Original artwork, not a still
Fly, you fools.
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
It is the one moment the all-knowing wizard gives an order out of plain fear, and it lands because it is his last act as leader of the Fellowship. Fans use it for any grand sacrifice, and as a joke when someone tells the team to save themselves from a doomed project. The line is Tolkien's own, which is why it sits among the few lines everyone gets word-perfect.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the RingShow the scene
In the Mines of Moria, the Fellowship flees Orcs and a troll and is pursued by a Balrog to the Bridge of Khazad-dum. Gandalf stays behind to face it so the others can escape, and breaks the bridge beneath the demon with his staff. As the Balrog falls, its whip wraps round Gandalf's legs and drags him over the edge. His last words to the others are this order. The moment is in Tolkien's novel as well. The devastated Fellowship goes on to Lothlorien.
Sources (2)
- Wikipedia: GandalfPlot summary of The Fellowship of the RingReference checked
- Wikipedia: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (film), plotPlotReference checked
Context reviewed
