Did Rankin/Bass' Return of the King give us the best screen depiction of Sauron?
Most people would agree that Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King is one of the weakest screen adaptations of Tolkien's work, but did it unironically give us the best depiction of the Dark Lord? Opinions vary on how he is depicted in Bakshi's movie, Jackson's movies, The Rings of Power and various video games, but I think that the Rankin/Bass movie may have given us the best screen depiction of him because of what it doesn't show us.
In the books, Sauron never appears in person and his presence is conveyed through the actions of his followers. He is an unknowable, otherworldly evil that is beyond the comprehension of both the characters and the reader. The Rankin/Bass movie really leans into this by leaving him completely to the imagination and during "The Cracks of Doom" scene Gandalf gives this really unsettling monologue that perfectly captures the nature of Sauron and what makes him so terrifying:
"Who causes the minutes to fall dead, adding up to no passing hour, bringing no change from day to night, as the unseen sun fails to filter into the ever-present shadows? Who is this Dark Lord who turns starless nights into sunless days? How does His piercing eye see through the ever-present darkness, seeing all—and nothing? The restless eye, in His Dark Tower, wearing a veil of protective shadows He has woven from fear. And yet He fears too. In the security of His protective realm He fear the winds of the world are turning against Him, tearing aside His veils and troubling Him, with tidings of bold spies that have passed through His fences."