DIRECTOR: Peter Jackson
CAST:
Elijah Wood, Sir Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Liv Tyler, Sean Astin, Cate Blanchett,
John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd, Dominic Monaghan, Orlando Bloom, Christopher Lee,
Sir Ian Holm, Sean Bean, Hugo Weaving, Andy Serkis
REVIEW:
The origins of this epic film trilogy date back to the early 1930s, when a British scholar named J.R.R. Tolkien began writing an equally epic series of books. The first to be completed and published was The Hobbit in 1937, but Tolkien had a more ambitious story in mind. Originally setting out to write one enormous novel, he ultimately realized that such a tale as he was creating was too vast to be contained in one book, and instead formed it into a trilogy. Parts one and two, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers , were released in 1954, followed by the climactic third, The Return of the King, in 1957. Together, the trilogy was known as The Lord of the Rings. The significance of this fantasy series cannot be ignored. Tolkien’s books were adored by millions the world over during his lifetime, and since his death in 1973, they have remained a beloved and integral part of the fantasy literature genre. With such a huge following, it was inevitable that film versions would at least be attempted, but few filmmakers had either the inclination or the means to tackle such a daunting production. Unexceptional animated versions of both The Lord of the Rings and its prequel The Hobbit were made- and failed miserably- in the 1970s. Two more decades passed, and New Zealand director Peter Jackson contemplated taking on the ambitious task of bringing Tolkien’s epic trilogy to the screen. But even beginning to film The Lord of the Rings was easier said than done. Jackson’s first potential backer was Miramax Films, but their interest came with a specification which seems absurd...they wanted Jackson to somehow condense the trilogy into one long movie. Thankfully, he declined. There is no possible way The Lord of the Rings could be squeezed and chopped into one long installment without being inexcusably abridged and whittled down. For a period it looked as though Jackson would have to drop the idea altogether, but fortunately a new backer appeared in New Line Cinema, a modest film company which invested nearly $300 million for the package deal of all three films. Had The Lord of the Rings failed, New Line Cinema would have been practically bankrupt. Jackson had the financial support he needed, and the green light to proceed with filming, but therein lay an array of new challenges. Even with three films, each approaching or exceeding three hours, it would not be possible to include everything from the books. How to decide what to include and what to excise? How to streamline and dramatize certain aspects of the storyline to play better in movie form without losing the essence and spirit Tolkien intended? How to create the world Tolkien described in such detail? Who to cast in the roles of some of the most beloved fantasy literary characters ever created? Those who worried about how the filmmakers would handle such questions can breathe a sigh of relief. On every level imaginable, Jackson and crew have succeeded, and the result is not only the definitive film adaptation of one of the most popular fantasy stories ever written, not only a majestic, enthralling adventure in its own right, but itself a pinnacle in moviemaking, one of the most colossal film productions ever made, and raising the meaning of “epic filmmaking” to a whole new level. In the future all epic fantasy adventures will have a high bar to hurdle.
The set-up is explained in a concise and straightforward opening prologue narrated by Cate Blanchett. Thousands of years ago, a great war was waged between the free peoples of Middle Earth- including humans, elves, and dwarfs- and the forces of evil led by the Dark Lord Sauron, whose power stemmed from a magical ring and was bent on dominating or destroying all life. Sauron was defeated, but the ring ended up in the possession of the human King Isildur. Sauron’s life force endured through the ring, without which he would no longer exist, and corrupted Isildur and all others who have come to wear it. When we begin with our story, the ring, after passing through various hands over thousands of years, now belongs to the Hobbit Bilbo Baggins (a delightful Ian Holm), the adventurous hero of The Hobbit, who has retired in his old age to the peaceful countryside of the Shire, the living place of the Hobbits, diminutive, sheltered country folk who live blissfully isolated from the greater world (just as well for them considering their innocent natures and the fact that they stand about three feet tall- this effect was achieved through deceptive camera angles). But life does not proceed uneventfully in the Shire; Bilbo is visited on his 111th birthday by his old friend, the wizard Gandalf (an equally charming Ian McKellen), who has come with news that danger is growing in the outside world. Bilbo has had the ring too long, weary of the effects of its malevolent power, and Sauron’s agents, the ring-wraiths, former kings now slaves to the ring’s dominating will, are finally closing in. The ring cannot stay with the tired and aging Bilbo, nor in the Shire; the only way to prevent Sauron from launching another assault on Middle Earth is to take the ring to Sauron’s own land of Mordor and cast it into the fire of Mount Doom where it was forged, thereby destroying both the ring and Sauron himself. This unenviable task falls on the small shoulders of Frodo Baggins (Elijah Wood), Bilbo’s young nephew and heir, to whom he turns over the ring. After a few close calls with the ring-wraiths, Frodo and his loyal traveling companion Sam (Sean Astin), soon joined by fellow Hobbits Merry (Dominic Monaghan) and Pippin (Billy Boyd), make their way to the Elf land of Rivendell, where a Fellowship of the Ring is formed to help Frodo on his dangerous mission, including the Hobbits, Gandalf, the elf Legolas (Orlando Bloom), dwarf Gimli (John Rhys-Davies), ambitious human heir Boromir (Sean Bean), and the mysterious Strider (Viggo Mortensen), who turns out to be Aragorn, descendant of Isildur and heir to his kingdom. These nine companions, occasionally with assistance from Aragorn’s elf love Arwen (Liv Tyler) and the elven Queen Galadriel (Cate Blanchett), must make the perilous and difficult journey to Mordor, confronting ever mounting dangers, with the possibility that some of them may not survive, and with the corrupting influence of the ring always threatening to divide them. And this is only part one of three.
