The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

When I was in Grade 4, my teacher read us “The Hobbit” and I enjoyed the experience. In junior high, my cousin first informed me of “The Lord of the Rings” because he was reading it. All I learned though was that it was also written J. R. R. Tolkien and was about Frodo Baggins who is Bilbo’s nephew. Then in my first year of university, my film teacher showed us the whole TV special about Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” and I was intrigued. I went to the theater and took part in history. I am grateful that while I was not around to enjoy the excitement of the original “Star Wars Trilogy”, I could witness and be a part of the excitement of “The Lord of the Rings Trilogy” that began with this first film. I find a lot of similarities between the two trilogies. After multiple, fascinating viewings, “The Fellowship of the Ring” has become a work of art under the direction of Peter Jackson. The secret to the success of this film is the love for the project that everyone involved had, especially Jackson. Also, the talent of everyone involved is of a premium quality. While the writers stayed very true the book, they had to make adjustments so the story could be told on the screen. The final product is enjoyable for everyone, even those who have never before heard of “The Lord of the Rings”. The extended version is the only version I enjoy now because of how much more meaningful the story becomes and also because of how seamless the new scenes are integrated in. Because the movie is an adaptation, this review will focus on how the story was brought to life and not so much on the story itself.

This movie was thought to be un-filmable, even by Tolkien, but Jackson’s love of the books was too much to let that deter him. This affection for the story appears to have been shared or to have been instilled in everyone else involved in the project. There was a collaborative atmosphere throughout the making of all three films that was described as “controlled chaos” by producer Mark Ordesky. The Oscar nominations for “The Fellowship of the Ring” are proof of the success of this passionate environment. I wish that costumes, editing, sound and art direction had won but they were up against some other great works. The sound throughout the film is extremely powerful, particularly in the prologue. The film’s makeup, musical score, cinematography and visual effects did win Oscars and upon consideration, they deserved to win the most. Howard Shore’s work on this trilogy is the best musical score ever composed with the exception of John Williams’ work on “Star Wars”. Being a New Zealander, Jackson wanted to make this film almost primarily in his home country. The fact that the whole trilogy was filmed entirely in New Zealand is a great achievement. It introduces a slightly new feel to the stories and adds to the realism of the adventure. The vast armies & settings created in the film through special effects add to the scale of the story and it is no wonder why the films were not made in live action until now. The achievement of making the actors in the film appear smaller was a great undertaking. In real life for example, Elijah Wood is 5’6”. In pulling off an illusion, you can do it successfully when you utilize many old tricks alongside new technologies. You never use the same trick twice in a row. Another example of this is the laughing scene in “Mary Poppins”. Because Jackson used past methods and also incorporated new methods, some shots in the movie with Hobbits baffle me as to how they were achieved. The acting was still performed flawlessly in these special effects shots to the credit of the cast. I like how at the start of filming, Jackson scheduled it to help the cast members bond, particularly with the four hobbits. He did other things to help them bond as well. Life needed to imitate art so as to register with the emotions of the audience. Some big stars did try out for this film but I feel that casting less famous actors was the right way to go as it had worked for “Star Wars”. With a story as famous, beloved and big as this, it needed to be the crowning feature of the movie. Star power would have overshadowed the story. "The Fellowship of the Ring" introduced me to many actors but I did recognize a few such as Elijah Wood, Sean Astin and Liv Tyler. All the cast members deserved to be mentioned by name but to begin with, Ian McKellen should have won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Usually however, it is hard to win an Oscar when you are in a blockbuster. Alec Guinness did not win for the role of Obi-wan. There are some actors who look perfect for their roles such as John Rhys-Davies, Orlando Bloom and Christopher Lee. Ian Holm has played a hobbit before and his performance brought to life the Bilbo I had in mind from “The Hobbit”. The character took on wonderful new dimensions for me also because of Holm. I did have trouble at first with Elrond being played by Hugo Weaving however. I am used to him being an antagonist because of “The Matrix” and “Babe”. Ironically about the role of Elrond, Jackson said: “To have a famous, beloved character and a famous star colliding is slightly uncomfortable." That is exactly what happened in the case of Weaving in this movie but it could not be helped. “The Matrix” came out during the filming of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. All the characters preformed their roles well and they furthered the beloved nature of the story.

