Although JRR Tolkien's tales of the battles for Middle Earth, The Lord of the Rings, has enjoyed enormous popularity ever since it was published in the 1950s, and even though it became one of the best-selling novels of all time, it was in the hands of director Peter Jackson in the 21st century that Lord of the Rings soared to heights never imagined by its writer.
In its cinematic form, the trilogy — Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and Return of the King — garnered universal acclaim both critically and with audiences. It went on at the Oscars to tie Ben Hur and Titanic, winning 11 awards — but it set its own record for being the biggest sweep, as it won every award for which it was nominated.
Howard Shore took home the music Oscars for Best Original Song — "Into the West," performed by Annie Lennox — and for Best Original Score.
When you listen to the score, it's quite a collection of different types of artists: actor Viggo Mortensen, flutist James Galway, soprano Renee Fleming and vocalist Annie Lennox can all be heard in the music.
On this week's Flicks in Five, we'll hear some of Howard Shore's Oscar-winning music from Return of the King.
Original Trailer — Return of the King
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