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At the end of August in my post “The Secrets Discovered to Keeping an Audience’s Attention” I mentioned some research on the lessons from blockbuster films for communication and leadership and promised to come back to this — here I am.
Many films have pivotal speeches, moments when one character’s words of passion and wisdom get people to align, to come together, and overcome what needs to be overcome.
These speeches are often key moments and rouse us the viewer as well as the characters in the film. One such moment that springs to my mind is towards the end of the second film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy by Peter Jackson, The Twin Towers.
In this Frodo bearing the burden of carrying the ring, which he must destroy, is losing all hope — he is saved by Sam in the last moment from giving himself up to the Nazgul — and Frodo in his “trance” attacks Sam. And in response Sam gives a short speech, only 148 words, that manage to transform Frodo and imbibe a sense of hope and motivation in the viewer. 148 words from despair to hope. 148 wonderfully poignant words that resonate with all of us and finish with “That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.”
It is precisely this type of rousing speech that Munyon and Summers wanted to investigate…
