mattbraunlin
Member
The Charge of Rohan
Reflections on one of cinema's most captivating moments
If you've seen it, you know.
In the third part of The Lord of the Rings, at Gondor's darkest hour, the Riders of Rohan appear with the sunrise in the nearby hills. After King Theoden's brief but fiery battle cry, the horns sound, and the Rohirrim charge fearlessly into that massive sea of orcs.
There is something so special about that scene, don't you agree? An apex of inspiration and gravity. It feels like you are being lifted from your seat as you witness the emotional and dramatic climax of Peter Jackson's masterpiece.
What is the secret of its power? Why does just about anyone with a heartbeat feel such a powerful mixture of emotion when they watch this scene?
Well, you'll be happy to know that the secret is not at all complicated. In fact it's as simple as 2+2:
The Charge of Rohan is a spiritual experience.
It's one of those very, very rare moments in cinematic history through which the purest, most heavenly Joy is transmitted by God straight into our hearts. The end of It's a Wonderful Life is the only other I have encountered that rivals it.
This blurb is a reflection on that scene.
First of all, the word itself: Joy.
When that moment in Return of the King hits you, I hope you will agree that what you feel is not happiness. It's something more. It is a longing. It has a touch of sorrow, even desperation.
But it is the most overwhelmingly positive experience! It's a sumptuous emotional feast, a transcendental movement in your heart. No words could properly describe it, nor the ache in your soul when the moment passes.
That feeling is what Christians call Joy. It lies at the core of every spiritual experience, and it is God drawing close and whispering to your soul.
Hollywood does not achieve these moments often, in large part because they are usually trying not to. But every now and then, God pulls an ace out of his sleeve and shines his glory through whether the producers like it or not. Seeing as Lord of the Rings was written by a devout Christian, I don't find it surprising that God took the liberty here.
On a related note, I believe I understand a crucial aspect of what we love so very much about the charge of Rohan:
It's not clever.
There are no massive plot twists here. No complex philosophies to be deconstructed or analysed. There's no magic involved, no army of elves shows up at the last minute (wink wink).
A host of brave cavalry arrives, they sound the horn, and they kick the crap out of the forces of evil.
And there's nothing more to it.
Truth is always simple. And this scene shouts out one of the simplest and most fundamental Truths of the human experience: our longing for Justice.
Over the course of this blessed trilogy we have spent hour after hour watching evil and horror triumph again and again, slaying our heroes and preying upon the innocent.
And when we see this massive, wrathful retribution - when we see good men get really, really pissed off and shout ‘NO MORE’ - our spirits feast upon the simple power of the Justice they execute. Don't tell me you don't feel the most immense satisfaction at the looks of purest terror on the orcs’ faces, when they realize they have pushed good people one step too far.
And you should feel that satisfaction.
And then there's the music.
Since we reached the nation of Rohan in The Two Towers, that unforgettable violin melody has symbolized her hardship. Her pain, grief and fear at the hope which has forsaken her.
And at the sound of the horn, those emotions are turned on their heads as that very same melody is transformed into a war-song of such towering proportions that time seems to stand still in the face of its majesty. A dirge of sorrow has been forever redefined as an anthem of defiance and strength.
Our sorrows are turned to Joy, and that is God's specialty.
Through that music, God is telling you another simple Truth: he is the Author of your life, and he is writing an epic. Whether it be addiction, illness, racism, abuse, bereavement or any pain or trial or sin or failure that you could ever experience, the God of the Bible will make it part of that epic if you let him.
Finally, I'd like to put you in the shoes of any single soldier in that great army.
When you in the front lines of Rohan see the horde of orcs before you, many times your size, you are afraid. But then good King Theoden delivers that stunning (and very simple) speech.
You are heartened. Emboldened.
Then three times he inspires you to do the unthinkable: you call for the certain DEATH that awaits you. You dare it.
Now your blood is pumping. Your fear is gone, replaced by Joy and intense anger.
And then you hear the soaring tones of the horns of your army. The moment has come.
And a smile of elation stretches across your face. There is nowhere you'd rather be than right here, right now. You feel sorry for everyone in the world who is not a part of what you are about to do.
And you charge.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have reached one of those moments. A great and terrible evil has besieged our nations, and not one of us is a civilian or bystander. We are God's army, and he is calling us to war. And if we are to properly answer that call - if we would not have all that is good and True and beautiful in our western world consumed by tyranny and gloom - we must shed our fear of it.
And the best way to do that is to thank God. Thank him with all your heart that such an historic task should be yours. Rejoice in the knowledge that the battle we must fight will be remembered throughout history and eternity.
You cannot be great and safe at the same time.
If you haven't seen Lord of the Rings, watch it. It's freakin awesome. But if you have, I now urge you to go and rewatch that scene. It's on YouTube. And as you bathe in the blessed light which this miraculous charge shines into your being, remember that God is watching. He loves you. He longs for you to take your first steps down a path of life which makes the Charge of Rohan seem humdrum. He longs to show you the good and noble understanding of why you are you. The part he would have you play in the greatest of all stories: human history.
Defect from the army of sinners, as I have, and join me in service to the Great Saboteur Jesus Christ in the fight of your life.
