As the horn sounded, the first light of dawn was about to break. On the high slope overlooking Minas Tirith, the Rohirrim cavalry stood ready.
Following several rehearsals, all the extras were in their designated positions.
The front row consisted of professional Hollywood extras, but the rest of the cavalry formation was primarily made up of local troops and herdsmen.
More than ten assistant directors, along with over fifty second assistants, moved through the formation, adjusting positions and ensuring there would be no mistakes or continuity errors on camera.
Ning Hao, along with over a dozen other Chinese assistant directors, addressed the local extras involved in the shoot. "When you see the people in front shouting 'Death!' you follow along. Shout as loud as you can. Got it?"
"Got it!" The troops participating in the filming were highly disciplined. While it might have been beneath their skill level to serve as extras, they set an example for the local herdsmen and other participants.
The Battle of the Pelennor Fields, fought before the White City, was the largest battle of the Third Age of Middle-earth.
It began at dawn on March 15, 3019 of the Third Age and concluded by sunset.
During this great conflict, King Théoden honored the Oath of Eorl by leading six thousand Rohirrim cavalry to the Pelennor Fields to aid Gondor.
It was also during this battle that Isildur's heir, Aragorn, son of Arathorn, arrived in Gondor aboard ships carried by the winds of the sea—the return of the king.
Together, they fought against the forces of Mordor. In the end, Rohan and Gondor emerged victorious, and Sauron suffered an unexpected defeat, losing his chief lieutenant, the Witch-king of Angmar.
This was the original storyline of the novel, but Peter Jackson made a slight alteration—changing the timing so that the White City had endured a night-long siege, and the Rohirrim had marched through the night, arriving at dawn on the Pelennor Fields.
Gilbert took it a step further. The battle before the Rohirrim's arrival would serve as a transition from daylight to nightfall.
Gandalf would fight desperately within the city, leading the defenders as they battled to their last breath.
The darkest hour before dawn would be the most grueling, the time when resistance wavered.
And then, at that crucial moment, a horn would sound.
With the first light of dawn, hope would emerge.
The advantage of film over text is that while a book relies on the reader's imagination, a movie transforms those imagined scenes into reality.
However, the beauty of literature lies in its infinite possibilities—each reader envisions a unique interpretation. That is why the written word remains timeless.
Once everything was in place, the grand battle scene officially commenced.
Bernard Hill donned his armor, placed his helmet upon his head, and mounted his horse, galloping back and forth before the ranks of Rohirrim cavalry, his whip cracking in the air.
His gaze was firm as he looked out over the plain, where the legions of orcs stretched endlessly into the distance.
He could sense the fear in his soldiers' eyes, and he needed to quell it.
So, King Théoden gave his battle speech, issuing orders for the charge.
"Éomer, lead your men in an attack from the left flank."
"Prepare to advance." Éomer lifted his banner and withdrew from the frame to the left.
"Gamling, follow the royal standard and attack from the center.
Grimbold, once past the city walls, take the right flank."
King Théoden's orders were not random; they were based on actual medieval cavalry tactics. Though simple, cavalry was the dominant force in cold weapon warfare.
In the medieval era, a lord with just fifty knights could dominate an entire region, which speaks volumes.
Of course, this European medieval force would have been crushed had it faced an Eastern army.
That was before the modern era—then, thanks to the Qing Dynasty's efforts, China earned the infamous title of the "Sick Man of East Asia."
The performance continued as King Théoden roused his men with a battle cry.
"Ride forth! Fear no darkness!
Advance, riders of Théoden!
Lift your spears! Pierce their shields!"
Though the local extras couldn't understand what the foreign actor was shouting as he rode back and forth, Bernard Hill's expression and tone were enough to stir emotions.
It was a shame the camera couldn't capture their reactions—it would have made for an incredible shot.
However, some of the extras' reactions could be included in the behind-the-scenes footage, adding an interesting touch.
King Théoden galloped ahead, his voice ringing across the ranks.
"Swing your swords! Fight to the last drop of blood! Do not stop until dawn!"
To maintain the emotional flow, even though multiple shots would be cut together, Gilbert and the cinematography team had discussed camera placements to ensure both good visuals and seamless transitions.
The goal was to allow Bernard Hill to perform the entire scene in one go without constant interruptions to reset angles.
Every director has their own approach, and Gilbert's habit was never to disrupt an actor's performance, ensuring the scene played out in full.
As a result, actors working with him often delivered some of their best performances, exceeding their previous work.
Tom Cruise, for one, deeply appreciated this. While filming Chicago, he often completed entire sequences in one uninterrupted take before Gilbert called cut.
Though it made shooting more exhausting, it was well worth it—it earned Tom Cruise his first Academy Award for Best Actor.
Right after Théoden's line, Do not stop until dawn, the timing was perfect. The sun rose over the horizon, casting golden light upon the Rohirrim, as if cloaking them in a radiant glow.
