What do you think of when you think back to the Lord of the Rings trilogy? The huge battles? The loving dynamic between Frodo and Sam? Or the great betrayal in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, when Grima Wormtongue (Brad Dourif) literally stabs Saruman in the back?
There are many big moments in the legendary fantasy film series and even more stories about how this mammoth project came about in the first place. The Story behind the death of Saruman should be one of the most interesting though. The scene would have looked a lot different if Saruman actor Christopher Lee hadn’t had any… let’s say professional experience with knife attacks.
This is how the assassination scene from Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King came about
In the bonus material for the finale of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, there is a scene showing the shooting of Saruman’s assassination. Director Peter Jackson instructs Christopher Lee on what sounds to make when Saruman feels the knife in his back. But the actor refuses — and instead gives Jackson a lesson on stabbing murder:
Do you know, what sound you hear when someone is stabbed in the back? I know it. That doesn’t sound like an ‘Aaa’, but a [macht ersticktes Geräusch]because the breath is pressed out of the body.
According to Peter Jackson, he did not want to delve further into the subject: “I have said: You obviously know what you’re doing, Christopher.” Originally, the director wanted Lee to scream out loud. Instead, what you actually hear in the film now is the choked sound escaping the dying Saruman.
Here is a clip from the shooting of the third Lord of the Rings film:
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Wait a minute: how did Christopher Lee aka Saruman know what people who get stabbed sound like?
Before Christopher Lee became a Hollywood legend, the actor had another job. He worked in World War II for the British Air Force’s intelligence department. After the war, one of his tasks was to track down and capture escaped National Socialists.
The actor passed away in 2015 at the age of 93. Throughout his life, Christopher Lee spoke little about his wartime experience, but by his own admission he did see many people die. A terrifying experience that makes all the more impressive what legendary status the Brit achieved through his terrifyingly human portrayal of dark roles – from Dracula to the Bond villain to Lord of the Rings antagonist Saruman.
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