Forth Eorlingas.
Reflections on one of cinema's most captivating moments
If you've seen it, you know.
In the third part of The Lord of the Rings, at Gondor's darkest hour, the Riders of Rohan appear with the sunrise in the nearby hills. After King Theoden's brief but fiery battle cry, the horns sound, and the Rohirrim charge fearlessly into that massive sea of orcs.
There is something so special about that scene, don't you agree? An apex of inspiration and gravity. It feels like you are being lifted from your seat as you witness the emotional and dramatic climax of Peter Jackson's masterpiece.
What is the secret of its power? Why does just about anyone with a heartbeat feel such a powerful mixture of emotion when they watch this scene?
Well, you'll be happy to know that the secret is not at all complicated. In fact it's as simple as 2+2:
The Charge of Rohan is a spiritual experience.
It's one of those very, very rare moments in cinematic history through which the purest, most heavenly Joy is transmitted by God straight into our hearts. The end of It's a Wonderful Life is the only other I have encountered that rivals it.
This blurb is a reflection on that scene.
First of all, the word itself: Joy.
When that moment in Return of the King hits you, I hope you will agree that what you feel is not happiness. It's something more. It is a longing. It has a touch of sorrow, even desperation.
But it is the most overwhelmingly positive experience! It's a sumptuous emotional feast, a transcendental movement in your heart. No words could properly describe it, nor the ache in your soul when the moment passes.
That feeling is what Christians call Joy. It lies at the core of every spiritual experience, and it is God drawing close and whispering to your soul.
Hollywood does not achieve these moments often, in large part because they are usually trying not to. But every now and then, God pulls an ace out of his sleeve and shines his glory through whether the producers like it or not. Seeing as Lord of the Rings was written by a devout Christian, I don't find it surprising that God took the liberty here.
On a related note, I believe I understand a crucial aspect of what we love so very much about the charge of Rohan:
It's not clever.
There are no massive plot twists here. No complex philosophies to be deconstructed or analysed. There's no magic involved, no army of elves shows up at the last minute (wink wink).
A host of brave cavalry arrives, they sound the horn, and they kick the crap out of the forces of evil.
And there's nothing more to it.
Truth is always simple. And this scene shouts out one of the simplest and most fundamental Truths of the human experience: our longing for Justice.
Over the course of this blessed trilogy we have spent hour after hour watching evil and horror triumph again and again, slaying our heroes and preying upon the innocent.
And when we see this massive, wrathful retribution - when we see good men get really, really pissed off and shout ‘NO MORE’ - our spirits feast upon the simple power of the Justice they execute. Don't tell me you don't feel the most immense satisfaction at the looks of purest terror on the orcs’ faces, when they realize they have pushed good people one step too far.
And you should feel that satisfaction.
And then there's the music.
Since we reached the nation of Rohan in The Two Towers, that unforgettable violin melody has symbolized her hardship. Her pain, grief and fear at the hope which has forsaken her.
And at the sound of the horn, those emotions are turned on their heads as that very same melody is transformed into a war-song of such towering proportions that time seems to stand still in the face of its majesty. A dirge of sorrow has been forever redefined as an anthem of defiance and strength.
Our sorrows are turned to Joy, and that is God's specialty.
Through that music, God is telling you another simple Truth: he is the Author of your life, and he is writing an epic. Whether it be addiction, illness, racism, abuse, bereavement or any pain or trial or sin or failure that you could ever experience, the God of the Bible will make it part of that epic if you let him.
Finally, I'd like to put you in the shoes of any single soldier in that great army.
When you in the front lines of Rohan see the horde of orcs before you, many times your size, you are afraid. But then good King Theoden delivers that stunning (and very simple) speech.
You are heartened. Emboldened.
Then three times he inspires you to do the unthinkable: you call for the certain DEATH that awaits you. You dare it.
Now your blood is pumping. Your fear is gone, replaced by Joy and intense anger.
And then you hear the soaring tones of the horns of your army. The moment has come.
And a smile of elation stretches across your face. There is nowhere you'd rather be than right here, right now. You feel sorry for everyone in the world who is not a part of what you are about to do.
And you charge.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we have reached one of those moments. A great and terrible evil has besieged our nations, and not one of us is a civilian or bystander. We are God's army, and he is calling us to war. And if we are to properly answer that call - if we would not have all that is good and True and beautiful in our western world consumed by tyranny and gloom - we must shed our fear of it.
And the best way to do that is to thank God. Thank him with all your heart that such an historic task should be yours. Rejoice in the knowledge that the battle we must fight will be remembered throughout history and eternity.
You cannot be great and safe at the same time.
If you haven't seen Lord of the Rings, watch it. It's freakin awesome. But if you have, I now urge you to go and rewatch that scene. It's on YouTube. And as you bathe in the blessed light which this miraculous charge shines into your being, remember that God is watching. He loves you. He longs for you to take your first steps down a path of life which makes the Charge of Rohan seem humdrum. He longs to show you the good and noble understanding of why you are you. The part he would have you play in the greatest of all stories: human history.
Defect from the army of sinners, as I have, and join me in service to the Great Saboteur Jesus Christ in the fight of your life.
Forth Eorlingas.