Peter Jackson, while cutting or condensing a number of scenes to quicken the pace and adding a romantic subplot to add to its mainstream appeal, was determined to remain faithful, if not to Tolkien’s every word, at least to the spirit and essence of his works. Jackson and an obviously dedicated crew have brought Tolkien’s fantasy world to life with a richness and detail that makes Middle Earth seem not like some elaborate movie set, but a real place that you could visit, where people actually live. As an example of their attention to detail and commitment to making this world seem as real as possible, they planted crops a year beforehand on the location of Hobbiton to make it look like it had been long-populated. The charming, quaint, idyllic look and feel of Hobbiton perfectly captures the peaceful natures and innocence of the Hobbits (and the actors all have that in-over their-heads, babe in the woods look and manner about them, especially in the scene when they must venture into the world outside the Shire and seem to realize for the first time just how small they are, huddled together, looking around with frightened bewildered eyes, constantly dodging wagons, animals, and humans which tower over them like giants). A sense of discovery lies behind every frame of the movie, taking us to an endless series of new places so rich and beautifully rendered that we can almost believe they truly exist. The remarkably diverse types of terrain which can all be found in New Zealand were a great help in this. While Jackson and the special effects team did use some computer animation (which sometimes isn’t quite as polished as that in Star Wars or some other films), they used it more sparingly than some other filmmakers might have, preferring to use actual meticulously constructed sets whenever possible, remaining as faithful as they could to Tolkien’s often intricately detailed descriptions, resulting in a world which looks more real than it might otherwise had if Jackson had resorted to an over-reliance on digital animation. Howard Shore’s music hits all the right notes at all the right times, from the peaceful, Celtic-flavored Shire score to the more epic theme which runs throughout the film. Andrew Lesnie’s gorgeous, suitably sweeping cinematography displays the beautiful, varied New Zealand countryside for all it’s worth. And aside from being visually stunning, the movie is good entertainment. It never ceases to engage throughout its entire formidable running time, and many sequences are genuinely exciting- most notably a hazardous trek through the underground caverns of Moria, and a climactic battle with the Uruk-hai- subhuman beasts dispatched to capture the ringbearer- and it transitions from light-hearted to serious and sometimes poignant without once making a misstep. In every way I can think of, this is a production virtually devoid of any significant flaws, and I cannot imagine how a movie adaptation of Tolkien’s books could possibly be better-done.
