The Crack of Doom

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The Crack of Doom
Scene from
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings - The Return of the King - Sam in Mount Doom.png
Scene number70
Event Frodo refuses to destroy the One Ring and puts it on in the Sammath Naur
Gollum reclaims the One Ring
Characters Frodo, Sam, Gollum
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The Crack of Doom is the fifty-fifth scene of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and the seventieth scene of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (extended edition).

Synopsis[edit | edit source]

Sam enters the heart of Mount Doom to find Frodo standing at the edge of the Sammath Naur. He shouts to Frodo to destroy the One Ring. Frodo holds it over the edge, with Sam pleading for him to throw it in the fire, however Frodo becomes visibly more hesitant and anguished; the ring eventually overcomes Frodo, and he turns towards Sam and claims it for his own. An incredulous Sam screams "No!" as Frodo puts the ring on and vanishes. Sauron, his folly revealed to him, immediately turns his Eye towards Mount Doom, and the Nazgûl are wrenched from the battle at the Black Gate and fly towards Mount Doom too.

As Sam searches for Frodo, Gollum appears behind him and strikes him with a rock. Seeing Frodo's footprints, Gollum jumps on Frodo and bites his finger off in his hunger to reclaim the ring. As a jubilant Gollum stands in triumph holding the ring, the battle at the Black Gate appears to be going against the Host of the West. While Gollum dances for joy, a furious Frodo approaches him and tries to reclaim the ring. They struggle with each other and fall over the edge.

Differences[edit | edit source]

This scene follows the relevant parts of chapter Mount Doom incredibly closely with regards to Frodo and Sam, with the exception of its final moments, in which Frodo struggles with Gollum at the edge of the platform. In the book, as Gollum dances with glee after reclaiming the ring from Frodo, he steps over the edge accidentally and falls into the depths.[1] Thus, in contrast to this scene, Frodo plays no active role in the demise of Gollum. The book chapter gives us a deeper insight into the mind of Sauron as Frodo puts the ring on. He suddenly realises the plans of his enemies at this moment and bends all his thought towards the event occurring at Mount Doom, leaving his armies in despair.[1]

References