The Two Towers Transcript:

Scene 1: Flashback to the FotR and the death of Gandalf in the mines of Moria. Gandalf is stood before the Balrog on the bridge of Khazad-Dum.

Gandalf: You cannot pass. I am servant of the secret fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass!

White light streams out of Gandalfs staff as he hits the ground.

Gandalf: Go back to the shadow. Flame of Urdu. You cannot not pass!

The Balrog takes a step forwards and the bridge crumbles beneath it. The Balrog begins to fall, Gandalf turns round in triumph but the Balrog cracks its whip and catches Gandalf pulling him to the edge until he is holding on with just his fingertips. Frodo tries to run forward but is held back by Boromir.

Frodo: Gaaaaandaaaaalf!

Gandalf: Fly you fools.

Gandalf suddenly looses his grip and plummets down the chasm.

Frodo: Noooo!

Gandalf falls he catches up with his sword and the jumps onto the back of the Balrog. He starts to beat at the beast with his sword as they carry on falling. There is a new scene of a dark underground chasm, the roots of the mountains. The Balrog and Gandalf appear falling through the top as a tiny speck of light, the light of the Balrog lights up the chasm, which we can see is immense in size.. As they fall, head over heels, water looms below them. It gets closer and closed until they hit it with a blinding flask of light as the two elements of fire and water mix.

Frodo wakes up in the present screaming Gandalfs name, Sam is asleep in the background he wakes with a start.

Frodo: Gandalf!

Sam: What is it Mr Frodo?

Frodo: Nothing, just a dream.

Frodo and Sam are now walking among rocky crags, towards Mordor, they stop and look out towards the dark land, dark clouds and fire is being emitted, the entire land covered in darkness and red flame..

Sam: Mordor, the one place in Middle-earth we dont want to see any closed, is the one place were tryin to get to. Its just where we cant get. Lets face it Mr Frodo were lost. I dont think that Gandalf meant for us to come this way.

Frodo: Gandalf didnt mean for a lot of things to happen Sam, but they did.

Frodo looks toward Mordor and has a sudden vision of Barad-Dur rushing up to him and then the eye of Sauron. He sits abruptly panting.

Sam: Mr Frodo, its the ring isnt it?

Frodo: Its getting heavier.

Frodo takes a long swig from his water skin.

Frodo: What food have we got left?

Sam: Well let me see, (rummaging in his bag) Oh yes, lovely, Lembas bread. And look! More Lembas bread.

He breaks a piece off and hands it to Frodo and then takes a bit himself, they both nibble absentmindedly, Sam looks at Frodo.

Sam: I dont normally hold to foreign foods, but this Elvish stuff, it aint bad.

Frodo: Nothing ever dampens your spirits, does it Sam?

Sam smiles then looks up.

Sam: Those rain clouds might.

Scene 2: Frodo and Sam they are walking again upon jagged rocks it is foggy and dank.

Sam: This looks strangely familiar.

Frodo: Thats because weve been here before; were going in circles.

Sam: Urgh, whats that horrid stink? Ill warrant theres a nasty bog nearby, can you smell it?

Frodo: Yes, I can smell it. Were not alone.

Scene 3: Sam and Frodo are asleep on the floor. Gollum is creeping down the cliff face, we are angled coming straight down towards them as we follow Gollums movements.

Gollum: Youre thieves, youre thieves, youre filthy little thieves. Where isss it, where isss it? They stole it from us. My precious. Curse them, we hates them, its ours it is and we wantssss it.

Sam and Frodo were only pretending to sleep and as Gollum comes within arms reach they leap up and grab Gollum and proceed to fight. Gollum catches sight of the ring and makes a grab for it, Sam pulls him away. Gollum attacks Sam and starts to strangle him, Gollum has Sam in a headlock; Frodo draws Sting and pushes into Gollums throat.

Frodo: This is Sting, youve seen it before havent you, Gollum. Release him, or Ill cut your throat.

He lets go and then Gollum starts wailing.

Scene 4: Gollum has now got rope tied around his neck and is being dragged along behind Frodo and Sam, he is screeching, crying and complaining.

