18. The Hour of Ghrond
The depiction of the Siege of Minas Tirith in The Return of the King does an excellent job of conveying the staggering scale and frantic intensity of the battle. For my money, the moment that most perfectly encapsulates the desperate peril of the Gondorian defenders is when Ghrond, Hammer of the Underworld, the Orc hosts bastard-huge flaming ram of Doom, is hauled towards the embattled gate, accompanied by the growling chants of the Orcs. Gandalf, who has taken to the role of supervisor of the citys defence with gusto, does his best to stiffen the resolve of the soldiery, as it becomes obvious that the gates cannot hold. But even he is visibly shocked when the mighty timbers shatter and a posse of spiked and armoured attack-trolls come rampaging into the defenders midst. If it wasnt obvious before that the only power capable of resisting Sauron is on the brink of destruction, it certainly is now.
17. Gandalf Beats Down Denethor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f27Ufd_uiAw Denethors brooding self-pity, spitefulness and petulance have become more and more pronounced over the course of The Return of the King (his most infamous deed is ordering an unloved son to lead a suicidal charge against an entrenched position), so when whats left of his reason cracks at the sight of Saurons horde and he starts screaming at the garrison of Minas Tirith to abandon their posts, the audience should be about ready to leap through the screen and start throttling the useless bastard. As he does his level best to shred whats left of the defenders morale and ensure Saurons victory, Gandalf cuts off his poisonous ranting with a flurry of deft blows from his staff, before ordering the troops back into place. The awesomeness of this moment is twofold; it breaks the power of the man who has been running Minas Tirith into the ground and casting a shadow over the film so far, and it heralds Gandalf stepping up to demonstrate his ability as a heroic war-leader. The White City now has a fighting chance.