Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

[A worm wriggles in someone's hand. A smiling face looks on.]

[Two Riverfolk sit in a small boat, fishing. One of the fishing poles jerks down.]

Déagol: "Sméagol! I've got one! I've got a fish, Sméag!"

Sméagol: "Go on! Go on, pull it up!"

[The fish pulls Déagol out of the boat and into the water. Sméagol looks down but only sees Déagol's hat, floating in the river.]

Sméagol: "Déagol?"

[Déagol is pulled through the water by the fish.]

[Déagol loses grip on the pole as the fish escapes. He sees a ring and scoops it out of the riverbed.]


[Déagol returns to land. He pauses, then looks at the ring in his hand.]

[Sméagol approaches.]

Sméagol: "Déagol! Déagol!"

[They both stare raptly at the ring.]

Sméagol: "Give us that, Déagol, my love."

[Déagol closes his hand over the ring.]

Déagol: "Why?"

Sméagol: "Because it's my birthday, and I wants it."

Ring: "Ash nazg durbatulûk, ash nazg gimbatul,
ash nazg thrakatulûk agh burzum-ishi krimpatul!"

[They fight, playfully at first, but then with vigor.]

[Sméagol kills Déagol by strangling him. While holding him down, Sméagol appears momentarily disturbed with what he is doing.]

[Sméagol takes the Ring and smiles.]

Sméagol: "My Precious!"

[Sméagol puts on the ring and disappears.]


[Sméagol is shown, later at night, looking quite ragged.]

Gollum (voiceover): "They cursed us. Murderer, murderer they called us. They cursed us and drove us away!"

Sméagol: "Gollum! Gollum! Gollum!"

Gollum (voiceover): "And we wept, Precious. We wept to be so alone. (Fish, and we only wish, so juicy sweet.) And we forgot the taste of bread, the sound of trees, the softness of the wind."

[Sméagol, now transformed into Gollum, craws into a mountain cave.]

Gollum (voiceover): "We even forgot our own name. My Precious."


[At the exit to the Osgiliath sewer, we see a sleeping Sam and a dazed Frodo.]

[Frodo takes a peek at the Ring, kept on a chain around his neck.]

[Frodo puts the Ring away as he hears someone approaching.]

[Gollum peeks down at them.]

Gollum: "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up, sleepies! We must go, yes. We must go at once."

[Sam awakes, and looks at a weary Frodo.]

Sam: "Haven't you had any sleep, Mister Frodo?"

[Frodo shakes his head.]

Sam: "I've gone an' had too much. Must be getting late."

Frodo: "No. It isn't. It isn't midday yet. The days are growing darker."

[Mount Doom shakes the surrounding landscape.]

Gollum: "Come on! Must go, no time!"

Sam: "Not before Mister Frodo's had something to eat."

Gollum: "No time to lose, silly!"

[Sam opens a pack and hands Frodo some bread.]

Sam: "Here."

Frodo: "What about you?"

Sam (acting): "Oh no, I'm not hungry. Leastwise not for Lembas bread."

Frodo: "Sam."

Sam: "All right, we don't have that much left. We have to be careful, or we're goin' to run out. You go ahead and eat that, Mister Frodo. I've rationed it."

[Frodo eats.]

Sam: "There should be enough."

Frodo: "For what?"

Sam: "The journey home."

[Frodo looks amused at Sam's optimism.]

Gollum: "Come, hobbitses! Very close now. Very close to Mordor. No safe places here. Hurry!"

[The hobbits follow Gollum into Mordor.]