Cinema Parasite

This is one of those strange cases where a scene from one film instantly makes you think of another, and in your memory, the two almost seem shot-for-shot identical.

Of course, they aren’t. But the rhythm, atmosphere, and visual logic of the two sieges are remarkably close. Archers on the walls, ladders rising against the fortress, stones and projectiles raining down, battering rams at the gate, defenders fighting against impossible numbers, even some of the camera angles and staging feel uncannily familiar. Critics and fans have been pointing out these similarities for years, especially around Helm’s Deep.

And yes, a medieval siege naturally comes with a certain vocabulary. If you’re attacking a fortress, there are only so many tools available. But the similarities go beyond props and tactics. Both battles build toward the same old cinematic rescue mechanism: when everything seems lost, cavalry appears and turns the tide. Griffith was already using this kind of last-minute mounted rescue in the silent era, long before fantasy cinema adopted it as one of its favorite dramatic devices.

Then there is one small meta-detail I love. Sam Raimi hides himself inside Army of Darkness, while his brother Ted appears in several roles throughout the film. Peter Jackson does the same kind of thing in The Two Towers, during Helm’s Deep, he briefly appears on the battlements throwing a spear at the Uruk-hai. The Numbers

Jackson’s battle is obviously operating on a completely different scale, more elaborate, more dramatic, and built on Tolkien’s much deeper mythology. But watching these scenes together, it is hard not to feel as if the Necronomicon had somehow found its way into Middle-earth.

THE BOOK OF THE DEAD | Series
◽️ Part 1: Army of Darkness - Unboxing
▪️ Part 2: Army of Darkness - Echoes of the Siege (You are here)

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