... big mistake Sauron, big mistake...

[Loomes]

After 20 years … still goosebumps hearing that music… best movies ever

[El.Muerto]

"The Elves, ...'wisest'... of all
"Oh, free magical rings! Fuck yes!" There's always free cheese in a mouse trap.

[jamesreed]

No matter how many times I watch this I always loved the battle, it was so badass to see Sauron in action and knock those men like they were ragdolls 😀

[ElMiguelFigueroa]

I had not read the books, and when I saw this prologue i Thought: "Ok, this is going to be special"

[InsanityGrant]

I cannot read the fiery letters, ’ said Frodo in a quavering voice.
‘No, ’ said Gandalf, ‘but I can. The letters are Elvish, of an ancient mode, but the language is that of Mordor, which I will not utter here. But this in the Common Tongue is what is said, close enough:
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.
It is only two lines of a verse long known in Elven-lore:
Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.
One Ring to rule them all. One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them
In the Land of Mordor where the Shadows lie.’

[valentins.]

Words simply can not describe the emotions you are going through when watching this intro and for that matter the whole trilogy

[treyknight]

I just experienced LOTR 1 for the first time yesterday. I can't wait to watch the others.

[moonstruck]

Just look at this beauty ! Those who do not love the original work should never be given the opportunity to adapt it !

[vasiliypupkin]

Sauron may be not the smartest but he’s definitely not a coward, marching into a battle alone

[Christopher-ixql]

That human knew his one weakness.... His finger.

[stuartmccleary]

The goosebumps you felt when this premiered in theatres was CRAZY! Then to open with a huge war scene with a 12ft behemoth with a monster mace swinging and decimating scores of men at a time… nothing like it