This section is a small, but crucial, part of “The Return of the King”, taking Aragorn and his companions from Rohan across to Gondor so that he can hijack the fleet of the Corsairs at Pelargir, and on the way prove his lineage and title as the King of Gondor. In the book, it is contained within the chapter “The Passing of the Grey Company”.

The Paths of the Dead is a passage burrowing through the mountains between Rohan (Dunharrow) and Gondor (Morthond), inhabited by an army of oath-breaking Dead cursed by Isildur to remain there until they could fulfil their vow to Isildur and his line. Legolas actually sums up the whole situation rather well in the film: “Long ago, the Men of the Mountain swore an oath to the last King of Gondor, to come to his aid, to fight. But when the time came, when Gondor’s need was dire, they fled, vanishing into the darkness of the mountain. And so Isildur cursed them, never to rest until they had fulfilled their pledge.”

The entrance to the Paths in the film is atmospheric and daunting, hidden in the woods at the back of the plateau of Dunharrow, just as in the book. However, the trail after the door weaves above-ground through the dank woods and chasms of the mountains in the film, while in the book, the trail immediately dips underground, and the whole thing seems much more dark and doom-laden:
“they found a hollow place opening at the mountain’s root, and right in their path stood a single mighty stone like a finger of doom.
“My blood runs chill,” said Gimli, but the others were silent, and his voice fell dead on the dank fir-needles at his feet.
…
“This is an evil door,” said Halbarad, “and my death lies beyond it.” [5.II.]
The stone in front of the door is not present in the film.

The company is much larger in the book than the film, consisting of Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, the thirty rangers of the Grey Company – led by Halbarad, and Elladan and Elrohir, the sons of Elrond. Of course, in the film, it is simply elf, dwarf and man.

Gimli is the last to enter the Paths, his words echoed through from book to film: “”Here is a thing unheard of!” … “An Elf will go underground and a Dwarf dare not!”” [5.II.]

In the book, more is made of Gimli’s blindness in the Paths, and his ever-increasing fear of the dark and the shadowy creatures within. In the film, they are all seen as stumbling along pretty equally, though Gimli does ask Legolas what the elf can see, hoping for some elucidation about their path. However, the way it is done makes it seem as if the elf can see more, not the dwarf see less.

The fear of the Paths in the book is much more psychological than in the film. It is the fear of darkness, of gloom, of weight pressing down and smothering. The fear in the film, however, is simply piles of skulls, cobwebs, dark woods and luminous green dead people.

The “Hall of the Dead”, is where things get distinctly different. Rather than being a super fighting action sequence as per the film, the book simply has the company arriving at a great empty space, and by the far wall of that space, in front of a stony door, they see the bones of a man, clad in mail, a notched and broken sword beside him. This was Baldor, one of the ancient kings of Rohan who had set out from Edoras to explore the Paths of the Dead, and who had never returned.

Aragorn then turns and speaks to the whispering darkness behind them: “Keep your hoards and your secrets hidden in the Accursed Years! Speed only we ask. Let us pass, and then come! I summon you to the Stone of Erech!” [5.II.]
There is no answer, but a chill blast flows through the cave, guttering the torches.

The company then carries on with their journey through the tunnels, Gimli always in the rear, almost consumed by fear: “pursued by a groping horror that seemed always just about to seize him; and a rumour came after him like the shadow-sound of many feet. He stumbled on until he was crawling like a beast on the ground and felt that he could endure no more: he must either find an ending and escape or run back in madness to meet the following fear.” [5.II.]
Eventually they reach the other end of the Paths, coming out of the mountains into a dark chasm, two hours after sunset on the same day on which they left Dunharrow.

In the film, however, everything is different. Firstly, the Hall of the Dead is a large, man-made structure that suddenly appears before them, filling the chasm from side-to-side. Then within, the King of the Dead appears, a ghostly, green figure who comes forward to challenge Aragorn.
King of the Dead: (v.o.)Who enters my domain?
Aragorn: One who will have your allegiance.
King of the Dead: The Dead do not suffer the living to pass.
Aragorn: You will suffer me.
(The King of the Dead laughs. The Dead appear and surround Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli.)
King of the Dead: The way is shut. It was made by those who are dead. And the Dead keep it. The way is shut. Now you must die.
When Aragorn mentions the Oath, the King laughs, saying that none but the King of Gondor may command him. Then Aragorn lifts Anduril, and parries the King’s sudden attack. When the King sees Anduril he realises that Aragorn is of the line of Isildur.

Aragorn then walks around the crowd of the Dead, beseeching them to fight and regain their honour. And that he would hold their oath fulfilled after they fight.
The Dead seem to decide not to fight (not really an option for them in the book), and fade away into nothingness. The mists in the cave begin to blow away, the ground begins to shake, and huge piles of skulls start collapsing.
When the three companions escape from the never-ending cascade of bones, they run out of the cave into Gondor, where their first sight is the Black Ships of the Corsairs sailing up the nearby river.
Nothing is seen of Aragorn, Legolas and Gimli’s passage down to the ships in the film. Aragorn is seen falling to his knees, and then a noise is heard from the cave, and Aragorn turns around to see the King of the Dead, saying that he and his army will fight for him.

The next time Aragorn and the Dead are seen is at the Pelennor Fields, jumping out of the ships into the midst of the battle.

In the book, the company continue to file through the chasm, the Dead now following behind them. Legolas looks back and sees shapes of Men and horses, pale banners like shreds of cloud, and spears like winter-thickets on a misty night – an image taken forward to the Hall of the Dead in the film:
Legolas: I see shapes of men. And of horses.
Gimli: Where?
Legolas: Pale banners like shreds of cloud. Spears rise like winter-thickets through a shroud of mist. The Dead are following. They have been summoned.

Their path down to the harbour is detailed in the book. They travel through the Morthond Vale down to the Hill of Erech, on top of which stands the Stone of Erech: “a black stone, round as a great globe, the height of a man, though its half was buried in the ground. Unearthly it looked, as though it had fallen from the sky, as some believed; but those who remembered still the lore of Westernesse told that it had been brought out of the ruin of Númenor and there set by Isildur at his landing.” [5.II.]

Elrohir gives Aragorn a silver horn, and when he blows it, the dead gather around to listen to his words. He tells them to follow him to Pelargir, and that he will hold their oath fulfilled when they have aided him in ridding the land of all of Sauron’s servants. He bids Halbarad unfurl the great black standard that had been carried through the paths, and the company camp by the Stone.

At dawn they set off again, and for the next two days, they ride down through Gondor to Pelargir, followed always by the Dead.