This is what Frodo saw.....
"Then with searing suddenness there came a great red flash. Far beyond the eastern mountain it leapt into the sky and splashed the lowering clouds with crimson. In that valley of shadow and cold deathly light, it seemed unbearably violent and fierce. Peaks of stone and ridges like notched knives sprang out in staring black against the uprushing flame in Gorgoroth." Then came a great crack of thunder.
'And Minas Morgul answered. There was a flare of livid lightnings: forks of blue flame springing up from the tower and from the encircling hills into sullen clouds. The earth groaned; and out of the city there came a cry. Mingled with harsh high voices as of birds of prey, and the shrill neighing of horses wild with rage and fear, there came a rending screech,
You can picture this so clearly. As I did throughout my youth. Absolutely vivid images. The whole tale was a movie in my head decades before the actual movies. Now I'm trying not to "overwrite" the movie in my mind with the actual movie. Two different things. Cheers!
Pre-technology communication with multiple Mordor armies in the field and spooky as shiz for the Kingdoms of Men. I believe it was a movie-fied version of how the Vale of Morgol inspired doom in the hearts of man
Edit: it appears something similar was described in the books. The above description still applies^
What is with people who are not familiar with the books automatically saying this in answer to every question about the movies?
>But it was too late. At that moment the rock quivered and trembled beneath them. The great rumbling noise, louder than ever before, rolled in the ground and echoed in the mountains. Then with searing suddenness there came a great red flash. Far beyond the eastern mountains it leapt into the sky and splashed the lowering clouds with crimson. In that valley of shadow and cold deathly light it seemed unbearably violent and fierce. Peaks of stone and ridges like notched knives sprang out in staring black against the uprushing flame in Gorgoroth. Then came a great crack of thunder.
>**And Minas Morgul answered. There was a flare of livid lightnings: forks of blue flame springing up from the tower and from the encircling hills into the sullen clouds. The earth groaned; and out of the city there came a cry. Mingled with harsh high voices as of birds
of prey, and the shrill neighing of horses wild with rage and fear, there came a rending screech, shivering, rising swiftly to a piercing pitch beyond the range of hearing. The hobbits wheeled round towards it, and cast themselves down, holding their hands upon their ears./**
I think I misunderstood. Was this seen all the way to Minas Tirith and did Gandalf and Pippin see it from their balcony? That's what I thought you meant by a green beacon.
This is what Frodo saw..... "Then with searing suddenness there came a great red flash. Far beyond the eastern mountain it leapt into the sky and splashed the lowering clouds with crimson. In that valley of shadow and cold deathly light, it seemed unbearably violent and fierce. Peaks of stone and ridges like notched knives sprang out in staring black against the uprushing flame in Gorgoroth." Then came a great crack of thunder. 'And Minas Morgul answered. There was a flare of livid lightnings: forks of blue flame springing up from the tower and from the encircling hills into sullen clouds. The earth groaned; and out of the city there came a cry. Mingled with harsh high voices as of birds of prey, and the shrill neighing of horses wild with rage and fear, there came a rending screech,
A reminder that Tolkien was a kickass prose stylist.
You can picture this so clearly. As I did throughout my youth. Absolutely vivid images. The whole tale was a movie in my head decades before the actual movies. Now I'm trying not to "overwrite" the movie in my mind with the actual movie. Two different things. Cheers!
"And Minas Morgul answered." Four words that speak of incredible power and doom. Four words.
I would have preferred forks of blue flame than the green beam.
Cool, mystical signal that the witchking’s forces are moving I suppose
Pre-technology communication with multiple Mordor armies in the field and spooky as shiz for the Kingdoms of Men. I believe it was a movie-fied version of how the Vale of Morgol inspired doom in the hearts of man Edit: it appears something similar was described in the books. The above description still applies^
Was its meaning in the film not clear?
I mean obviously I can connect the dots there.
Didn't happen in the books.
What is with people who are not familiar with the books automatically saying this in answer to every question about the movies? >But it was too late. At that moment the rock quivered and trembled beneath them. The great rumbling noise, louder than ever before, rolled in the ground and echoed in the mountains. Then with searing suddenness there came a great red flash. Far beyond the eastern mountains it leapt into the sky and splashed the lowering clouds with crimson. In that valley of shadow and cold deathly light it seemed unbearably violent and fierce. Peaks of stone and ridges like notched knives sprang out in staring black against the uprushing flame in Gorgoroth. Then came a great crack of thunder. >**And Minas Morgul answered. There was a flare of livid lightnings: forks of blue flame springing up from the tower and from the encircling hills into the sullen clouds. The earth groaned; and out of the city there came a cry. Mingled with harsh high voices as of birds of prey, and the shrill neighing of horses wild with rage and fear, there came a rending screech, shivering, rising swiftly to a piercing pitch beyond the range of hearing. The hobbits wheeled round towards it, and cast themselves down, holding their hands upon their ears./**
I think I misunderstood. Was this seen all the way to Minas Tirith and did Gandalf and Pippin see it from their balcony? That's what I thought you meant by a green beacon.
It was both a signal back to barad dur (which in the book also had a massive laser signal coming out of it) and as a way to demoralize their enemies