The Lord of the Rings #1
In 2001, director Peter Jackson did the unthinkable while releasing the ‘unfilmable’: the first cinematic chapter in author J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Turning the books into a cinematic adaptation had been thought of as an impossible task, Ralph Bakshi attempting an animated film in the late 70’s. Jackson; making a prolific career for himself, gathered his resources and with help from a studio, directed, produced and co-wrote the three cinematic epic tales, starting with The Fellowship of the Ring.
Frodo, a small Hobbit, is tasked with carrying a certain One Ring, the ringbearer searching for a way to destroy this evil object. He will be the one to carry this journey, as the fate of Middle Earth hangs in the balance.
Everything seems to fall in the right place with these films. The cast, crew, music… All choices must be commended.
The story is well told, as J.R.R. Tolkien‘s trilogy is vast, and Jackson, Phillipa Boyens and Fran Walsh had a lot to draw on and edit unimportant elements. The story is coherent, as everything fits. Despite some differences from the book I understand this was done for cinematic reasons.
Filmmaker Jackson chose to film in the right spot, namingly his homeland, New Zealand. The island seems to hold various locations that can represent Middle-Earth, from the woodlands to the mountains (actually CGI?) and the deserts. The island’s natural beauty aids cinematographer Andrew Lesnie‘s brilliant camera work.
The effects hold up mostly for 2001. The camera tricks utilized for size comparison between the ‘halfling’ Hobbits and humans hold up well for 20 years. The CGI does mostly, save for really the cave troll sequence. The makeup jobs work well, especially that of the Orcs.
Peter Jackson and Co. chose a great cast for the trilogy and really for some their breakouts started here. Elijah Wood and Ian McKellan both inhabit their characters, giving pathos in their performances as the film moves at a good pace. Viggo Mortensen is made an A-Lister here. Cate Blanchett leaves a lasting impression. Christopher Lee gives his usual all as Saruman, good wizard made evil by greed and hungry power.
While the theatrical version is the tighter edit and more straightforward, the Extended Edition features more Easter egg nuggets for fans to find, such as the three stone trolls appearing from Bilbo Baggin’s tale, The Hobbit.
Really nothing bothers me about The Fellowship of the Ring aside from some dated CGI as stated above.
As his music was the most used in the temp track, Howard Shore was chosen to score the trilogy and it is with this first film that we are introduced to the composer’s main themes and motifs for the trilogy. Some of my favorite motifs are for that of the antagonists. Where Shore’s music for primary villain Sauron, Saruman’s music has a more industrial progress tinge, as the evil wizards subplot involves the destruction of a forest to make way for industrial machines and forged.
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