The Rohirrim raised their spears, ready to charge.
King Théoden clashed his sword against the knights' spears—but unexpectedly, since the real sword was too heavy, he had been given a plastic prop instead.
Before he even fully entered the frame, the plastic sword bent upon impact.
Fortunately, the previous take had already been completed; otherwise, that day's entire shoot would have been ruined.
At that moment, Ning Hao reacted quickly. Thinking on his feet, he handed Bernard Hill a real sword, allowing the scene to proceed at the perfect moment.
Bernard Hill was fully immersed in his role. He lifted the heavy sword as if it weighed nothing, his voice rising with passion as he shouted from the front lines:
"Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!
Charge! Charge to ruin and the world's ending…"
For the final shot, King Théoden returned to the center of the formation, raised his sword toward the distant orc army, and roared:
"Death!"
This was the extras' moment.
All 4,600 of them shouted in unison:
"Death!"
This scene required no post-dubbing—the on-site audio was already perfect, delivering an overwhelming impact.
After following Théoden in chanting Death three times, the horn sounded once more. The Rohirrim surged forward, charging toward the endless ranks of orcs.
The battle sequences that followed had already been filmed.
Thus, as the Rohirrim thundered past the final camera position, the Lord of the Rings production officially came to an end after eleven long months of filming.
All the extras and horses returned to the set. Gilbert stood atop the walls of Minas Tirith, holding a megaphone as he called out:
"Thank you all! Thank you for your dedication over the past three years, which has made this film possible.
Now, I believe I can officially announce—Lord of the Rings has wrapped!"
Fearing that some might not hear him, the directors and producers standing beside him joined in shouting:
"It's a wrap! It's a wrap!"
At that moment, cheers erupted across the entire crew.
It was finally over—the long and grueling production had come to an end.
This shoot had been the longest of any project the crew had ever worked on, leaving them physically and mentally exhausted.
If not for Gilbert's reputation—and, of course, the generous salaries and bonuses—many would have walked away long ago.
The Chinese crew members, in particular, felt a mix of emotions. Although their pay was generally only one-tenth of what the American crew received, it was still a substantial sum.
A year's work on this production earned them the equivalent of five or six years' wages elsewhere. It had been exhausting, but watching the money flow into their pockets filled them with renewed energy.
But now, those good days were over. Lord of the Rings had wrapped, and no one knew when another opportunity like this would come again.
After working together for so long, many American and Chinese crew members had formed deep friendships.
One of the assistant directors, a man named Tom, approached Ning Hao. In broken but earnest Chinese, he said, "Ning, working with you has been a pleasure."
Ning Hao looked at Tom's outstretched hand, then laughed and pulled him into a hug. "Me too, Tom. I've learned a lot from you."
"I heard you're going to direct your own film?" Tom raised an eyebrow. "I can't wait to see it, Ning."
"Thank you, Tom. Believe me—you will see it," Ning Hao replied sincerely, embracing him again.
Ning Hao and Tom were not the only ones saying their farewells. All around, people were hugging, shaking hands, even shedding tears.
Some had fallen for Chinese beauties, while others had won over American sweethearts. At this moment, they were the most reluctant to part.
Many wanted to ask their partners to stay—or to leave together—but apart from a few, most lacked the courage to say those words aloud.
"There's no such thing as a feast that never ends," Gilbert murmured as he observed the scene. Turning to Charles Roven, he asked, "The wrap party is ready, right? Let's give them a proper sendoff."
Charles Roven nodded, then raised the megaphone again.
"The day isn't over yet! We've prepared a wrap party—with roast lamb for everyone!
So wrap things up quickly—tonight…"
He paused, ensuring everyone's attention was on him, before grinning and shouting in heavily accented Chinese:
"We drink until we drop!"
A roar of excitement filled the air as the crew sped up their wrap-up tasks.
By six o'clock that evening, the production team had set up over a thousand roasting racks on the vast grasslands.
Every suitable sheep from the surrounding area had been bought, placed over the fires, and slowly roasted to perfection.
With so many people, professional chefs were in short supply, so many locals and crew members took matters into their own hands.
For once, the notoriously frugal Charles Roven spared no expense—there was more than enough alcohol, food, fruit, and, most importantly, meat.
After feasting, the celebrations continued with a massive bonfire party, where crew members could showcase their talents.
Some sang, others danced, some performed acrobatics, while a few even displayed magic tricks.
A young woman from the makeup department, hailing from Yunnan, performed the famous Peacock Dance, earning thunderous applause.
Meanwhile, a group of lighting technicians formed a rock band, delivering a performance that set the crowd on fire.
This was the crew's reward for their hard work over the years. Beyond the salaries and bonuses, this night of celebration was a way to relieve their exhaustion.
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