The adaptation and portrayal of this tale is masterfully handled. When you compare the book to the movie, the length of time that the story takes place in has been shorten. I am in favor of this however because it works well on film. You can identify with the characters a lot better when the trilogy takes place over the course of a year instead of decades. The screenplay’s Oscar nomination is proof that the difficult task of adapting this “un-filmable” story was successful accomplished. It was said that the exposition scenes were the hardest to adapt and yet, they tend to be some of the most enjoyable moments with the help of the actors. The opening narration with Cate Blanchett is such an effective way of establishing the mood of the prologue and even of the entire trilogy. When I saw the movie for the first time, I was quite surprised that Bilbo’s ring in “The Hobbit” was actually the One Ring. Suddenly, the movie had deeper meaning for me. To realize also that Gollum was in “The Lord of the Rings” added to this excitement. I was stunned to learn that the creature I remembered from “The Hobbit” was actually a result of years of the ring’s influence and power. I could not wait for the next film because of Gollum. I find it funny that there are seven dwarf lords. The Shire is extremely appealing for us as an audience and this was the desire of Jackson. We must know what is worth destroying the ring for. Gandalf is just the way I imagined him and to experience another character I liked from “The Hobbit” in this story made me very happy. As a missionary in the Philippines, I was taller than the people there and I had to be careful in people’s houses. As a result, I can humorously relate to Gandalf when he first enters Bag End and is hitting his head. Because this story is going to take three long films to tell, we need some well depicted scenes of exposition in “The Fellowship of the Ring” to set things up and keep our attention throughout the trilogy. To that end, we have Gandalf’s scene with Frodo concerning the origin and nature of the ring. It is so well performed by McKellen. We also have the Council of Elrond, which will be talked about later. How do you portray a villain that has no physical form or a ring that has a mind of its own? It is a tough task but Jackson and the other filmmakers were able to tap into the human mind to achieve this. We all experience temptation from an unseen force and this is the basis of the portrayal of both the ring and Sauron. It is important to show Frodo helping Sam as they begin their journey as later they exchange these roles. Another similarity between “Star Wars” and “The Lord of the Rings” is the village of Bree and the Inn of the Prancing Pony. Joseph Campbell in writing of the hero’s journey talked about the hero “crossing the threshold”. It can be represented by Dorothy’s line in “The Wizard of Oz”: "I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore.” In “Star Wars”, Luke experiences this moment in the cantina in Mos Eisley where there are many different creatures and aliens. There are two examples of 'crossing the threshold" in "The Fellowship of the Ring". Sam has to take first step that will take him farther from home than ever before. Also, Frodo and the Hobbits are out of place in the Inn and drama is therefore well created by Jackson in the introduction of Aragorn. We can't tell at first whether he is good or bad? The movie shows the important moments at Rivendell where Frodo believes that his journey and adventure is over such as the scene with Sam packing his things. Another moment is when he brings forth the ring during the council. He feels relieved but not for long. We must understand the other reasons Frodo has in taking the ring to Mordor other than to save the Shire. He could just let others do it but he knows the ring is the cause of the strife in the council. The One Ring is overruling all of them. No progress will be made unless he becomes the ring bearer. He is also still drawn to the ring as shown when Gimli tries to destroy the ring. The inclusion of these events in the film is well done by the filmmakers for story purposes. The Council of Elrond has great moments and is well abridged to take place in a short amount of time on screen. Sean Bean’s lines are the best such as about the Land of Mordor. There is no sound or music for the first few lines of Boromir as he talks about Mordor. Gandalf is heartbroken that Frodo has offered to take the ring but there is a small look of understanding also. This is a great moment from McKellen once again. I love the shot on the path of Caradhras where Frodo and Aragorn are in the background and the ring is very large in the foreground. It is one of the best shots in the film as is the shot where the Fellowship crosses the Bridge of Khazad-dûm with the Balrog behind them. I love how motion capture was used later with all the actors in shots like that. I feel it is important that Frodo has one good-bye moment before he leaves the Fellowship. Aragorn’s scene with Frodo as he resists the ring’s call achieves this. I love how Frodo is standing on the river’s edge holding the ring. The audience must see Frodo contemplate why he is doing all this. Both Elijah Wood and Sean Astin’s best scene in this movie is in the boat where Sam reminds Frodo of his promise to Gandalf. Their friendship becomes a strong bond that will resonate for the rest of the story.

The extended versions allow the films to become even more monumental in my opinion. These versions are the only way I can watch the trilogy now. In the case of “The Fellowship of the Ring”, the new scenes help relate the first movie to the others. I love the “Concerning Hobbits” montage as it relates to the vastness of the story. The scene where the fellowship departs and Frodo asks which path to take is another important inclusion for the sake of the trilogy. A long journey has started and the ring bearer verbally demonstrates that he is out of his league. The scene before Moria with Frodo and Gandalf has Frodo beginning to understand that he can’t trust the Fellowship. On the side of the river before Amon Hen, Frodo has stopped eating & sleeping and at first it appears to be because of anxiety. We come to find out in the next film that the Ring is affecting him and this new scene helps us see the full emotional journey that he undergoes in the whole trilogy. As a comedian, the film allows for parody just like other masterpieces. I like to make little jokes such as Gimli’s beard being grabbed. In real life, the beard is fake. I like to change Gimli’s line to “Not the beard! It’s fake!” The scene that introduces the Lembas bread feels like a commercial and the horn of Gondor sounds like that of a bus or boat. With everyone running in that direction, it feels like they are trying to catch a ride.

All jokes aside, “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” is a near-perfect movie. It is the best film from 2001 hands down. Just as George Lucas desired independence from Hollywood to make “Star Wars”, Peter Jackson passionately made this film in New Zealand. Even though “The Fellowship of the Ring” has many scenes at the end that are concluding in nature, the ending is still a cliffhanger. I gasped with disappointment when I saw Peter Jackson’s name appear because I knew I was going to have to wait a long time until I would see the remaining films. As a missionary, we were not allowed to see movies during our two-year service and I became a missionary a year after the release of the first film. I had to wait a total of three years to experience the historical conclusion of this tale but it was worth the wait. I was also in a fantasy play in university during the time that the first film was in theaters. Our director was a “Lord of the Rings” fan and so we bought a replica of the ring & Sting for him as a present. “The Fellowship” has so much passion in it because of those who worked on it and the story was well adapted & portrayed. Talented people were featured in this film as well. The cool thing is that we are only a third of the way through the story. The Fellowship may appear to have failed but not if they hold true to each other.

5 Stars