This analysis of 'The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers' (2002) will consider how the screenplay's five plot points create the story's deep structure. These discrete story points include the 'Inciting Incident' in Act 1, 'Turning Points 1 and 2' in Act 2, and the 'Crisis Decision' and 'Climax' in Act 3. Spoiler alert: this structural analysis will reveal crucial plot moments; you may prefer to read this after viewing the film. For actors' names I refer you to the analysis of 'The Fellowship of the Ring'.
This movie's back story is a follow-on from 'The Fellowship of the Ring'. There are two primary plot-lines in 'The Two Towers': 1) Frodo and Sam, and 2) the Aragorn/ Legolas/Gimli plot-line. Five story plot points, as mentioned above, appear in each plot-line, and will be outlined in this analysis.
Inciting Incident. Drawn from the events of Book 1. The abduction of Merry and Pippin by Sauron's forces (in the belief that one of them is the Halfling ring-bearer), is the central Inciting Incident. Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli have taken up the pursuit in an attempt to rescue their two hobbit comrades. Meanwhile, a second Inciting Incident is Frodo and Sam's having struck off on their own to fulfill the Fellowship's quest: to reach Mordor and Mount Doom to destroy the ring.
Turning Point 1. The Frodo/Sam plotline: Frodo, Sam, and Gollum cross the marsh, where Gollum saves Frodo from the lights' given off by fallen warriors who are held in the marsh by the power of Mordor. Aragorn/Legolas/Gimli plot-line: Gandalf the White, having returned now to his friends after falling into the chasm and subduing the Balrog, now frees King Theoden (Bernard Hill) of Edoras from Saruman's sorcery.
A movie's Midpoint usually provides the story with a coherence and symmetry that the audience feels unconsciously, and for this reason is important structurally. The Frodo/Sam plot-line's Midpoint occurs when Frodo defends Gollum against Sam's baiting. Frodo sympathizes with Gollum's addiction to the ring, showing Frodo to be imperceptibly passing over from the Fellowship's cause to the ring's side. The A/L/G plot-line's Midpoint occurs when Aragorn falls while fighting the Orcs/Urukhai, and left for dead.
Turning Point 2. Frodo and Sam plot-line: Frodo turns Gollum over to Faramir (David Wenham), of Minas Tirith, to protect him from being shot with an arrow. The A/L/G plotline: Aragorn rides into Helm's Deep, where the inhabitants of Edoras have retreated to; a great welcoming and homecoming ensues.
The Frodo/Sam plot-line Crisis Decision/Climax sees Frodo confront the nazgul at Osgiliath, where he is injured and escapes only by putting on the ring. Sam speaks up in Frodo's defense to Faramir, who now understands, and is astounded by the horrific burden the two Halflings labor under. He honors their courage and sacrifice, and releases them. The A/L/G plotline Crisis Decision/Climax sees Theoden at Helm's Deep, despairing over the inexhaustible horde of Mordor's forces sent against them. He says bitterly, "How can any one defend against such reckless hate!" Aragorn sees the truth in this, yet will not yield, and says to Theoden: "Ride out with me!" (let us meet hate head on). Perhaps somewhat implausibly, at this juncture Gandalf the White arrives on a distant hillside, accompanied by the forces of the Rohirrim, and the tide of battle shifts.
A third plot-line woven into through this second Book was Merry and Pippin's escape from their Orc captors, and meeting with the Ents. The two hobbits had tried to convince the Entfolk to join in the attack on Isengard, yet the Ents only joined battle when they saw the horrific devastation Saruman had visited upon the forests surrounding his stronghold.
The story's primary reversal (to a new stasis) sees the friendship between Frodo and Sam restored, after Sam's defense of Frodo. Yet this also suggests that Frodo will again be drawn by the ring's power, and see a rupture in his friendship with Sam. The new stasis in human affairs sees Helm's Deep saved, and Saruman and Sauron's forces held off, in part because the alliance held, so that humans and elves, and the forces of Rohan and Edoras, each fought side by side. Yet this was also due to the luck of Gandalf's timely arrival at Helm's Deep, which the alliance won't have the benefit of in the final conflict.
