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A blog for Catholic men that seeks to encourage virtue, the pursuit of holiness and the art of true masculinity.
Manly Movie Moment: Boromir’s Last Stand
August 25, 2014
It’s no secret that I’m a big Tolkien fan. Not only are his works fantastic literature, they are also rich with Catholic motifs that inspire one to fight for what is good and true in the face of growing darkness.
Then there’s the films. While I’m highly disappointed with the new Hobbit movies, I think the Lord of the Rings trilogy, though flawed, captures the spirit of Tolkien’s works about as well as big budget Hollywood films can.
One of the manliest moments in the trilogy (and there are many) comes in the scene known as the Departure of Boromir. Tempted by the power of the ring, Boromir has just attempted to steal it from Frodo. Boromir feels guilty for his weakness, but he doesn’t have much time to brood as he is immediately embroiled in a battle against a horde of Uruk-hai seeking to kidnap any Hobbits they find. As he battles desperately to defend Merry and Pippin, Boromir redeems himself from his moral failure, though he ultimately is killed in the process. It is a truly heroic death.
Best line: “I would have followed you…my brother, my captain, my king.” Christological allusions, anyone?
Note: This scene contains un-bloody but intense violence.
Almost every sentence in this post is fist-pump worthy. 🙂
Agree although I enjoyed hobbit. The movies are also a great testament to the reality of divine providence.
Obviously Aragorn is a Christ reference. He is the King, He is the only one that could pass trough the way of the dead, and he is recognised by the use of the Athelas for cure people. Boromir, like Thomas in Bible, did the confession of faith in his King. (Excuse me by my poor english)
Your English, and point, are great 🙂
Does the statue which is revealed when Boromir falls to his knees remind anyone else of Our Lady? It seems as thought Boromir was under Her protection during the whole battle. Fantastic post, Sam.
Yes… except for the fact that the statue was a guy. :p But on a serious note, that IS a very good point. While there are not many obvious Marian allusions in LOTR, there are a few hidden ones.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is an annual tradition at my house. Once a year, sometimes more than once, my daughter and I watch all three in the course of a weekend. There is always something new we discover in the dialogue, scenery or wardrobe.
While Tolkien was a Catholic and he did call the Lord of the Rings “a fundamentally Catholic work”, one should be careful not to call it an allegory. Aragorn is not Jesus Christ, nor is Sauron or Morgoth Satan. Tolkien quite clearly says it is not an allegory (foreword to the Lord of the Rings and in a number of his letter). As, Tolkien himself said; one should not confuse allegory and applicability.