Psychology of a Hero: THÉODEN, King of Rohan

How do you repair trust after it’s been broken?

Licensed therapist Jonathan Decker and filmmaker Alan Seawright are reacting to the hero King Théoden from The Lord of the Rings and honoring the legend who portrayed him, Bernard Hill. They discuss conflict avoidance and where it comes from, and Jonathan shares his personal struggle with conflict avoidance. Alan geeks out about these films because they’re objectively the best films ever made… don’t fight him on it!

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Cinema Therapy is:
Written by: Megan Seawright, Jonathan Decker, and Alan Seawright
Produced by: Jonathan Decker, Megan Seawright, Alan Seawright, and Corinne Demyanovich
Director of Photography: Bradley Olsen
English Transcription by: Anna Preis

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[jancpete]

At the end of shooting LOTR with Bernard Hill and Viggo Mortensen, the Māori extras and stunt doubles performed a dance that is only performed when honoring royalty. The Māori said they did it because Bernard Hill and Viggo Mortensen were true kings. So special.

[mawortz]

"My body is broken. You have to let me go. I go to my fathers, in whose mighty company I shall not now feel ashamed." 😭😭😭

[dredgen]

The Ride of the Rohirrim scene is-and always will be-one of the true greatest moments in cinema. In my humble opinion. It always gives me goosebumps.

[Aynshtaynn]

_"I know art is subjective but these are objectively the best."_

Truer words were never spoken.

[nothingman]

Theoden’s reaction to Gandalf placing his hand on the throne like that is a direct call to how Wyrmtongue influenced him. A very subtle and beautiful representation of PTSD and the anxiety / trust issues which come from it.

[ljmsevern]

"No parent should have to bury their child" - Bernard Hill ad-libbed this because it was said to him by a mother who'd lost her son too soon. Peter Jackson kept it in because it rang true to Tolkien's themes. Tolkien saw so many of his friends die young and watched their parents grieve for sons who would never come home and you see that with Theoden's storyline.

[CrimsonCharan]

Gondor calls for aid.
And Rohan will answer.

Chills every time. RIP Bernard Hill.

[kaylarealtalk_safespace]

The editors didn't have to go that hard with Jono's sneeze, but I'm glad they did.

[no_i_dont_want_no_slugs]

The glance down at Gandalf's hand on the throne is EXACTLY a parallel to Wormtongue placing his hand on the throne in the same way. I love that.

[solomonblake]

God damn. The “where is the horse and the rider” scene makes me cry every time! That terrified kid’s look of “are you fking serious???” When he’s handed an axe that’s bigger than him is god damn heart wrenching!

[justforkicks]

Theoden is honestly one of the most relatable characters in the whole trilogy. he is no Paradigm of virtue he makes mistakes, has doubts, but still rises to the occasion.

[mpet]

I think Eowyn would make for a great psychology of a hero episode. Something along the lines of reconciling cultural expectations vs personal goals/values.

[RebekahSian]

"The lights comes from everywhere. It makes no sense, but it's beautiful" so true. But it also reminds me of a quote from Peter Jackson(?) when when asked why the scenes in the dark were bright and 'where does the light come from?' he replied "the same place the soundtrack does

[PetWessman]

I also love that Théoden doesn’t come off as avoidant the way cinema characters often do, because he does make the difficult decision of a proud man to pull back and hide, he does fight the wargs, he’s on the ramparts of Helm’s Deep. He’s so multi-faceted and Bernard Hill plays him so well. The moment when the beacons are lit makes me think of a description I read about the Carpathia pushing its engines well past their limits to come to the aid of the Titanic. That is a man who is about to go to extents no one can ask of him, but he looks at it and decides he can’t live with himself if he does anything less.

[shainamathey]

Theoden's rise out of despair is one of the most beautiful character arcs in LOTR. Wormtongue told him that he was old and incapable and so should look after his own comfort while he could. Gandalf called him to action and to risk all in hope. It makes Theoden's final charge and death all the more powerful. He rose out of a living death and chose to live without fear of death. Even if you're beyond your best days, you've failed, or you can't see how things could possibly end, it's not too late to "do [something] with the time that is given to you".

[brianfoss]

Had the honor of meeting Bernard Hill at the Cincinnati Comic Expo last year. While I didn't get a Théoden headshot like many of the other attendees, he was incredibly generous with his time, smiling reminiscently while adding the "Take 'er to sea, Mr. Murdock!" quote to my Captain Smith headshot. His face lit up when I mentioned my parents had visited Titanic Belfast recently ("how wonderful - it's a **fantastic** museum!") and - in massive British understatement - casually cited the Ride of the Rohirrim as his favorite scene to film. When I picked up my autographed print, he clasped my hand with a warm smile, saying "Thank you for coming!" like each of us were the only fan he'd meet that day, despite hundreds turning up for him.

"Forth, and fear no darkness!"
RIP, Bernard Hill, our Captain and King.

[creepybantha]

"I know your face" is the kind of line that truly exemplifies what's great about LOTR. It doesn't further the plot, it isn't a deep and philosophical reveal of character, and, for all intents and purposes, it should just be a basic, throwaway line.

But when he reiterates it to Eowyn at Pelannor Fields, this mighty leader of men cradling the face of his niece who he should've treated like a daughter, he realizes his self worth was based on who he was to Aragorn and his soldiers, but when he sees Eowyn literally posing as a soldier as an attempt for valour, he realizes that they'd both glamourized war, when it was never about the feats of bravery in themselves, it was about who he was doing it for.

His men know Theoden by his sword and armor, yet he knows Eowyn by her face.

[michellew]

I couldn’t even make it through intro without crying.

[kamenriderkfp]

Bernard Hills performance as King Theoden is utterly sublime
From his line delivery, to his facial expressions, to the very way he carries himself in each scene. One of the greatest displays of acting skill in film history
May it's legend ever be worthy of remembrance
Hail Theoden King!

[pavelslama]

11:00 It was also good for him not to ask Gondor for help. Because Gondor would deny that request due to the general lack of their own forces. This would come off as a betrayal to Theoden, making him less likely to help Gondor in time of need. Now he could basically say "well, I didnt ask them, so they didnt betray me, so I have no reason not to help them".