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3 Great Speeches From The World Of Film

Ride now! Ride now! Ride!
Ride to ruin and the world’s ending!
King Theoden – The Return of the King

Throughout the ages there have been great speakers, people whose words others have listened to. From Socrates and Alexander the Great to Churchill, JFK and Martin Luther King, the world’s greatest orators have produced speeches that have motivated, inspired and changed the way that people think.

In the real world there are no second chances – your speech needs to be world changing first time around. Prepare, practice, perform it in front of your friends and then go out and deliver the words that will inspire. But in the world of film scenes can be re-shot. Mistakes can be edited out. Music can be added to ramp up the emotional impact. How much better then are those speeches that take place on the big screen?

What follows is a selection of just 3 great fictional speeches. My personal choices, chosen for the reasons outlined below.

Motivational – Love Actually

Hugh Grant’s prime minister, like Popeye, has had all he can stand (and he can’t stand no more), and what better way to let the world know than by delivering a great speech? This is one of those “we’re in this together” speeches, designed to motivate a large crowd – in this case the entire British public.

Notice how the prime minister delivers slowly but clearly? He’s not going to be rushed, but his message is succinct and doesn’t stray from the point. He begins with an attention grabber: “I love that word relationship. [It] covers all manner of sins, doesn’t it?” Humorous and intriguing, drawing the crowd into the rest of his speech.

Inspirational – The Return of the King

The city of Minas Tirith is under siege from the forces of Mordor. Sauron, the dark lord, is close to victory. Even the great wizard, Gandalf, is apparently no match for this terrible army. King Theoden arrives on the battlefield, but he knows that he is hopelessly outnumbered, and so do his troops. If ever there was a time for a great speech, this is it.

Like Churchill explaining how Britain will continue to fight even in the event of Nazi occupation, Theoden must deliver bad news to his horsemen. Notice the long pauses and repetition of words? This is a speech designed to inspire people to do something they’re not going to like. The message is almost being drummed into them. You will ride to battle, and you will die as heroes.

Change – Rocky Balboa

Rocky is no stranger to great speeches. Who hasn’t at least heard someone doing a bad impression of Sylvester Stallone’s “Adrian” from the end of the original? So what does he do when he’s denied a licence to return to boxing because of his age? It’s time, of course, for Rocky to stand up and fight – not with his fists, but with an impassioned speech.

This is a plea for change, and as such it’s delivered at a faster pace than the other speeches here. Rocky really cares, and he wants that to come across to the members of the board. At times the words become jumbled and the sense of what’s being said hangs by a thread, but he still never strays from the point. Cleverly, he references the bill of rights in such a way that his audience can’t help but respond – their attention is assured from that moment on.