You know what, Iām not done. Every aspiring writer should watch that scene and keep in mind the axiom āevery person is the protagonist in their own mind,ā because Denethor and Pippin are having TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS.
Hereās the translation of how it goes.
WHAT DENETHOR SAYS: can you sing, Master Hobbit?
WHAT DENETHOR MEANS: I want entertainment and youāre from far lands. Thatās a novelty here.
WHAT PIPPIN HEARS: I donāt 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 arenāt for people who engage in such cruelty.
WHAT DENETHOR HEARS: yes, but Iām embarrassed because mine are simple folk, and youāre very grand and regal. Thereās 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: weāre all equals culturally. Iām a benevolent ruler, I donāt 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. Iām more interested in entertainment and food, things you normally adore and which Iām making a mockery of by my actions. So sing to me songs of those things you love, entertainment and food. My son doesnāt matter to me and shouldnāt 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 itās clear you donāt care for them any more than you do for YOUR SON. Your child, who you should want to protect. If you wonāt mourn in these halls, by everything I hold dear I swear SOMEONE will.
Pippin canāt say any of this out loud. But his word choices are extremely deliberate. And so are Denethorās! He does not see himself as a bad person! I donāt know enough LOTR to know if heās a villain or just an asshole, but the important thing here is HE THINKS OF HIMSELF AS NEITHER. Heās a good guy whoās had to make some hard choices, thatās all. Itās the editing that tells you heās not actually that at all.
This is a MASTERCLASS in āeveryone is their own protagonistā and if this is the standard the movies rise to all the time I understand why yāall love them so much, because holy shit. Thatās incredible.