LOTR The Return of the King - Minas Morgul

Gollum leads Frodo and Sam past Minas Morgul, the Dead City, to the Winding Stair into Mordor, just in time before the Witch-king sends out his army. (HD Blu-ray)

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[MarkusJunnikkala]

Gollum's Yelp review of Minas Morgul: *"Very nasty place"*

[guerropeuto]

In the book a beam of light went up from Barad-Dur to signal the witch king to launch the attack. This was Minas-Morguls reply.

[Neverhoodian]

I remember the first time I saw this with a group of friends in theaters. The volume was set higher than normal, and the Witch King's scream left us clutching our ears right along with the characters. It was one of most effective methods of immersion that I've had the simultaneous pleasure and misfortune of experiencing.

[mysteriousfigure]

Not sure why but I honestly feel like Minas Morgul was truly the most dark, cursed place in Middle Earth. Even Barad Dur couldn’t seem to hold a candle to it. Like the souls of who once lived there before the agents of darkness still remain, forced to live on in constant unimaginable agony.

[chivo]

The entrance of the Witchking is the definition of real badass.

[xiserhoff]

This scene definitely earned the academy award for best sound editing. From the sound of Minas Morgal answering Sauron's call to the earpiercing shriek of the witch king. It still gives me goosebumps to this day. I wish I could have experienced this in theatres.

[kroneexe]

I like how Gandalf puts an arm around Pippin, to comfort him. Very subtle, but that was cool.

[bobharris]

I like Sam and Gollum working together to pull Frodo back. Its always interesting to see enemies have a common goal and work together.

[jello]

The blending of practical and CGI in this scene still holds up insanely well.

[_dearghealach_]

Seeing Frodo become momentarily possessed, walking towards the gate, seeing the city slowly seem to "wake up" to his presence- that was chilling. The entirety of the scene just radiates evil, seeming to just envelop it, like smoke.

[TheUrobolos]

Morgul is the personal domain of the Witch King. Despite being a mere undead shadow, completelly obedient to Sauron, he still have a remant of the (surely) pompous nature he had as an ambitious Second Age human king. Even as an enslaved ghost he still have the need to hold a worthy seat to call as his own. His personal Morgul troops even had a separate chain of command from the ones of Mordor, as well as the personal sigil of the Witch King as war banner (a skull and a Moon if i remember correctly). In the books it's even hinted there is some form of "rivalry" between the orcs directly under the command of Sauron and those under the Witch King

[evolvedturtleproductions]

The music throughout this entire scene is amazing.

[Kev_pencils]

I lost half of my audition ability in the theather when the Nazgul screamed...and I don't regret at all ! :D

[Parasmunt]

I always thought of the Witch King as like a little dark lord, giving off his own unlight and with his own power. Morgoth to Sauron to the Witch King.

[m.hoffman]

When looking at Minas Morgul castle, it is one of the only castles in the LOTR which is the most effectively built to be impossible to conquer. It only has a long narrow bridge towards the entrance gate, it has large water body in front of the walls (no ladders or siege towers could be set up), mountainous terrain on the sides, the walls are extremely tall (no ladder could reach up, even too far for arrows), the narrow passage to the castle is easy to defend and an army would hardly even reach the main gate, the castle even had some kind of bastions so defenders could shoot attackers from many sides. Of course its not perfect

[DrMrtst]

LOTR will be the best triology for ever. No fckn movie nowadays can keep up with this masterpiece. If there was anything like this again I would go to the cinema immediately and book a love chair for myself

[MadKingOfMadaya]

*_How come early 2000’s CGI is millions times more convincing than this shit we have to today? look at that dragon and how real it fuccing looks it’s unbelievable!!!_*

[Didedesi]

For people asking why the orcs didn't spot Frodo and Sam climbing the stair. Remember what Celeborn from Lothlorien said to the fellowship during the gift giving in FOTR, "May these cloaks help shield you from unfriendly eyes" we even saw this effect in Two Towers at the Black Gate. Had the orcs looked where they were they would have seen nothing but cliff edges, as for Gullom, Sauron isn't concerned all that much about him since he doesn't hold the ring.

[retsu]

1:35 that moment of silence always gives me goosebumps

[emptank]

Fun fact: when Aragorn was leading the armies of men out to attack the black gate he briefly considered turning aside to retake Minas Morgul now that the Witch King was dead and the fortress was practically undefended. But Gandalf convinced him not to because that place was so SUPER EVIL after the Nazgul had ruled it for centuries that he worried that even with it undefended it was still way to dangerous to take the army there.

It was safer to attack the Black Gate and all or Suaron's armies then it was to fight the left over dregs in Minas Morgul.