Gollum: It burns. It burns us. It freezes. Nasty elves twisted it, take it off us.

Sam: Quite you. Snapping at Gollum, he turns to Frodo.

Its hopeless, every orc in Mordors going to hear this racket. Lets just tie him up and leave him.

Gollum: NO! That would kill us, kill us.

Sam: Its no more than you deserve.

Frodo: Maybe he does deserve to die. Now that I see him, I do pity him.

Gollum: Will be nice to them, if they be nice to us. Take it off us. Holding the rope up towards Frodo.

Gollum: We swears to do what you wants, we swears.

Frodo: There is no promise that you make that I can trust.

Gollum: We swears, to serve to the master of the precious. We will swear on...on the precious. Gollum, Gollum.

Frodo: The ring is treacherous; it will hold you to your word.

Gollum: Yes, on the precious. On the precious?

Sam: Pulling the rope around Gollums neck, it trips him up and he falls awkwardly. I dont believe you! Get down, I said down.

Frodo: Sam dont.

Sam: Hes trying to trick us, if we let him go hell throttle us in our sleep.

Frodo: You know the way to Mordor.

Gollum: Yes.

Frodo: Youve been there before.

Gollum: Yes.

Frodo takes the string off Gollums neck.

Sam: No. Shaking his head.

Frodo: You will lead us to the black gate.

Scene 5: Merry and Pippin are being carried across Rohan on the backs of a band of Urak-Hai.

Pippin: Merry. Merry!

Ugluk: What is it, what do you smell?

Mauhur: He has stopped and is sniffing the air.

Man flesh!

Pippin: Aragorn!

Ugluk: Theyve picked up our trail. Lets move.

Merry is still unconscious, Pippin takes the brooch given to him by the elves of Caras-Galadhon in his mouth and pulls it off his cloak then spitting it on the ground.

Scene 6: Aragorn is laying face to the ground:

Aragorn: Their pace has quickened. They must have picked up our scent.  Hurry!

Legolas is running up the hillside, he stops and turns to Gimli who has been lagging behind.

Legolas: Come on Gimli!

Gimli: Three days and nights pursuit, no food, no rest, no sign of our quarry but what bare rock can tell.

Wide shot of all three running across the land.

Aragorn has stooped to the ground, he has found Pippins Lorien brooch.

Aragorn: Not idly do the leaves of Lorien fall.

Legolas: They may yet be alive.

Aragorn: Less than a day ahead of us. Come!

Gimli falls down hill behind Legolas and Aragorn rolling over and over, he gets up and starts to brush himself off.

Legolas: Come Gimli, we are gaining on them.

Gimli: Im wasted on cross-country. We dwarves are natural sprinters, very dangerous over short distances.

They carry on  running, then all three stop at the top of a hill looking over a vast grassy land.

Aragorn: Rohan, home of the horse lords. Theres something strange at work here. Some evil gives speed to these creatures, sets its will against us.

Legolas runs forward, Aragorn and Gimli are in the background.

Aragorn: Legolas! What do you Elf eyes see?

Legolas: The Urak's turn northeast; they are taking the hobbits to Isengard.

Aragorn: Saruman.

Scene 7: Isengard, Saruman is speaking to Sauron through palantir. Picture changes throughout, there are scenes of Barad-Dur and Isengard, ending on the giant flaming eye of Sauron.

Saruman: The world is changing, who now has the strength to stand against the armies of Isengard and Mordor. To stand against the might of Sauron and Saruman. In the union of the two towers. Together my lord Sauron we shall rule this Middle-Earth.

Scenes of devastation around Isengard as orcs pull down trees. Saruman is walking around watching.

Saruman: The old world will burn with the fires of industry. Forests will fall. A new order will rise, we will drive the machine of war with the sword and the spear and the iron fist of the orc.

Saruman surveys new-born Urak-Hai.

Saruman: We have only to remove those who oppose us.

Saruman is now psyching up as group of wild men.

Saruman: The horsemen took your land; they drove your people into the hills, to scratch a living off rocks.

Wild man: Murderers! Greeted by cheers by the crowd

Saruman: Take back the lands they stole from you. Burn every village.

