I used to like Rutger Hauer's final lines in Bladerunner:
"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-Beams glitter in the dark near the Tanhauser Gate. All those... moments will be lost in time like tears in the rain... Time to die..."
More recently, Theoden's speech in the Return of the King sends a tingle down my spine:
"Arise! Arise! Riders of Théoden!
Spears shall be shaken, shields shall be splintered!
A sword-day! A red day, ere the sun rises!
Ride now . . . Ride now . . . Ride!!!
Ride for ruin . . . and the world's ending!
Death! Death! Death! Forth, Eorlingas!!!
Charge!"
In the cold light of day, it may not look like much but with Bernard Hill's delivery and in the context of the movie, it was incredible. Perhaps the key thing for me was the sense that Theoden fully expected to be charging to his death and indeed for the charge to be ultimately futile, but nonetheless the charge had to be done whole-heartedly. I think it captured the heart of the Lord of the Rings books - a old fashioned paean for honour, duty and heroism.
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