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Into the West (song)
Encyclopedia
"Into the West" is an Oscar winning song, written by Fran Walsh
, Howard Shore
, and Annie Lennox
, and performed by Lennox. The song plays during the closing credits
of the film
, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
. It has later been covered by New Zealand
singers Yulia Townsend
and Will Martin
.
lament sung by Galadriel
for those who have sailed across the Sundering Sea
. Several phrases from the song are taken from the last chapter of The Return of the King
.
In the commentaries and documentaries accompanying the extended DVD edition of the film, director Peter Jackson
explains that the song was partially inspired by the premature death from cancer
of young New Zealand filmmaker Cameron Duncan
, whose work had impressed Jackson and his team. The first public performance of the song was at Duncan's funeral.
for Best Original Song
at the 76th Academy Awards
, one of the film's eleven Academy Awards. Lennox performed the song at the Academy Awards ceremony.
It also won a Grammy for best film song
.
Fran Walsh
Frances "Fran" Walsh, Lady Jackson, MNZM is a screenwriter, film producer and occasional musician. She is the spouse of filmmaker Peter Jackson. They have two children: Billy and Katie....
, Howard Shore
Howard Shore
Howard Leslie Shore is a Canadian composer, notable for his film scores. He has composed the scores for over 80 films, most notably the scores for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, for which he won three Academy Awards. He is also a consistent collaborator with director David Cronenberg,...
, and Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
, and performed by Lennox. The song plays during the closing credits
Closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
of the film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is a 2003 epic fantasy-drama film directed by Peter Jackson that is based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...
. It has later been covered by New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
singers Yulia Townsend
Yulia Townsend
Yulia is a Russian-born New Zealand classical crossover singer. Her first solo album Into The West went platinum in its first week of sales in New Zealand. She won two NZ Music Awards; 'Best Female Solo Artist' and 42 Below 'Best Selling Album in New Zealand'. She has supported Amici Forever and...
and Will Martin
Will Martin
Will Martin is a New Zealand-born classical crossover singer.Martin's first album, released in his native New Zealand, went platinum in 6 weeks. The album, called A New World, featured songs such as "Into the West", "If" and "Going Home".Will commented on his success with “I am an entertainer; I...
.
Style
The song was conceived as a bittersweet ElvishElf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
lament sung by Galadriel
Galadriel
Galadriel is a character created by J.R.R. Tolkien, appearing in his Middle-earth legendarium. She appears in The Lord of the Rings, The Silmarillion, and Unfinished Tales....
for those who have sailed across the Sundering Sea
Belegaer
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Belegaer, the Great Sea or the Sundering Seas, is the sea of Arda that is west of Middle-earth....
. Several phrases from the song are taken from the last chapter of The Return of the King
The Return of the King
The Return of the King is the third and final volume of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, following The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers.-Title:...
.
In the commentaries and documentaries accompanying the extended DVD edition of the film, director Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
explains that the song was partially inspired by the premature death from cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
of young New Zealand filmmaker Cameron Duncan
Cameron Duncan
Cameron Troy Duncan was a writer and director from New Zealand.-Film career:Duncan completed many home videos but only two short films, DFK6498 and Strike Zone, a movie involving his love for softball, as well as a few commercials and brief clips, before dying of osteosarcoma, a type of bone...
, whose work had impressed Jackson and his team. The first public performance of the song was at Duncan's funeral.
Awards
The song won the OscarAcademy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
at the 76th Academy Awards
76th Academy Awards
The 76th Academy Awards ceremony honored the best films of 2003 and was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on ABC beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST/8:30 p.m. EST, February 29, 2004 . The show was produced by Joe Roth and was hosted for the eighth time by comedian Billy Crystal.The...
, one of the film's eleven Academy Awards. Lennox performed the song at the Academy Awards ceremony.
It also won a Grammy for best film song
Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media has been awarded since 1988 and is awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media...
.