There are many powerful moments in the Movie rendition of The Battle of the Hornburg. Many symbolic and beautiful moments
First, the elves come. Help out of the blue, completely unexpected and unlooked for. A last alliance of elves and men. Heroic, yes. Wonderful, yes. But that is not what made the battle what it was.
There is something in that whole battle sequence that links it all together and makes it beautiful, heroic, brave, powerful, meaningful.
It could be the love between Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli. It could be the moment when Haldir dies in Aragorn's arms. Perhaps it is when Aragorn and Theoden gather the rest of the Rohirrim and ride out to die in glory and fight the hopeless fight. It could be the love and loyalty of Eomer when he returns to save the man who banished him from his home. It could be the hope and light of Gandalf returning. The bravery of the men behind the walls.
But even when you put all that together, you really just have a lot of fighting and death and no hope. Because there is still a big question.
Why?
Why are the men behind the walls so brave?
Why did Aragorn and Theoden ride out?
Why did Eomer return?
Why were the men prepared to fight until they all died?
There could be many reasons. And there are many reasons. But the one that unites them all. That makes the battle more than a bunch of men and orcs killing each other. One thing that explains it all.
And that is the women and children hiding in the caves.
These men are fighting for their wives, children, sisters, brothers, mothers, grandmothers. They are fighting for the people. Willing to die to defend the people. Brave for the people they are protecting.
Peter Jackson captured this perfectly, but frequently cutting from the battle, to the women and children. Terrified, weeping, hiding in the caves and listening to their loved ones die.
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