You know what, Iâm not done. Every aspiring writer should watch that scene and keep in mind the axiom âevery person is the protagonist in their own mind,â because Denethor and Pippin are having TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS.
Hereâs the translation of how it goes.
WHAT DENETHOR SAYS: can you sing, Master Hobbit?
WHAT DENETHOR MEANS: I want entertainment and youâre from far lands. Thatâs a novelty here.
WHAT PIPPIN HEARS: I donât care that I just sent my son to his death. Entertain me.
WHAT PIPPIN SAYS: yes. Well, well enough for my own people. But we have no songs fit for great halls.
WHAT PIPPIN MEANS: yes. But not for you. And our songs arenât for people who engage in such cruelty.
WHAT DENETHOR HEARS: yes, but Iâm embarrassed because mine are simple folk, and youâre very grand and regal. Thereâs no way I could be of any use to you.
WHAT DENETHOR SAYS: and why should your songs be unfit for my halls? Sing me a song.
WHAT DENETHOR MEANS: weâre all equals culturally. Iâm a benevolent ruler, I donât think your songs are inferior to those produced by my skilled musicians. Let me engage with your culture.
WHAT PIPPIN HEARS: I have literally already forgotten about my son. Iâm more interested in entertainment and food, things you normally adore and which Iâm making a mockery of by my actions. So sing to me songs of those things you love, entertainment and food. My son doesnât matter to me and shouldnât matter to you.
WHAT DENETHOR HEARS: what a pretty little song.
WHAT PIPPIN IS SAYING WITH THE SONG: fuck you for doing this to your son, who I love. Fuck you for doing this to me, as I mourn. Fuck you for making a mockery of the things I love, when itâs clear you donât care for them any more than you do for YOUR SON. Your child, who you should want to protect. If you wonât mourn in these halls, by everything I hold dear I swear SOMEONE will.
Pippin canât say any of this out loud. But his word choices are extremely deliberate. And so are Denethorâs! He does not see himself as a bad person! I donât know enough LOTR to know if heâs a villain or just an asshole, but the important thing here is HE THINKS OF HIMSELF AS NEITHER. Heâs a good guy whoâs had to make some hard choices, thatâs all. Itâs the editing that tells you heâs not actually that at all.
This is a MASTERCLASS in âeveryone is their own protagonistâ and if this is the standard the movies rise to all the time I understand why yâall love them so much, because holy shit. Thatâs incredible.