Movie Clip Discussions

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

October 11, 2013

Dynamic Image

(New Line, 2002)
Main Point: In the tough times in life, we must remember that if we have Jesus, we always have hope.

The Movie Clip: There Is Always Hope
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers is the second film in the LOTR trilogy, a saga that follows the plight of adventurers who are trying to destroy a powerful ring before it falls into the hands of the evil Sauron.

The second installment opens where the first one left off: the fellowship of heroes had been broken by repeated attacks from the enemy, and now, Middle Earth is at its greatest risk of falling to the dark powers. The crux of this film centers on the battle for Helm’s Deep, the towering city of King Theoden. The hobbits, elves, men, and dwarves must stand together or be crushed together.

The film is rated PG-13 for its action sequences and war-like violence.

Introducing the Clip:
I want to show a clip from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. It’s the pivotal battle for Helm’s Deep, the city of King Theoden. Just to set the context, our heroes (Aragorn, Gimli, and Legolas) are holed up in the city with King Theoden and his men. Unfortunately, they are miserably outnumbered by orcs and other evil creatures. You will see from the clip that everybody is pretty grim about their chance of victory and survival; most think they are going to die. The fight is so lopsided that King Theoden enlists the help of old men and young boys. One of the kids looks so scared that Aragorn strikes up a conversation with him to encourage him. Take a listen to what Aragorn says to him. It’s important for you to hear in your life, too!

Scene Script

BEGIN CLIP AT 2 HOURS 02 MINUTES AND 36 SECONDS

The clip is an extended one, so only the key dialogue will be given below. Here is the quick synopsis.

The clip goes to great length to show the despair of the good guys. The enemy army is marching closer and closer, night is falling, panic is breaking out in the city, there is a difference of opinion about what the best strategy is, and even the heroes are losing hope.

At one particularly low point, Aragorn spies a nervous young boy who is holding a sword. He calls out to him to get his attention.

Haleth: Haleth, son of Hama, my lord. The men are saying that we will not live out the night. They say that it is hopeless.

Aragorn: This is a good sword, Háleth, son of Háma. There is always hope.

Legolas: We have trusted you this far and you have not led us astray. Forgive me. I was wrong to despair.

Aragorn: There is nothing to forgive, Legolas.

END CLIP AT 2 HOURS 08 MINUTES AND 09 SECONDS

Transitional Statement:
I know it’s a make-believe context, but it’s a very scary make-believe context nonetheless. Penned up in a city, badly outnumbered, and facing an evil army filled with orcs and even worse creatures. Yeah, I’d say that was probably cause to lose hope. But I loved what Aragorn said to the young boy. He said, “There is always hope.” That’s what I want you to remember as we go into our small groups; I want you to remember that for the rest of your lives, in fact! You see, in the tough times in life, we always have hope if we have Jesus. Let’s talk about that truth for a few minutes, together.

Divide into Small Groups:
Let’s go ahead and split up into our discussion groups, and then afterward we’ll come back together for a final word.

CLICK HERE for a quick training article on how to maximize your small groups using our small group format—a great resource to equip your small group leaders.

Discussion Questions:

AROUND THE CIRLCE: As we get started, let’s all take a second to share our names and whether or not we’ve ever wanted to give up on something because it looked too hard.

ASK A FEW: Based on the clip, it looked like no one believed that they had any chance to win the battle. What were the emotions they were feeling?

ASK A FEW: How would you have handled their situation? Would you have lost hope, or would you have been hopeful? Why?

ASK A FEW: Aragorn told the boy, “There is always hope.” Do you think that Aragorn believed that himself, or was he just trying to make the kid feel better? How do you know?

ASK A FEW: When you’re already scared and confused, does it make matters better or worse when someone talks negatively about your situation? Why?

ASK A FEW: Have you ever lost hope? If so, could you take a moment and share that experience?

ASK A FEW: What are some of the things in life that cause us to lose hope?

ASK A FEW: When you are in a difficult situation and don’t know what the future holds, what value is it to have someone look you in the eye and tell you, “There is always hope”?

ASK A FEW: As followers of Jesus, where does our hope come from?

Read the following passage:

I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. 25 “Though I have been speaking figuratively, a time is coming when I will no longer use this kind of language but will tell you plainly about my Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. 27 No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God. 28 I came from the Father and entered the world; now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.” 29 Then Jesus’ disciples said, “Now you are speaking clearly and without figures of speech. 30 Now we can see that you know all things and that you do not even need to have anyone ask you questions. This makes us believe that you came from God.” 31 “You believe at last!” Jesus answered. 32 “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

ASK A FEW: In these verses, Jesus is making it very clear that grief, pain, and trouble are a reality. Why do you think Jesus took the time to speak directly to the issue of our struggles?

ASK A FEW: How does it make you feel that Jesus knows in advance what you’ll personally go through in life?

ASK A FEW: What does verse 33 mean when Jesus says that “in Me you may have peace”?

ASK A FEW: OK, Jesus doesn’t say, “There is always hope” in this passage, but He gives several reasons why we can always have hope. What are they?

ASK A FEW: Why does the peace that Jesus offers surpass all other forms of peace we may find in the world? (Leaders – Because Jesus has defeated death, He has overcome the worst this world can do to us. Because of this victory, He is the ultimate Source of peace.)

ASK A FEW: In life, do you find yourself losing hope very often? Why or why not?

AROUND THE CIRCLE: During this week, you will have to deal with some level of trouble or pain, what will be your personal action plan for finding hope from Jesus in your circumstance?

Wrap Up:
There is always hope. There is always hope. There is always hope. There is always hope.

Bury this message in your heads and hearts. With Jesus, you always have hope. This does not mean you won’t ever have difficulties. This does not mean you won’t ever have struggles. This does not mean you won’t ever have pain or loss. It just means that in the face of those struggles, those difficulties, and that pain, you can always have hope if you have Jesus.

Let me say that last part again and accent one tiny little word: you always have hope IF you have Jesus.

The Bible makes it plain that all people will face tough times. Jesus faced them, His disciples faced them, and so will you. But, the good news is that Jesus has overcome the world, the devil, our sin, and the grave! We don’t have hope on our own. We have hope because of Him!

But if we do not have Jesus, then we don’t have any hope, at all.

True, there are some problems that you’ll face in life that you can probably solve on your own. But what about the bigger stuff in life? What about your sin? Your regret? Your shame? What about the enemy’s attacks? What about your fears? Where are you getting your hope in those situations? If you do not have Jesus, then you don’t really have hope. He is the only One who can give it to us eternally.

Before we go our separate ways, let me give you an opportunity to place your hope and trust in Jesus. He gave His life on a cross 2,000 years ago so that He could overcome the world and give us victory over our sin. He’s done that. Why don’t you place your hope and trust in Him? If you want to talk more about that before you leave, then grab one of our adult leaders before you go. We’d love to have a life-changing conversation with you.

Close in Prayer

Written by David R Smith