2. Sam Versus Shelob
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAe-tgLTlJY The entire sequence of Frodo and Sam trying to escape/defeat Shelob respectively is shockingly intense, as Peter Jackson channelled his own arachnophobia into the films depiction of the hideous spider-demon. But Sams defiant shout as he confronts the creature over the body of his fallen master is an undeniable stand-up-and-cheer moment. In the hopeless gloom of Mordor, Sams almost impossible courage and loyalty is all the more stunning, and the seamless CGI makes the notion that Samwise is trying to fight off a swollen carnivorous monster totally convincing. Sam overcoming the spider-creatures speed, bulk, plunging legs and snapping mandibles with nothing more than grit and the blade of Sting makes Eowyn beating down the Witch King look like a pub brawl.
1. Sam Carries Frodo up Mount Doom
If it doesnt wring at least a sniffle out of you, youre probably a wraith. As Into The West swells hauntingly yet heroically on the soundtrack, Sam puts the final stamp on his status as the true hero of the trilogy with a flourish, as he hoists the stunned form of his master and carries him up the sickeningly steep slopes of Mount Doom, even as the very air turns to a poisonous fume and the super-heated ground sears his feet. The clash between the humble origins of this simple gardener and the seemingly super Hobbit qualities he demonstrates in these apocalyptic surroundings hammers home Tolkiens message about the potential to be found within very ordinary people with spectacular style.