The men run off shouting and cheering.

Scene of a normally peaceful village in Rohan, panic is rising as the band of Wild men approach.

Voice over of Saruman: It will begin with Rohan, too long have these peasants stood against you, but no more.

A young woman is putting her 2 young children, Eothane a young boy of about 12 and Freya a girl of 7 or 8, upon a horse.

Mother: Eothane! Eothane! You will take your sister; you will go faster with just two.

Freya: Papa says Eothane must not ride Deise, he is too big for us.

Mother: Listen to me, you must ride to Edoras and raise the alarm. Do you understand me?

Eothane: Yes Mama.

Freya: I dont want to go, I dont want to go. Starts crying.

Mother: Freya! I WILL find you there.

She looks up to see the Wild men appearing over the hill with swords and spears.

Mother: Quickly!

They ride off.

Mother: Go child.

The men reach the village and start killing and burning.

Saruman over voice as the 2 children stop briefly to look back on the already devastated and burning village: Rohan, my lord, is ready to fall.

Scene 8: Eomer is returning to Edoras with a mortally wounded Theodred on his horse. Inside he and his sister Eowyn tend to their cousin.

Eowyn: Theodred?

Eowyn and Eomer go to Theoden the king and father to Theodred; he is a very elderly looking man. He is seated in on a huge regal looking throne in the golden hall of Meduseld. Grima is watching over.

Eowyn: Your son is badly wounded my lord.

Eomer: He was ambushed, by orcs. We dont defend our country; Saruman will take it by force.

Grima: That, is a lie. Saruman the white has ever been our friend and ally.

Theoden: Grima? (He then mumbles something to Grima it is inaudible)

Eomer: Orcs are roaming freely across our lands. Uncheck, unchallenged, killing at will. Orcs bearing the white hand of Saruman.

He throws a helmet to the ground, it has a white hand of Saruman emblazoned on the front. Grima thinks for a second looking uncomfortable.

Grima: Why do you lay these troubles on an already troubled mind? Can you not see, your uncle is wearied by your, malcontent? Your war mongering.

Eomer: War mongering?

Angered he grabs Grima by the throat and pushes against a wall.

Eomer: How long is it since Saruman bought you? What was the promised price Grima? When all the men are dead you would take your share of the treasure?

Eowyn walks out; Grimas eyes follow her, Eomer see and turns too. Eomer drops Grima. He grabs him by the mouth.

Eomer: Too long have you watched my sister. Too long have you haunted her steps.

At Grimas command, many men step forward and take Eomer by the arms, pulling him back away from Grima.

Grima: You see much Eomer son of Eomen, too much. They start kicking him. You are banished forthwith from the kingdom of Rohan, under pain of death.

The men throw Eomer out roughly down the steps outside Meduseld.

Scene 9: Legolas, Gimli and Aragorn are running across the lands of Rohan, it cuts between scene of the Uraks and them. Gimli is as always, lagging behind.

Gimli: Keep breathing! Thats the key, breath, phoar!

Another quick scene of cross country.

Legolas: They run as if the very whips of the masters were behind them.

New scene of Uraks, they are looking exhausted, they stop throwing the hobbits roughly to the floor.

Urak 1: We aint going no further, til weve had a breather.

Urak 2: Get a fire going.

Pippin: Merry! Merry!

Merry: I think, we might have made a mistake, leaving the Shire Pippin.

Uraks are cutting down trees; a strange groaning noise suddenly comes from within the forest.

Pippin: Whats making that noise?

Merry: Its the trees.

Pippin: What?

Merry: You remember the Old Forest, on the borders of Buckland? Folk used to say there was something in the water that made the trees grow tall, and come alive.

Pippin: Alive?

Merry: Trees that could whisper. Talk to each other. Even move.

Urak 3: Im starving. We aint had nothing but maggoty bread for three stinking days! Throws his rotten food of floor.

Urak 4: Yeah! Why cant we have some meats? Looking at Merry and Pippin.

 What about them? Theyre fresh.

Urak 5: They, are not, for eating.

Slum: What about their legs, they dont need those. Ooooh they look tasty.