The Lord of the Rings is an epic fantasy adventure rather than a character-based drama- although acting and characterization is stronger than in, say, Star Wars- but everyone is likable and enthusiastic and all of the actors seem to slip comfortably into their roles. Elijah Wood brings an innocence and vulnerability to the diminutive Frodo Baggins as the sheltered young Hobbit suddenly finds himself the potential savior of the entire world. Wood takes the material seriously, with his usual earnestness, and it’s not hard to sympathize with Frodo. There are occasions when the young actor’s low-key portrayal threatens to be overshadowed by a few of his more overtly heroic cast mates, but for the most part, he holds his own. Viggo Mortensen plays Aragorn as a skilled warrior and an honorable man torn by his fear that he has inherited his ancestor’s weakness even when his brave actions in defense of Frodo and the other Hobbits consistently prove otherwise. Rounding out his character, we see that he is also a tender lover in a couple of scenes with his beloved Arwen. In fact, almost everyone in the story is vulnerable and dependent upon others to a greater or lesser extent, remaining true to Tolkien’s message of camaraderie and loyalty. Two themes are repeated throughout the film; loyalty in the face of adversity, and that true strength comes from within. Frodo Baggins is no invulnerable hero. He is vulnerable and often afraid, sometimes torn by self-doubt, and often needs to be protected or rescued, but summons enough resolve to continue on. Aragorn, Gandalf, and Boromir are more conventionally powerful, but by no means invincible. Worthy of particular mention in this uniformly fine cast is Sir Ian McKellen, who is wonderful as Gandalf the Gray, the benevolent and wise mentor who sets the Fellowship off on their critical mission. After his villainous appearances in Apt Pupil and X-Men
it’s a nice switch to see McKellen project simple goodness (that, and the old wizard can kick butt when he has to). Sir Ian Holm can play venomous malice and grandfatherly warmth equally convincingly, making Bilbo Baggins a troubled and poignant figure. Sean Bean also has a somewhat complex and conflicted character; his Boromir lusts after the ring from the moment he claps eyes on it, ultimately leading to a near-betrayal of the Fellowship before redeeming himself heroically. Sean Astin is the pure-hearted Samwise Gamgee, whose loyalty to Frodo seems limitless. Of the nine members of the Fellowship, the biggest roles go to Wood, Mortensen, McKellen, Astin, and Bean, in that order, but the rest acquit themselves well with the more limited material they’re given. Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan are around primarily for comic relief (Boyd in particular is endearingly impish), and it sometimes seems that this is also the case for John Rhys-Davies’ feisty dwarf Gimli. Orlando Bloom doesn’t have too much to do besides look pretty with his long blond hairpiece and shoot arrows with lightning speed, while Liv Tyler and Cate Blanchett bring a nice ethereal quality to the roles of Arwen and Galadriel. Well-respected Australian actor Hugo Weaving, probably best-known as the implacable, sinister Agent Smith in the sci-fi hit The Matrix
, has a small role as Arwen’s father Elrond. The Dark Lord Sauron is represented only by a huge flaming eye, but a physical villain is provided by Christopher Lee as Saruman, a wizard and old friend of Gandalf’s who throws his lot in with Sauron. Lee makes Saruman a chilling and sinister villain, upstaging his somewhat similar performance in Star Wars Episode II: The Attack of the Clones of the same year. Gandalf and Saruman are intended to represent two sides of the same coin; both possessing great power, Gandalf uses his to protect the vulnerable, while Saruman’s leads him to megalomania. The cast members were selected for their suitability for their parts, not name recognition. The headliner, Elijah Wood, is a character actor, not an "A-lister", more associated with independent films than blockbusters; the same could be said of Viggo Mortensen and Sean Astin. Ian McKellen and Ian Holm are knighted Oscar nominees, but while they, along with John Rhys-Davies and Christopher Lee, are respected acting veterans, they're not quote unquote "megastars". Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan were unknowns outside of the UK, and Orlando Bloom was straight out of drama school. While some of these actors have more to do than others, the entire cast seems to have been selected with unerring precision. I was already familiar with Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, and Ian Holm, but almost as soon as you see them onscreen, you’re not watching actors in makeup, you’re watching Frodo and Gandalf and Aragorn and Bilbo; such is how instantly Jackson and the cast and crew immerse the audience in their world. There has been much talk of the intense bond and camaraderie among the cast members during production- many of the members of the Fellowship, particularly the four “Hobbits”, were practically as inseparable offscreen as on- and that no doubt affected the final product. This is what can happen when a large collection of talented people, both in front of the camera and behind it, work closely together for a greater goal and are passionate about what they are doing. This is truly a noteworthy cinematic achievement.
The Fellowship of the Ring is a finely crafted enough film to start out captivatingly charmingly and then proceed into substantially darker territory without seeming the miss a beat. Christopher Lee’s Saruman is a sinister figure, the Orcs and Uruk-hai are suitably grotesque, and the ring-wraiths, towering, black-hooded creatures whose ancient faces are hidden in shadow and ride massive red-eyed horses, make a genuinely creepy impression, but the most frightening creation, at least to me, is the enormous, demonic Balrog, a huge flaming beast which dwells deep in the caverns and resembles a two-legged burning bull.
As it stands on its own, The Fellowship of the Ring is an awesome adventure which pulls you into its world and keeps you happily there for a running time which approaches three hours (albeit of course with an open ending). And the next two installments would prove even more epic.
4 STARS
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