As they look around at the burning city and the masses of fallen soldiers, all hope is lost for the soldiers of Gondor as the Orcs of Mordor break through the gates of Minas Tirith. Suddenly the sound of battle horns fill the air, Rohan has finally come. This scene depicts the battle that determines if Gondor stands or falls. Three things that make this scene amazing are the setting, music, and the tension created.
The setting is a key factor in getting the audience to feel the character's emotions in a movie. The setting in this scene is the rising sun. In history the rising sun has been a symbol of hope. Just as the sun came over a hillside it revealed the masses of the Rohirim coming up the slope, and with it a leap of joy in the audience's heart. As the sun shone down on the backs of the Rohirim you could see the despair taken from the soldiers of Gondor and a hope regained.
The music also brings the feeling of hope as the morning is beheld. As the music begins to play, it is a sound of courage and loyalty in battle. It is enough to give one chills and have their hair stand on end as if you are actually there. One feels in the soldiers both the return of hope, and a determination to conquer or die in the battle for Middle Earth. In short, it brings the mood out of the battle.
The tension as quoted in the movie is like the “breath before the plunge”. As Rohan is about to plunge into battle, there is a tension of excitement and fear. The two armies are viewed and the Orcs cover the field, but as Rohan charges toward the sea of death the Orcs begin to waver and the battle begins.
As the setting, music, and the tension make an amazing scene the reason it inspires people is that it symbolizes fighting for freedom and liberty. It symbolizes the fight against evil. But most of all, it symbolizes the fight for the good in the world, the fight for truth.