Urak 5: Get back Slum.

Urak 4: Carve em up! Just a mouthful.

Slum takes up a sword and cuts of Urak 4s head.

Slum: Looks like meats back on the menu boys!

The Uraks all move in and start to tear the body apart. The hobbits realise that this is their chance to escape.

Pippin: Merry! Lets go.

They start to crawl off. Slum comes up behind them and puts his foot on their backs.

Slum: Go on, call for help. Squeal. No ones gonna hear you now.

But just as he says this a spear is shoved into his back and from nowhere men on horseback appear.

Merry: Pippin!

The hobbits start to crawl away as fast as possible.

Pippin: Merry!

The Urak and orcs are being slaughtered by the Eorlings. Pippin turns over to see a horse rearing above his head and he screams, the scene then ends abruptly.

Scene 10: Legolas, Aragorn and Gimli are still running even though it is early morning and still not completely light. Legolas stops and looks to the sky.

Legolas: Red sun rises; blood has been spilled this night.

From over the crest of the hill there is a whinny of a horse and hooves can be heard. The 3 of them hide among some nearby rocks. The horsemen appear over the hill and ride past the rocks where they are hidden, not noticing their presence.

Aragorn: Riders of Rohan! What news from the Mark?

The riders all wheel round and surround them pointing their spears straight at them, Aragorn raises a hand to ask for peace.

Man: What business do an elf a man and a dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly!

Gimli: Give me your name horsemaster, and I shall give you mine.

Man: I would cut off your head, dwarf. If it stood a littler higher from the ground.

Legolas retaliates and draws his bow and an arrow pointing it at the man.

Legolas: You would die before your stroke fell!

The riders up their arms; Aragorn raises a hand to still Legolas.

Aragorn: I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. This is Gimli son of Gloin and Legolas of the Woodland realm. We are friends of Rohan, and of Theoden, your king.

The man raises his hand to make his men lower their weapons.

Man: Our king no longer distinguished friend from foe, not even his own kin.

Takes off his helmet to reveal his identity, he is Eomer, the kings nephew who has been banished by Grima, he dismounts.

Eomer: Saruman has poisoned the mind of the king and claimed lordship ever these lands. My company are those loyal to Rohan, and for that we are banished. The white wizard is cunning. He walks here and there they say, as an old man, hooded and cloaked. And everywhere his spies slip past our nets.

Aragorn: We are no spies. We track a party of Urak-Hai Westward across the plain; they have taken two of our friends captive.

Eomer:  The Uraks are destroyed; we slaughtered them in the night.

Gimli: But there were two hobbits! Did you see two hobbits with them?

Aragorn: They would be small, only children to your eyes.

Eomer: We left none alive. We piled the carcasses and burned them.

Eomer points to a hill not far away where smoke is rising.

Gimli: Dead!

Eomer: I am sorry. Arsofelth! Arod! May these horses bare you to better fortunes than their former masters. Farewell.

He puts on his helmet and mounts his horse.

Eomer: Look for your friends, but do not trust to hope, it has forsaken these lands. We ride north!

He signals and the Eorlings ride off. Another scene is then shown with Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli riding towards the dead Urak-Hai. They stop, dismount and survey the scene. Gimli hunts through the steaming pile with his axe, he finds Pippins belt with scabbard. He turns to Legolas and Aragorn.

Gimli: Its one of their wee belts.

L: Hiro hyn, hidh ab wanath. (Let them find peace after death).

 Aragorn kicks a helmet in frustration and yells, falling to his knees.

Gimli: We have failed them.

Aragorn sighs then looking to his side he notices marks on the earth. Using skills taught to him by the elves he works out what happened.

Aragorn: A hobbit lay here. Points.

 And the other. Traces the shape with his fingers.

He crawls along the ground. There is a flashback of Pippin when the horse rears above his head, he screams but manages to roll out the way just in time.

Aragorn: They crawled

Flashback of Merry crawling along the ground, fighting can be heard behind and around them.

Aragorn: Their hands were bound.

He gets up and walks along, Legolas and Gimli follow. Flashback to Pippin, he finds a sharp stone and starts to saw his bonds. Aragorn picks up a piece of rope.

