The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

201 minutes, theatrical cut. Three films' worth of friendships and competing duties converge, giving the battles a human map as well as a geographical one. The shifts between a collapsing city, a dangerous errand and people waiting for news make victory feel contingent rather than inevitable. See the first two films first. The extended succession of farewells can test patience, but the accumulated attachment gives them a purpose.