Aragorn: Their bonds were cut.

His spirits are lifting and he walks on further. Flashback to Pippin helping Merry from his bonds and pulling him up. Back to Aragorn for a brief moment, and then to Merry and Pippin, who run straight under a horse, dead bodies keep falling in their way, Pippin shouts as a body falls right in his path.

Aragorn: They ran over here.

He watches the ground while walking and spots a strange footprint.

Aragorn: They were followed.

Flashback, Merry is grabbed by the belt by Slum.

Pippin: The belt!

Merry takes off his belt and runs. Slum is left with it in his hand; he looks at it angrily and throws it to the ground before pursuing them by dragging himself along the ground.

Pippin: Run!

They start running, it cuts back to Aragorn who is now also running.

Aragorn: They speed away from the battle. Into, Fangorn forest.

Gimli: Fangorn! What madness drove them in there?

Scene 11: Flashback to Merry and Pippin rushing into Fangorn forest, it is very dark and dank. Pippin falls to the ground and Merry sits beside him.

Merry: Did we loose him?

Pippin: I think we lost him.

Just then they hear rustling and they turn to watch, Slum is still on their trail, they get up and run off and hide behind a tree.

Slum: Im gonna rip out your filthy little innards.

They continue to run, and the orc continues to follow.

Slum: Come ere!

Merry suddenly stops and Pippin stops behind him.

Merry: The trees! Climb the trees.

Pippin starts to climb and Merry follows. When they are a few branches up they stop, Merry looks around.

Merry: Hes gone.

Just then Slum grabs Merry from behind by the ankles and pulls him out of the tree.

Pippin: Merry!

As Pippin says this the tree he is standing on opens its eyes. He looks at it for a moment and then looks away. Recognition spreads over his face, he looks back and sees the eyes and shouts falling backwards out of the tree, but a branch moves and catches him. Meanwhile Slum is standing over Merry brandishing a knife, we see the branch holding Pippin move up and the entire tree starts to move.

Slum: Lets put a maggot hole in your belly.

Merry is looking terrified, but not at Slum, at something behind the him, Slum stops and turns slightly, shadows fall across his face. We then see Merry and Slum from the trees point of view. It has lifted up a huge root foot and stamps on Slum narrowly missing Merry who starts to run off, Pippin is still in its grasps.

Pippin: Run Merry!

Merry is running but in a couple of strides the ent has caught up with him and it stoops and picks him up. The ent brings them both up in front of his face; they are struggling and trying to get away.

Treebeard:  Little orcs! Bur-rah-rum! (or something inaudible in entish).

Pippin: Its talking Merry, the tree is talking.

Treebeard: Tree! I am no tree. I am an ent.

Merry: Tree herder! A Shepard of the forest!

Pippin: Dont talk to it Merry, dont encourage it.

Treebeard: Treebeard some call me.

Pippin: And..Whose side are you on?

Treebeard: Side? I am on nobodys side, because no bodies on my side, little orc. No body cares for the forests anymore

Merry: Were not orcs were hobbits.

Treebeard: Hobbits? Hmmmm, Never heard of a hobbit before. Sounds like orc mischief to me. They come with fire, they come axes. Gnawing, biting, breaking, hacking, burning. Destroyers and usurperers, curse them.

He starts to squeeze them harder and they struggle more.

Merry: No, you dont understand. Were hobbits, Halflings, Shire folk

He stops squeezing them so hard.

Treebeard: Well maybe you are and maybe you arent. The white wizard will know.

Pippin: White wizard?

Merry: Saruman!

Treebeard stops and drops them to the floor. They look up, a white figure stands before them, the camera is behind the figure and so the identity is unknown but they gasp in awe and recognition.

Scene 12: Gollum is running up ahead of the two hobbits, he stops when he gets to the top of a crevice and turns to face them as they arrive too.

Smeagol: See, see! Weve lead you out. Hurry hobbitses hurry! Very lucky me find you.

Frodo walks past Gollum who is waiting on a rock, Sam walks past and gives Gollum a dirty look.